An Unexpected Tour

I had a chance to visit Chicago, the Windy City, a couple months back.  It was a short trip and I didn't get a chance to really prepare for the trip.  Once I landed, I decided to walk around and admire the architecture the city had to provide.  I came across an older building with the words "Public Library of the City of Chicago" etched into the side.

-You can barely see the etching in this picture-

I didn't want to miss this opportunity on seeing a new library in a new city and decided to hop across the street.   

 -Just waiting for the light to change so I can cross the street-

As I entered through the entrance, I was surrounded by tiled and marbled walls.  It was breathtakingly beautiful and I had to take a moment to soak it all in.

 

I noticed some quotes on the wall within the tile.  Lots of inspiring quotes etched into the walls.

Strangely enough, I started noticing that there were no books in the library I was taking pictures of.  As it turns out, I was actually not in the library!  It was actually the cultural center located within the building.  Talk about feeling embarrassed as I had not noticed until I reached the top floor.  I guess the beauty of the tile and marble had thrown me for a loop.

Ultimately, while it wasn't the library like I thought it would be, it was still a fun little unexpected tour of something I would have just walked by.  So just a little lesson, if you see something interesting, head to it, give it a shot.  If it ends up being something you were not expecting, then even better.  Take in the experience. :-)

  - James