Chicago - Day 4 Planet Earth in HD

Monday morning after grubbing down some of the delicious cooked breakfast (love the Embassy!) I went over to the concierge to ask him for directions to the Lincoln Park Zoo. I had heard that the zoo, one of the only free zoos left in the U.S., was a great attraction and I thought it would be a fun place to spend the day. After I tell the concierge that I would like to walk to the Lincoln Park Zoo and I need directions he says "Oh, well the zoo is two miles from here." YES? I wait for the second half of his sentence which obviously must be ...through gang territory, or ...up a gigantic hill or ...and there's a blizzard outside! Nope. That was his whole sentence. TWO MILES? Realizing that the concierge didn't need to hear about the fact that I was on Operation SB and also planning to woof down free cooked breakfast every day (along with huge quantities of pizza), I bit my tongue and just asked for the best route there.

After stopping at Starbucks - conveniently located adjacent to our hotel - we were off! We walked through some beautiful neighborhoods and parks and ended up at the fabulous zoo. It was wonderful and flat and free - how can you go wrong?

Oh wait, I know how...stay tuned.

Unfortunately, the entrance that we used popped us out to a part of the zoo with the strangest animals, seriously, it was like we were caught in the middle of a Dr. Seuss book. We would walk up to the fence and Nikos would say "what's that mamma?" and I would stumble and say "er...it's a goat." Yes, only to find out that it wasn't a goat but some sort of lorax, okay, maybe not a lorax but there definitely was a onyx somewhere in there. Luckily I heard some of the other parents making the same mistake. I obviously need to start spending some more time watching the Nature Channel...or so I thought...

Nikos observing the onyx - not a goat.

Olive wondering why she ended up with a mom that doesn't know her zoo animals.

We finally started coming upon animals that I knew - zebra, camel, giraffe - rock on smart Mommy! We step up to the huge (and very impressive) ape habitat.

The windows are dirty because apparently the birds keep flying into them, so the zookeepers keep the windows looking a little cloudy so that the birds don't get confused. Doesn't make for great pictures, but I guess it is all about the animals, right?

Doesn't everything look all cute and calm in the baboon exhibit? Riiiight. I am happily observing an animal (that I can name) with my not-quite two year old when a darling little bunny speeds through the exhibit. What? Huh? I glance to my right to get confirmation from the chaperone moms with their group of elementary school kids. I mouth "that was a real rabbit, right?" to which they nod back in the affirmative. Okay, hmm, well the bunny did seem very fast, and I think only one or two baboons saw and gave chase, so she should be okay. ZOOOOM. Yes, there goes the bunny again, followed by every baboon in the habitat. I think there were like eight of them flying at top speed after her. If you have ever wondered where the term Going Ape Shit came from I think I have now just witnessed it first hand. I gasp and wonder how much of this Nikos is taking in. The elementary school kids (mostly boys) next to me start chanting "kill the bunny, kill the bunny!" Should I leave and go check out the seals next door? Wait, looking at the exhibit all seems calm...of course it is eerily calm. Oh come on! I read enough Ludlum books and watch enough detective tv shows to know something bad is about to happen. Sure enough, the baboons all come sauntering back around the corner, with poor bloody Peter Rabbit dangling underneath the arm of one of the them. Eek! Totally scarred I quickly wheel the stroller away to the giraffe habitat - at which point I corner a zoo docent and ask her about the carnage I have just witnessed.

Zoo Docent: So, are you enjoying your visit?
Me: Oh yes, it's great. In fact, I think we just saw a little survival of the fittest going on in the Ape Habitat, (lower voice) a bunny ran through their exhibit and they killed it!
ZD: Oh yes, they are hunting right now.
Me: Oh, the zookeepers let the bunny loose in there? (Me thinking: wow, what a horrible job.)
ZD: Oh no, Chicago is full of wild rabbits and they are found throughout the zoo. Sometimes they just end up in the wrong exhibit.
Me: Oh. It was pretty crazy, I think I am a little scarred (nervous laughter.) Will they eat it? (This question comes from a freaked out phone call I placed to Mel to describe what had just happened. Mel tells me she doesn't think that they will actually eat it.)
ZD: Oh no, the ape will not actually eat the bunny. He will carry it around under his arm or across his neck to show dominance or he will trade it for sexual favors.
Me: Huh.
ZD: This will go on for two days or so and then one of the zookeepers will trade for it.
Me: (Thinking. Wait, what will the zookeeper trade for it? I am hoping not sexual favors...ha!)

Nikos observing the giraffes, obviously annoyed at me for drilling the docent on life in the zoo.

Next up Nikos takes a ride on the zoo train.




Lions!

Nikos tries to get a little closer to the lions. Thank goodness for shorty bighead or else the lions may have had a snack.

Nikos mixes in a little dancing before we leave the zoo.

After the zoo we went back to the hotel for naps and happy hour (hard life, I know) and Taki got back from his trip to Indiana at 7pm. Wahoo! We celebrated by heading to deep dish pizza at Lou Malnati's.

Nikos grubs some pizza.

Nikos practices Brooke's "cheeseface."

Olive sleeps through dinner.

More to come!