Chicago: I came, I saw, I left 40 hours later.

As part of my new initiative to visit American cities I've not yet seen (which is most of them), I took the opportunity this past weekend to join my mother in an insanely brief visit to Chicago where my brother and his fiance now reside.

The temperature was in the 30s which Chicagoans will tell you is not that cold. Well, Chicagoans can suck it. I've lived in Los Angeles for over 4 years. Anything below 50 during the day is ungodly.

The sky remained gray for most of my visit.

Though it allowed for a clear view of the Sears Tower (now the Willis Tower).

The Lincoln Park Zoo offered a free light show to those willing to face cold night temperatures for tree covered branches, neon animal shapes and a polar bear who knew enough to stay hidden inside his warm cave.

Despite a 4:30 am arrival, O'Hare Airport was already abuzz with holiday travelers this morning. Had I been any more fatigued, I might have thought this light installation a sign of hallucination.

To see the rest of my Chicago pics, visit the album on Flickr.