John G. Shedd Aquarium

It had been about 30 years since I had last visited the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, so I was almost as excited to see it as the children were!

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The exterior of the aquarium, which is located right on Lake Michigan, is beautiful:

The interior of the building itself is also stunning:

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Even the floor is a sight to behold!

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After admiring the setting and architecture, you remember why you’re really there…to see the fish and sea mammals (Moose would have been happy to watch the dolphins and beluga whales all day, after a quick visit to the sharks)! We also even got to touch a few creature, including a sturgeon (way too squishy!) and a starfish. I discovered how challenging it is to photograph fish, especially ones that are swimming rapidly in low light. I did get some pictures, though:

My only disappointment was that the electric eel, the only thing I really remember from my last visit to the aquarium when I was in second grade, was not on display, as the habitat is being re-done. It was fun to see everything else, though, especially the Oceanarium and the Wild Reef which didn’t even exist the last time I visited!

Markel Family Weekend Getaway–Day Five

We were up early again on the last day of our long weekend getaway, because we had one last big activity planned before the drive home…we visited the Shedd Aquarium! Some of the children came with me on a walk along the lakefront before the Aquarium opened, and we enjoyed the view of the water and the skyline.

We then had a great time exploring all of the different exhibits at the Shedd, including the Wild Reef and the Oceanarium, which was Moose’s favorite part. While we were there, I discovered that almost everything I know about fish comes from playing Animal Crossing (thus the picture of me with the giant arapaima)…at least I learned something from the game, right?

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After spending about three hours there, we finally piled back in the car, and made our way back home. Chicago is a beautiful city, and we had a great visit, but we were all very happy to see our own house again!