Evanston

Note: the picture is at the bottom of this entry. I feel the story lends itself to showing it at the end.

This was one of my favorite adventures ever. Why is it that the cold makes such a memory?

We're back to 2007. My last semester in Chicago. A Thursday with one morning class, chapel, and the rest of the day left for exploring. And explore I did.

The U-Pass was one of the best parts about living in Chicago. It was included in my room & board for the semester. It allowed me to ride public transportation as often as I wanted. This includes the buses and the "EL" elevated train/subway system.

So this Thursday, I decided I wanted out of the city. I wanted to see if it was un-city-like way at the far end of the L. This took an hour by train, though it was just 12 miles. But Chicago is so dense that 12 miles makes a big difference. 

So I went from downtown (A) to Evanston (B).

Or from the loop to the far north, the end of the Purple Line.

So I got way out of the city. Before the last stop, out the window I noticed that the train crossed on a bridge over a river, which looked like solid ice at this time of year.

I stepped off the train, and while it was still a populated area, now it felt like a town, not a city. I felt the rush of adventure, and started walking.

This was one of those walks where I got so many good pictures that I will inevitably post more from the same day. As I was wandering aimlessly, I decided to go east and see what the beach looked like in this area during winter.

I finally got to Lake Michigan, and this is what it looked like. Bleak, cold, gray and beautiful. The cold Chicago wind was blowing. The sand was snow. From the sand/snow to the water to the sky, it was quite a monochromatic scene.

Look for another picture from this walk tomorrow.