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NOTE: Despite numerous trips to Chicago over the years, we have never taken the Amtrak. What an incredible alternative to driving and flying?! The ride was comfortable, scenic, and oh so EASY. Once in the city, Uber was a dream. Highly recommend.
Blessed with a gorgeous and unseasonably warm forecast...
...an Executive level room at the historic Palmer House, circa 1875...
... and sought-after tickets to Hamilton ...
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... it truly was a weekend to remember! Yes, Hamilton lives up to the hype. It was incredible.
We enjoyed the sights under blue sunny skies...
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Shared a number of memorable meals...
Soaked in the historic architecture...
... and shared many lazy hours at the museums...
Steve certainly knows how to make a girl feel appreciated and loved, not just this weekend but every single day. I am so fortunate. 🎔
While the entire weekend was perfection, one of the highlights for me was an afternoon in Oak Park...
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If you have read my blog for awhile, you know my love for historic homes and my affinity towards local real estate when I travel. That being said, however, I have a pronounced connection with Frank Lloyd Wright homes and always have. The fact is, I am the daughter of two FLW aficionados. I grew up touring his properties and enjoying books of his work, which sat on the coffee table of my childhood home.
Frank Lloyd Wright, 1867-1959, was the ultimate trailblazer in American architecture. I have toured HUNDREDS of late 19th century homes over 15+ years as a Realtor and none of them aesthetically compare to a FLW home. His design was way before its time- clean, seamless, practical, thought out, and purposeful. I highly recommend reading "Loving Frank" for a closer peek into the his life and work. Entertaining read about a very complicated yet brilliant man.Personally, I have always been drawn to the symmetry, simplicity, utility (genius built-ins), and organic nature of his design. Wright strived to have the interior and exterior of a home interact with one another to create a harmony of space and nature, achieved by the use of angles and intricate stained glass. The end result? Clean and bold geometric design drenched in painted natural light. Truly glorious!
Per the video above, the property in Oak Park is significant as it is the VERY first home that he built and is essentially where his career began . While the property is not as pristine and original as many of the other FLW homes I have toured, it is no less important. In fact, Steve and I found it interesting that MANY of the features of this home are key elements in most of the FLW designs to follow, like the signature fireplace nook.
This property uniquely offers a $5 press pass, allowing me to share photos with my blog. Um, yes please. Without further ado, here is teeny peek inside the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio through my eyes, friends.
The residential home:
The attached work studio:
There are many spectacular Frank Lloyd Wright homes in the Chicago area. I highly recommend touring one (or more) the next time that you are in the area! Regardless, I had to share.
Thank you for a wonderful getaway, Chicago...
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Happy Anniversary and THANK you for the weekend of a lifetime, Steve!
Happy Anniversary and THANK you for the weekend of a lifetime, Steve!
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