Exploration Adventure: Oak Park

Last Saturday we took a little day trip out to Oak Park, Chicago's first western suburb. It is much more charming than the auto mall/Ikea-filled expanses that stretch out further to the west, and most of this charm is thanks to the presence of Frank Lloyd Wright's first home and studio and several buildings he designed there (including the house above.)

The photo above is of a column outside of his studio and features storks, architectural scrolls, and some kind of branch with berries on the top. Our tour guide (nicknamed "The Todd") left something to be desired, so we were never really sure what the significance of each element was. He actually said, "You know art. It always has to mean something. I'm just not sure what."
And this is the Unity Temple, the first poured concrete structure ever built. It was pretty, uh, imposing.

As of yesterday, I've left the mid-west to spend a few weeks in SoCal. I've got my camera, and I'm hoping to post more often out here. Stay tuned...