This statue is kind of tucked away between the Cook County Administration Building and the Chicago…read moreTemple Building in the Brunswick Plaza. There is metered street parking and commercial parking garages within a reasonable walking distance. Most viewers of this statue will be passerbys. This is not a destination piece by far. It is the work of Joan Miró, who created the piece in 1981. It stands 39 feet tall. It is made of a hodge podge of materials including: steel, wire mesh, concrete, bronze, and ceramic tile. The sculpture was originally called the Sun, the Moon and One Star. The abstract piece looks like a figure with a fork on its head standing on a pedestal. I will be honest. I find this sculpture a bit odd. I did like the colorful interior crystals that look like they are coming through a crack. If you look across the street, you will see the Picasso statue. As with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a destination piece, nor a long stop as I previously mentioned. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area (and there are many of them), or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip. Fun fact: The sculpture's model can be seen at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Miró's Chicago was initially commissioned but not completed due to the cost. Ten years later, Jane…read moreByrne, the first female mayor of Chicago, was able to raise the funds to complete the sculpture. Initially titled "The Sun, The Moon and One Star, " she is now nicknamed "Miss Chicago" due to her curved dimensions that evoke the famous Minoan snake goddess from the ancient isle of Crete. The public's initial response to the concrete, steel, bronze and ceramic tile masterpiece was less than favorable. Today, she is a beloved Chicago landmark statue. To learn more, scan the QR reader at your visit.

The Cook County Building is located on the corner of Clark and Washington. Interestingly, it is…read moreco-located with the Chicago City Hall: The west side of the building is the City Hall building, whilst the east side houses County offices. It's a beautiful building, and this iteration (it's been rebuilt several times over the course of Chicago's history) is the third that has been shared with the city hall. It's a Holibard & Roache-designed structure, the storied firm that designed several of the city's treasures. My visit here was to the city side to pick up residential parking permits. I was really glad that I wasn't here for the vital statistics office of county clerk's office, because that line was out the door and down the hall. When I went to pick up copies of my daughter's birth certificate, I went to the Skokie Courthouse and was in and out within ten minutes, so if you're able to get there for some of the vital stats docs, I'd suggest doing so.

Far less of a zoo here than other places! Excellent…read morelocation. If you need to replace or renew your state ID or drivers license (without any test except your eyes), the place to go is in the basement accessed via escalators in the south side of the lobby.

Fun stroll [Chicago IL]…read more Just a short distance from the Millennium Park is this cool 925-foot-long winding pedestrian bridge in the Loop community area. This was fun to walk along and took us to another park at the end, the Maggie Daley Park. Interesting and cool piece of engineering looking like a giant silver snake. The stainless steel sheet looks beautiful shimmering in the sun. Aside from the Cloud Gate, the BP Pedestrian Bridge is another one of Millennium Park's popular attractions drawing large crowds of visitors including us! We were able to see views of the Chicago skyline, Lake Michigan, Historic Michigan Boulevard District, and Grant Park. If you're wondering what the BP stands for in its name it is named after the energy firm (formerly called British Petroleum) who donated a large sum to the project. Review #3824

Gehry designed this 925 ft long pedestrian bridge that spans Columbus Drives with skyline views &…read morethe Nichols Bridgeway arches from the park to the Art Institute's sculpture terrace. Named for energy firm BP, which donated $5 million toward its construction, it is the first Gehry-designed bridge to have been completed. BP Bridge is described as snakelike because of its curving form.

A lot of monuments are along the Naperville Riverwalk, and this is one of the many. Dick Tracy is a…read moreclassic comic strip character, and he got a statue. It makes you wonder why that was. Because the assistant to the creator lived here. That sounds like not much of a reason, but the statue is nice though. For those interested, there's a story behind it. In the mid 1900s Dick Tracy was a lot more popular. The comic strip was created by Chester Gould, from Woodstock. Dick Locher was from Naperville, and was his assistant a few years, then took over after he retired. There's not a huge connection of Dick Tracy to Naperville, but this was enough for a statue. Have some fun taking pictures in front of it. It's located along the Riverwalk. This is close to the intersection of Water and Webster.

Good thing they moved this guy to higher ground because he was waist-deep in water half the time…read morewhen he used to be down closer to the river. People frequently ask "why is this statue in Naperville?" Well, Dick Locher, the assistant of Dick Tracy's creator Chester Gould, lived in Naperville and drummed up civic interest in it. I sometimes wonder if in the middle of the night our old gumshoe here ever meets up with "Darth Naper" who hangs out a few blocks away....

I was on my way to Tizzy's for ice cream. When I noticed this beautiful scenery of flowing water. I…read morequickly pulled over and got out of my car. I was mesmerized by the water flowing down the dam. There is free parking and benches for you sit down and inhale the scenery. The sight is just so relaxing and peaceful. Such a remarkable historical landmark in Lyons. The river itself is amazing. It's very enjoyable and will relax your mind. I was excited to learn the history about this amazing tower. "Hoffman Tower is the name of a tower in Lyons, Illinois, named after the brewer George Hoffman Jr. " It was built in the year 1908 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 22, 1978." The Tower is reputed as the first building in Lyons to be lighted by electricity."

