PLSS Research & Data Restructuring - Restoring a County GIS (Part 6)

Map of the Public Land Survey System - US Dept of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management

The next phase in restructuring the County data towards dependency on a more solid framework of geographic data consisted of building out the Public Land Survey (PLSS) layer. As noted in the previous chapter, the essential part of this work consisted of collecting Ground Control Points and Registered Land Corners for addition to their own respective layers.

Assembling all of the point data related to the Land Corners layer, numerous inconsistencies were noted, which required further investigation to understand their relevance to the situation.

Section corners appeared to have multiple locations along the eastern edge of the county, as well as along old Kansas City boundaries. Additionally, limited availability of data related to the boundaries along the river created challenges on that front, requiring in depth research to understand all of these issues and their relationship to one another.

. . .

Downloading the PLSS layer from the Missouri Spatial Data Information Service (MSDIS) answered a few questions, but begged clarification on others. Partial sections adorned the eastern boundary of the County, and of the same Township/Range/Section as those adjacent in Clay County. What caused this?

The part of the County along the Missouri River valley had its own set of problems too. Some of the Township/Range information seemed to be completely wrong. Township/Range composed of 50s/30s dominated the County, but in this part of the County, 7/20s popped up along the river. Where did these come from?

While researching these questions, I came to know University of Missouri Professor and co-author of the “Atlas of Lewis and Clark in Missouri,” Jim Harlan. He developed the PLSS layer I downloaded, was very informative, and just a lot of fun to talk with. Validating much of what I already understood, he clarified a few other points as well.

The Platte Purchase of 1836 caused the issue along the eastern boundary. I am still not quite sure that I understand why the surveyors did not just pick up where they left off when they began their survey; instead, a slight jog remains today along the Platte County Boundary, where partial Sections of that part of the Township / Range meets partial Sections from the very same Township / Range in Clay County.

A lengthy technical discussion with Mr. Harlan did not exactly clarify the reasons behind the Sections mismatch, but did help me to understand the origin and impact. He attributed most of the issue and many other discrepancies I would soon uncover to excessive drinking on the frontier survey crews. Amusingly, it only took a little bit of reading to validate those conditions.

More easily understood, the sections along the Missouri River are a simple result of nature, which slipped my mind. Survey boundaries never move. The river does, and quite often. Most of Missouri is surveyed under the 5th Principal Meridian, while Kansas was surveyed using the 6th. Since that time, the Missouri River has wandered about quite a bit, leaving bits and pieces of what some perceive as other states on both sides of the river. This is most evident along the Mississippi River, but the Missouri has its own share too.

At least two mysteries were resolved, which only left the northern boundary of the County. That turned out to be a rather simple matter really. Everything was normal. The County boundary moved a few years prior, and several surveys were available, along with extensive documentation and precise GPS positions along the entire boundary.

. . .

Following the framework identified in the previous chapter, I started construction on what would be four distinct layers. This actually took quite a bit of time, as I originally thought that I might just put it all together in one layer, but revelations associated with the Parcel Number, forced me down another path.

The Parcel Number identified the location of the land, indicating the Township/Range, the Section, the Quarter Section, as well as a couple other elements; indeed, the first 4 numbers in the set represented the legacy Map Sheet # that any parcel with that number could be found on. The second part of that number caused a little difficulty, but a little research uncovered that it was an old National Weather Service thing that has somehow found its way into the Parcel number; it covers 4 sections.

Example Parcel Number: 18–9.0–32–400–015–001.000

• 18 = Township 52 North / Range 33 W — 5th Principal Meridian
• 9.0 = Tetrasection 9.0
• 32 = Section 32
• 400 = Southeast quarter
• 015 = Block Number
• 001.000 = Lot . SubLot Number

Taking the Land Corners feature previously generated, along with the PLSS from MSDIS, I began tying corners to points. It was strictly a Section PLSS, and most of the corners on the PLSS did not move far, usually only a handful of feet in just about every direction. There were a few exceptions, and I decided it would be best to set those aside until completing more research on the specific attributes of those.

Once complete, I began developing the framework for the PLSS that would live on our system. It would be comprised of four independent layers. The current Map Sheet number already in use would carry through all layers.

