Family Travel with Colleen Kelly

Colleen

On this fun filled family destination we're headed to the Windy City. Best known for its incredible architecture, food, museums, waterfront playground, shopping, entertainment and of course family friendly fun. Welcome to the Windy City Chicago, Illinois. I'm Colleen Kelly and this is Family Travel. On this fun filled family vacation we'll kick off our trip 103 stories above the city. Get a chance to experience the Chicago Children's Museum. Buzz on up to a Chicago neighborhood to play with some animals. Get shopping tips from local moms, take a tour of Wrigley field, and top off the evening with a boat tour on the Chicago River. This city is amazing! My name is Colleen Kelly and when I was single I lived abroad and traveled the world. Then I became a parent and wondered how would I ever travel again? So, I set out to find a new way to travel, and get back to exploring the world, family style. I'm here to guide you on how to get the most out of your family vacation. Pack your bags and join me, Colleen Kelly, we're going on vacation! When vacationing in a large city like Chicago, it's a good idea to get a lay of the land. So let's begin our journey at the top of Willis Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the western hemisphere. At a hundred and three stories up you can get an amazing view of Chicago. I met a family on vacation from Omaha, Nebraska. They told me about what it felt like to overlook the city.

Dad

You know we're not used to seeing large buildings like this.

Older boy

It feels like defying gravity.

Girl

It seems like the cars are uh little toy cars just going under you.

Little boy

And it looks like you're floating.

Colleen

While at Willis Tower you can learn about all the famous people that have put Chicago on the map. There are a lot of skyscrapers in Chicago, but I wanted to learn what made this building so unique. I went to a specialist in all things Willis Tower. Alright so I am on one of the highest places in all of Chicago and ummm this is the new thing-what is this?

Randy

We extended the building 4.3 feet outside and we built glass balconies to give you the shot 1353 feet straight down. We thought what could we do to kind of give you that feel, and really give you a great shot straight down.

Colleen

Can I just tell you that this is freaky. Oh my gosh! My brain knows that the ledge is constructed out of super strong steel and glass, but my heart is still pounding. Ooooh! I can't believe I just did that. Okay this is great, I feel like I just did something really really cool and I kind of faced my fears. Here's a tip for you. Take a picture of your family on the Ledge. It makes a great memento for your scrapbook. After my death defying adventure, I met up with my local friends Gus, Colleen and Katie. Even though they are from Chicago, they had never experienced the Ledge. Well now I had a few things I could teach them.

Mom

Katie, you want to lay down and see?

Colleen

Sure!

Mom

She'll do it! She's very brave.

Colleen

Wow!

Mom

Are you flying?

Gus

I could fly in the air! I could fly in the air!

Mom

What do you think of that? Is that cool?

Katie

Yeah!

Mom

Like Superman, huh?

Gus

That's awesome.

Colleen

Is this a good place to start a vacation?

Gus

I think this is where you have to begin because you get to see how big the city is and you get to see some beautiful parts whether it's the lakefront or whether it's the west side or whether it's the east side, north side.

Colleen

That's a great way to start a vacation.

Mom

Mm hmm.

Colleen

As you look down from Willis Tower, you can see that there are a million ways to get around town. Being the third largest city in the U.S. makes Chicago a major transportation hub. Consider using one of Chicago's methods of public transportation on your next trip. The most common mode of public transit in Chicago is the train system called the "L". This is short for the word elevated because some of the trains travel on a track above ground over the downtown streets. The "L" is operated by the Chicago Transit Authority, which is the second largest rapid transit system in the U.S. If you are arriving into Chicago via plane, you will fly into one of two airports. The "L" services both airports and you can get your family downtown for a minimal cost. The CTA offers short term and long term unlimited passes as well as discounted rates for children and seniors. A fun way to get around town is to hop on a water taxi which travels along the Chicago River through downtown. It's a great way to get a bargain tour of the city's architecture and it will drop you right off at our next stop...Navy Pier. Jutting out from the shore of Lake Michigan, over eight million visitors a year come to this historic landmark to enjoy everything from scenic cruise boats to a 3 story children's museum. Navy Pier has something for everyone. There's food, there's shopping, there's entertainment, and it's alright here under one roof. A huge hit at Navy pier is the popular Chicago Children's Museum. You can spend an entire day here building, climbing, and exploring... Jennifer this place is so big!

