The Best of 2017: Sights Seen and Photos Taken (and a few brushes with fame)

This is not a competitive category.

The photos--all taken by me except for those of me--are shown in the order taken throughout the year.

They aren't ranked in terms of quality, and may not really be the best photos I took.

Some are chosen for photo quality, but most to show sights I saw, events I attended, people I encountered, etc.

In none of these regards is the post meant to be comprehensive. And though it largely leaves out--intentionally--photos with family & friends, this isn't to suggest those moments weren't special.

Me with the Cubs World Series Trophy, at Naperville City Hall. See more in this post.

The legendary Buddy Guy holds court at Buddy Guy's Legends. See this post.

The exterior of a now-closed hardware store in a building that once held a famed jazz club. See this post.

A mural from the old Sunset Cafe / Grand Terrace Cafe. See above.

The American Toby Jug Museum in Evanston, IL. See this post.

I participated in a protest march with a local mosque, against the Muslim Ban. See this post.

The Dawes Mansion in Evanston, now the Evanston History Center. See this post.

Art Deco building in Chicago's Albany Park neighborhood. Built for a furniture store. See this post.

The Undertaker at a WWE Raw event at Allstate Arena. See this post.

Arrangement in Grey and Black No.1, aka Whistler's Mother, which visited the Art Institute of Chicago this year.

Writers Theatre in Glencoe.

In April I went to Kansas City. This is a parking garage near the Kansas City Public Library. See this post.

A church in Kansas City designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

National World War I Museum and Liberty Memorial, Kansas City

At the Harry S. Truman Presidential Museum and Library in Independence, MO

Radiohead at the Sprint Center in Kansas City

An Art Deco building on Western north of Devon in Chicago

Actress Mila Kunis after throwing out the first pitch at a Cubs game.

Julianne and Derek Hough at their MOVE Beyond dance show, Chicago Theatre

Birds at the Crabtree Nature Center, Barrington, IL

Some of Mick Jagger's outfits in the Rolling Stones Exhibitionism exhibit at Navy Pier, Chicago.

German soccer star Bastian Schweinsteiger, who joined the Chicago Fire and visited a Chicago Cubs game.

From the Eugene Eda's Doors exhibit at Chicago Cultural Center. See this post.

Calumet Fisheries. 95th at the Bridge. See this post.

Retired Cubs hero David Ross and me at a book signing in Skokie.

U2. The Joshua Tree 30th Anniversary Tour. See this post.

Painting of Mr. DOB by Takashi Murakami. Part of an exhibition at Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art. See post.

Mark Buehrle's jersey retirement ceremony, Guaranteed Rate Field. See post.

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers rock Wrigley Field, about 3 months before he would pass. See this post and this one.

From the Chicago Botanic Garden. See this post.

4th of July fireworks, right above my condo building.

Statue of Copernicus, near Adler Planetarium

Chicago's Chinatown

Paul McCartney at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Tinley Park, IL. See this post.

Prop for a Polka Beatles tribute band at Pierogi Fest in Whiting, IN

Sox v. Cubs at Guaranteed Rate Field

In August I went to India for 2 great weeks. This photo is from Jaipur. See my India photo gallery here.

At the beautiful Amber Fort in Jaipur

Hawa Mahal, Jaipur

Taj Mahal, Agra, India

The Taj Mahal from across the river at Mehtab Bagh

Itmad-ud-Daula, the "Baby Taj," Agra

Mysore Palace

Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and Gateway of India, Mumbai

Duane Allman's guitar, within the exhibit Bill Graham and the Rock and Roll Revolution. Illinois Holocaust Museum.
See post.

Aretha Franklin at Ravinia. See post.

Rainbow over Superdawg in Wheeling, IL

My friend Ken with ABC's Fresh Off the Boat star Hudson Yang, at a Six-Word Memoirs book release party. See post.

Friendly neighborhood bulldog.

The last game the Cubs won in 2017. NLCS Game 4.

The Elks National Memorial, Chicago. See this post and below.

See above.

Tap dancer Savion Glover. See this post.

In New York on December 8, 2017. See more New York photos in this post.

Central Park

Bruce Springsteen on Broadway. See this post.

Oculus. Transportation hub and shopping center in New York, designed by Santiago Calatrava.

All photos by Seth Arkin copyright 2017. Please do not repost without permission or attribution.