The PLSSTownships defined the Township/Ranges for further division. PLSSFirstDivision was the first division of the Township/Range layer, and contained the Tetrasections. PLSSSecondDivision was the second division of the Township/Range layer, and contained the Sections. PLSSThirdDivision was the third division of the Township/Range layer, and contained the Quarter Section information.

Fields in each of the layers were named straightforward and simple, but still abbreviated. When developing these, I discovered that while you could give field names any number of characters, if you went to export any of them to a Shapefile the names were truncated. Consequently, all of the field names needed to be eight characters to provide clarity and prevent any confusion about the name.

Most of the data was numeric, or simple text. This attribute information would rarely, if ever change. The field definitions would always work, regardless of what changed though. I used Short Integer everywhere possible, as well as limiting the length of text fields. In the case of cardinal and ordinal directions, I simply created a domain (lookup table).

The layers do not contain all of the data for each of the division. They only hold that relevant to the County, which causes it to appear as if data is missing along the boundaries. There was just no need to define Sections that were not in Platte County though.

We left the boundary on the Missouri River alone. There was just no help for that. Surveys were more than 100 years old in some cases, or had never been properly located with GPS.

GPS positions identifying County boundaries on the north and east side of the County enabled us to re-define the boundary with 99% confidence. The work added hundreds of acres to County that had not been previously included or assessed, resulting in increased revenue for the County.

In the end, we only used the PLSSThirdDivision in our production environment. It had everything we needed in it. All of the other layers ended up being really for other cartographic purposes only and for analysis, and quality control. I simply made all adjustments in the PLSSThirdDivision layer, and migrated those changes up to the other layers once a month.

Building them out independently proved to be a good exercise that provided valuable insight when I started building the Subdivision framework. It helped in understanding the numerous peculiarities of working with DB2, ArcGIS, and ArcSDE, when building out new features and tables. It also provided an excellent understanding of the idiosyncrasies of the Public Land Survey System.

We decided not to involve too many parcel adjustments at this stage. There was more work to do and another framework to complete. New parcels that did not belong to subdivisions were subject to the new PLSS, and adjacent parcels adjust out of the way of them. Additionally, the individual receiving deeds in the Office of the Assessor began updating all associated parcels, where previously they had only reviewed the legal to determine location. This worked well for the remainder of my time there, and just updating as it came through resulted in updating nearly 75% of parcels in the County over 5 years.

All individual features were stored in a Feature Dataset named Public Land Survey System, along with the LandCorners and GroundControlPoints, due to their geographic relationship and dependencies.

. . .

Map displaying all layers of the grid and Land Corners

Below are links to access the four new features created in this process. Full detail on the construction of these features is further defined within the Info Sheet, containing the Metadata, for each individual feature.

. . .

PLSSTownships feature (KML)

- Info Sheet for PLSSTownship Metadata

PLSSFirstDivision feature (KML)

- Info Sheet for PLSSFirstDivision Metadata

PLSSSecondDivision feature (KML)

- Info Sheet for PLSSSecondDivision Metadata

PLSSThirdDivision feature (KML)

- Info Sheet for PLSSThirdDivision Metadata

. . .

Coming next in the series … more data restructuring, Subdivision, re-alignment, and other points of interest!

Medium needs a better Feed

Photograph courtesy of elPadawan, Flickr

Since joining Medium almost a year ago, I have really enjoyed this platform. There are so many great writers here, creating some fantastic original content, that it is a little hard to keep up with all of it at times. I do manage, somewhat.

I continue to find it a bit difficult to follow the sources that I enjoy the most , which leads me to writing this recommendation. Perhaps, someone can identify what I am doing wrong, or the good folks at Medium will recognize the potential for a new feature, or adjust an algorithm somewhere.

Often cluttered with nonsense that I could really care less about, my stream is the primary concern. I follow about 22 different tags; one or two that are relatively specific, like GIS. However, most of the tags are general, such as History, Design, Culture, Photography, etc.

One example is stories by the publication “War is Boring.” I do not mean to pick on them. I have read a couple of really good articles from them, but I do not follow that publication. I do not follow the writer that recently published a story in that publication. I do not follow any of the tags identified in the article, yet there are three stories from this publication in my stream now.

Meanwhile, recent stories that I really care about, from folks that I follow, publications that I follow, and tags that I follow are getting very little stream time. Once, I tried countering this effect by accessing the tags directly, but there is another problem.

