Chicago

by Angela Rocco DeCarlo On recent visit "home" we went immediately to again visit The Art Institute of Chicago to see the John Singer Sargent and Chicago's Gilded Age exhibit...and so should you. It is a world-class museum with the latest technology to make all welcome - including TacTiles and Touch Gallery for the visually impaired.  There was a John Singer Sargent exhibit in 1986, which I attended, and it was fabulous. The printed press kit was so beautiful I've kept it. So I was pleased to again be able to view Sargent's beautiful luminous paintings.  Additionally, visitors enjoy the Impressionist Gallery, which features well-recognized master paintings such as Renoir's "Two Sisters" (On the Terrace),  Seurat's "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte" and other great images. I like this gallery better than the major Impressionist museums in Paris.  The 68 Thorne Miniature Rooms enable glimpses into European interiors from the late 13th century to the 1930s. It is charming and should be seen with or without children. The Art Institute offers massive amounts of art from antiquity to modern genres. It is one of my  favorite places - at once enlightening as well as soothing.  The Sargent exhibit ends September 30th so there's still time to see it. Chicago Art Institute 111 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, Ill 60603 phone 312-443-3600 Admission: Adults $25; Seniors$19; Child - age 13 & ...

by Angela Rocco DeCarlo Flying low over the Chicago lakefront kindles pride and joy at once again returning home. I always think: Leonardo DaVinci would have given anything to be in my seat. Poor thing...he believed it was possible, but missed the chance by 400 years. First-time visitors to Chicago may be unprepared for the splendor seen from an airplane seat on the way to O'Hare. And that is nothing compared to the delights of Michigan Avenue and the sprawling museum campus along the lakefront with the Field Museum of Natural History, Museum of Science and Industry, Adler Planetarium, Aquarium and the jewel in the tiara, the Art Institute of Chicago at Michigan and Monroe. The breathtaking expanse of blue Lake Michigan waters cheek to jowl with sandy beaches, Navy Pier, all crowned with beautiful evocative skyscrapers is nothing short of thrilling, even for a native, currently living in exile in the shadow of Disneyland. Having covered travel, with my column, The Business Traveler, and other articles, I've seen my share of cities in America and Europe...and in my view, none can compare to the visual beauty of Chicago's combination of open skies, majestic buildings and startling quality of summer light, akin to ...

By Angela Rocco DeCarlo copyright, 2010 The 1980 Chicago poster I’ve displayed in my home since relocating to Southern California in 1987, shows the city as a child’s crayon coloring exercise. Blue Lake Michigan and green parks are in the forefront while the rest of the US recedes to the Pacific. New York and the Atlantic are seen beyond Asia giving the artwork a vitality which amuses and refreshes, just as the real city does for visitors. First-time guests are astounded by Chicago’s breath-taking lakefront, stretching for miles, awash in sailboats, marinas, pristine parks dotted with notable sculptures, fountains, all anchored by world-class museums set like glittering jewels into the vast parks. That’s the view from atop the Hancock Building…something not to be missed. It offers a superlative shoreline vista. The sunlight bouncing off the lake, enhanced by the tens of acres of open spaces, gives the public buildings a fairytale feel, as though someone sketched them in watercolors. The openness of the lakefront owes a debt to Chicago architect Daniel Burnham. He designed among many projects,  the lakefront parks, skyscrapers and the Chicago Columbian Exposition, 1893. Taking his cue from Baron Georges Haussmann, 19th century city planner of the old Roman city of ...

Mark DeCarlo-Travel show host and food guru When in: Chicago Stays at: Palmer House Hilton Eats: Deep dish sausage pizza from Gino’s. Relaxes at: Intercontinental Spa Listens to: BOTH stages at Kingston Mines Checks out: Adler Planetarium Takes home: 1 800 Lou-toGo (Pizza) Must-do: Eat a combo “sangwhich” @ Al’s or Mr. Beef. Must-see: Catch a day game @Wrigley Field, comedy show at Second City Can’t leave without: Old Style Beers Favorite hole-in-the-wall: Volare on St. Clair & Grand Favorite restaurant: Harry Caray’s Favorite bar/lounge/watering hole: Buddy Guy’s Legends Least favorite part: US Cellular Field Tips: "Ride the El & wear comfortable walking shoes." Local favorite: Cubby Bear for live music Recommends: Taste of Chicago Festival in June, Improv Olympic anytime.