I love "firsts."
First smile...
First step...
First graduation...
You get the idea.
Most firsts, I believe, happen in the younger years. When you get to be 56 or 57 years of age, the firsts don't come quite as fast and furious, and they are usually not as much fun.
This past week, I was able to add MANY firsts to my own personal list. Allow me to share!
1. First trip to Chicago (and Illinois).
2. First cab ride.
3. First Uber ride.
4. First Chicago-style deep dish pizza.
5. First solo cab ride.
6. First time to "hail" a cab.
7. First time to go to the top of tallest building (Willis Tower).
8. First time to stand on ledge overlooking city from the top of tallest building.
9. First food truck purchase.
10. First plane ride in 30 years and 3 months (exactly). (I realize it wasn't my very first plane ride, but it has been so long, I thought it could count.)
11. First visit to a bathroom on a plane (and last).
That's a pretty substantial list, isn't it?
I thought so, too.
Mike had a business trip in Chicago, and he asked me if I would like to join him.
Normally, I would have said, "YES," and then planned a ten-hour road trip, but a road trip is very time consuming. Fun, but VERY time consuming.
That's when he told me we could go up early on Sunday (ON AN AIRPLANE) and have the entire day, plus most of the day on Monday, to explore before his meetings began.
Guess what?
It takes one hour and 17 minutes to fly to Chicago nonstop from Birmingham.
I kid you not...
So we flew!
I was not the least bit medicated in this pic, but I looked totally relaxed, didn't I?
Fun fact for you... I flew to California with my girlfriends in July of 1987, and then on my honeymoon in January of 1988. That's it. That is all of my flying experience in a very small nutshell.
Although I was excited in 1987 and 1988 about flying, I was extremely anxious going and coming... going and coming. I had assumed I would be extremely anxious this time around, too, but not so much.
In fact, I wasn't the teeniest bit nervous. I couldn't get over the fact we left Birmingham at 8:00 a.m. and arrived in Chicago at 9:17 a.m. We still had an entire beautiful day ahead of us, and it was lovely.
I love this pic because of the seagull. Do you see it?
I couldn't get used to walking around downtown Chicago with the L train, the skyscrapers, people, traffic AND seagulls flying around making seagull sounds.
It was so odd to me.
When we landed and checked into our hotel, we headed on a walk to get our bearings.
Lo, and behold...
We found The Bean!
And, of course, we took the obligatory "Bean" pics.
As is my habit now, I look for as many interesting murals in the city I am visiting as possible. (There are many more, I am told, but I am saving them for the next trip.)
And then there was Lincoln Park Zoo. I went there on Tuesday while Mike was in his meetings.
I went back and forth between Uber, cab or bus.
What to do? What to do?
I finally went the cab route because of three very important reasons...
1. My phone is so old it wouldn't hold an Uber app. I could have gotten Mike to arrange for an Uber to take me, but I wouldn't have been able to get an Uber back to our hotel.
Getting back is kinda a big deal to me.
2. There was a bus switch on the way to the Zoo. Also, there were 29 stops AND a 26-minute drive (as opposed to NO stops and a ten-minute drive using one of the cars).
3. Chicago being the first place I had ever ridden in a cab, I thought it necessary for it to be the first place I ever HAILED a cab.
But more on transportation a little later!
This cow was in the middle of the small working dairy farm they have at the Zoo for young children.
I was greatly impressed with all the animals, buildings and the hands-on play/museum in this area.
I made the obligatory mental note to one day in the near future bring the Grand-Tots to this particular Zoo in this particular city.
We'll see how that works out.
When you finished visiting the Farm Section, you simply went over a bridge and right away you were with the camels...
And kangaroos...
I think you get the idea.
And this guy...
Well, don't get me started on this guy.
Personality plus!
An entertainer at heart for certain.
I couldn't get over how huge his paws were, and thankfully, this picture includes an adult-sized person's backside so you can compare.
It is an enormous paw, isn't it?
Out of respect for the stranger, I will not comment on the backside.
(I'm very considerate that way, you know.)
Also, I kinda loved these guys, too.
Lincoln Park Zoo is amazing. It's a smallish zoo, but the animals who live there are beautiful and fun and ABSOLUTELY FREE to visit!
That's right!
FREE to visit!
Lincoln Park Zoo was my 13th Zoo/Aquarium to visit in the past 56 years, but it is definitely on my Top Five List of Favorite Zoos/Aquariums.
Definitely.
This lovely lady was sitting in front of the zebras singing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," which coincidentally is my all-time favorite jungle/zoo song.
I loved her.
Right before we headed to the airport to come home Wednesday evening, we had to make one more tiny stop.
Willis Tower, my friends.
So very, very awesome.
I didn't know these folks, but seeing them hanging out on the ledge gave me a little perspective...
And I immediately jumped back "inside," and headed down the elevator to reacquaint myself with "street level."
I truly love "street level."
Next week, I will be posting a Chicago story about the hailing of the cab after my Lincoln Park Zoo excursion. Let's just say I didn't so much "hail" the cab as commandeer it...
But all ended well, and I am glad to report the relationship between the United States and Pakistan was not compromised OR significantly damaged.
Just call me Ambassador Enchanting B, if you will.
Pinterest Stuff
Fun Family Traditions that Foster Togetherness (May)
Leave May baskets on neighbor's doors.
Google May baskets.
Hunt wild blackberries.
Break open a piñata for Cinco de Mayo. (Do this just for your little family. It doesn't have to be an official party.)
Play putt-putt golf.
Go on a family bike ride.
Pick your Mom a bouquet of wildflowers for Mother's Day.
Have a crawfish boil with corn on the cob and new potatoes.
I hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the week AND weekend. I will be back soon with May stuff, Grand-Tot pics and more, more, more.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
P.S. Here are a couple of pics from my next post.
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