Loris Bog Off

Southern writer James Villas describes bog as any stew that contains wet, soggy rice, unlike a pilaf which contains sauteed or seasoned rice. However this highly localized dished can come in many forms but the traditional ingredients are chicken, rice, sausage, onions, salt, and pepper.  For those of you completely lost at this point, trust us this one course dish is truly amazing. So much so that since 1979 Loris, SC has held an annual festival that pits bog chefs against one another in the ultimate bog-off. For one weekend in October Loris, with a population of 2400, explodes into a festival attracting almost 25,000 people. 
This year 13 chefs were competing against each other. After sampling almost all of them, we settled upon two that we felt were amazing. One was just good ole fashion bog with not frills, but a very consistent texture and flavor The other put a twist on the bog by using a mustard base. 
In addition to the chicken bog, the streets are lined with vendors, a car show, animal rides, and tons of fair food if you get tired of eating bog.  

9/11

It has been 10 years and ironically it is again a beautiful clear day. We all know where we were then. As with JFK and the Challenger, 9/11 is one of those moments in our history where all divisions were erased, and we united as one.  While we pause to honor those that died and those that continue to cope, it is our hope that this nation never lose that sense of unity. For it is only through the unity of all that the freedom and diversity of the individual can be protected.

Chicago: Day 6

Our final day was here, and we were sad to see it coming to an end!
We spent a leisurely morning getting ready, packing, and taking it easy.  After checking out, we began to walk towards Navy Pier, and we noticed the increasing fog that was rolling into the city.  We were planning on taking a sky line boat cruise to get some shots of the skyline from Lake Michigan, but the weather obviously was not going to cooperate.  We strolled down Navy Pier, looked at the large stained glass window installation, and rode some rides.  Our ride on the Ferris wheel was a foggy mess!  We looked towards the city, and it was just a big gray blob.  We decided to have lunch and just go over to the Shedd Aquarium.  There was no point in doing much outside because it was so difficult to see, which we realized on the water taxi ride to the Museum Campus.  Boats would just emerge from nothing out of the fog.  It was really spooky.
The Aquarium was a nice change from the gloom outside, and we checked out all of the aquatic life they had on display.  They had some beluga whales, penguins, and Pacific dolphins that we enjoyed watching.
Alas, it was time to grab our bags from the hotel and head to O'Hare to catch our flight.  We both had a wonderful time, and there is so much more of the city to see.  I know we will make it back to explore some more one day!

 Navy Pier

 Stained Glass Exhibit

 Ferris Wheel

 Water Taxi

 Sailboat Emerging from the fog

 Penguins!

Boo!

Chicago: Day 5

Headed out on the L toward the University of Chicago campus first thing in the morning.  I was getting a little worried as we went through some "questionable" areas as we got close to our stop.  When we got off, I was even more concerned.  Where was Google Maps taking us?!?  The area was almost abandoned and very run down, but we continued on through Washington Park and made it to the U of C campus.  We immediately noticed the variety of architecture on the campus, and we explored on our way to Wright's Robie House.  The architectural styles are so extremely different, and the juxtaposition of Gothic to Modern to Classical creates surprise around every corner.  You never know what to expect.  We checked out a Meis van der Rohe building and then we stopped at the Law School, designed by Ben's favorite architect, Eero Saarinen.  This was a gorgeous building, and we snooped around the whole thing, making sure to see the whole place.
After our walk around campus, we enjoyed the tour of the Robie House, although it was not as extensive as the home and studio from the day before.  The house is still under renovation, but still, it is another beautiful Wright designed home.  The stained glass was really beautiful and let in so much natural light to the main living area.  Rafael Viñoly's Booth School of Business building was a nice compliment across the street from the Robie House as well.  The large patio spaces mimicked the linear style of Wright.  After our tour, we had a quick lunch at the cafeteria inside of Booth, and we made our way back through the park to the L.
We decided to stop at the Illinois Institute of Technology campus.  The entire campus was practically designed by Meis van der Rohe.  Another great stop!

We stopped at Millennium Park to see the Bean.  This is a really cool, public art installation, and the public's interaction with it proves it.  We enjoyed taking some silly pictures like everyone else.

Back to the hotel to freshen up, have drinks, and then it was off to an early dinner at EATT before heading out to Lincoln Park.  We went to Lincoln Hall to see the Old 97s.  It was a fun show, and we had a great time.

