Last weekend I took the Green Line to the Garfield Park Conservatory. It is well worth a visit. The patio behind the Conservatory is a nice place to sit and read. In the last few months I have visited the Lincoln Park Conservatory and the Oak Park Conservatory as well. Like the Oak Park Conservatory, the Garfield Park Conservatory has a Desert Room, which would be nice to visit during Winter. Here are some photos from my visit:

http://picasaweb.google.com/thomas.garman/GarfieldParkConservatory?feat=...

Chicago apparently has a job opening for Transportation Commissioner. The Sun-Times reports today that Daley is replacing Streets and Sanitation Commissioner Michael Picardi with Transportation Commissioner Thomas Byrne, which leaves me wondering who our new Transportation Commissioner will be. What are the chances we'll actually get someone progressive for this post, or even someone who knows anything about transportation? It's exciting to think about what a good person in this position could do for Chicago. We need someone who understands that transportation is about enabling a thriving city by helping people get around -- it's not just about moving cars through the city more quickly.

PSSST, Mayor Daley, please steal this woman for the job!

Bike and Roll Chicago will be starting a bike polo team soon! More details will be available at a later time. Check out this Chicago Bike Polo video in the meantime. Check out the Chicago Bike Polo Video: www.youtube.com/watch

A friend forwarded me this email newsletter message from Chicago Northside Toyota promoting one of the great advantages of transit. What does it mean when car dealerships start catering to the growing "car-lite" population?

Why Fight for Parking?

There's so much going on in our wonderful city right now - like the Taste of Chicago. But oh, the nightmare of the parking meters!

Why fight for parking when you visit the events, when you could drop your Prius off for service or repair at Chicago Northside Toyota - and take public transportation?

Chicago Northside Toyota is right on the Red Line's Bryn Mawr stop.
How much more convenient can you get?

You may have noticed posters and ads around town for the Chicago Park District's Movies in the Park 2009 season. These are great events celebrating our city's public space and our fervent love of summer. This year there was an ambitious schedule of more than 170 movies in neighborhood parks across the city. If you've never been to one, you still have 154 opportunities left before the summer is up! It's a great excuse for a nice walk or bike ride to your local park and an evening outside with your neighbors. Check out the Chicago Park District Movies in the Park Schedule for a full listing.

This weekend I walked to Fermilab. I was motivated by a desire to see the Buffalo preserve in the context of a restored Prairie. It is very easy to walk to Fermilab from the Geneva Metra, but it is not easy to walk from Fermilab to the West Chicago Metra station. Here are some photos from my walk:

http://picasaweb.google.com/thomas.garman/Fermilab?feat=directlink

The Sun-Times reports that the new section of the Chicago Riverwalk under Michigan Ave. opened yesterday. If you've ever tried to cross Michigan Ave. from the Riverwalk, you'll know this is a huge improvement over climbing the stairs up to street level, crossing the street three times (since there's no crosswalk going west), and going back down the stairs to the river. The underpass is also sure to provide much greater exposure for the Bridgehouse Museum, a little-noticed gem of a museum that was hidden on the Riverwalk on the west side of Michigan Ave. Be sure to go downtown to check it out.

On May 25th I visited the Chicago Botanic Garden. The walk to the Garden along the Lake Cooke road from the Braeside Metra is very easy (down a street with a sidewalk). My motive for going to the Botanic Garden was to visit their Prairie Preserve.

Here are some photos from my trip:

http://picasaweb.google.com/thomas.garman/ChicagoBotanicGarden?feat=dire...

Become a member of the McDonald's Cycle Center located in Millennium Park and receive great benefits, including: 24 hour secure bicycle parking, access to showers and lockers, free use of the shared bike program (see terms), 10% off bicycle repairs and retail items, $25 off IGO car sharing membership, discounts on Bike the Drive, LATE Ride, and other events. Visit the website for more details: http://chicagobikestation.com/memberships.htm

On May 30th I walked about 18 miles on the Illinois Prairie Path from Wheaton to Elgin. The path is very easy to get to just by taking the Metra to Wheaton. Here are my photos from that trip:

http://picasaweb.google.com/thomas.garman/IllinoisPriariePath?feat=direc...