To the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago... thank you and goodbye... posted November 30, 2017

Well, it's been a few weeks since I last posted a blog and well over a month since my remarkable trip to Chicago in late October 2017. I had an absolute blast in the Windy City again. My first trip there in four years did not disappoint and the picture taking could not have gone any better. It was so surreal to finally have a fully-functioning camera again and take shots galore of Chicago with my extensive photography skills I gained over the last few years.

There were so many highlights of this trip that I could spend a long time going over all of them, but I do want to point out one surreal event that took place. I happened to be staying at the Hard Rock Hotel in Chicago and through Instagram, I got in touch with Bobby, who works at various places around Chicago including the Hard Rock Hotel. Many well-known Chicago photographers as well as some out-of-town visitors were taking pictures inside and out of the historic Carbide and Carbon Building where the Hard Rock Hotel is housed, including on the rooftop. I got lucky and was chosen to be able to photograph the building, take a tour, and get shots from the rooftop. Unfortunately, I couldn't do it at night as I originally wanted due to our scheduling conflicts, but it turned out to be a beautiful crisp autumn day and having the blue skies and sun shine down on the city more than made up for it.

The Hard Rock Hotel in Chicago will be no more as of December 1. The hotel is closing and will be rebranded as a much more luxurious hotel sometime in the new year. I want to take the time to thank everyone who worked at the HRH Chicago for their hospitality and making my stay so enjoyable and most of all to Bobby, who gave me the brief tour of the building, took me behind-the-scenes and helped me get up the roof to take some absolutely spectacular shots of the Windy City. I wish you all the best!

The featured picture is a spectacular view of Michigan Avenue and Chicago I took from the roof of the Carbide and Carbon Building...