Rented Palms by auntietk
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Description
Before you look at this and decide I've jetted off again to parts unknown, let me tell you ... this is still Chicago. Not Honolulu, not Miami ... Chicago.
You can't imagine how much of our conversation was taken up by these silly palm trees while I was there! They weren't just on the beach. They were scattered all over the city, and there were even a couple outside the venerable Water Tower.
As it turns out, these palm trees were rented! I did some research when I got home and discovered that the palm trees are installed for the summer, and taken down when it starts to get cold.
Here's an article from the Chicago Tribune dated October 25, 2009: Seasonal sign: Beach palm trees gone
I can't tell you how glad I was to discover that the palm trees weren't just going to be left out on the beach all winter.
Aside from the bizarre sight of palm trees on the beach in Chicago, I kept having to stop and remind myself that Lake Michigan is a freshwater lake, and has no tides! If somebody put those trees on the beach up here, they'd be standing in water half the time.
I lived in a house right on the beach when I was very young (we moved in when I was about two years old and lived there for five or six years) and we were taught to be vigilant about keeping an eye out for the tide.
Early lessons stick, and it was hard for me to remember that I could stand on that palm-lined Chicago shore all day and never get my feet wet!
Comments (31)
Hendesse
What a beautiful view. Excellent shot, fantastic details and light.
wjames
Well it shows you can rent anything these days and it does save looking after them in the winter.
Faemike55
Wodnerful shot and glimpse into your childhood!
awjay
oh for a bit of warm sunshine
wysiwig
Great shot of Lakeshore. I checked the link and I guess this is a bit of whimsy by a local restaurant. It does look odd. The city has to trim the palms in Los Angeles otherwise the fronds drop and damage our most precious possessions, our cars.
Meisiekind
Fantastic image of the beautiful beach Tara! Wish I was there! :)
durleybeachbum
I dislike palm trees intensly out of context. Our council is considering torturing a few by putting them down the central reservation on a main road; the ones in the main square have their furry bits incinerated by drunks with lighters. Chigaco and Bournemouth could get together for a cruelty to palm trees competition! And I set fire to a small one in my garden as retribution for making my arm bleed every time I past it!
myrabe
You're a natural story teller and fine art photographer.
West_coaster07
Great capture of a wannabee beach!!
beachzz
Oh, those palms--they probably got more bad reviews from our group than anything else we talked about. And we were all so aghast that they'd just be left out to die. Someone at city hall has way too much time on his/her hands. "Hey, I have an idea; let's get some palm trees, plant them along the lake. Then we can dig them up and bring them in every winter!!" duh... TY for the 411--and yet another great memory of that trip!!
koosievantutte
good shot - renting palms sounds rediculous to me though.
helanker
HAHA I say the same as Koosie :-))) But this is a beautiful shot and so was the story behind it :-)))
flora-crassella
wonderful view!!!!! Great photo!
CoreyBlack
Yes, the infamous palm trees...Mayor Daley continues to get ever more loopy as time drags on. This is what almost 21 years in office will do to a person. You get get so bored with sucking the local populace dry with taxes and fees and other bits of power mad corruption that when one of your minions suggests something totally absurd like renting palm trees and putting them all over the streets of a major MIDWESTERN city, you put your feet up on your desk at City Hall and say," Eh? Whynot? " So then an attractive Midwestern city ends up being marred by these odd bits of the tropics that make every one scratch their heads and wonder if they got off the plane at the wrong air port or if they somehow preambulated to Florida in their sleep after dozing off in front of Chicago Tonight? But, once again, I digress...This is a very nice shot that offers a glimse of the rugged beauty of our skyline and lakefront with the darkly funny counterpoint of those aforementioned silly palm trees. Great capture and writing that point out brilliantly what a surreal place Chicago is becoming. P.S. I'm doing a quick blast of comments on a rented computer so I don't remember if I've mentioned to you that I hope to be posting again soon as soon as things calm down a bit from my latest move. Hope all is well with you. Keep up the good work.
JuliaKretsch
This is Chicago? Wow... Great pic!
bmac62
I didn't get to the beach in June but I sure saw these from a distance and made a verbal echo of all the remarks above to my two travelling companions. That aside, cool pic of the lakeside and skyline. Your narrative above is the perfect counterpart to your photographic story line. Like it:)
Dreamingbee
this is also chicago ?? wow .. great to see .. wonderful perspective here and great place to be and relax .. thx for sharing
babuci
Strange but I guess ppl need entertainment the water edge need to look inviting just don't think, don't try to understand...lol. You did a wonderful shot I like a tall buildings in the back.
cfulton
What an interesting photo, story and comments! Very well done all round! Clive
kbrog
Wonderful shot! Only in America, Rented Palms! LOL! :)
hipps13
how fun and exciting wonderful capture thanks for the smile, Tara May warm hugs and love, Linda Kaye
npauling
They do make for a tropical look though don't they. I'm glad to hear they don't let them get frosted.
orig_buggy
I would love to be there!!
myrrhluz
Only mad fools and Chicago politicians plant palms in the midwestern sun. Wonderful photo and info. I checked out the site. Crazy!
Chipka
Funny...myrrhulz said mad fools and Chicago politicians plant palms in midwestern sun. Mad fools? Chicago politicians? There's a difference? Anyway, I digress. This is a wonderful picture of something that makes my colon go all spastic. It's amazing. Czechs complain that Prague is too commercial because there's scaffolding on every ancient landmark...Chicagoans put up with Grant Park blasting jingoistic music from hidden speakers: "America the Beautiful" while Buckingham Fountain squirts rhythmically. Jeez, is that me or did that sound like soft core porn? I love Chicago's coastline! If you look way, way, way north you can see where I used to live. Also, Lake Michigan (and the other Great Lakes) are actually inland seas...they're not called that because they have fresh water, but they do ge tide effects. Nothing spectacular, but it's weird...Chicago gets tides (a rise and fall of a few centimeters, but it's tidal...how weird is that?) I learned that in geology class. Anyway, I love this picture!
lucindawind
thats amazing ..I thought it was Florida lol ... fabulous photo
bazza
Nice shot of the palms a crazy idea by some bureaucrat but nice looking palms all the same!!
Katraz
Nice little money maker for someone, nice shot.
Merrylee
Thanks Tara for the information about the rented palm trees...Think I'll get one next summer for my yard...lol....cool shot
junge1
Great capture Tara! There is at least one restaurant in Berlin that has palm trees in front of the building. Essentially the same story. There they are potted and when it gets cold they are taken inside, but in summer it makes for a great atmosphere. With a little imagination one can feel like one is in Southern France or Italy.