DO YOU RECOGNIZE this skyline? Hint: It's along the "Magnificent Mile." Hint #2: It's where I spent the Labor Day weekend. Okay, so that's not much of a hint if you weren't clued in to my plans. I'll just say I was in Chicago. For the first time ever. Since I spent a good bit of time rhapsodizing about the weather and the architecture and the cleanliness and the beauty, it's a good bet that I enjoyed the city. Sorry I wasn't more diligent obtaining photos of the lake, the fountains, the overflowing planters filled with flowers along all the sidewalks, the street performers and more of the incredible architecture.

On the other hand, you are spared a shot of the mold growing on the bathroom ceiling of our hotel room (Red Roof Inn on Ontario Street...I suggest you don't fall for its cheap rates, even though it is just a half-block from that magnificent Michigan Ave. I had to bum a glass of ice water from the neighboring sidewalk restaurant when the vending machine ate my money and gave me no plastic bottle of H20. Red Roof suggested I walk a half block to the 7-11 Store for water...at 11:30pm). Tut. Tut. I shouldn't be griping. I loved the jambalaya and rice and beans at Heaven on Seven, the Cajun restaurant on the seventh floor of some building on the famous mile. The art museum was nearly as fine as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the green areas of the city were quite beguiling...such a worthy place to spend hours on a no-labor holiday.

The tour of the city from the top of the double-decker bus was a very touristy thing to do. And so appropriate, since that's exactly what we were (my husband and I)! Being my usual curious self, I hung on every word from the guide, who seemed to know all there was to know about the buildings, the history and the trivia.

Add in just one visit to friends in Elmhurst (a suburb), who included in their number little Simon Miguel. He calmly looked at me with all the wisdom of his eight days of life, and I knew that he was the most miraculous sight we'd see in our entire visit to Chicago!