Chicago - Oak Park and Frank Lloyd Wright

I think on of the best parts about our trip to Chicago was where we stayed.  My brother and his family live in a neighborhood called Oak Park.  It is right outside the city of Chicago.  It is an old neighborhood that has been kept up and is quite pricey to live in.  My brother's house is adorable.  I loved the detail and character it had.  I don't think I'd want an older home with all the up keep, but for the short stay I can say I really enjoyed it.  The kids did too.

This is their great house.  I totally forgot to take pictures of the inside which was the best part.

It was hot during the day while we were there, but unlike home Chicago did cool off a little in the evenings.  For most night we were able to eat out on the deck.  The best part was the lack of bugs there.

My dad build this for my nieces years ago.  He's quite the builder.  The boys loved playing on it and I loved being able to tell them Grandpa had built it.

This is Snickerdoodle aka Doodle.  The boys loved this poor dog so much, but he was a good sport.

The gang saying goodbye right before we headed home. Tade, Simone, Annalise, Andelyne, and Seth.

One reason Oak Park is well known is because of the architect Frank Lloyd Wright.  He built his first homes here plus he lived here.  There are 25 home in Oak Park done by him.  On our way out I drove around and took pictures of several of them.  I studied him and his work in some of my classes at BYU.

This one is on the same street as my brother's house.  It is the Cheney house built in 1903.  Wright ended up having an affair with the wife and they both left their families and move to Europe.

This is Wright's home and studio built in 1889.

This is the Moore house built in 1895 then rebuild in 1923 after a fire.

 This is the Hills House built in 1906.

 The Heurtley House built in 1902.  We drove by this one at night and it was enchanting with the windows all light up.

Oak Park is also the birthplace to Ernest Hemingway.