zoo Archives - Floradise

08/16/2018

Free in Chicago: Lincoln Park Zoo and Conservatory

I’ve wanted to visit Lincoln Park Conservatory since we moved to Chicago three and a half years ago, but I didn’t make it until this summer. My cousins visited for a week recently and I thought they’d enjoy Lincoln Park Zoo.

The Lincoln Park Zoo and the Lincoln Park Conservatory are both free. I would suggest both to visitors and locals looking for affordable things to do in Chicago, especially for families. You can pack lunches and enjoy your food just about anywhere, and you can save by either taking public transit or using SpotHero to find a lower-cost parking spot nearby. (Parking at the zoo is a bit expensive at $20-$35.) Use my SpotHero link and you can get a $7 credit!

There are upgrades happening at the zoo right now, including improvements to the lion enclosure. It was a 90-degree and humid day, so after strolling along and enjoying shaved ice, I suggested going into the conservatory for some shade.

I could have spent a lot longer wandering around the conservatory and the zoo if it weren’t too warm for the baby to be outside that long. I suggest that you have kiddos in strollers you bring a clip-on fan and plenty of sun protection during the summer. We took many breaks in the shade, too.

The conservatory is beautiful and peaceful.

You can find plenty of picnic and photo opportunities outside of the Lincoln Park Conservatory, too! I love finding new views of the city that I haven’t seen before.

Have you visited the Lincoln Park Zoo or Conservatory? Add it to your Chicago list!

Lincoln Park Zoo Visit

Lincoln Park Zoo, Take 2

Garfield Park Conservatory, Chicago

12/06/2017

Holiday Magic Experience at Brookfield Zoo

We’ve been doing all the Christmas things lately! After a mostly quiet weekend at home, Graham had the idea of going to see holiday lights at Brookfield Zoo. I bought our tickets to the Holiday Magic experience online to save $1 per ticket and we made our way to Brookfield, which is typically a 45-minute drive from our place.

We underestimated how popular this event would be, and our drive added an extra 30 minutes because of a ridiculously long line for parking. Tip 1: Arrive early. The zoo is open all day before the event so you should just make a day of it. It turned out OK, though, because our V just took a nap in her car seat on the way there and we listened to music while checking out the supermoon.

Tip 2: Dress in warm layers. It was a chilly evening once the sun set. I am glad I wore my winter jacket because I almost left my house without it!

By the time we got to the zoo I was starving so one of our first stops was at a cafeteria for dinner. Brookfield Zoo was offering tamales for Holiday Magic and I was grateful they had a vegetarian option: Poblanos and cheese. They were delicious! (They were made with a bit too much masa but the filling was tasty.)

Every walkway is lined with Christmas trees that have been decorated by various groups and families. Tip 3: It’s helpful to take a map of the holiday attractions so you can see what you want. (Though it’s so dark and hard to even see it without the light from your phone screen!) Santa was available at a certain time period, but we skipped that so that we didn’t spend our entire time in line. We do plan to take V to see Santa, though!

By the way, you don’t need kids to have fun at this event, though you must be tolerant of them; they are everywhere! We had a fun and festive evening worth every penny.

The remaining dates are Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 9-10 and 16-17 and Tuesday-Sunday, Dec. 26-31. Brookfield Zoo is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Holiday Magic festivities begin at 4 p.m.

Have you visited any holiday attractions where you live?

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December Playlist | Christmas songs

Holiday Season Check List | Things to Do in November and December

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Our 2017 Family Holiday Cards

05/11/2017

Dinos & Dragons at Brookfield Zoo

This little gem turns 3 today and I can’t believe it. To celebrate, I am sharing our weekend visit to Brookfield Zoo.

Sunday was supposed to be my long run, but then the electricity in our building went out after a fire in the service room. (A post on how half-marathon is going will be up soon. Spoiler: Not well.) We needed to spend as much time away from our apartment as possible. My friend Rachael was nice enough to have us over most of the weekend, and she also suggested we go to Brookfield Zoo, where she is a member.

It just so happened that Sunday was the first day of the Dinos & Dragons exhibit at Brookfield Zoo. And Victoria looooves dinosaurs. It was perfect and we were rewarded with the most gorgeous day. At least the sort of makes up for three days with no power. …

I’m always amazed by how beautiful Brookfield Zoo is. The grounds are so well taken care of, something I appreciate because it’s my husband’s profession. I can’t help but stop and take photos of and with the flowers.

The Dinos & Dragons exhibit had an indoor section as well as an outdoor walkway. The indoor portion was a bit crowded, so we headed outside to walk the pathway. Victoria was captivated by it all. I had to sort of wrangle her in a little because she kept wanting to run around, but I don’t blame her; the place is so much fun!

I found that a nice perk of membership, besides bringing guests, is that parking is free in the north lot. South Gate parking was $2 for members.

We had a lovely Sunday afternoon in the best weather we’ve had all week in Chicago. Now if the current rain could go, that would be great.

What have you been up to lately?