Navy Pier & Shedd Aquarium

At least the kids can say we went somewhere for spring break, which we don't normally do.  We left after Mass Sunday and headed to Chicago!  It was bright and sunny (and just a bit chilly) so we headed to Navy Pier for the afternoon as the forecast called for rain the next day.  It wasn't that crowded except for large groups of girls that were there for a cheerleading competition.  We opted to enjoy the outdoors instead of watching that.

We ate at the Billy Goat Tavern and later had Garrett's Popcorn so we felt like real Chicagoans!

We walked all around and met three people from Germany who had the most beautiful dogs.  They were big and looked almost like St. Bernard's, but after asking them, they told us they were a European breed:  Leonberger.  The dogs were so laid back and friendly.  It was a father-son duo :)

 

The kids were anxious to get to the hotel and check it out.  We were an hour early to check in so we walked around for a bit, but it was getting colder so we ducked into a Bed Bath & Beyond to stay out of the wind.  After finally checking in, we just relaxed for a bit and then headed to the pool.  They were so excited to go swimming.  We sat in the hot tub for a bit (I can only handle about 5 minutes of that!), and left the pool just in time for happy hour.  We got a drink on our way back to the room, changed our clothes, and Eric and I went back down to the lounge for another drink while the kids laid around and watched Disney channel (which we don't get here anymore).  We brought some food so we just stayed in the room for the rest of night watching the Notre Dame women's basketball game; and later, the men's final four game. 

 

The next morning after a great breakfast in the hotel, we left for the aquarium.  It turned out to be warmer and sunnier on Monday.  Now that we have a family membership, we didn't have to wait in the line to get in and we were able to see all of the exhibits and the aquatic show.  The show was a little disappointing and I'm glad we didn't pay 'extra' for it. 

 

We saw so many cool creatures, and we all talked about how it reminds us of God's power and wisdom.  However, after you've seen a few fish, frogs, and other reptiles, you feel like you've seen them all!!  We were all tired and had rubbery legs so the ride home was quiet.  It was a great way to end spring break!