Springtime in Chicago

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

07 Mar 2008 01:02 PM

I just returned from a family trip to Hawaii, which included connections at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. While there my 3-year-old daughter paid her dinosaur pal a visit in Terminal One and once again ran her little legs off at the "Kids on the Fly" play area. The 2,000-square-foot indoor playground features a two-story control tower, airplane with interactive cockpit and cargo hold, luggage slide, a ticket counter, a helicopter, and my daughter's favorite feature a pint-sized ice-cream stand where tots can scoop their own mock sweet treats into paper cones.

We had more than two hours to kill between flights and even that wasn't enough time for her to tire of creating triple scoop treats for random passengers (and one very nice city policeman) who happened to walk by the play area. The only way I could get her out of there and on to the plane was to promise to take her to the Chicago Children's Museum at Navy Pier (they are the ones who helped design and create the airport play area).

If you have youngsters (10 and under) and have never been to Navy Pier or the Children's Museum I would highly recommend doing so the next time you are in Chicago. What's more, spring is one of the best times of the year to visit the Windy City. The weather is pleasant and the crowds are not nearly as large as in mid-summer.

Next week the city goes green just in time for St. Patrick's Day. The holiday calls for the annual dyeing of the Chicago River green by the plumber's union, followed by the St. Patrick's Day Parade through Grant Park. Both events take place on the Saturday closest to the actual St. Patrick's Day and are free to the public.

In May you can take in the Chicago Gospel Music Festival at Millennium Park. It's also free and open to the public. The city also offers a number of superb restaurants where you can treat mom to a Mother's Day feast.

Finally, Chicagoans officially bid good-bye to spring and say hello to summer with the extremely popular (mainly because it is free) Chicago Blues Festival, which takes place during the first weekend of June in Grant Park.

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Visiting Chicago's "Concrete Beach"

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Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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