Chicago
On Friday, our family drove up to Chicago for some needed rest and relaxation. On Saturday, we went to the Lincoln Park Zoo. We visited this great zoo a couple of years ago when Maitlyn was about 2.5 years old and Elspeth was only 2 months old. The best thing about the zoo is that IT IS FREE! They have tons of great animals like tigers, polar bears, monkeys and this proud mama lion:
Earlier in the morning, when we were inside the Big Cat House, her mate, a big hairy male, put on a show of roaring at all of us who were watching him. That was one of the most ferocious sounds I have ever experienced - it truly sent chills down my spine.
On Sunday, we visited one of the best aquariums in the world, the Shedd Aquarium. They have the most amazing fish I have ever seen, including a huge tank in an area called Wild Reef that curves over your head and is filled with hundreds of different kinds of fish including many sharks. Afterwards, we chilled out next to the shores of Lake Michigan with the city as our backdrop:
Today, we went to our favorite store, IKEA, to get bunk beds, twin mattresses, linens, etc. We are transforming Maitlyn's room so she and Elspeth can start sharing it in time for the upcoming baby (who moves into the nursery sometime after November 5th). I took this picture to try to convey the sheer size of the IKEA in Chicago:
However, this picture doesn't come close to conveying the sheer magnitude of this store. Elise and I estimate that the bottom floor alone (not counting the warehouse) is at least as big as a Wal-Mart Supercenter. And then it has 2 MORE FLOORS!!!! Anyone who has been in an IKEA knows that they are overwhelming.
It has been a really great trip. We've gotten to eat at several of our favorite restaurants like Giordano's (home of "Chicago's Famous Stuffed Pizza" and my favorite pizza of all time), Baja Fresh, Chipotle (the home of the VERY BEST BURRITOS EVER), and of course, the IKEA Restaurant (where you can eat breakfast for $.99, kids meals are $.99, they have great Swedish Meatballs and kids get free cookies and milk from 3-5 p.m.). We've gotten to visit some of our favorite places. We've gotten to spend some much needed time together as a family.
If only we could have worked in a Cubs game and made it to the U2 show...
Earlier in the morning, when we were inside the Big Cat House, her mate, a big hairy male, put on a show of roaring at all of us who were watching him. That was one of the most ferocious sounds I have ever experienced - it truly sent chills down my spine.
On Sunday, we visited one of the best aquariums in the world, the Shedd Aquarium. They have the most amazing fish I have ever seen, including a huge tank in an area called Wild Reef that curves over your head and is filled with hundreds of different kinds of fish including many sharks. Afterwards, we chilled out next to the shores of Lake Michigan with the city as our backdrop:
Today, we went to our favorite store, IKEA, to get bunk beds, twin mattresses, linens, etc. We are transforming Maitlyn's room so she and Elspeth can start sharing it in time for the upcoming baby (who moves into the nursery sometime after November 5th). I took this picture to try to convey the sheer size of the IKEA in Chicago:
However, this picture doesn't come close to conveying the sheer magnitude of this store. Elise and I estimate that the bottom floor alone (not counting the warehouse) is at least as big as a Wal-Mart Supercenter. And then it has 2 MORE FLOORS!!!! Anyone who has been in an IKEA knows that they are overwhelming.
It has been a really great trip. We've gotten to eat at several of our favorite restaurants like Giordano's (home of "Chicago's Famous Stuffed Pizza" and my favorite pizza of all time), Baja Fresh, Chipotle (the home of the VERY BEST BURRITOS EVER), and of course, the IKEA Restaurant (where you can eat breakfast for $.99, kids meals are $.99, they have great Swedish Meatballs and kids get free cookies and milk from 3-5 p.m.). We've gotten to visit some of our favorite places. We've gotten to spend some much needed time together as a family.
If only we could have worked in a Cubs game and made it to the U2 show...
posted by
at 11:47 PM
5 Comments:
??? I had NO IDEA y'all were having another one! Jacqueline was like, "oh yeah, did I forget to tell you about that?" Congrats guys!
ikea, Baja Fresh, and Chipotle all rock very hard.
By
Spencer, at 8:55 AM
Thanks!
By
Brett, at 3:41 PM
So I was talking to Hodskins yesterday , and my family headed to Chicago in a few weeks came up in conversation.
I told him we were considering going to the Shedd Aquarium and the Lincoln Park Zoo for some time away from support raising. And he said, "Like Brett?" And I said, "What?" And he said, "Isn't that what Brett just did with his family last week?" And I thought, "Curse that Brett stealing my cool ideas!" in a sort of Seinfeldish "NEWMAN" sort of way.
I actually think you did a couple of the best things a family can do in Chicago. I've also heard
that the Childrens Museum by Navy Pier is great (http://www.chichildrensmuseum.com) though a tad pricey! $7 per person over age 1.
Great job on taking your family to a great place to do great things. I guess that makes you GREAT! :)
By
Dr. A, at 10:14 AM
We went to the children's museum at Navy Pier a couple of years ago. It was pretty cool, but if faced with the choice, I would choose LPZ and Shedd first. They are in my opinion, much more amazing.
We really love Chi-town.
And I'll forgive you if you like Geno's East better than Giordano's.
By
Brett, at 1:30 PM
Aaron,
What do you mean the children's museum is pricey? The Aquarium is what will kill you. . .
If I remember correctly, you can go after 5 pm on Thursday nights for free. (At least you could a couple of years ago. You should check it out.)
By
Elise, at 11:10 PM
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