Chicago Architecture Center - Fulton Market District - Gin Alley - Wooden Alley - MyShadowProductions #220

Hola everybody and Welcome to the month of March !!

First off, I want to share some photos that allow the colors of tan and brown to be center stage and not competing with all the other “pretty colors”.

MORTON ARBORETUM 

Garfield Park Conservatory & Gardens 

Quaking Aspen Buds

I have been “struggling” with putting some Videos together but it’s “now or never” (not really, but the weather is warming up and that means more time outside :) so I am going to post them and hope for the best.

On February 15th I took a Day Trip from Aurora to the Chicago Architecture Center passing “Architecture” as I walked from Union Station to the corner of Wacker and Michigan Ave. The Center contains a lot of information about Chicago’s history shaping the present day Chicago.

Click Here for my recording of an 8 minute Video that plays in the Center about every 20 minutes. The “lighting” is a bit distorted at times because I recorded with my phone but I think the “story” was very interesting. Listen for the 3 nicknames given Chicago:

“City of the Big Shoulders - “Lightning City”  - “Porkopolis”

The present exhibit at the Center is titled “The Disappointed Tourist”. 

It was a little overwhelming to try and “read” every painting but I did see one “place” that I saw before it was “removed”, the Chesterfield Mall Carousel.

This one also caught my eye :)

CLICK HERE for a Video created from my photos walking to and visiting the Chicago Architecture Center.

OK, back to the present, I read that Chicago has over 1,900 miles of alleys and I was wondering if any of them would be worthy of photos by MyShadowProductions? :) I will keep my eye out for more but I found 2 (with the help of an internet search); Gin Alley in the Fulton Market District area (more photos in the summer and at night might be interesting) and Wooden Alley (see description below):

This Video visits both Alleys and captures some local sights nearby each of them.

I think that is all for this Post but I do have a little bit of a question?, realization?, observation?, ………….? We have 26 letters in our English language alphabet and there are hundreds of thousands of words and we only “use” 10 to 30,000? I just learned a few more, Phenology and Quercus (which I will share more about next time) and equanimous which sounds like a great adjective/idea/goal to “live”.

Before I go, a little more on GPC (Garfield Park Conservatory) :), the Spring Flower Show is off to a good start and the Tulips have popped up in the Artist’s Garden:

March 4, 2026
What Colors This Year ??

FULL BLOOM AHEAD !!