ON MY OWN: INDEPENDENCE DAY

This day is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.
As my hosts didn't have any plan for me, Helena and her hosts invited me to celebrate the day with them. We went to the Chicago History Museum where we attended to The Ed Ward Concert Band. The concert was followed by the welcome by Museum President, the posting of the colours by American Veterans for Equal Rights, the Reading of the Decalration of Independence, a keynote oration and the Commemorative Brown Bess musket firing by the King's Regiment, Eight of Foot. There was also a children's parade led by Uncle Sam.

After that, we visited the museum, where we could see curiosities about  Chicago's stories past, the Great Fire or local inventions such as the skyscraper, the nuclear reactor and the birth control pill. We also saw Lincoln's deathbed.
After walking around Lincoln Park Zoo, we had lunch in Brauer's cafe, with a night sightseeing of the skyline. Then, we walked to the Lincoln Park conservatory where we saw a lot of species of plants, such as palms, orchids, ferns and lilies.

Coming back downtown to have dinner in Esmeralda's host house with some other people, we enjoyed the dinner in good company and could see the fireworks through the windows of a 22nd floor flat of the building.