Chicago

The Lincoln Park Zoo has to be THE best free thing to do in Chicago. I'm still floored by the fact it's free. Our friend, Iris, suggested we start at the south end and walk through the park on our way to the zoo. It is a beautiful naturalized area with paths, boardwalks and water features attracting the birds.

Still wondering about the "free" part of it (because it's a full size, very good zoo) I checked out their website. It's a privately managed organization and 2/3 of their budget is from fundraising, food service, retail and parking; the remaining 1/3 is covered by an annual subsidy from the Chicago Park District. One of their main goals is to ensure the zoo remains free and open to the public 365 days a year. Impressive! Which inspires me to give a donation.

King of the hill.

After lunch we did the round of outdoor stores (REI, North Face, Columbia - Patagonia was closed for the day) and the Apple store. With a coffee and reading break included, of course!

We passed by this church which was beautifully covered with vines. I love the contrast of old with new.

And we completely lucked out with the hotel room we got with a view down the street toward the lake and a gorgeous sunrise, including reflections off the glass of the buildings. 

Next stop: Home!  :-)

Kayaking Lady Bird Lake

We rented kayaks and spent the morning on the water of Lady Bird Lake. The Lake is a reservoir of the Colorado River so is very much like a river but allows for long paddles in both directions without the current. Plus, there was a quiet little side creek that we meandered out and back.

It was great to get a closer look at all the birdlife and turtles that we'd seen yesterday from the trails. Yes, Andrew got some more great photos.

Austin beats Saskatoon for the number of bridges it has. While I couldn't really find a definitive answer, I counted at least ten on Google maps that cross the river/lake. It was easy to see at least four at one time in the downtown area. There is also a beautiful pedestrian bridge across the main river/lake.

View from the water - downtown Austin, TX

Many turtles! In the water and sunning themselves on logs. 

An egret posing for photos. 

The not-so-synchronized swim team.

Austin

Second stop: Austin, Texas

Found: Warmth!

Activity: Walking, walking and more walking.

After the unseasonably cold Chicago, it was wonderful to arrive in the unseasonably warm Austin. We spent the day walking along the many miles of beautiful trails along Lady Bird Lake (essentially a large reservoir of the Colorado River that runs through downtown Austin).

There were an amazing number of walkers, joggers, bicyclists on the trails and people canoeing, kayaking and paddle boarding on the river. It was great to see so much activity!

Taking photos of some turtles. 

There was also an amazing amount of wildlife. Lots of squirrels, many different birds including cormorants, egrets, doves, various ducks and more. And the turtle population is thriving! While we didn't see any bats (summer is the best time), Austin has the world's largest urban bat colony (1.5 million of them!) that make their home under the Congress Avenue Bridge. 

Stevie Ray Vaughan statue.  Austin is also know for its music scene. 

The Botanical Gardens are also along the lake and, while not in season, was still a lovely place to visit. 

A small stream in the Japanese themed part of the gardens. (Fisheye lens attachment on iPhone)

Colourful koi. 

In the rose garden. (Fisheye lens on iPhone.)

Chicago

On the train again! First stop: Chicago. 

Living up to the name "Windy City," it was a cold and blustery day for a walk along the water to the Shedd Aquarium. The geese didn't seem to mind though. 

Hello, Nemo!

Is it possible to visit Chicago and not be completely captivated by the Cloud Gate sculpture, aka "the bean"?

Melting snow forming icicles.

Andrew and I at bottom, centre.