Kellee Tracker: Surprise Day in Chicago

Memorial Day Weekend this year started with another girls trip returning to Nauvoo, but this time with a group of friends now split between the DC area and Idaho. Stepping off the plane in O’Hare, I learned that one woman’s flight would be delayed by several hours, so instead of immediately hitting the road, I now had a full day in the city. My knowledge of Chicago is largely informed by movies, so taking a tip from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” I hopped on the “L” and headed to The Art Institute of Chicago. It was a gorgeous day, but no small feat to schlep around my suitcase on the city streets, so after a hot dog lunch I was more than happy to take advantage of the museum’s coat check inside.

The movie shows a few pieces in the collection, which I naturally chose to visit, but I was pleasantly surprised by how many other famous works of art are in their collection. Looking at their highlights map, I kept saying “that’s here?” and trying to figure out an efficient route to see as many of them as possible. Along the way, I was delighted to discover several other works I enjoyed, and took one of the mini tours to appreciate a few more pieces. Here are some of the highlights:

Tiffany Window

American Gothic

Nighthawks

Thanksgiving

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte

The Sixth Knot (Albrecht Dürer!)

Alvina Yepa

In the Café

Once I hit my saturation point for art, I left my bags at the museum and stepped outside for a few hours to enjoy the surrounding parks and lakefront. Just being outside on a beautiful day was lovely, but getting to see the architecture along the lakefront made it that much better. Heading back to the airport to meet up with my friends allowed for another movie moment, this time by catching the train at a different station to see the one featured in “While You Were Sleeping.”