Some of the stories under tags are months old and extremely stale. For example, the first story under the tag for Missouri displays an article from February 28 that is wholly irrelevant now. The bill failed to make it out of committee back in April. What use is that story to anyone?

Visiting each individual or publication is not an option either. If I have to resort to that, I might as well just surf around the internet as I did before. Indeed, that is what started trending in my world, and I got to thinking; Medium really should have a better means of keeping folks on the site, reading the things they follow on Medium, and even things they care about that are not on Medium.

A few weeks ago, I re-discovered the RSS feed again. I was amazed. There have made great strides in the development of the RSS Reader since I last bothered with it, which was about the time Google discontinued that effort. In my most humble opinion, this is exactly what Medium should be enabling on the site to attract and retain readers.

Using Feedly, which has undergone a fantastic facelift, I can pull in stories from all over the web, and not just Medium. I can categorize my content, see what is new today, mark articles read, bookmark them for later reading, and even get suggestions for related content that I am not following, off to the side. It even provides a wide array of social media integration and sharing tools, as well as the beginnings of its own little social media platform. The platform that I migrated my publication from, Blogger did a few of these things too, though not quite as efficiently. WordPress also offers a similar format, but their interface is just awkward and confusing at best.

One thing I do not care for on Feedly, is that it requires a bit more clicking around, which I am not usually inclined to do. If I want to “Recommend” an article on Medium, or any other source really, I have to select to “Visit Website” from the bottom of the article display. Ironically, this sort of thing is probably skewing the stats on Medium too. If I go to the Medium site to “Recommend” an article, I definitely do not read it all over again.

. . .

I truly feel there is an opportunity for Medium to step up and meet the needs of current users, attract new users, and as all web sites are most interested in doing, keep those users on site all the time. Medium is by far the best platform for publishing that I have had the opportunity to use. It simplifies everything, why not simplify the stream, and make it more user centric.

I would like to see Medium implement a customizable stream, wherein users could choose to see only the content to which they subscribe; additionally, enable an option to pull in content from sources outside of Medium.

The tabs at the top already offer users the opportunity to explore other Medium publisher topics. Along with the side bar that currently displays a few articles from those subjects, maintaining those would be sufficient to encourage folks to look around a little.

Tags display need modified to display the Latest, or at minimum, as mentioned previously, make it a user-defined option. The content on many tags is stale and irrelevant.

I think these little changes could also provide writers on Medium a lot more exposure, balance the playing field a bit more, and keep it from continuing down the path of appearing at times to be a rather gated community; unless, of course, that is the intent, then never mind and carry on.

The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures

The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures hosts the world’s largest fine-scale miniature collection and one of the largest collection of antique toys on display. Indeed, it is one of the few places were multiple generations can share a trip down memory lane, finding common ground in the toys and games of childhood years past and present.

The museum only recently re-opened after extensive remodeling. It first opened in 1982 as the Toy and Miniature Museum of Kansas City in a modest, Italianate mansion at the corner of 52nd and Oak on the University of Missouri — Kansas City campus. Since that time, it has grown to house over 300,000 unique items.

Recent renovations to the building have helped to modernize not only the structure, but also the displays. Multiple video screens are associated with several of the exhibits, displaying history and demonstrations related to the craft of toy and miniature making and manufacture. There are also a couple of hands-on displays for folks to get an idea of the artistry behind these items.

The main floor contains an extensive collection of miniatures and houses from the past hundred years or more. The houses and set displays represent a variety of cultures and sizes; tiny one room displays to castles, and everything in between. Those items not in a home of their own are artfully set into the walls behind glass in small one-room displays.

Parents will be doing some heavy lifting throughout this area though, as not all of the displays are at a level easily accessible to smaller patrons. Indeed, they will definitely need some help looking through all of the houses. The curator should consider adding some viewing steps for little ones, to ease the burden on their guardians.

Following the stairs up around a column of toys spiraling from floor to ceiling, the second floor is not quite as challenging to view for the small ones. Many of the toys are behind wide display windows with plenty of hall space to get a good view. There are still a few though that will need parental assistance.

Nearly every era of toys and games for children and children-at-heart are on display, featuring some of the most popular ever known, and folks will be surprised at how far back the origins of some reach. There are few more dollhouses on this floor, but these are the grander and gaudier, and a few owned by local residents; including one owned by Kansas City native Josephine Bird, daughter of one of the founders of Emery Bird Thayer Department Store. Outfitted with an array of personal family heirloom items, it also contains many items obtained from the department store, when Josephine was but a child in the late 1800s.

