So as previously mentioned, my trip to Chicago was a whirlwind of friends and calories.  But I also managed to do some super-touristy stuff that ended up being pretty great.

1. Ian and I visited Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio in Oak Park, then walked around the neighborhood to look at the houses he and his disciples designed.

2. We toured the Cultural Center and went to an exhibit on art featuring typography.

3. I took a skyscraper tour of the Loop through the Chicago Architecture Foundation.  I love the CAF and I have so much respect for the work they do.  I’d taken a boat tour of downtown before, but I’d never been to their headquarters and I loved seeing some of the lobbies.

4. I spent three hours at the art institute.  I love Impressionists, and they had a great exhibit on the King Survey of the American West.  Their architecture section sucks, though, maybe because they’re right across the street from the architecture foundation.