Chicago Travelogue

I just made an eight-day study pilgrimage to Chicago and back, so I’ve decided to share some highlights.

I set out on Saturday, July 10. I was happy to see someone was spreading the Good News at a truck stop near Hudson, Wisconsin.

I didn’t even notice the pink elephant at this gas station just north of Madison until I was fueling up.

I arrived that evening to stay for the week at the home of my wife’s brother Jon, his wife Stacy and their son Max, who live near Loyola University in northern Chicago. Their hospitality was much appreciated.

The occasion of my trip was the Summer Distance Learning Seminar at the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies, where I’m working on a Master’s degree in Jewish Studies. Classes began early Sunday afternoon and continued through Thursday. Each day I commuted via the “L”, Chicago’s elevated train system, which is only partly elevated. As I approached the Loop on the “Red Line” train I discovered that it is partly underground! Above is the view from Loyola Station. Highlights en route included Wrigley Field.

Spertus built this new building at 610 S. Michigan Avenue a few years ago. After plugging away at five video courses since 2003, I finally made it to the on-campus seminar! Both courses I took were utterly fascinating, one on the Passover Haggadah by Dr. Byron Sherwin of the Spertus faculty, the other on the Dead Sea Scrolls by Dr. Leonard Greenspoon of Creighton University in Omaha.

Here’s the view from a 7th floor classroom. The building is very well designed for looking upon the famous Chicago Lakefront outside. During my five days of study I encountered many thought-provoking ideas and made some new friends. But the courses are not done yet, as in the next few months I will need to write my papers!

On Friday, after classes were done, I took the opportunity, not only to relax, but to feed my astronomy hobby by visiting the Adler Planetarium. I attended all the shows they were currently showing in the traditional planetarium as well as the newer Definiti Theatre.

Here’s the view of Chicago’s skyline from Adler. The Shedd Aquarium is in the left foreground.

These interesting eyeball characters were being filmed dancing around in front of the Adler as I approached, probably in connection with some upcoming educational campaign.

The yellow dome shows the size of the Sun to the same scale as Jupiter and Saturn above. Can you find where the much smaller planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are displayed?

This is the actual Gemini XII spacecraft, in which astronauts James Lovell and Buzz Aldrin orbited the earth in November, 1966. There was also an interesting display of historic telescopes and much more.

On Saturday, July 17, it was time to return home. I was in for a special treat for breakfast:

Max, whose middle name is Miguel, was the waiter at Chez Miguel’s. The featured special was blueberry pancakes and fruit smoothies, nicely prepared by Jon. Then I started off on my journey back home, but with one more “visit to Outer Space” yet to come.

I seized the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream, to visit the Yerkes Observatory, home of the world’s largest refractor telescope. The building itself is a delightfully ornate old academic building on a beautiful site in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. The grounds are the site of many weddings. In fact, one would be happening that day in the lawn just south of the observatory building. I attended the 11:15 tour, and of course the greatest moment was entering the dome and seeing the grand telescope itself:

I have dreamed of seeing this instrument since I was a kid. Once the largest telescope in the world, it has been long since dwarfed and rendered mostly obsolete by several generations of giant reflector telescopes. But I don’t think any classier telescope has ever been built.

Time to proceed on my way. Somewhere in South Central Wisconsin this house was in the process of tipping over. Perhaps the Wicked Witch of the East has just met her demise somewhere underneath.

Almost within sight of home! The closest thing to an actual crisis on this trip came as I was travelling back through central Minnesota just in time for a torrential downpour and a tornado warning. But after pulling over for awhile things cleared up, and all was well. It’s hard to imagine a trip going any better than this one did.

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