Jennifer

Well we have 57,000 square feet here all designed for families to play and learn together.

Colleen

What are some of your favorite exhibits here?

Jennifer

Well, I love our Pritzker play space. There's not a lot of places for babies and toddlers to play.

Colleen

We have to take care of our little guys.

Jennifer

Absolutely. It's where it all starts.

Colleen

What are some of your secrets that you kind of know about that maybe some people wouldn't know when they came in here?

Jennifer

Every exhibit, every experience has a big team of educators, exhibit designers, exhibit developers behind it, making sure that it's just right. It's a place for families to play and learn together and that children are connecting with the kind of content and concepts they actually need at those ages.

Colleen

And that's a good point. Why is it important for kids to kind of have that contact?

Jennifer

Play is actually very serious business. Children need to play. It's very important because they learn in concrete ways. This is a place where you can do that. And it's very different to experience the real thing.

Colleen

And the parents get to get in there too. I actually love this place because I want to just jump in to the art exhibit. And oh there's this one really fantastic exhibit where you can actually get in to what looks like dirt.

Jennifer

Yes. In our dinosaur exhibit you can dig for a dinosaur skeleton. So there's lots for parents to do. Parents, uh older kids they all connect with it and everybody loves feeling like a child again.

Colleen

Oh yeah that is so true. Well I can't thank you enough. I think I might just go play now, if that's okay with you?

Jennifer

Of course, thank you.

Colleen

I'm getting there. Maybe you girls could bury me? After digging in the dirt for Dinosaur bones it was time for some clean fun at the waterways exhibit. Alright they have raincoats here that you can use, but you may want to save this exhibit for last because you can get really wet here. I joined a little girl who was already playing at the water table. What do we do?

Little girl

That's where the duckies live.

Colleen

There's a whole system here.

Man

Those are for you I think.

Colleen

Oh these are for me? Oh good I get to share.

Little girl

Now we can take that one out and the water can flow.

Colleen

Okay, now we can take that out. Oh OH!

Little girl

And the water can flow.

Colleen

Very good.

Little girl

And the duckies will go home.

Colleen

I didn't even think of that. Children explore first hand the power of water. You can pump, you can pull, you can splash, this is hands on science at it's best. Of course if you need to dry off you can always take advantage of the many outdoor activities at Navy Pier. There's everything from miniature golf to the enormous ferris wheel or you can just walk around the pier and take in the sights. For now we are off to Lincoln Park, a Chicago neighborhood popular with local families. You can take public transportation from Navy Pier but I found an even better way. A great way to get to Lincoln Park is to rent a surrey. A six seater runs for about $40 bucks. And let me tell you it's a good workout too. Chicago is made up of over 70 different neighborhoods. We're here in the Lincoln Park Neighborhood just north of Chicago. This one of a kind neighborhood is filled with family friendly shops, restaurants, and activities. Our first stop, the Lincoln Park Zoo. What's amazing about the Lincoln Park Zoo is it's unexpected location in the midst of a big city. Lincoln Park zoo is open 365 days a year and guess what- it's free! There are over 1200 animals at the zoo. Representing 230 different species... So cute! I love this zoo. Lincoln Park Zoo is especially known for its dedication to endangered African apes.

Little girl

He's taking a long time making a bed.

Colleen

Social media opens the door to connect with new people. I was glad to finally meet my online buddy MJ and her children. Hi! It's so good to finally meet you.

MJ

Finally!

Colleen

Oh my gosh, thanks for coming.

MJ

Oh thank you. We're so excited.

Colleen

I know this is so great to be at the zoo isn't it? In the middle of the city.

MJ

Oh my God...perfect day.

Colleen

I downloaded a free app online, which led us on an adventure throughout the zoo. Our first stop was to find the giraffes habitat. What do we have to do?

Older son

Uh, we need to get a photo of the giraffes while they tower over the tiny meerkats.

Colleen

Look at that giraffe right there. It's beautiful. At every checkpoint you can either take a photo or do a task. After we snagged our photo at the giraffe exhibit, we went off in search of our next checkpoint, but got sidetracked at the lion's den.

Daughter

Are those the babies? I think the one in the middle is a baby.

