Sleep was short last night. About the time I was into sleep, hard winds and rain almost rocked my room. Suddenly, the loudest possible boom of thunder surrounded me! Did lightning hit the rod at the top of the hotel tower? More rain and wind, but only the one thunder clap. Our full day started with an architectural boat ride on the Chicago River. For an hour and a half the excellent guide named buildings and architectural styles mixed with history in a friendly non-stop commentary. Architectural styles varied in quick succession, partly because some buildings withstood the test of time and others were knocked down to make way. In the last few decades, “adaptive reuse” has been the theme, either inserting newer buildings onto or between older ones or transforming warehouses into offices and condos
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