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Thursday, September 29, 2022

Downtown Harvard, Illinois






Harvard, Illinois is a very
special place.







Harvard is the home of Harmilda.

She is the mascot for the annual






The Milk Days Festival started in 1966 and is the oldest running Milk Festival in Illinois.

In 1991 the owners of the land that Harmilda is displayed on wanted to remove the fiberglass Cow.  The community rallied to save Harmilda.  Children joined adults to protest Harmilda's upcoming removal with signs that said, "Don't Moove Harmilda."  The owners moved Harmilda just a few feet and she continues to preside over downtown Harvard 31 years later.




Eric & I parked in front of Harvard

It opened in 1920.






I love corner clocks on buildings.








Harvard has late 1800s and early 1900s buildings.






Colorful cornice work adorns these
buildings on North Ayer Street.











The Carniceria Y Fruteria
La Frontera is in a solid,
old building.




This is my favorite building.

It has a tower, a corner door
& an overhanging side
window.










The ornate tower & window
are beautifully painted.









The second-floor stone window
 trim on the Rengel Building
 has carvings on it.










I like the columns & slanted
brickwork at the top of this 
building.














The stately St. Joseph Catholic
 Church is just a few blocks
 away from Ayer Street.














It's so colorful!








I've taken a lot of pictures of churches in our travels around the US, but never of one with mosaics on the front.  





We take a selfie
with Harvard's
water tower.







I like stepping into the past to photograph our country's older architecture.  There's a lot of beauty in it.

Wednesday, September 28, 2022

The Petit Chapel @ The Belvidere Cemetery in Belvidere, Illinois.






The Belvidere Cemetery has
a unique Chapel, designed by










Ooops... I got distracted by this
beautiful dead tree stump
& its greenery.








The Petit Chapel was restored
by the Belvidere Junior 
Women's Club in 1981.







After Dr. Petit's premature death in March of 1899, Mrs. Petit saw that The Belvidere Cemetery didn't have a place for family and friends to gather for services and be sheltered from harsh weather.  She wanted to create a Chapel to honor her husband and to provide an indoor worship space for mourners.

In 1905 she contacted Frank Lloyd Wright and asked for his assistance in creating this unique Chapel.  The Architect chose to create the memorial in the newly developing Prairie Style.





This is the only memorial the
 Architect ever designed for a
 Cemetery setting.







It was completed in 1907.






This is my favorite approach
to the Chapel.







The stairs at the corner of the building welcome grieving family and friends in need.

The building was closed, so Eric and I didn't get good images of the inside of the chapel.

Older Homes in Belvidere, Illinois




I like the front porch on this home.








This is the rare, maintenance




From 1948 to 1950 Lustron built thousands of steel walled homes.







The window ornamentation
reminds me of a Victorian
Cottage.







This house has features from

There were many Mail Order
House Plans to choose from.





I love the ornamentation on
the side of the second floor
porch on this home.





Gingerbread is a Victorian 
Cottage ornamentation.











Stately steps beckon visitors
to this home.









A chance encounter with 
a Squirrel







Lastly, Belvidere's finest home...

                                 The Tudor Style Funderberg House was built in 1906.                                       Today it is a Museum.

Strolling Downtown Belvidere, Illinois




Welcome to Belvidere

City of Murals






Downtown Belvidere is the








Most of downtown was built before 1900.






This is the building in the
previous photo.

1889 - 1909




This painted cornice work
is beautiful!










Brannen Block
1862 - 1887







The murals are on the side
of the Brannen Building







Almost all of downtown is older buildings.  The buildings and murals I've chosen are my favorites.







I think this is the preserved
Train Station.




1885








Eldredge Cars were manufactured
Company from 1903 to 1906.












The bridge over the 
Kishwaukee River




Eric & I get a selfie at
the perfect photo op
spot on the bridge.




The Ghost Sign on the building
across State Street...

This building was the Leland
Hotel & Cafe.







Floyd Hopkins Block
1883

The window trim is
eye-catching.




Fred Schulte, Baseball Center Fielder
was born in Belvidere, Illinois.

He played for the St. Louis Browns,







The Apollo Theater opened in 1921.

It continues as an entertainment
venue today.









The Kuppler Building







Artists get inspiration from
State Street in downtown
Belvidere.


Monday, September 26, 2022

Jian, The First JianBing Restaurant in Chicago, Illinois




Eric & I walk to Chicago's

We are for JianBing.






The Chicago French Market has Food Stalls, lots of Food Stalls...













JianBing is savory Street Food, with many food choices to accompany each Eggy Crepe.






There are so many choices!








Eric got the Original JianBing (Vegetarian)  and I chose the Five Hours Pulled Pork JianBing.  





Eric's Veggie Filled JianBing
is on the Left.

My Pulled Pork Jianbing is 
on the right.





We both made delicious, Eggy choices!

I am so glad we made our acquaintance with JianBing in Portland, Oregon.  This is an international food that everyone should try, and fall in love with.