Lincoln Park Zoo & Michigan Avenue

Well, it was another fun filled, sight seeing Saturday for our family. Last Saturday, we drove into town to go to Lincoln Park Zoo. We parked and walked through this gorgeous neighborhood. These townhouses are about a block from Lincoln Park and from the lake. This equals unbelievably expensive real estate.

Such a pretty street
Lincoln Park Zoo
Thankfully, this trip to downtown, the weather was good still a little cool and windy but not cold. It was sunny too! Lincoln Park Zoo is free which is good because parking is not.

Ben & a Rhino

The kids and I at the conservatory

Rick & the kids

Snack break for Ben. The zoo reminds me of Central Park Zoo (the one in the movie Madagascar) because it's right in the middle of the city.

Notice Olivia's pose in front of the giraffe's. This was her pose of choice for the day. More pictures to come. Olivia kept calling the giraffe Melvin (another Madagascar reference)! She yelled out Melvin stop eating hay.

This polar bear was great. It was like he was giving us a show.

Our Family

Ben recently has really enjoyed taking pictures with our camera. Ben took this one of Rick and I. It turned out great. Maybe I will not be the only family photographer after all.

Olivia loved the flamingo's because they were pink. She then changed her mind because they were stinky.

The fountain outside the zoo. Notice the pose again.

After the zoo we had planned on going home. It was such nice weather we decided that we should go to Michigan Avenue and just walk around. Rick and the kids on Michigan Avenue.

After walking around awhile, we decided to do the most touristy thing Rick or I have ever done. We took a carriage ride and it was really fun. This is us on Michigan Avenue. Our driver took us off the main road which was good because there was a lot of traffic. We got to see more residential areas and parks. It was really beautiful.

End of the ride

Olivia kept referring to our carriage as her "coach". I thought I would take a picture of a princess in her coach.

Before we had gone on the carriage ride, Rick had asked the driver where the closest ATM was. The driver said we will pass one on the way. So in the middle of our ride, Steve the horse, pulled up to an ATM. We thought it was so funny.

Steve the Horse

After the ride we were walking to dinner and walked into the nicest mall I have ever seen in my life. I have never felt the need to take a picture of the inside of a mall before, but it was gorgeous! In fact, I felt like we should run, not walk, out of there as quick as possible. As you can see, the kids were standing on the couch as I was taking a picture. I'm pretty sure there wasn't a play area or even a children's store in this mall.

We ate at Cheesecake Factory for dinner. The kids were happy as can be with their strawberry lemonades. In the car, on the way home, we were exhausted from a long day. Ben said "This was the best day ever"!