We had breakfast again at Yolk. I went the savory route with biscuits, gravy, eggs, and potatoes. The star of meal was their strawberry orange juice Beth ordered after seeing many glasses. It wasn’t too sweet and had a perfect juice ratio. I wish I would have ordered a glass as well.
The big plan for the day was Shedd Aquarium. We have visited aquariums and Chattanooga, Newport, and Atlanta due to Beth’s love for aquarium. This was certainly the oldest of the three which was obvious inside and out. The location, along the lake, is beautiful. I can only imagine how good the area looks during Spring. The mainly comprised of many small tanks instead of fewer large tanks like the other aquariums we have visited. It also didn’t have a one-way flow like Chattanooga & Newport. This leads to unnecessary congestion but is essential due to the buildings layout. The addition on the backside of the building has a few more exhibits and a large area for their show, Fantasea. When we arrived and got our free Bank of America tickets, we were asked if we were going to see the show. We shrugged our shoulders knowing nothing about it. We were given our included tickets for the show and told about its location and show times. We saw most of the exhibits before the 2pm show time. Most of that time was spent observing people instead of the fish. People using flashes, spouting off incorrect information about animals, and clueless parents are a greater spectacle than fish.
Knowing nothing about the show was a rare treat for us. We were seating shortly before 2 in an area flanked with large, fake rocks depicting the Pacific Northwest. On the far side of the crescent pool was a wall of windows overlooking Lake Michigan. These windows were covered and projected upon when the show began.
It centered around one audience member and 5 different types of animals, or in our case 4 since the sea lion was cut. We saw penguins, birds of prey, dolphins, and beluga whales. They made a point to have very little dialog and just show off the animals which was unique. The show also had people coming from the ceiling, flying through the air, and riding in a boat suspended from the ceiling. It was over the top and highly entertaining. Overall the show didn’t impress me much but I would recommend it.
We took a long walk North to Millennium Park so I could get my Bean credit. Then we were presented with 5 hours to kill before flying out. So we decided to have an early dinner before heading back to the hotel for bag retrieval.
The fact that we had not tasted deep dish pizza was weighing heavily on my shoulders. I had to try it and figured that the afternoon of Super Bowl Sunday was perfect to avoid crowds. Sure enough Lou Malnati’s on Wells was empty, cheap and delicious. My world hasn’t been changed and angels didn’t sing but we both really like it. I wouldn’t hesitate to return to enjoy it.
Then it was back to the hotel and out to Midway where we arrived with 1.5ish hours before departure. Our gate didn’t have a working television for the game which didn’t bother us as we read. The flight home was smooth and quick. I insisted we carry on Beth’s bag which went well till I had to get it in the overhead bin. With a little pushing I got it in there. That shaved off a lot of time back in Nashville where we would have waited at the baggage claim.
I’m unpacked and already have a load of clothes washing. Mission accomplished.