Colleen

Which one's the boy and which one's the girl?

Daughter

That one's the boy and that one's the girl.

Colleen

Pretty good! She knows, huh? Let's get back on track and find those apes. But we'll need to use the map to find which way to go.

MJ

So where are we going again, Matthew?

Colleen

Park maps are a perfect starting point for practicing map reading. Alright let's follow Matthew and his map. To get to the next checkpoint, you'll pass by the ape's house. The design of the ape's habitat makes you feel like you can reach out and touch them. And though you can't actually pet them, you do feel like you are making a connection with them. We have one last stop on our scavenger hunt. The Nature Boardwalk... this is our last stop on the scavenger hunt. I think we are supposed to take a photo.

MJ

Oh my God, look at that view guys!

Daughter

WOW!

Colleen

Wow! Ready? One, two, three

Family

Chicago!

Colleen

Just down the street from the Zoo we step into a world of imagination. Today we are visiting a theatre not only known for it's magical name but for it's interaction with the audience. This theatre is the oldest Children's theatre in Chicago. Over the years this theatre has created an atmosphere for imagination and playful learning. The theatre prides itself on choosing books that can allow the children to interact with the play as well as learn a moral lesson. Families can arrive up to 15 minutes prior to the performance to participate in a unique feature of arts and crafts, which will be incorporated into the show. Are we going to use this in the show? What do you think? For this performance cat faces are on the agenda.

Little girl

Ahhhhh!

Colleen

We wrap up our craft and are asked to start making our way into the theatre.

Actor

Whaaaa! ahhhhhhhhh

Mom

Oh I thought it was a lot of fun. Yeah it was really bright and uh colorful and high energy. And I think he had a really good time.

Colleen

On your way out...make sure to grab the discussion pamphlet that has questions and games for after the show. The day isn't over yet! Let's head back downtown for a bit of light shopping. No visit to Chicago is complete without a stop to shop on Michigan Avenue, Michigan Avenue, known as the Magnificent Mile, has developed into a premiere shopping destination. It mixes couture with family friendliness. Here's a tip...bring a portable bag with you for all your treasures. Open it up and you can shop til you drop! I got together with two local bloggers and they gave me advice on how to shop with children in Chicago. Alright so we're here on Michigan Avenue. What are some tips that you would have for shopping here?

Mom 2

I always say grab your favorite beverage, wear comfortable shoes and make sure you check out the lower end stores as well as the higher end stores for great finds.

Mom 1

And also there are plenty of places to stop and get a treat - grab a bag of candy, ice cream stores, popcorn places.

Colleen

I'd like all those!

Mom 1

And it's a great bribe too so it works out really well.

Colleen

It keeps us shopping, right. Right moms? While on Michigan ave you'll have the opportunity to see one of Chicago's most treasured buildings--- the Water Tower. This lovely limestone building survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, in which two thousand acres of the city was lost. The Water Tower has since become an unofficial memorial of the disaster. The rebuilding effort after the fire is one of the reasons Chicago has become one of the most modern architectural centers of the world. Hungry from all that shopping I headed over to Gino's East. Ah, the smell of deep dish pizza. A local hotspot to enjoy a Chicago staple -- deep dish pizza. And with a little planning you can sign up the family for a pizza class. I joined a group of sisters and together with hair nets and sanitary gloves we got schooled in deep dish 101.

Instructor

The first thing we do in the morning we come in and we make dough and it rises for a couple of hours. Then we uh punch it down and then we make it into dough balls or what we call turtling. You start pushing it in the center and you're pushing it ever so lightly toward the edges of the pan. One of the things that makes it unique is that we literally build the pizza kind of upside down from everybody else. So we start with the cheese on the bottom. We grab two slices of cheese.

Colleen

This is easy.

GM

Oh yeah. Oh yeah. If it's pepperoni we're going to add 7 pepperonis and if it's sausage we're going to take a little handful and pat it down just like we saw in the kitchen a little bit earlier.

Colleen

While you're waiting for your pizza, don't forget to bring markers and white out is my personal favorite. Did you know you could ship pizzas home?

Lady

No!

Colleen

Yes, you can!

Lady

Any place?

Colleen

Anywhere in the United States.

Lady

In the country...oh...that would be wonderful because we have relatives from all over the country and they love to come to Chicago.

