June 7, 2011

Nothin' but Nature

 
Recently the boys and I spent a fun Saturday at the the Peggy Notebaert Museum.  Henry and Liam were able to enjoy the many exhibits in the company of their grandma and their great aunt, Marianne (and boy, is she great!) 

Everything about this museum is perfect except for the lack of parking.  Of course, that's to be expected in the middle of one of the most popular areas of the city.  The museum is a block from the free zoo and three blocks from the beach.  The zoo parking lot charges $30 and many of the residential streets are permit-only parking.  The best choice for us was to circle the campus and search for parking on the busier streets.  I offered to let everyone out in front of the museum while I searched for a spot but Henry would not leave the car without me.  He and I drove up and down, up and down, up and down Clark Street in hopes that someone would pull out and leave us a space.  We found one (right in front of the zoo) after about 45 minutes.  Although it was a warm hike, I really enjoyed walking with Henry through Lincoln Park to get back to the Notebaert museum.  He held my hand and we talked about all the things that four year olds have to say.


Halfway there and time for a rest
The boys loved the museum. Its hands-on exhibits are just perfect for 2 to 10 year olds. Honestly, the boys might have stayed in the water room for the entire visit if it weren't for a little prompting by the adults.



Henry and Liam were ultimately glad that we did pull them away from the fountains, dam building, locks and toy boats because they were then able to experience the hundreds of butterflies on the 2nd floor.



After several hours wandering the three floors of the museum, we decided to leave for a late lunch.  Earlier, the boys had eaten a snack but the adults were getting hungry.  I left everyone back in the water discovery room (no protesting from Henry this time) while I retrieved the car.


I took a shortcut through a little known but incredibly beautiful oasis.  Sort of a park within a park and right in the middle of a bustling neighborhood, it made for a serendipitous walk back to the car.  These are the best kind of Saturdays--I can't wait for our next family outing!
the scenic route







2 comments:

  1. This looks awesome! Must bring the kids next time we're in chicago.

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  2. What a great time you all had! Definitely putting that on the list for this summer!!

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