The Golden Age of Pedal Power As an added bonus, two special exhibitions were in progress on the second floor during this particular visit. “Pedal to the Metal” carried over from August, highlights some of the most fantastic pedal-powered inventions of the 20th century. It is a stroll though the history of the pedal car and an entire generation that rolled down the city streets and through farm backyards under their own power, and in their own version of the Ford, Chevrolet, and Kiddilac. There is even an Oscar Mayer Weiner mobile!

In a separate exhibit, “Messengers of Goodwill” enables visitors to discover a part of American history lost, in a display devoted to the American Blue-Eyed Dolls and Japanese Friendship Dolls. The display tells the story of how these three-foot tall dolls played a part in mending diplomatic relations between the two nations during the 1920s, as well as their subsequent relegation to the shredder at the beginning of World War II.

This little museum is definitely one of Kansas City’s own unique treasures and an adventure that will capture the imagination of young and old alike. It is open daily year-round, except for Tuesdays and major holidays, and at the time of this writing, only 5 bucks for children ages 5 to 100.

. . .

further reading

The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures

Kansas City, MO

A National Parks Web Map App

Mount Julian from Lava Cliffs Overlook in Rocky Mountain National Park — July 2004

In recognition of the 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service (NPS), I decided to put together a web map displaying the location of all of the National Parks.

While their maps have improved dramatically this year, they still lack a certain usability, and I have yet to find anything on the web that fits my needs. I want to be able to see all of the parks, where they are in relation to my route, when out on the road.

The result of this effort is the web map/app below, which displays the location of all of the Visitor Centers (when there is one) of all of the public lands under the supervision of the National Park Service, as well as a few sites under the direction of other organizations. It seems there are several National Monuments and National Historic sites managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), among others.

Zoom in, pan around, and click on a point and get more info. You can also open in full screen, share it along, embed it on your web site, or save it for use on your own device! Routing is only available at the device level though, but it works fantastically.

A somewhat monumental task in itself, it certainly did not start that way. Downloading the data for all of the park boundaries, I extracted points to appear at the centroid of each of the parks using ArcMap, then exported to KML and imported into Google My Maps for revision.

However, after some discussion with a Park Ranger, I realized that was going to be relatively worthless. I forgot my own purpose. Folks needed a means of navigating to a park, more often than not, to a Visitor Center. There is no data set for that, and only one way to do it.

Researching each individual park through the National Park Service web site proved a task. While each park contains a section for Visitor Centers, it tends to be blank, and very few have an address.

Shocked by the lack of information, I was even more determined. Using satellite imagery in combination with NPS Park Maps, I was able to locate all of them.

In the meantime, there have been a few additional designations, which I have added. Keeping things updated will be a challenge, but an easy enough task. Additionally, I want to add layers for other countries too. National Parks are not just a US thing.

Chicago Encounters

Jolted from a reverie incited by the beauty of the mountains and high desert of the Colorado Plateau, only one short week later I found myself on a rocket to Chicago on business.

The initial shock and ensuing depressive state of the extreme cultural shift threw me off balance only temporarily. With very little delay, I was quickly back on my feet again, hiking the valleys between skyscrapers, and wandering the one river trail available.

Looking East along the Chicago River from the DuSable Bridge

Architects try repeatedly to match the beauty of the natural features such as the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, creating towering structures of glass and concrete, with yawning chasms that generally lead only to busy city streets.

Their efforts always fail to consider inclusion of a peaceful valley, where one might walk quietly along a mountain stream contemplating greater things. They are successful on one count only; replicating an environment conducive to producing predators.

I imagined all of these things as I wandered the streets of Chicago each evening for a week, making every effort to remember the journey to Colorado and Utah in as much detail as possible, as I have still not completed writing on that particular adventure. Time will tell if I was successful.

. . .

The flight out of Kansas City was a harrowing experience, with stormy weather only beginning to announce its arrival with a few low flying clouds and blustery winds. Informed that there would be no snacks or beverages during the flight, if there was any doubt as to why, the reason became abundantly clear, just after leaving the ground.