Stumbled upon this by chance seen it off in the distance and had to stop...so much history in this…read morebuilding

Centerpiece of the Logan Square green space is this column. It certainly is an impressive work out…read moreart and an important part of area history. The Illinois Centennial Memorial Column is the meaning of this large structure. A lot of interesting facts about it. You can find out more online. Basic story about it is this was placed here to celebrate the State of Illinois' 100th anniversary. It was built in 1918 and designed by Henry Bacon, the architect of the Lincoln Memorial. This is the main attraction of Logan Square. It's known as a Doric column. On the base are reliefs of Ceres, Daniel Boone, and Hiawatha. At the top is an eagle. This is a reference of the state flag, which has an eagle on it. Alongside the column is a flagpole. There's a concrete plaque dedicated to soldiers who died in WWI, WWII, and the Korean War. Also the column is based on the proportions and scale of the Parthenon's colonnade. This explains the use of the figures of Greek mythology. Also there's a few seating structures around it. This makes it a good place for a rest and stuff. Have to get a closer look to appreciate the craftsmanship and history. It's certainly a very impressive structure. There's lots of history to read up on about this so you can go check out more about the architect who made this and other things.

If you have ever visited Logan Square neighborhood, a key site that stands out in the inner portion…read moreof the neighborhood is the Illinois Centennial Monument because of its height and intriguing design. Built in 1918, the monument was honored 100 years of Illinois statehood, designed by Henry Bacon, famed architect of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. Evelyn Beatrice Longman sculpted the eagle, along with the bas reliefs of the base, which the eagle measures ten feet in height. I tend to utilize this monument as my key landmark while running or cycling in the Logan Square neighborhood. Since I have been a fitness enthusiast for well over a decade, I have always made historic landmarks like the Illinois Centennial Monument my key point during workouts because it adds extra enthusiasm to the adventure. From my perspective select parts like this of Logan Square are perfect for a cyclist because it is scenic, and Logan Boulevard is not too shabby of a road for road or triathlon bikes, plus it has a good stretch to it from the monument towards Bucktown & Wicker Park neighborhood. Most people tend to just walk through the area of the Illinois Centennial Monument, but it looks to be the perfect place where you can relax and read a book. The monument itself has no individual parking of its own, but if you ever wish to view it up close, there are several businesses surrounding in the area that are open for you to park, as well as neighborhood parking. Thomas G

Close to the former site of Fort Dearborn was another important site in Chicago. It was where one…read moreof the city's most important figures lived. Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable also had a trading post on this site. Also it was the first permanent, non-native residence in the city it's believed. This is now partially occupied by Pioneer Court on the north side of the river by the Michigan Avenue Bridge, and there's a bust and plaque. After he sold the property, it was discovered it contained a bakehouse, two barns, a dairy, a poultry house, and a smokehouse among other buildings. It then became owned by John Kinzie. The land was sold to the city in 1834 and platted. Basically it was the first land north of the river the city expanded into. This was located from the lake to State Street. A plaque was placed in 1937 that notes the location of Kinzie Mansion. Then in 2009 Erik Blume made a bronze bust of Point Du Sable. Also the bridge was renamed after him. Then Lake Shore Drive was also renamed so he got honored quite a lot. He was an important figure in the city. In fact one of the first to live here. There's lots of recognition for him throughout.

This bronze bust is of the founder and first citizen of the city of Chicago. Pointe Dusable was a…read moreHaitian-born fur trader. The bust can be found in an area called Pioneer Court of the Magnificent mile with its back to the Chicago river. Interestingly enough it is located close to the site of the Pointe DuSable House, designated a National Historic Landmark since 1977. It is the work of Erik Blome, who did the sculpture in 2009. Lesley Benodin donated it to the City of Chicago Public Art Collection in honor of DuSable. The bust is sitting on a granite base. The base has a nice sized plaque that gives a brief blurb about the sculpture, the artist, and Pointe Dusable. It is in very good shape, very detailed and has an uncanny resemblance to what Pointe Dusable looked like. Remember there were not many photographs back then. It is a very scenic sculpture, with a nice view of the Chicago river and skyline serving as its backdrop. Parking to get a closer look at this sculpture is difficult to do. This sculpture is not a destination piece and most of its viewers will be passerbys such as myself. Anyway, as with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. Also, be very careful if you are going to get a closer look, as i previously mentioned, this is located at a busy roundabout. With that being said, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

Get Your Kicks on Route 66…read more Route 66 starts in Chicago, then traverses through eight states, and ends at the Santa Monica Pier in California. So much fun to find these route markers along the 2,448 mile route. Thank you to my nephew and his dad who showed us this sign at the start of historic Route 66.