Oak Park, Illinois

The Harvey House Inn

The Jimmy Stewart Suite

The dining room... Delicious daily breakfasts... The kitchen ceiling...

I wanted to share some images of Oak Park, Illinois with you. I have many more, photos of the grand homes of the area, to show you later this week. These photos are of some of the businesses in this pretty town. We stayed in a bed and breakfast inn here. The Harvey House. The charming inn, which I told you all about it in an earlier post, was just as lovely as we hoped it would be.

The *odd* sculpture that many of you asked about sits in Millennium Park. It is the Cloud Gate, a three-story, 110-ton steel sculpture that has been dubbed by Chicago residents as "The Bean". The sculpture is the work of world-renowned artist Anish Kapoor and is the first of his public art in the United States. Cloud Gate is a highly-polished reflective steel sculpture that is meant to resemble a drop of mercury hovering at the point of landing on a plaza of the park. When Millennium Park opened in 2004, the grid of welds around each metal panel was still visible. In early 2005, workers polished out the seams. The curved, mirror-like surface of the sculpture provides striking reflections of visitors, the city skyline and the sky. Since its installation, Cloud Gate has probably become the most popular sculpture in the city. The Park is also home to other fun sculptures and fountains...just another reason that Chicago is such a sweet place to visit!

I hope you are all well...I will be offline most of this week and unable to visit everyone. I am watching my nephew for a few days so will be hopping!

I will try to catch up with you all this coming weekend but, until then, I will keep you all in my thoughts and heart. I have all those in the path of Hurricane Gustav, in my prayers.

Enjoy each moment, smile and be good to yourselves!

Until the 6th,

Love and Hugs to you all!

Susie Q

Chicago

"Chicago...that toddlin' town. Chicago, Chicago, I'll show you around, I love it. Bet your bottom dollar You'll lose the blues..." or so sang Frank Sinatra. How we love Chicago. And this weekend you will find us there. We are heading out today for a weekend in the Windy City. It is a special celebration for us but I will tell you more about that next week! Until then, stay well and smile a lot! You look SO pretty with that lovely grin on your face! Here is a little bit about (From their web site) the bed and breakfast we will call home this weekend.... "Harvey House B&B, a unique and upscale 3 story, 6,000 square foot brick Victorian home, is located in the heart of the historical section in Oak Park, IL. (near the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio and the Ernest Hemmingway Home and Museum) The home was totally rebuilt literally from the ground up. Our Gourmet Chef’s Kitchen, formal dining room or the Brussels Belgium stone patio is a perfect spot for breakfast. During the week or on the weekend a full breakfast is prepared, and we accommodate most diet considerations and preferences. Each room has its own distinctive decor, and guests love to explore unoccupied rooms to see where they would like to stay next time. Amenities include amazing fireplaces, private baths, terry robes, flatscreens, TV/VCR, WIFI, Internet workstation dedicated for guest use, FAX and copier, and phone for local calls. Licensed massage therapist available by appointment. 1/4 mile running track across the street, walk to dozens of restaurants and shops. The perfect location, easy access to Chicago (train stop within 2 blocks) with Premier Oak Park location. Our Gourmet Chef’s Kitchen, formal dining room or the Brussels, Belgium stone patio is a perfect spot for breakfast. Every day a full, gourmet breakfast is prepared, and we accommodate most diet considerations and preferences. There is a sign up sheet for what time you want breakfast, or just arrive when you are ready! The Inn accommodates both business travelers and those on romantic getaways! The living room is noted for its fireplace, piano rotunda, bookshelves, and a set of French doors leading to the outside patio. " We are huge fans of B&Bs and really look forward to visiting this one. And yes, there IS a Jimmy Stewart connection. Harvey House pays tribute to a certain film about an invisible rabbit...uh huh. Rabbit. Where would you expect folks from Rabbit Run to stay huh? I will miss you all...don't forget to grab the little award in the post below. Each one of you deserves it. It comes from my heart.

Love and Hugs,

Susie Q