– two-wheel commuting today. A minor detour around The Loop following the River to Michigan Avenue. A canyon of architecture.
May 22, 2021
Lake County Lap
– with rising May temperatures a loop around north east Illinois was on the cards. A stop by Fox River for a well earned coffee; being the first time since the start of the pandemic on our weekend rides. Taking back roads along the Illinois Wisconsin state line we rode to the Lake and back down Sheridan Road with a quick stop at the Durand Art Institute in Lake Forest.
February 6, 2021
Motorcycle Skiing
Winter Sports
– Another way to get out on the bike during the colder season. These Bavarians sure do know how to ensure year round fun.
December 21, 2020
Baháʼí
Temple
– one of the landmarks on any ride north out of Chicago takes you past this house of worship. Sat like a luminous jewel on the lakefront in Wilmette, the nine sided dome represents a closed lotus flower. Nine, being the last number in the decimal system, which Baha’í’s believe to mean completion and thus perfection. It looks stunning under a clear blue winter sky.
October 11, 2020
Apache Red
– halfway along Fairfield Road a little north of Volo sits this ragged red clapped barn. I’ve passed by it numerous times so decided to stop today and memorialize its presence on the Lake County outings.
September 8, 2020
– Brief stopover at this northern Illinois town yesterday for a coffee and seat outside the old bank building watching the world go by. The late 19thC Main Street architecture is still part of the towns character.
August 30, 2020
Owld Shed
– late summer weather is spot-on today. So a new loop added to the local repertoire. Out along Ogden Ave to Oswego then north along art 25 which follows the Fox River through the historic towns of Aurora, Batavia, Geneva, St Charles, Elgin and Algonquin. Finally turning for home back down the leafy swoops of Gilmer Road from McHenry. This building is a hint of the various levels of decrepit industry that supported the River corridor in the past.
August 16, 2020
Fox River
– standing proudly on the east bank of the Fox River near Geneva IL a mid Nineteenth Century Dutch mill offers an historic backdrop to my early morning ride along the Tri-City region between Elgin and Aurora. The all wood structure is fully functional driven from its fabric covered sails. This pre-industrial age technology was a stark contrast to the particle accelerator at nearby Fermilab with its circular Tevatron which runs its circular path around a prairie grassland.
August 1, 2020
Coach House
Near my garage where the bikes are kept is this old garage and loft. The old doors, siding and shingle are great time worn vintage features that are only seen along this Evanstonian alley.
June 9, 2020
Seven Years
Two of Us
– we recreated the classic photo of designers Charles and Ray Eames a while back. All I needed was a pipe to complete the look.
May 24, 2020
Blue Sky
Marvelous day on the road today. 250 miles on a route around the bottom of the Lake into Michigan on lanes lined with trees leafing out. Lilac fragrance wafted from farm hedges laden with bloom and rolling fields being watched over by soaring hawks. This old barn was seen in the small town of Eau Claire MI.
April 19, 2020
Stargazing
On a bluff overlooking Lake Geneva sits the 1893 building that houses the largest refracting telescope, a 40” light capturing behemoth. It is currently closed to the public right now but I always like to stop by whenever I ride the loop around this lake.
March 23, 2020
A Room with a View
– greenery in oils on the walls, wainscoting curtains the walls and an angry red alligator grins on. Gravel trail tool sitting under the daylight beaming through a window. It’s like a cover of Architectural Digest.
January 27, 2020
Contrast
Wall Art | this would make a nice graphic for a cool warehouse apartment wall. High ceilings and brickwork with concrete floors. Indeed you could probably roll the Bonnie into the flat up on the freight elevator..
August 3, 2019
Pure Design
Usonian | On our weeklong trip around Wisconsin we have visited a number of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings. Today we stopped by the Herbert Jacobs house which was built in 1937. A very early version of his ‘everyman’ Usonian home its carport was complete with a classic 60’s Swedish sports-tourer Volvo P1800. The red car works superbly with the red brick and Cherokee red paving.
