Travel – Barack Obama Presidential Library

In my lifetime, there has never been anybody like President Barack Obama. His very presidency was symbolic, and I feel privileged to have witnessed it. His presidential library opens today in Chicago, Illinois. Choosing Juneteenth I’m sure was no accident, and since it’s a federal holiday, today would be a good time to take a few days off, head to Chicago and visit the library of the first Black President.

Visit the website for a look back at the Obama Presidency Timeline.

Visit the library and Obama Presidential Campus in person:

The library is located on a 19.3 acre campus on the South Side of Chicago in historic Jackson Park. Directions.

There are many things to do there that do not cost admission:

Original works of art
Gardens and plazas, including the Women’s Garden, the Eleanor Roosevelt Fruit and Vegetable Garden, and the John Lewis Plaza.
Nature walks
Playground
Newest branch of the Chicago Public Library
Cafe, Restaurant, and Picnic Area plus a store.

There will be programs and tours throughout the year that may require registration or tickets. Sign up for their newsletter here.

Admission to the museum is about $30 for adults for timed tickets or walk the grounds; the campus is open daily, free of charge.

Plan your visit here.

Know Your Rights

From Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

Posting this for no reason at all

Travel – Where are my Gishwhes Teammates From?

I mentioned yesterday that one of the great things about gishwhes is meeting new people and making new friends. Of my teammates is a friend from high school that I’ve remained close with, but everyone else is relatively new to me. Six of the fourteen others were on my team last year so we’ve gotten to know each other quite well in some cases.

This year’s team encompasses men and women from three countries: Spain, Denmark, and the United States. In the US, we represent seven states: New York, Colorado, California, Texas, Oklahoma, North Dakota, and Illinois.
Below you will find links to those states/countries bureaus of tourism. I tried to locate the official ones. It will be easy enough to find for-profit ones through Google.