I am not particularly afraid of flying; falling from such a great height concerns me most. Indeed, with my knuckles glowing white clenching the arm of the seat, I perceived many of my comrades sympathizing. We landed safely though, and to much more fair weather than when we departed.
Quickly deciphering the various options related to attain my hotel destination with the aid of Google Maps, I found the Orange Line to be the most expedient of all of the choices available. The affair would only take about 45 minutes total, including a 15-minute ride on a bus.

Map of the Chicago Elevated Train System — Chicago Transportation Authority - 2016

While I have been a traveler on similar situations in New York, Washington DC, and San Diego, I had never had the opportunity to ride what Chicagoans simply and affectionately call “The L.” The experience alone is worth the effort. Some of the most interesting folks lurk within the public transportation system, and you can quickly gauge the relatively friendliness of any particular metropolitan area. Chicago is no exception.

I found the train empty at Midway though. Only one other person resided in the car I had chosen, and he had taken the very seat I was hoping to obtain. The perfectly positioned seat facing forward, could give one the illusion of actually driving the train. Two others straggled in just before the doors closed, looking somewhat frightened, angry, and lost all at once. They moved down the train though, whispering their fears between one another.

The one that had acquired the best seat was an odd fellow, who continually glanced suspiciously at me throughout the entire trip. On a couple of occasions I thought I would make some attempt to reassure him that I would make no effort to displace him from the prize. Just as I decided such a statement was past due, he stood for the next stop and scurried out the door.

A hoard people also entered at that stop. I think it was Ashland. It is hard to know for certain, since the announcer had proclaimed the previous three stops to be Ashland. I was concerned that he would announce all of the stops that way, so remained in my set in order to retain a perfect view of the station name outside the window, assuming those would not repeat unnecessarily.

Chicago Theater signage near the State/Lake Station

State/Lake Station loomed outside the window, and I disembarked in search of the next adventure in public transportation. The folks on this particular portion of the route had not been especially friendly or talkative. Many of them simply scowled or stared blankly out of the window, and avoiding all eye contact.

Those that seemed friendly enough, and whom I might have enjoyed a superficial conversation with, were duly engrossed in conversation with their traveling companions in an entirely different language. That was deterrent enough to remove me from the conversation.I have no experience with Swahili, Aramaic, or Khoisan. My German is questionable at best, so I stick with straightforward transactions in my native English.

Pondering the situation momentarily, it seemed as though I was close enough to march on down to Ontario Street from there. However, should the need arise to return to Midway by the same route, I thought it more prudent to continue with the original plan.

My small bag and grossly overstuffed backpack made for slow progress as well, so I wobbled on down the stairs and across the street to hop on the bus. A friend would later remark that I should have just jumped the Red Line, but for whatever reason, Google never identified that option.

The 10/146 arrived in only a few minutes, and I greeted a somber crowd who only stared curiously at me until our gaze met, and then they quickly looked away. Nobody spoke as the bus lumbered towards and then down Michigan Avenue stopping it seemed, about every 20 feet or so.

I was beginning to believe that I had completely lost my hearing, when an elderly woman boarded, whom I immediately offered my seat. She shattered the illusion with a smile, declining and thanking me in a soft voice that echoed unusually loud off the apparent mutes that packed the bus.

Chicagoans are an odd breed when it comes to conversation. Most ignore each other on the street, unless they are paired up for a particular mission. Otherwise, they do not seem interested in talking with unknowns, except perhaps to curse and yell when some issue or another proves unsatisfactory; and then, prefer to use car horns, before vocalizing.

Being from more westerly points, where all manner of conversation occurs between individuals whom hardly know one another, all of this can be a little unsettling at times though.

My friends from the City have assured me that this is perfectly normal, even translating the language of the horn, although I generally understand it fairly well. When you hear it directed at you, move! Down the street, out of the way, away, does not really matter.

Looking south along Michigan Avenue from Ontario Street

Finally arriving at Ontario & Michigan, I was more than ready to get off the bus, as it had become as packed as a sardine can, and the silence deafening. I got up from my seat and bumped a few people as I attempted to plow a path to the door before it closed, offering verbal apologies along the way, and receiving only wild-eyed stares in return.

The folks at the hotel shattered any preconceived notions related to interaction with those from Chicago, offering a warm and friendly environment, along with a good dose of conversation, before offering up the keys to my room. Boarding the elevator, I encountered others like myself, obviously in need of conversation with unknowns too.

