Learn Something New Every Day

Today I had fun going around Chicago with Kelley and Dan for their engagement session. I have known Dan since high school, although we went to different schools, we lived in neighboring towns, about an hour outside the city.

After going to school at Columbia College in the loop and living in Chicago for more than three years I have learned a lot about the city and I love showing people around Chicago’s famous landmarks and hidden places. We wondered through Millennium Park and of course saw Cloud Gate also known as The Bean, we walked through Grant Park and saw the Rose Garden and Buckingham Fountain. I showed them the hidden colorful mural in the parking garage, that I had just a little trouble finding without Melissa (We stumbled upon it together about a year ago and have photographed it together twice now, its our little secret, including during our joint engagement session). I also showed them a hidden courtyard by Michigan Avenue. But my favorite part of the day was when they showed me something new. So while I am still editing the photos of today’s session, I wanted to share with you an interesting fact I learned today about a city I thought I knew a lot about. Every day you can learn something new.

Here’s a photo of Dan and Kelley in a doorway of the Tribune Tower. If you look closely at the stones on the right hand side of the frame you will notice something unique about them. There are a few stones that are actually from different buildings. The Tribune Tower contains over 120 stones or fragments from historical sites around the world. In this photo, taken in the Pioneer Court section of the Tribune Tower, is a rock from the Mt. Pentelicus Quarry, which is where the marble used in the Parthenon in 447 BC was found, and a rock from the Fortess Walls of Cartagena in Colombia. There are also rocks from the Alamo, For more information about the rocks, go see them for yourself or check out the report written about the rocks by Percy Julian Middle School in Oak Park.

I can’t believe I didn’t know about these rocks and the history behind the pieces of the Tribune Tower. My fiance, Jon was excited about the stones too and we can’t wait to go explore them some more. Thank you Dan and Kelley for teaching me something amazing today and for so much fun in the city. I will post more photos from today soon. I look forward to your wedding in October!