And They're Off, As If On Q: Photos From Arlington Park Racetrack on Chicago Blackhawks Day, August 6, 2016

It had been a few years since I'd gone to bet the ponies at Arlington Park, and last Saturday seemed opportune.

My sister Allison was open to joining me and became all the more interested when we learned that it would be Chicago Blackhawks Day at the racetrack.

Though both big Hawks fans, her even more so than me, we didn't see much need to "pony up" $85 for a special Blackhawks package, especially as no current players were scheduled to be in attendance.

And as it turned out, with Coach Joel Quenneville signing autographs in the paddock area from 2:30-3:30pm--Hall of Fame goalie Tony Esposito was doing likewise--we were able to simply queue up for Q and say hello, get a signed photo and even snap a couple pictures with the second winningest coach in NHL history (behind only Scotty Bowman).

Here are a few photos from a fun day, including a new hat for me and one that Allison envied.

All photos (except Joel Quenneville autographed photo) by Seth Arkin, copyright 2016. Do not repost without permission and attribution.

My City by the Lake: A Chicago Photo Gallery Shore to Delight

Some of my favorite moments, and memories, of traveling have involved taking long walks along bodies of water.

The Thames River in London, the Vistula in Krakow, the Seine in Paris, the Liffey in Dublin, the Danube in Budapest, Töölönlahti bay in Helsinki, the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy, the Venice Boardwalk in Venice, CA, along one edge of the Pacific Ocean, the Bondi Beach boardwalk outside Sydney, Australia, along the other, the boardwalks along Copacabana and Ipanema beaches in Rio de Janeiro, abutting the Atlantic Ocean, as with the Miami Beach boardwalk.

But although I’ve always appreciated the beauty that Lake Michigan adds to Chicago and suburbs to its north, I’ve far too infrequently made a point of strolling along it. And when I have in recent years, it’s usually been in Evanston.

So in going to Soldier Field on Sunday to see Guns N’ Roses—after having done so on Friday by taking the Red Line to Jackson & State and boarding the 146 bus—I decided to get off the train at State & Lake, walk to and through Millennium Park, across the Frank Gehry-designed BP Pedestrian Bridge to Maggie Daley Park and then south along the lakefront.

On a beautiful day, it was an absolute delight, as the combination of parkland, sculpture, architecture, boats, pedestrians, bicyclists, locals, tourists, shoreline, skyline and lake made for a sublime visual symphony.

With my point-and-shoot digital camera, I captured some of what I saw. Making, I think, for a nice photo gallery.

And an even better walk.

All photos copyright 2016 by Seth Arkin. Please do not repost without permission and attribution. 

Marching Fourth: Scenes from the Evanston 4th of July Parade (including photos and a composite video)

Here is a composite video of several of the parade's musical moments: