The Chicago Traveler

• Learn about the causes and outcomes of earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, tornadoes, and more at The Field Museum’s new exhibit, Nature Unleashed: Inside Natural Disasters. (through Jan 4)
• The Las Vegas male revue Thunder from Down Under is coming to Chicago for a 75-minute performance at Crobar. Meet and greet the hunky hotties after the show. (May 23)
• Grab your tent and your sleeping bags and head down to Three Sisters Park for Summer Camp 2008. The weekend event features over 60 bands, including moe., the Flaming Lips, and OAR. (May 23-25)
• The R-rated, Tony Award-winning musical comedy Avenue Q …read more

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A 5.2-magnitude earthquake shook up the Midwest at 4:37 a.m. Friday morning. While the quake may not be that big by West Coast standards, it was one of the strongest ever in Illinois. It was centered near the town of West Salem and was felt as far as 900 miles (1448 km) away. There have been no reports of injuries or significant damage.
Tremors from the initial quake could be felt even here in Chicago for about 20 seconds. Several people reported being awakened by rattling windows and shaking furniture. Downtown skyscrapers quivered, and bricks shook loose from buildings in Milwaukee, …read more

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The most popular cultural attraction in Chicago is the Field Museum of Natural History. Sitting along Lake Shore Drive and Lake Michigan, it is part of the Museum Campus along with the Adler Planetarium and the Shedd Aquarium.
After the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893, people wanted to create a permanent museum to hold many of the scientific and technological exhibits that had been on display. The Columbian Museum of Chicago was built in Jackson Park with the purpose of “accumulation and dissemination of knowledge, and the preservation and exhibition of objects illustrating art, archaeology, science and history.” (–FieldMuseum.org) In honor …read more

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The Illinois Bureau of Tourism asked the state’s residents and visitors to nominate their favorite destinations in Illinois. In May of 2007, seven of these were selected as the Seven Wonders of Illinois.

• Chicago: Wrigley Field. The atmosphere, neighborhood, and fans put this stadium in a league of its own. It’s not just a ballpark; it’s an experience.
• Chicagoland: The Baha’I House of Worship. This unforgettable sight is beautiful both inside and out. Its intricate construction took nearly 30 years to complete.
• Northern: Starved Rock State Park. Visitors can witness firsthand the results of Mother Nature’s power: 18 canyons framed …read more

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When people think about this country’s Native American populations, they often think of Alaska, New Mexico, or South Dakota. But a number of tribes settled in or traveled through what is now the state of Illinois, including the Chippewa, the Delaware (who were driven west by White settlers), the Foxes, the Kickapoo, the Miami (who once had a town near modern-day Chicago), the Potawatomi, and the state’s namesake, the Illinois (a hodgepodge of related tribes). Illinois is a word which means “men” or “people.” (The original word was Illiniwek, but was changed by the French to –ois.)
The Black Hawk State …read more

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