architecture

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Art, Culture, and an Anniversary in Chicago

We arrived in Chicago last Wednesday on a warm, overcast afternoon, ready to explore this iconic city and excited to visit the Obama Presidential Center. I booked our museum tickets in April; the center opened in mid-June, and here we are in late September, celebrating the autumnal equinox and our 31st wedding anniversary, and reminiscing about a time of compassionate and intelligent leadership. Yes We Can – Barack Obama Music Video

One of our favorite NPR radio shows, Wait Wait, Don’t Tell Me, records on Thursdays at the renovated Studebaker Theater. They tour the country throughout the year, so we lucked out getting tickets while they were here in town. We laughed and cheered at the two-hour show, which will be edited down to an hour. It will be fun listening to the podcast when we’re back home, knowing we were in the audience.

The following night we attended an improv show at The Second City, known for launching several show business careers, including Alan Alda, Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey, Gilda Radner, and Jason Sudeikis. I’ve taken improv classes before, so I appreciate the talent on stage and wish them all future success. It was another night of laughter.

Exterior view of The Second City building featuring a prominent yellow sign and decorative architecture, surrounded by trees and urban elements.

We’ve been walking three to five miles a day, stopping in at unexpected places like a Harry Potter store

A person enjoying Butterbeer in a cafe with a window view, smiling while holding a cup with foam on top, under a colorful 'Butterbeer' sign.

and a Starbucks Reserve, a multi-story destination with fabulous displays, tastings, tours, and all things coffee.

It goes without saying that I’ve loved all the sidewalk gardens lining Michigan Ave,

along with a current art installation by sculptor Carole A. Feuerman along the Magnificent Mile.  Her sculptures are extraordinary. I found her website and Facebook page so I can learn a bit more about her.

Brooke with Beach Ball
Quan
Eyes Open
Patience (with Pearl White Suit)

Mike and I both love architecture, and I’m a huge fan of Frank Lloyd Wright’s work, so we took the train to nearby Oak Park for a docent-led tour of Wright’s first home and studio. The volunteer docent shared fascinating details about the man and his work.

Hearth: Frank Lloyd Wright

Today we took a different kind of architectural tour along the Chicago River. I have a renewed appreciation for the design elements and the challenges of building along the waterfront. Every building told a story.

Needless to say, we’ve had several enjoyable meals and coffee breaks (coffee for Mike, tea or diet soft drinks for me) along with visits to a couple of art museums.

The only disappointment so far was having to cancel the Botanic Gardens. It poured rain that day, all day, so we went to a museum instead.

Rainy day view from the Art Institute
Rainy day view from the Art Institute

I had hoped to see the temporary art installation at the Botanic Gardens called Evanescent, which ended Sunday. Sue, who blogs at The Nature of Things, wrote about it earlier this summer. You can view her fabulous photos of the bubbles here.

We’re having a restful evening back at our hotel, then we’ll be off to what will surely be the highlight of our trip. I’ve been asking everyone to manifest a meet-and-greet with Michelle Obama. Wouldn’t that be something? 

“While we breathe, we will hope.” – Barack Obama

A rainy afternoon at the Art Institute of Chicago

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Vision Literacy and a Modern Home Tour

My friend Candace Levers is a board member of Vision Literacy, a local non-profit in Silicon Valley.  Vision Literacy provides adults with basic literacy and technology skills.

Through its operations in Gilroy, San Jose, Sunnyvale and other Silicon Valley communities, Vision Literacy has provided adults with basic literacy and technology skills for over 25 years. Its students acquire vital reading, writing, speaking and listening tools, allowing them to become better parents, employees, business owners and citizens.Many of us take for granted our ability to interact with each other and our communities at large on a daily basis, despite it being so essential. Whether speaking with our child’s teachers, applying for a job or simply asking for directions, our success and happiness is, to a large extent, determined by our ability to effectively communicate with others. – See more at: http://www.visionliteracy.org/#sthash.CSKs6wDM.dpuf
Through its operations in Gilroy, San Jose, Sunnyvale and other Silicon Valley communities, Vision Literacy has provided adults with basic literacy and technology skills for over 25 years. Its students acquire vital reading, writing, speaking and listening tools, allowing them to become better parents, employees, business owners and citizens.Many of us take for granted our ability to interact with each other and our communities at large on a daily basis, despite it being so essential. Whether speaking with our child’s teachers, applying for a job or simply asking for directions, our success and happiness is, to a large extent, determined by our ability to effectively communicate with others. – See more at: http://www.visionliteracy.org/#sthash.CSKs6wDM.dpuf

Its students acquire vital reading, writing, speaking and listening tools, allowing them to become better parents, employees, business owners and citizens.

This past weekend, Vision Literacy was the sole beneficiary of the Silicon Valley Modern Home Tour.  I volunteered at one of the show homes in Menlo Park, greeting tour patrons, selling tickets and imaging what it would be like to actually live in the Spiegel home.

Home Exterior

Home Exterior

Spiegel Home: Porch, pool and water wise grass

Spiegel Home: Porch, pool and water wise grass

Our local paper featured the Menlo Park home with the headline: Just call it stunning.  I couldn’t agree more.  Vast walls of glass and large windows brought the outdoors in.  Walls covered in cedar, simple lines, open ceilings and slate floors felt breezy and comfortable.  Native grasses, trees, shrubs and flowers surround the entire house, blurring the lines between inside and out.

entryway

Entryway

living area

Walls of books and glass

office and dining area

Did I mention the windows?

more windows

More windows

In affluent Menlo Park,  property is at a premium. They build houses close together.  Yet the entire time I was there it felt like an oasis.  The use of trees, a ‘wall’ of bamboo, and the home’s placement on the lot, all contributed to a sense of privacy while retaining the open plan.

Master Suite

Master Suite: Simple interiors invite the eye outdoors.

landscape

Landscape: This patio is outside the dining area, Dogwood tree at entrance

One of the super-cool features of the Spiegel house is the four-story tower.  Each floor has a landing with glass walls, a small bedroom and a corresponding bathroom.  The bottom floor is a seating area and the top floor is an exterior, roof-top balcony.  The rest of the house is all on one floor.

2014, 04-12

Tower rooms: Clean lines, warm woods, glass walls and extra-large windows.

rooftop patio

Rooftop Patio: The perfect spot to watch the sun set. Cozy when seated, with expansive views

Architect Dan Spiegel, grew up in the home originally on the lot.  He designed the home for his parents, who moved in a year ago.  Dan was on site to answer questions during the tour, along with his wife and business partner, landscape designer Megumi Aihara.  It was a pleasure meeting these talented, down-to-earth people.

Aihara and Spiegel

Megumi Aihara and Dan Spiegel

You can learn more about the house and gardens by taking a virtual tour at Low/Rise House/Spiegel. Pictures include floor plans and elevations.