Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Now that was a Wild Ride!



With winter long gone, and warm weather just about everywhere, summer allows us to do many things that we just can't do in the colder months.  Joy riding is one of those things.

Those who experience four seasons are glad when summer rolls around so they can break out their fast rides that just don't drive well in the winter... Everywhere you look there are Mustang GTs; Chevy Camaro's; and you won't go long without seeing a Harley Davidson or racing bike pass you by.  Speed aside, you might also see a lot of old cars, like the Studebaker, coming out to enjoy a ride in all their splendor and glory.

Summer rides are enjoyed on bicycles, tricycles, skateboards, and even mopeds.  If you're lucky enough to be in a great tourist spot, you might even get to enjoy rides on a Segway, a roller coaster (we love you Cedar Point!!), or a zipline.

Nature lovers can take out their horses; farmers are out driving their tractors, and husbands (at least in this house) are enjoying the outdoors on their trusty (and well loved) John Deere riding lawn mowers.

But elephants?   Yep, even the elephants are offering rides in the summer, and over the weekend that's just what we went to do.  Laura the Elephant is a beauty of a gal who has been in the US since 1982.  If you haven't heard the of term 'culling' it means to kill animals in masses to aid in their population control, and according to her official website, that was Laura's initial fate.  Fortunately for her, and us too, she, along with 129 other elephants, avoided that fate. 

Laura's trainer is a gentleman who is wonderful with the public, taking time to allow eager parents that little bit of extra time to take have the best photo ops. of their loved ones next to the elephant, and talking from time to time with members in the crowd.  This year and last they were at the local Hot Air Balloon Jubilee, and though we love the balloons and other events, we also look forward to our annual elephant ride.  My daughter summed it up nicely on the ride home, while going through the photos on her camera that she'd taken for the day:  "Who can imagine riding on an elephant?  It's like a once in a lifetime thing, and we have done it three times now.  What a wild ride!  Get it? Get it?!"  Yes dear, I got it.  LOL

A big shout out to Laura and her trainer for helping us make fun memories, and for taking the concept of summer riding to a whole new level of cool.

Friday, July 20, 2012

The Navy Pier in Chicago: Totally Worth the Hype




Shopping at Navy Pier in Chicago


There is no doubt about it, Chicago is a fun city.  It can also be a very expensive city.  Last year, on a whim, the kids and I decided to take the four hour trip from Michigan to the windy city, to visit Navy Pier.  It's one of those tourist-type attractions that you live close enough to that you take it for granted, so even though we've lived here five years now, we'd never checked it out in person.

I had no idea what I was getting into, I just hoped it would be fun.  And it was!  What made it even better, was that it was not expensive.  Yes, we paid quite a bit to park the car in the adjacent garage, we paid for dinner while we there...and we got a souvenir for grandma, but it was still very decently priced (and it's free to enter).   We had a whole afternoon and evening of fun, and none of us really wanted to come back home quite yet, when it was time to go.

Nestled alongside the beautiful Lake Michigan, the waterfront view put us in a good mood from the get-go.  There were small boats, sail boats, and even a yacht or two moving alongside us as we walked from the parking garage to the pier.

Inside there were rides for the smaller children, and a fifteen-story tall Ferris wheel for everyone to enjoy.  If you've never seen a Ferris wheel that big, I'm here to tell you that it was pretty extraordinary.  My kids and I all enjoy roller coasters, the bigger the better, but my daughter and I always steer clear of Ferris wheels.  Why?  I don't know...they just make us a tad bit nervous.  This one, however, was too extraordinary to miss, so we climbed aboard (toddler secured cheerfully beside us), and watched the dramatic Chicago skyland unfold before us in the night.




Afterwards we walked the pier, strolled through the Smith Museum of Stained Windows,  listened to live entertainment, and saw an awesome fireworks show...all free of charge.  For those looking for even more things to do, or who are going to make the pier a two-or-more-day trip, there is the Chicago Children's Museum that is three-floors of hands-on fun; shopping aplenty; an IMAX theater; and right now the richly acclaimed Cirque Shanghai (a contest for two free tickets can be found here) is playing at the pier.  There are also various chartered rides that can be taken on cruise ships, including those that serve dinner; or a bona fide pirate's tale adventure can be had on Tall Ship Windy, Chicago's 148-foot four masted gaff topsail schooner.


Smith Museum of Stained Windows


I was hoping to make a trip back there this year, but we have too much going on, so I think we're going to miss it this summer.  For anyone in the area though, looking for a reasonably-priced outing that is full of family fun, I highly recommend a trip to Chicago's Navy Pier:  It's totally worth the hype!