Colleen

Well good. They can have their pizza here.

Lady

OK, that's a good idea for Christmas presents. I'll keep that in mind.

Colleen

There you go!

Instructor

Here we go, right out of the oven kids.

Colleen

This is good pizza. Chicago has 26 miles of lakeshore beaches and parks. One of the can't miss parks in Chicago is Millennium Park. Millennium is all about music and art, but kids just love to come here and play. Home to over 525 free events a year Millenium Park has award winning art, landscaping and year around family activities.

Here's a tip

Bring a picnic basket if it's summer in Chicago. They have unbelievable concerts under the stars. You'll also see Cloud Gate. Affectionately referred to by the locals simply as "the bean." The bean is unlike anything else and provides way more fun for the kids than you might expect. And don't you dare miss the Crown Fountains great for cooling off on a hot day. Just down the street from Millennium park is the Art Institute. Home to some of the most famous paintings in the world. Heading a little further south is Museum campus. Home to Adler Planetarium, the Field Museum, and where we are headed next...the Shedd Aquarium. The Shedd Aquarium overlooks Lake Michigan and is home to over 22,000 sea creatures. They even have hands on exhibits and interactive play spaces.

Little girl

I can fly like a penguin.

Colleen

And while every trip to the Shedd is exciting, getting into the water with a one and a half ton whale is a once in a lifetime experience. With a little pre-planning you can have an amazing experience like the Beluga encounter. It's easy to connect with these gentle giants in their Abbott Oceanarium pool. Hi, I'm here to sign up for the Beluga Whale Experience.

Lady at Counter

Absolutely I can help you out.

Colleen

This aquatic adventure begins with suiting up. This is going to be so much fun! Some of my family joined me for the Beluga experience.

Instructor

As you can see the beluga whales are very large. There's lots of real estate to go around. Just give them a nice and sincere touch...the more sincere the better. They really find that very rewarding.

Colleen

The Beluga encounter is used as a regular training session for the whales. So we learned how to give them a little medical check up to make sure that they are healthy. After the exam we had time to play and get better acquainted with our new aquatic friends...and they could get pretty loud when they wanted to. How do you like your job?

Trainer

Oh we love our jobs. I mean it's a great place to work. It's full of emotion, full of you know wonderful times with these animals. They're uh fabulous to train. They are like our family.

Colleen

And they all have different personalities, right?

Trainer

Absolutely! Each and every animal we work with here has a different personality all the way to the penguins.

Colleen

I caught up with my parents and my nephew to find out what they thought about being with the whales.

Grandpa

It was absolutely amazing being in the water with these animals. The trainers know just how to handle them. They come up to you and they even gave me a kiss.

Grandma

I've only used the word awesome maybe 5 times in my life because it's such a great word. That was awesome, and they kind of feel like a hard boiled egg.

Boy

It was one of the best experiences of my life.

Colleen

Really?

Grandma

Oh.

Colleen

Why was that?

Boy

'Cause just to be up close and actually interacting with the whales.

Grandma

And you know what? It was something we all can do.

Colleen

It's kind of a multi generational vacation.

Grandma

Ya I mean you feel safe and everyone knows what they're supposed to be doing. And it was just wonderful. Right?

Yeah Grandma

He loved it.

Colleen

What better way to dry off than to spend some time in the sun. A family can either watch a game or go on a behind the scenes tour. I chose to take the behind the scenes tour. Where I'll get a chance to dive into the rich history and traditions of one of the oldest baseball clubs in America. Meet our tour guide Frank, Cubs aficionado.

Frank

Welcome. Are you guys ready for a tour?

Colleen

Wrigley field, originally known as Weeghman Park was built in the spring of 1914 by businessman, Charles Weeghman. It took just six weeks to build and cost an estimated 250,000 dollars--Holy Cow! Being the second oldest active ballpark in America it comes as no surprise that Wrigley field has been the site of many historic moments and the beginning of many traditions that we still see today. From up in the press box you can view the field from the same perspective as the famous cubs announcers -- Jack Brickhouse and Harry Carry. "The number Zero two sixty five one "o" two. Zero two, it's been two full seasons since we won the division. 65, it's been 65 full seasons since we won the pennant. I'm not going to explain the 102! Not going to explain 102? That's a huge part of the history. How about I explain...Legend has it that the curse of the billy goat was supposedly placed on the Chicago cubs in 1945. Billy Sianis, owner of the Billy Goat Tavern, was asked to leave a world series game because his pet goat's odor was bothering other fans. He was outraged and declared...Them cubs, they aren't going to win me no more. The Cubs haven't returned to the World Series yet, but they have come close! And as they say, there's always next year! Frank schooled us not only in history but on some pretty cool traditions that started right here at Wrigley Field.