After taking some time to settle in to my home for the week on the 20th floor, and soaking in the fantastic view my room afforded, I retreated to the streets of the downtown Loop. I spent nearly every evening of my stay wandering about admiring architecture and puzzling over the mass of humanity migrating here and there along Michigan Avenue. The weather was perfect for this sort of enterprise too, with temperatures hovering near 30°C every day.

Lake Michigan seemed as good as any destination, since I was only a few blocks away, so I started in that direction to have look at what might be developing there. A wall of traffic put this ambition in check quickly and I detoured south, ultimately choosing to discover what sources of sustenance were available, and wander around the River Walk.

The sources available were of the hopelessly generic kind, but I was happy to discover that the River Walk had undergone a relatively large renovation project since my last visit, making the area more enjoyable to the average citizen and less desirable to those engaged in questionable enterprises. Yet, some of the latter still occurred at random intervals.

. . .

After meeting with friends for Pho at little place up on the north side of town called Cafe Hoang the next evening, which was every bit as tasty as they promised, they dragged me over to a place called The Magic Hedge, and associated waterfront. I am still not quite sure where the place obtained its name, but I have a suspicion the magic is likely something better left undisclosed among polite circles.

It might have only been the rustling of birds, as the location is also home to the Montrose Bird Sanctuary. Birdwatchers have recorded more than 300 different species of birds at the site. As darkness descended, the shadows and noises seemed much too large for attribution to our fine feathered friends; that is, unless all 300 hundred were gathering in the same location.

. . .

I wandered alone around the north side of the river the next evening, after a fine round of Fish & Chips and accompanied by a Blueberry Blonde at Timothy O’Toole’s. Making it as far west as State Street, I zigzagged northward towards Chicago Avenue, then back down along Michigan Avenue.

Along the way, I encountered one of my favorite little buildings, the Cable House. A Richardsonian Romanesque-style house built in 1886 for a local socialite, it is a marvelous little castle with a courtyard that easily could have inspired numerous fantasy novels, especially with the array of multi-colored lighting on this particular evening.

Fountain at the Cable House Courtyard at night

I am not sure exactly what drew me, but with a little time to kill the next evening, I drifted down to the Chicago Cultural Center. I had never been and it seemed as good a destination as any other. Roaming stairways and corridors containing some beautiful and artfully decorated interior architecture, I eventually found myself standing under the monstrous Tiffany dome, and remembered why I had been so interested in coming.

Tiffany Dome at the Chicago Cultural Center

Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company of New York installed this fantastic piece of art back in 1897, using Tiffany Favrile glass cut in the shape of fish scales. It is one the largest of its type in the world, measuring nearly 12 meters in diameter. It is indeed a stained glass art masterpiece marvel to behold, containing approximately 30,000 pieces of glass in 243 sections, held together with a cast iron frame.

Staggering around staring at this ceiling for longer than was likely necessary, and probably attracting undue attention judging from the guards that began to appear in my peripheral, I realized I was running behind to meet my friends again for dinner, and sought a quick exit.

Mosaic under the staircase near the south entrance of the Chicago Cultural Center

At first, it seemed as though it would be an easy enough task. I noted a fantastic mosaic under the staircase of the entrance I had come in. Somehow, I ended up on the wrong side of the building from which I entered, and could find no exit. While not particularly an issue, I found it somewhat curious, as I was certain I retraced my path precisely. After cutting through a couple of workshops in progress, I managed to find the originally point of entry and stumbled onto the street.

I quickly made my way back up Michigan Avenue to Huron and joined with friends for a brief ride out to Twisted Spoke. Identifying itself as a “Biker Bar,” I saw more of the trendy sort lingering than anything else, but it was good fun and good food with good company, from an upper deck providing for decent views of the surrounding area, and part of downtown.

Dining is very likely not the primary focus here though. The food menu is only a page long; the beer menu goes on for three pages. On top of that, they were hosting a half-price whiskey night; that menu, even longer than that for the beer. I leaned heavily on our server for the final decision on those latter points. It was simply too much reading.

After conspiring to meet again the following evening, my comrades retired for the evening, depositing me in front of my hotel once again. I was not feeling very tired though, so went a wandering again.

