Time to talk about something other than Steem, and get back to #placestoremember by @archisteem and @photocircle, which I've neglected for a few weeks.

When I first started this series I talked about a November 2014 road trip to Quebec and Montreal. This is the very beginning of that trip, when I spent a morning in Chicago.

I really like driving overnight, which is something people often express skepticism about. But it's peaceful, and I have really good night vision, and it's something I've learned to really enjoy. Plus, as a photographer, you really want to get to where you're going around dawn. And as a driver, if you're going through Chicago, you really want not to be doing it in the middle of the day.

So I set out in the early night for the eight-hour drive from Minneapolis, with the idea that I would get to Chicago ealry in the morning, do some architectural photography, eat lunch at my favorite Russian restaurant, and then crash at a hotel on the east side of town to keep going east the next day.

For whatever reason I never seem to spend time in Chicago. It's always a city that's on its way to somewhere else. The previous times I'd come through had been on Amtrak, so I was pretty familiar with the North Loop area where the train station is, but I had never been there with the camera. So I decided to go there again on this trip.

Early-morning city photography is one of the most fun things for me. The people are just starting to come out, so the traffic and activity exists but is simple enough to deal with. The light and the colors are amazing, especially in November in this part of the world where the sun is always at a low angle.

Parking's also cheaper if you get in early, so I just coasted into the Millennium Park garage and left the car there, spending my morning on foot exploring the North Loop area of the city. There are a lot of interesting buildings there, and it was a gorgeous morning, cool but comfortable, with just enough clouds to make the skies dramatic.

I worked slowly and methodically, trying not to overdo it at the beginning of the trip, with a long three weeks ahead of me. I ended up with a few photos that I really like, which is always the goal. Well, that and pumpkin dumplings, which were as good as I remembered.