Places: Chicago

Finally taking the time to walk around the Windy City with my camera

The first time I went to Chicago was more than 20 years ago for a conference run by the nonprofit association where I worked. At the time, I still was caught up in the allure of business travel, thinking it was my chance to see the world.

Quickly, I learned that “business travel” meant spending sustained periods of time in the conference rooms of a downtown hotel or convention center. Rarely would you have a chance to see or do anything outside, other than walk from your hotel to the convention center or to a restaurant/bar following a long day of work. By the end, if you didn’t find alternate means to go outside, you’d leave with a vampire’s moon tan.

The solution, of course, was to arrive the day before the meeting started (possible) or stay for an extra day or two after it ended (next to impossible, especially with young kids at home). So the opportunities to roam around were extremely limited, but that’s how I got to know the downtown parts of Chicago.

In 2013-14, I spent some time there working for a freelance client and we had a memorable Christmas with the family when Ben was on tour with “Newsies.” In 2017, we also visited my wife’s cousin, Brian, and his family there for a long weekend and saw a Green Day concert at Wrigley Field.

Unfortunately, I’ve rarely had the chance to wander around with my camera and capture random things I see. But earlier this month — on a trip that featured business calls, another show of Ben’s, and catching up with extended family and friends — I finally carved out the time and put on my walking shoes.

Three days and 25+ miles later, these are some of the images I captured, half in color and half in black and white. I hope you’ll take a look, pick your favorite(s), and let me know what you think.