Frank

If you guys all turn around, take a peek at that white rectangular box behind us that is the first ever concession stand at a major league ball field. Every sporting event that you go to we sing our national anthem before the start of every game another tradition that started here at Wrigley. Anyone lucky enough to catch a foul ball or a home run ball? Nice! What did you do with it?

Man

Gave it to my son. (hahaha)

Frank

Alright! Gave it to your son. That right was afforded to you by Charles Weeghman.

Colleen

Also on the tour we took a peek inside the locker room.

Guide

October 1, 1932 game three of the World Series, that happened here at Wrigley Field. And Babe Ruth got dressed in this room before that happened.

Colleen

Wow!

Guide

Speaking of all time greats...the all time great basketball player, MJ, Mr. Michael Jordan, retired in the middle of his career and tried his crack at baseball. When Michael Jordan was in the minors for the White Sox, they called him up for that one game and Michael Jordan got dressed as a baseball player in one professional baseball stadium. He got dressed right in that first locker. He got dressed here at Wrigley Field. So we've covered all the all time greats.

Boy

Why are there those um?

Guide

The nameplates up there? Good question. I forgot to cover that.

Boy

And why do they have no names?

Guide

During the season, the club house staff will get on this computer and use that printer and print out all of the active rosters for the visiting teams. They'll do it on paper and they'll put in name plates. So like I said, usually they'll put the coaches' names and numbers here and they'll put all of the players around.

Colleen

After the locker room we stopped off to hang out on the famous bleachers. And even got a chance to step out onto the field. At the end of the tour I talked with some families about their favorite part. This is so amazing! What did you think of this whole tour?

Dad

It was fantastic. It was unbelievable-the things we saw.

Mom

I loved going up and sitting in the press box up there.

Colleen

Grab some dirt when you go. It's kind of like holy dirt.

Mom

This is really amazing though that this is here and that we didn't even know about it.

Colleen

And we can all do this.

Mom

Yeah, a great family outing.

Colleen

It's a great thing for families to do.

Dad

Yeah.

Colleen

When in Chicago if you can't see a Cubs game be sure to check out the Wrigley Field tour. Let's go north on Clark Street to experience a neighborhood with Swedish roots.

Server

Enjoy.

Colleen

Thank you. You'd be surprised by how many fantastic free things you can find in a city. This afternoon we'll be meeting up with Keith, a Chicago greeter and he'll be showing us around Andersonville.

Greeter

Chicago, Andersonville, had the second largest Swedish population in the world.

Colleen

The program offers a look at twenty-five different Chicago neighborhoods. The greeter program is made up of local volunteers who educate visitors all about Chicago. It's like having a friend in the city! Your family's guide will show you around the neighborhood of your choice. What do you think? What would you pick?

Boy

That one.

Oooh Colleen

The big one? You would go for the big one? Yeah. No little cupcakes for you. Go for the whole cake.

Boy

Yeah.

Colleen

That was really smart.

Mom

Kinda cool?

Boy

Yeah.

Colleen

Did you learn something?

Boy

Yeah. Mom &

Colleen

What did you learn?

Boy

That a lot of places are interesting.

Mom

Yeah, there are a lot of places that are interesting. You're right!

Colleen

Since the program is complimentary, it's great for any family wanting to shave off a few bucks from their vacation budget. I opted to wind down the night with a boat tour along the Chicago River. Nighttime is when Chicago really comes alive. The individual beauty of each building combined together creates another work of art---the skyline itself. If you're looking for something to do after dark in Chicago, take a boat ride. It's gorgeous. This amazing ride captures the city in a whole new light. It's the perfect end to a fantastic vacation in Chicago.

Family

Chicago!

Coleen

It's been quite the day here in the windy city. Join us next time for another fun filled family vacation destination.