Only one day left :(

 U of C Cathedral

 Meis 

 Saarinen's Law School building

 Checking out the awesome ceiling

 Robie House

 Sneak Peek of the Robie House Interiors

 Meis at IIT

THE BEAN!

Old 97s

Chicago: Day 4

We went to Oak Park first thing in the morning, and we managed to get to Frank Lloyd Wright's Home and Studio before it was even open!  We made it to one of the first tours that morning, and had some time to explore the streets adjacent to the home before our tour.  The home and studio are both very interesting, and the entire home and studio are included in the tour.  Following the tour, we used our Oak Park map to hunt out other Wright-designed homes and other notable homes in the area.  I really had a change of heart through the course of the day.  I had previously been so anti-FLW, and I had turned myself off to anything that he had done.  But seeing how forward thinking and how advanced his designs were in contrast to the overly Victorian influences that were present at the time, I was blown away.  The man was so far ahead of his time.  There were several homes, including the Martin house, that I was particularly impressed.

We had another great lunch and went over the Unity Temple.  This church is in quite a state of disrepair, and it was sad to see such a significant architectural work in this state.  They are working to get funds to repair it, but there is a growing list of items that need attending.

We had time to hang out in the room for a bit before going to check out the Chicago Tribune building with it's pieces of notable historical and international landmarks.  We had traditional Chicago-style pizza at Pizzeria Due, thanks to the suggestion of our friend Nick.  It was good, but I think I am still partial to the New York style pizza.  Finally, we finished the evening by going to the Signature Lounge at the John Hancock building.  This Lounge is two floors above the observation deck, and we enjoyed seeing the city at night and having a drink.  It was stunning seeing all the glittering lights of the city from that height.

 FLW Home & Studio

 Oak Park

 Oak Park

 Ben and his boy, FLW

 Oak Park

 Martin House

 Unity Temple

 Crumbling :(

 Unity Temple

 Marilyn...and her panties

 Chicago Tribune Building

 Pizzeria Due

Signature Lounge at the John Hancock building

Chicago: Day 3

Better late than never....Finally posting the rest of our Chicago Trip

We started the morning with a Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour.  This 90 minute cruise was well worth it, and we would recommend it to anyone visiting the area.  It was a great way to see all the architecture of the city while comfortably sitting and drifting down the river.  Our tour guide was especially great, and all of the Chicago Architecture Foundation tours are lead by volunteers.  They are passionate about the subject matter and well educated.
Following the tour, we hoped on the L to the Museum Campus.  We grabbed a quick lunch at Potbelly Sandwich Shop, and headed over to the Field Museum.  This was another included admission with our GoChicago cards, and this Natural History museum was packed with displays, including a large collection of taxidermy animals, dinosaurs, gems, and an ancient Egypt exhibit.  Next we were off to the Adler Planetarium (also included with GoChicago) where we checked out a 3D show and tested out an interactive moon jump.
We took a long walk along the tidal basin, but got some great shots of the city.  A quick stop at the hotel for some drinks and we were off to Millennium Park to enjoy a picnic dinner and listen to the symphony in the Frank Gehry designed outdoor amphitheater.  It was a beautiful evening.
After the symphony, we strolled down to the Buckingham fountain.  This huge fountain is choreographed with light and music, displaying a spectacular show.
It was time to sleep for another busy day ahead!

 Marina City - Boat Tour

 Architecture Boat Tour

 Yum! Potbelly Sandwiches :)

 Field Museum

 RAWR! Sue the T-Rex

 Adler Planetarium

 Tidal Basin

 Enjoying the Symphony

 Frank Gehry designed amphitheater at Millennium Park

 Buckingham Fountain

Sawgrass

We are currently in Jacksonville, FL at the Sawgrass Mariott Resort for the weekend.  Johanna has a prep class for her upcoming NCIDQ exam.  Im using the weekend as a relaxing escape to focus on my studying as well.  The resort has been amazing so far, with two pool areas, an irish pub, a gym, a starbucks, and plenty of lounge areas. I have been able to fit a weeks worth of studying into a day and half, all while getting some much needed rest and relaxation. (Chicago was a blast but definitely not R&R)  We will post a few pictures of the resort soon.