First I must say, I don’t like big cities very much.  I yearn for the open roads and greenery and fresh air of the country whenever I am in the city.  That said, I have had a lot of fun in big cities despite the traffic, crowds of people and parking.  You have to pay to park almost everywhere in Chicago.  We paid fifteen dollars today to go to a park.  Crazy.  Yes, we were.  But I needed to get out and walk somewhere besides between cement buildings or in parking lots.  It was nice.  We were in Lincoln Park, a free park(faint, faint) which had a nice little zoo and farm animals.  I saw the chickens and they made me homesick. There was a grown silver winged Wyndotte, one of which I am raising right now and she is going to be a beauty if she looks like that one

Our adventure in the city began Monday when our intrepid driver took us through the crazy which is Chicago traffic to Navy Pier.

Our grandchildren snug in the back seat.  Don’t pay any attention to that boy on the left.  He looks scary, but he’s a kind soul.

Driving down Lakeshore Drive, but where was the city?

There it was on the horizon.   Lake Michigan on our left.

The John Hancock building can be seen as we draw nearer.

We have come to Chicago many times and every time I have said I wanted to ride the giant ferris wheel at Navy Pier. So, finally, we did.

It was quite the experience.   This was looking down.

This was the view from the top.  That’s Lake Michigan.  It was beautiful that day.

These flowers were planted at the base of the ferris wheel.  So pretty.    Did you really think I would blog and not write about flowers?

This was another view.  Chicago really is a beautiful city, but not that windy while we were there.

Our grandchildren rode this.  Only the young can do this.

 

My younger grandson on his steed.  That’s me peeking around his shoulder.  I couldn’t resist riding the merry-go-round.

We walked through the botanical garden.

We also walked through a maze that made me dizzy, strobe lights strobbing and music throbbing and mirrors everywhere.  If my grandchildren had not been with me, I would still be wandering around in there.

We found a little off to the side room where nobody was where you could play with clay.  The sign said to try to make a face.  Someone had made one and left it and whoever did it was a real artist.  Here it is.

Then my grandchildren and I got to work making our own faces.  My granddaughter made George Washington.

My grandsons’ faces were very creative.

Then, there was mine.

This was something out of one of my nightmares, I think.

I guess you can say I am not an artist with clay.

After spending a while at Navy Pier, we headed over to the Shedd Aquarium.  

This stone was outside it with carvings all over it.

 

Interesting

Then we went to the Shedd Aquarium.

Wouldn’t you know it?  There were fish there!

Seahorses.  So magical.

 

Jellyfish.  More kinds than I ever knew existed.  So beautiful.  Soothing music played as the jellyfish floated around.

Those are some jellyfish behind my grandson.   Or is that a gigantic halo?

We touched sting rays.

We found Nemo.  He’s been at the Shedd Aquarium all along.

 

That was just the first day.  More to come.  Bye.