On Saturday morning, knowing the crowds would be diminished and the parking easier, I drove down to the west side of Chicago's famous Loop and set out to photograph the elusive Northwestern train station. This building, one of my favorites, had become elusive because several new buildings had been placed so as to obstruct a good view of this blue beauty. Also, on any given weekday, finding a momentary parking spot was an absolute impossibility. I spent minutes driving around the block in a vain exercise to line up a good shot. Even the traffic lights thwarted my attempts. So, Saturday, on foot, it had to be.

While in the Loop, I got the best pictures I could, plus ones of the four Presidential Towers, the green and silver building next to Northwestern Center, the Claes Oldenburg "Bat Column" and the newly finished highrise CJ refers to as the "Sky Bridge". Finishing that, I drove back to Oak Park, parked the car and hopped on a bus back downtown.

Heading down North Avenue, I wasn't sure exactly where I should get off. In a rapid decision, I dismounted the bus on Wells Street in the Old Town district, only a couple of blocks from where I used to live. From there, I unknowingly started my long march towards Grant Park and the Taste of Chicago.