Historic District – …on the B.L.

Chicago Cultural Center

July 10, 2018September 8, 2019 RaeAnna

I used to work in downtown Chicago. I walked passed the Chicago Cultural Center more times than I would care to admit without ever going inside. I blame this on the fact I thought it would cost me money and my laziness of not looking to check.

As we were walking around downtown, we had some time to kill before lunch. The Chicago Cultural Center has a bronze bull outside its front door. After taking a couple funny pictures, we decided to go inside. Suprise! It’s free and absolutely beautiful.

There are art displays, but mostly the architecture is what you should go for.

The staircases are bonkers. Up one stairway at the back of the building there is a large hall with a huge stained glass dome. Of course, there was some laying on the ground to capture the whole thing.

A courtyard has a super cool display made up of wooden ladders and walkways. It made me want to climb around.

Another really interesting exhibit was … I’m not sure how to describe it. Very architectural. It’s pictured. Anyways, it was metal in a hallway of windows, so the shadows and sunlight were really visually appealing.

The highlight for me was the main staircase into a hall. When you enter there is a large, white, imposing staircase with shades of green mosaics that sparkle in the sun. The balcony of the staircase looks out onto a busy Chicago view, but you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. The hall has another impressive dome. The arches in the halls have names of philosophers, scientists, writers, and more historically important men. There are also two quotes about books in the mosaic walls along the stairway.

If you have a couple minutes to spare, stop in. It doesn’t take long to walk through, but you could spend a good deal of time taking it. I highly suggest, and I will be back!

Instagram: @chiculturcenter
78 E Washington Street
Chicago, IL 60602

Experiences, Travel

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms

April 18, 2018September 8, 2019 RaeAnna

In the middle of February, my best friend, Kelsey, texted me: You need to come visit the beginning of April! We need to take cherry blossom pictures. You HAVE TO COME! It so happens, I was putting plans into action that I would be on the East coast then… coincidentally.

Kelsey lives just outside of DC, so we woke up early – for us, put on our pretty faces, packed a bag of books, hopped in the car, and drove the twenty minutes to a parking garage close to the Mall. Basically, she is a great friend to have for the touristing!!! And her photography skills… And her friendship, I just like her. She’s stuck with me for always because I have too many ugly photos for her to ever ditch me! *insert evil witch laugh here*

The famous DC cherry blossoms are planted along Tidal Basin, which is adjacent to the Mall and features the Jefferson Memorial. Suffice to say, it’s down right gorgeous. I was there the last weekend of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Holy Bajeezus, there were bunches of people. Absolutely a ton of people dressed in varying shades of pink, white, and other cherry blossom complementing pastels. (I would be a bold faced liar if I told you I accidentally picked out a white dress with light pink flowers to wear. Because I too wore cherry blossom complementing clothes.) Old, young, tourists, bloggers, families, solos everyone was out with their cameras to take pictures of the beautifully, short lived blooms.

The amount of blossoms is breathtaking. I was there at the end of the season, so petals fell from the trees with a light breeze in what can only be described as “made for the climax of a romantic comedy.” Definitely cliche. Definitely gorgeous. Definitely worth a trip.

The blossoms are white on the edges with pink centers giving the illusion they’re pale pink. Their season is short and highly dependent on the weather. It was surprising they were still there by the time I made it to DC because there had been a big freeze the weekend prior. This year, they lasted from March 17 – April 15. It’s an amazing site to see. Tidal Basin is surrounded by cherry blossoms. At one point in your walk, you’ll look one way to see the Jefferson Memorial across the water, and looking the other way, you’ll see the Washington Memorial over the tops of the cherry trees. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is nestled into the cherry trees and is quite stunning all by itself.

You could spend all day walking around looking at the cherry blossoms, and I think it would be worth it. If that’s not for you, the Mall with all the Memorials and museums is quite literally across the street. So if you’re bored… I don’t know what to tell you. There’s tons of options for pretty much anything anyone could possibly enjoy.

If you ever have the chance to see the cherry blossoms in Washington DC, I highly suggest you do. It’s not quite like anything else I’ve ever seen.

Of course, as the blogger I am, I had to do more than just walk around and enjoy the blossoms. I also had to create content. Honestly, it was not a burden. I would have made Kelsey take pictures of me with the flowers any ways! I just had to take a little extra time to make sure I enjoyed being there on top of working. So this is me not complaining.

I was there on April 13, and the trees were gorgeous. The blossoms quite literally fell off two days later… I guess my timing could not have been better. This year, Washington DC cherry blossoms. Next year, cherry blossoms in Japan! (Just kidding, unless someone wants to sponsor me! I would totally trade posts for a trip to Japan next spring. Please email me!)

Houston, On the Town

Buffalo Bayou & Allen’s Landing

August 18, 2017June 23, 2019 RaeAnna

As I’m trying to make my way through Houston, I realized Buffalo Bayou and Allen’s Landing are frequently mentioned and pictured. So, I wandered my way along the river through downtown Houston.

I parked the car and wandered down the steps completely unsure of what I would find. I was almost immediately met by the living incarnation of the Thanksgiving oddity the turducken. This turkey large bird had the feet of a duck and the gobbler of a rooster. It was a sight, but very friendly.

Buffalo Bayou was reopened in 2015 by Buffalo Bayou Partnership and is a intended for outdoor recreation encouraging Houstonians to walk, run, play, bike, and more. It wasn’t until Buffalo Bayou with its five foot wide kinder paths, waterways, dog parks, and more opened anew that Houstonians realized they had been missing an outlet for their outdoorsy desires. Surprisingly, in the few short months it has been open to the public, it has become a landmark for the city to adore and boast about. A real plus about the park is that it is designed for flooding unlike the rest of the city, which just floods how it pleases.

Buffalo Bayou is considered a park. A walkway runs alongside the meandering river. Every once in awhile a boat floats by on the slow current. I have no idea what they’re caring, but it looks like a peaceful job from the banks. There are brick buildings running along each side of the river and casting shadows over the water. Some date back to a time without computers and some are modern. Bridges run over the river every so often. There is a lot of concrete and very little green space.

Allen’s Landing is the true place where the city of Houston originated. It predates Texas being a part of the United States. The Allen brothers purchased a large tract of land on the banks of Buffalo Bayou where they settled in 1936 and began constructing a dock. Allen’s Landing was the original Port of Houston in 1841 and was the lifeblood of the city. What used to be a central point of Houston, it has become a small park. In 2001, the park was redone with a concrete wharf to replicate the original port dedicated to remembering this monumental site in Houston’s history.

Allen’s Landing is a beautiful section of Buffalo Bayou. It is located at the end of the park. The river keeps going past the end of the walkway, but the brick buildings continue on. Along the walkway there are steps down into the water, words of traded goods stamped into the concrete, large chains lying on the ground.

Buffalo Bayou and Allen’s Landing are gorgeous and perfect for the outdoorsy bibliophile. It has a hustle and bustle about it because it is a popular destination for the athletically outdoorsy, but it does also prove to be a brilliant reading spot. For me, there is nothing more perfect than reading to sounds of nature.