Day-tripping to the city

Once a year in summer, another mom (or two) and I take our brood for a day trip to downtown Chicago. Normally we take a 45 minute train ride from the suburbs to Ogilvie Station where we catch a free trolley that tours the city with pick ups and drop offs at various tourist attractions around town. This year, we opted to take the car instead as we have found from previous excursions that it has been a hassle to get tired little ones to the train station at the end of the day. Especially now that our kids are stroller-free, we imagined ourselves having to alternate carrying one child after another, hearing the constant nagging pleas of "I'm tired!" or "Carry me!" all the while hustling to the station to catch the 4:17 p.m. train. Of course, we're lugging along a backpack or large tote that feels like 50 lbs full of "necessary" kid items like snacks, drinks, changes of clothes, towels, sunscreen, wipes, My Pretty Pony, Barbie doll, and so on. Although the train ride is part of the experience, we decided to make our lives a little easier this time around.

After shelling out $14 for parking (actually a pretty decent rate compared to an upwards of $30+ elsewhere in the city), we unload the kids and make a short trek to our favorite destination--Millennium Park. A lovely park in the middle of a bustling and amazing city...so, come along on our day-trip. Be forewarned, however, there are many photos to follow!

I love the juxtaposition of hard lines of a cityscape and softness of grass and flowers (and kids).

In the summer, there are daily noontime free concerts or special programs on the stage of the Pritzker Pavilion. Today we listened to an orchestra rehearsing for the Grant Park Music Festival. The music soared through the pavilion and throughout Millennium Park.

We HAVE to stop at Cloud Gate (aka "The Bean") and make silly faces into its mirror-like surface. This 110-ton elliptical sculpture measures 66-feet long by 33-feet high. It is "forged of a seamless series of highly polished stainless steel plates and reflects the city's famous skyline and the clouds above." There is "12-foot-high arch that provides a "gate" to the concave chamber beneath the sculpture," where you will find tourists touching the sculpture and photographing their images reflected back from a variety of perspectives. The kids never tire from looking at themselves in various poses. I love that this sculpture is so interactive!

A quick stop inside the Family Fun Festival tent where there are a variety of activities for children--hula hoops, jump ropes, art and craft projects, musical performances, and simple wood blocks (it's amazing how children gravitate to this section and spend so much time erecting different towers and buildings out of these basic wooden rectangles). Liam created this tower, which he wanted to make taller than himself. He succeeded!

After lunching on hot dogs from a street vendor ("Chicago Style" hot dogs must include toppings of pickles, onions, tomatoes, hot peppers, and celery salt--so good), we walk to Crown Fountain. Another interactive sculpture/fountain that consists of two 50-foot glass block towers at each end of a shallow reflecting pool (not really a pool). The towers project video images of Chicago citizens (a collection of faces taken from a cross-section of 1,000 residents) which "refers to the traditional use of gargoyles in fountains, where faces of mythical beings were sculpted with open mouths to allow water, a symbol of life, to flow out." The Spanish artist, Jaume Plensa, "adapted this practice by having faces of Chicagoans projected on LED screens and having water flow through a water outlet in the screen to give the illusion of water spouting from their mouths."

The Crown Fountain is the highlight of our day-trip. It is usually very crowded during summertime but you can catch a good day during midweek when it is not too bad. Kids (and adults) love to splash around, run up and down the "pool" and wait for water to flow from the "mouths" at various intervals. When sunlight hits the splashes of water made by these gleeful children, there is a feeling of pure joy and delight as if heaven itself is shining down on them, just for them.

How better to top off the day than with ice cream?

Walking back to the parking garage, we take a quick detour and walk over the Nichols Bridgeway, a pedestrian bridge that "connects" Millennium Park to the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago. This newly constructed bridge rises above the Lurie Gardens and crosses over Monroe Street, leading to the third floor of the Modern Wing (opened to the public on April 16, 2009). We are able to see some amazing views of Millennium Park, Chicago's skyline and Lake Michigan.

Atop the Modern Wing, there is an outdoor terrace with more breathtaking views. Rotating art installations include a number of chair forms/sculptures by American artist Scott Burton.

What an amazing day we had! We look forward to our next day-trip!