Day 14 (Sunday, June 25)

Having two days off is a good thing. However, it could be a boring thing. I was not going to let a perfectly good day off go to waste on lounging. I heard the Gay Pride Parade in Chicago is a big deal and I had to go check it out for myself.

Going to this event was a good exercise for me. I realized how tough it is to get parking in this city. No wonder everyone loves the train so much. I drove around the North Side for about 45 minutes before I found a place to park - and that was about two miles off the parade route. Needless to say, I got to the parade route a little late. I had to fight my way through the crowd, which seemed to be comprised of the whole city of Chicago. There was a lot of people out there. I was able to make some images and here they are.

There were people of all kinds out there. Some people having more fun than others.

The half-naked men drew the most cheers.

The costumes were great.

The colorful gay pride flag was all over the place.

The crowd featured all kinds of people. Including one that disguised herself as Eve.

The woman on the left, who gave a fake name when asked to be identified, was pretty shocked by seeing what "Alexa", right, was wearing.

"Ruby" of Mexico City, center, went all out by wearing a pro-Mexico soccer team outfit.

I had a great day. The morning was cloudy and some light showers came down. That type of weather is a photographer's fantasy because it allows for better color in the photos. I really couldn't complain much today. Well, I could complain about the parking, but heck, it was my day off and I needed a little exercise.

What a great experience. I got a chance to enjoy the city by seeing what the locals enjoy. I got a chance to shoot some photos w/o the worry of deadline. I was pretty much out there enjoying my day off. Great weather, great people and great experience. I am beginning to see why a lot of people say they love Chicago.

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