Being a creature of habit, I woke early and spent the morning hours (while adjusting to the 2 hr time difference) at the breakfast table running the days itinerary and making sure all was within reaching distance. Great breakfast / morning setup at our accommodations as it was easy to sneak out and sit with a coffee, paper and TV in the main lobby and plan the day! Mother nature had also provided us a beautiful morning with a warm July day in the Midwest.

So... starting Monday we hit the attractions and broke trail on what would become our preferred route in and out of Chicago. The shuttle picked us up at about 8:00 am and we trekked to Midway Airport (about 5 min drive) to purchase transit passes and head on the Orange Line into town (about 25 min). You get an unobstructed view of the city skyline at several points on the ride in... which I noted was comfy and not at all crowded.

First stop of the day was the Shedd Aquarium. One thing I've noted is EARLY starts at the animal based attractions always work better in regards to crowds, liveliness of animals, things caretakers are doing, feedings, and what not... so we headed there first. When inside after a very brief line, we purchased city passes which would keep us busy for the duration of our visit.

As for the Shedd, it was quite a space. We saw exhibits featuring
coral reefs, the Amazon, polar life such as penguins and belugas,
aquariums with sharks/rays and a pretty hi-tech show with dolphins, penguins and belugas. We weren't quite expecting all this (especially the "FantaSea" show). Very organized with helpful staff (thanks to the guy who set us up after I lost our 4D tickets). That show saw us with funny glasses on and getting jabbed in the back while watching a shark eat a seal whole! Great visit!!! It was actually quite busy around our departure time near noon, with a lot of visitors clogging the hallways, lined up out the door and down the steps when we exited.

As part of the Museum Campus, we stopped next at the Adler Planetarium. Our stop there included some lunch, exhibits on lunar landings, telescopes, gravity, infrared-red and ultra-violet light, a space show named "Journey to the Stars" and the "Night Sky Live" tour of constellations in the planetarium's main theatre. The shows were very well done, seats were comfortable, and the air conditioning just right. Someone (or both parents) may have even nodded off during the show in the totally blackened and cozy room. The Adler also affords a spectacular view of the Chicago skyline and some of the architectural feats that overlook Lake Michigan.

From the planetarium we scurried to spend the rest of the afternoon at the Chicago Field Museum. We were met by "Sue", the most complete T-Rex skeleton in existence, on the main floor. We visited the "underground" exhibit on the basement level walking through worms, bats and other creepy crawlies. We also spent time in the Africa, Native American and Animals of the World displays. The building itself was gorgeous, looking much in design like Union Station in Washington. The exhibits were very reminiscent of those we experienced at the Natural History Museum in New York. At supper time, we found ourselves "museumed out" and ready for something different.

We capped the evening with what's always a special treat, Major League Baseball and the Chicago White Sox hosting the Seattle Mariners. I think of Chuck Brodsky when I get into the confines of the ball park. I sense (as I think he does) that it's beyond game... perhaps better referenced as an 'experience'. It's definitely always a highlight for us!!! Bonus... we also landed on "value night" and tickets were half price where we sat in the nosebleeds. Great game with a home run, a robbery catch over the wall, a couple of trips to the concessions and the home team winning 6-1. Talk about people watching!!! from the splendid array of vendors to the young folks which surrounded us enjoying their friends, a ball game and ales (or those ghost buster packs filled with Margaritas) on a warm summer evening. Everyone was happy! We took the train home and cashed her in after a long first day.