Shedd Aquarium

I took a train into Chicago this weekend and met a friend (and her friends) at Shedd Aquarium. It was a fun trip for more than one reason. I feel very grown up for figuring out how to get to Shedd on public transportation. I took the Metra train from Naperville (free parking at the train station on weekends) and then walked from Union Station to the "L" (stopping for a little food at Panera on the way) and got on the right colored line to get off as close to "Museum Campus" as possible. Then I walked towards Lake Michigan, following the incredibly helpful signs until I made it there. Shedd is in a great locale because it's right on the water. There are tons of boats anchored there, there's an awesome view of the city skyline, and you can see Navy Pier across the water. I wonder if you can see MI on a clear day?

I also had fun because the acquarium was really great. I went overboard with the pictures, but I used my camera to take some videos too. If you ignore the fact that it is extremely overpriced, it's a great place to go.

And now that I'm more familiar with the different modes of transport, I'm excited to go back and see other things in the city. On the way back we walked a ton looking for a good place to eat, but we ended up passing some fun stuff, including the Buckingham Fountain, so it was worth it.

And I must have looked kind of cool and comfortable because twice I was asked directions by strangers. Once by a girl looking for the red line station and once by a good-looking guy with an attractive accent wondering which train to take to get to the Belmont Station. I think I managed to sound pretty informed and I'm pretty sure I sent them in the right direction.

These are some short videos of some of the animals. Mostly I took videos of the ones that were moving and doing something interesting. The penguins were great because they were interacting with the guy outside the exhibit and the staff that were inside feeding them. There's quite a bit of crowd noise, but it creates the right ambiance.