Brookfield Zoo

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Jeff & I decided to add a zoo to our itinerary while here in Chicago because we haven't been to one in ages. I wasn't sure whether to do Lincoln Park or Brookfield, but figured out that Brookfield=Minnesota Zoo and Lincoln Park=Como Park. We like Como Park, but it doesn't take long at all and there's not a lot to see. So to Brookfield it was.

We got there earlier than expected and so had to wait for the gates to open. The first employee there to open them couldn't figure out how and had to go get a second employee. Fortunately, that was the biggest gaffe of the day. I hadn't counted on 100 different school groups being there, but it was a big enough park to be okay. There are some areas under construction and many animals not in their habitats, but the boys had fun and we got to see some interesting animals--bat-eared foxes, rock hyraxes, Prevost's squirrels. We also saw many of the usual creatures--Amur tigers, polar bears, hippos.

The boys fell asleep on the way back to the hotel, just enough to regain their energy for the water park in our hotel. After 2-1/2 hours there, we had dinner in the hotel restaurant while watching the Blackhawks go up 2-0 against Detroit. Too bad that didn't last.

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