Just as I was arriving at Cityfront Plaza, I heard explosions and thought perhaps the City was under attack. I crouched and started to quickly make for a nearby concrete barrier when I noticed other folks in the area who stood their ground, unconcerned; some, clapping and yelling at towards some activity occurring to the east of the City.

Turning my attention in that direction, I realized it was only fireworks at the Navy Pier, and the location just happened to provision a grand view of the spectacle. I remain unsure of the special occasion, but it was quite lively and very much worth the 10 minutes wasted.

It was beginning to get late, so I headed back to Michigan Avenue from there, wanting to make a stop down at the Chicago Water Tower. It is such a wonderful old stone building with a storied past, as one of the few survivors of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Nearly 9 square kilometers of the old lakeside village burned in that event, but this structure and a few others firmly stood their ground. It is mostly unremarkable in the daylight but at night, the shadows cast from carefully placed lighting give it an perfectly beautiful ominous appearance.

. . .

My final night in Chicago arrived, much sooner than I expected, and much hotter than any of us thought it would be. Humidity had rolled in and the temperature jumped up to 34°C.

One would think I would have paused at this point and called for a lift to meet my comrades for the evening’s adventures. However, there were scheduling conflicts related to our escape times, and it seemed so unnecessary anyway. Making my way to join with them at the Aon Center, I almost wished I had called for ride.

The sun was sinking behind the superstructures quickly though, and shade was becoming more abundant, so the wish vanished before it had time to congeal. There was a moment of confusion in the heat, while I lingered at the southwest corner of the building waiting. She agreed to meet me there. However, I was unaware that corner of the building extended below street level.

A view of the southwest corner of the Aon Building

Resolving this minor crisis, we promptly detoured through a nearby market to organize accompaniment to our scheme for the evening, related to lounging on the lawn. This sort of activity necessitates the gathering of blankets, beverages, and snacks. It would just not be proper otherwise; indeed, without as much would leave one begging around the lawn, instead of lounging.

The park was just across the street and with our various sundries in hand, we entered efficiently, without impedance, and landed a perfect spot in the shade of Fornelli Tower, and in perfect view of the stage at the J. Pritzker Pavilion of Millennium Park.

Panoramic shot of the J Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park

One of my favorite venues in all of the United States, this pavilion with huge polished steel looking curly cues surrounding a stage set before a massive lawn, against a backdrop of skyscrapers all around. It is at once peaceful and chaotic.

The bands fired up almost immediately on our arrival, as if on cue. It was good to know that they received our message to delay until our arrival. They played well, and ended early enough to get yet more wandering the streets under my belt.

My friends implored me to ride back with them, as the walk back was too great a distance in the heat. I assured them that I would be fine, and actually looked forward to the quiet walk back to the hotel; well, as quiet as Michigan Avenue can be at 9 pm on a Thursday night.

Looking west towards Michigan Avenue from Randolph Street

As I began the trek northward, I suddenly realized that we had really done nothing but snack and enjoy a variety of malted beverages the entire evening. It seemed sufficient at the time, and even when departing, but the walking reminded me that I need something with a bit more substance.

I recalled seeing Giordano’s up by the fabulous old and somewhat eerie water tower, and decided that might be a good option. Indeed, although it was packed full of folks waiting on pizza, it turned out to be no wait for a lone traveler willing to take his meal at the bar. I was not able to enjoy their fine pizza pie, but the meatball sub was just as good, and ended the evening nicely.

After handling various duties and obligations Friday morning, it was time to bid farewell to the windy city. It was only a 15 minute walk down to the Orange Line, according to Google Maps, so I decided to skip bidding adieu to the busload of zombies. Those on the Orange Line would have the pas the message along to the others.

Enjoying one last walk through the streets, I arrived in due time at the platform. The ride back to Midway was uneventful, excepting an argument with the transit machine, prior to entering the platform. It and its companion refused my credit card several times over. I now understand the plight of those usually found lingering nearby, asking for change to catch the next bus or train. I narrowly escaped the same fate.

Douglas SBD Dauntless suspended from the ceiling at Midway Airport

The flight back was equally uneventful. Skies were clear in Chicago, and only beginning to cloud up back in Kansas City. Everywhere in between, a series of low flying clouds associated with one front or hovering just below the wings.

It had been a great trip; the day portions, as interesting as they could be and the nights, enjoyable in the warm company of friends with which I spend entirely too little time.