Museums & Sailboats

If you live in the Chicagoland area, or are planning a visit, make sure you check out the museums in the city!!  We are BIG fans of Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium.  Over the years, we have been members at both (currently, we are members at Shedd).  I encourage purchasing a membership (if you live here) because it could be a real money saver!!  The admission tickets to these museums are pretty steep, then you add in the cost of special exhibits and attractions ~~ your head will spin!  However, memberships get you free admission, exhibits and attractions, as well as discounts for restaurants and shops ... plus invitations to exclusive members-only events!  We get an individual membership which allows for the member and one guest to receive all of the perks (there are usually several family options, too).  Oh, and I almost forgot to mention: a portion of the membership fee is tax-deductible! 

One of our Field Museum memberships got us in for a free members-only viewing of the Cleopatra exhibit!!  Our next one allowed us free access into the King Tut exhibit!!!  Amazing ~ both!!!

Right now, we are members of Shedd because they are having a jellyfish exhibit, called Jellies!  Jellyfish and sea horses are my favorite sea creatures!  So, with a membership, we are free to peruse the aquarium and all exhibits as often as we want!  We can stay the day or pop in for an hour ~~ which is exactly what we did Wednesday afternoon.  We went to Shedd specifically to see Jellies! and then leave!  How cool is that?!  I know!

Upside-down Jelly

The primary reason we headed to the city was to redeem vouchers for a sailboat ride on Tall Ship Windy.  I bought a Living Social deal earlier this summer and it expires on September 30.  Wednesday was to be a beautiful day, perfect for a sail on Lake Michigan!!  We decided to work a half day, rendezvous at home and head into Chicago. 

Tall Ship Windy

Our first stop was Shedd and then we headed toward Navy Pier, where the Windy is docked.  We wanted to do the 5:30 Pirate-themed sail and needed to get our vouchers redeemed at the ticket booth at least an hour prior to sailing.  To be sure we got the reservation, we headed straight there, even tho it was only about 3:00.  The day was gorgeous: sunny, not hot and a tad windy ~~ perfect for a sailboat!  Unless that sailboat is BROKEN!!!  Yep ~~ we get up there and it isn't sailing!!!  Fortunately, they were extremely accomodating and offered to extend our vouchers until June 2012  (they will run into October and reopen in April). 

We will have to keep our eyes on the weather and give a call before heading up the next time!  We might even do the later (7:30) sail as it is a haunted-theme!!!  We'll simply dress appropriately and order a hot drink (we have vouchers for that, too!!) on-board.

To make lemonade out of lemons, we decided to walk around the city (our usual way to spend time up there).  The weather was so perfect for strolling!  We ate at Corner Bakery and hit Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie.   Got a large Chicago Mix from Garrett's Popcorn.  Walked thru Millenium Park and the gardens.  Took a different route back to the parking garage and found the Cancer Survivor's Garden (LOVE!!).  Stumbled upon a great park with cool water features.  By 7:00, we were ready to head back home  ~~ lots of walking and tons of fresh air had us pretty relaxed for the drive (even if we had gotten stuck in traffic, which, luckily, we did not!).   

You just never know what you might find when you take a new path.  In the City of Chicago, as in life!!