The morning started out dark… as most mornings do. Pitch black seemed a little darker than normal. But worth it for the wonderful reflections in the harbor.

Meanwhile, as the sky was turning orange over the Lake, a slight pivot over the shoulder revealed a beautiful pink hue over the Chicago Skyline.

Back over the Lake, the sunrise was getting better and better. Layers of incredible colors.
The perfect birthday gift for me!!!

A fantastic sunrise to kick-off my special day!

And so it begins… the iconic Ferris Wheel on Chicago’s Navy Pier is coming down.
Kind of weird to see the ride without any of the gondola cars on it. It is set to be completely disassembled so that a newer, bigger & better Ferris Wheel can take its place next summer!!!

This morning started very early. Well before the sunrise on Navy Pier.
Making haunted Halloween happenings. Mummies. pumpkins, skeletons…
and even a vintage hearse!!! Luckily, I made it outside just in time to catch the sunrise!

Sure, I’ve already had the “traditional” sunrise during my bike ride.
But here’s another version with a bit more of an “urban” vibe.

Pastel colors turned to shimmering reflections. Colorful ripples.
And a big red ball “bouncing” on the horizon line.

And a really large “foam” finger on the beach… yep… the Chicago Art Institute
is celebrating its big win!… Voted #1 Museum In The World by TripAdvisor.com!!!

With today being the official opening of the new & improved Northerly Island Park, I thought it only fitting that I kick it off with some sunrise photos. There’s a new lagoon in the middle that adds new dimension to some skyline photos & sunrise reflections. Oh yeah, so there “may have been” a bit of a fence still there to keep people out. Maybe… Allegedly…

And then, just in time for the sunrise, I pedaled over to the Adler Planetarium.
Beautiful sunrise views behind the museum.

And then it was back to Northerly Island for some shimmering sunrise colors over the new Northerly Island lagoon.

Lots of clouds this morning. A blanket covering the city.

By the end of my ride, the blanket of clouds was passing through. You could literally see the “edge” of the stormfront as it left leaving blue skies in its wake.

Looking to the North…

Looking to the South…

And the middle section. Blue skies & white clouds… wafting above the layer of darkness.
You know how on the evening news the weatherman presents the map with a bold dashed line showing you where the edge of the storm mass is?… well, this morning I think I actually saw that dashed line up in the sky!!!

With a lot of clouds sweeping the morning sky,
sometimes a wide panoramic shot is the only way to properly capture its beauty.