There are so many fun things to do in and around Chicago in December. I wanted to highlight some of our favorite things to do. This year we will probably do a mix of a few old favorites and also try some new stuff.
Zoolights
Zoolights at the Lincoln Park Zoo is such a fun thing to do with kids during the holiday season. It's free, which is awesome. It is open every night beginning December 16th (only open on the weekends before then) from 5-9. The lights are always beautiful and seeing the zoo at night is definitely magical for kids. The downsides are parking in Lincoln Park, where either you have to pay too much for parking in the zoo parking lot or you have to circle the area for at least 20 minutes to find street parking, and the potential for cold or nasty weather since it is mostly outdoors. Every time we have gone, however, even on the coldest days, everyone always has a good time. We always have lots of family in town for the holidays and this is a really good activity to do with grandparents.
Lincolnwood Light Display
One of the best residential light displays in the area, in my opinion, is in Lincolnwood. People who grew up in Lincolnwood say it is not as good as when they were kids but since I didn't grow up there I don't have any basis of comparison and I think the lights are pretty awesome. A large percentage of the residents get involved in the light decorating and there is always some really cool displays. Our favorite every year is the house that looks like it has a giant Christmas tree going through the house and coming up through the roof. I am never exactly sure where the lights are but if you take 94 North to the Touhy exit (west) and turn left so you are going south on Carpenter, the area approximately 6 to 8 block east of Carpenter and South of Pratt should put you in the right vicinity. Just follow the line of slowly moving cars going through the area.
Macy's
I have very mixed feelings about Michigan Ave./State St. during the holidays. It is so crazy there with shoppers and tourists. It's hard to bring small kids and a stroller is impossible. On the other hand, I love to take the girls to see the windows at Macy's. There is definitely something magical about them and also quintessentially Christmas. We've never eaten in the Walnut Room. The line to get in is always insane and the food court is really more our style. We went last December just to look at the windows and in some ways it was more of a hassle than it was worth. The windows are always really neat but there is usually such a large group in front of each one that it is hard for those under 4 ft to see anything. Maybe this will be more enjoyable as the girls get older.
Hancock Observatory
Last year we went to the top of the Hancock observatory to see Santa. It was the first time my girls have been up there and the view alone was worth the admission price for them. In the lobby of the Observatory is a model train set that was completely mesmerizing to my girls. Admission to the Winter Wonderland in the Observatory is $15 per adult and with each adult admission you get a free youth admission. Santa is only there on the weekend from 12-4. We got there right around 12 but Santa was about 30-45 minutes late, which kind of created a tense environment with some of the parents. For some odd reason our girls were being patient and well behaved (the view really is mesmerizing) so we weren't as stressed out about it. When Santa did finally show up he actually ended up being a really good Santa. He looked realistic and talked to our girls for quite some time, which I guess isn't so great if you are at the end of the line, but my point is he could have rushed us right through since he was running late but he didn't do that. Santa's assistant takes a photo of your family and Santa in his sleigh and if you wait f few minutes you can take the photo home for free. We really enjoyed doing this last year and would have probably done it again this year if we had the time.
Museum of Science and Industry - Christmas Around the World
I visited this annual exhibit a number of years ago before I had kids and thought it was really neat. There are 50 trees each decorated by members of different ethnic communities throughout Chicago. The exhibit is included with general admission to the museum. Last year I decided to take the girls so that they could experience it too. We went on a Friday and the trees were still really amazing but it was so busy we couldn't even really see the trees. Also my older daughter started freaking out because the crowds were making her so nervous. It wasn't a waisted trip, however, since the MSI is such a cool place for kids. We were able to spend a lot of time at the other exhibits, which ended up being barely crowded at all. I think the Christmas Around the World is definitely worth going to see but like every other great attraction in the City you have to be prepared to deal with the crowds.
This is just of few of the things we've done with our family. There are so many great holiday events going on in the city!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
More Breakfast - Cafe Selmarie
Over the long holiday weekend we decided to try a new restaurant for breakfast, the meal where everyone is likely to be the most well behaved in our family. As I mentioned in the last post, the cover story of the last issue of Chicago magazine was about the best places to get breakfast. We decided to choose a restaurant from the list where we had never dined. We chose Cafe Selmarie in Lincoln Square (4729 N. Lincoln), which is a restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as being a bakery with cakes, cookies, pies and breads available for purchase.
It was hard to get the girls past the awesome display of goodies in the bakery at the front, but somehow we managed to get back to the dining area. When we arrived, around 9:30, it was busy but there were some open tables. In the restaurant there were plenty of kids, it is Lincoln Square after all, so we definitely felt comfortable. On the menu, there is really just one option for children, the kid's breakfast, but we were perfectly happy with it because it is exactly what my daughter always wants: 1 scrambled egg, 1 pancake, and two sausage links (or bacon). If your kid has different preferences they also offer muffins, breakfast potatoes, croissants, English muffins, and other similar items as sides. We were able to order a single pancake for my other daughter, who proceeded to eat none of it. I had a croissant sandwich, that included scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheddar cheese and came with potatoes and mixed greens on the side. It was really good. My husband had the omelet special, which was prosciutto, asparagus, and asiago. He thought it was just OK. My older daughter devoured her kid's breakfast. I had a really delicious latte and my husband and daughter thoroughly enjoyed their whip cream topped hot chocolate.
Tuesday through Friday breakfast is served from 8 AM-11AM. Saturday brunch is served from 9 AM until 3:45 and Sunday brunch is from 9 AM until 3 PM. The menu is different during the week from the weekend and the menu is even different between Saturday and Sunday (kid's breakfast is the same every morning). The restaurant is located within easy walking distance of the Western Brown Line stop. There is a lot of parking available in the area but it can often be hard to find parking in Lincoln Square. There is not a ton room to bring in a stroller. You could probably leave it outside or maybe they have a place to store them, but it's not a huge restaurant.
On our way out we of course stopped at the front for some yummy baked goods. The girls went for turkey shaped sugar cookies with lots of glittery sprinkles on top. My husband and I had a hard time deciding what we wanted to try but ultimately decided on a slice of chocolate mousse cake that was very, very good. The cafe/bakery area is pretty small but there is a little room to sit and have some coffee and dessert (but probably not room for a whole family). The bakery also offers a holiday menu where you can order cakes and pies for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Prices are a little steep for us, though, so I guess everyone in our family will have to deal with my baking.
It was hard to get the girls past the awesome display of goodies in the bakery at the front, but somehow we managed to get back to the dining area. When we arrived, around 9:30, it was busy but there were some open tables. In the restaurant there were plenty of kids, it is Lincoln Square after all, so we definitely felt comfortable. On the menu, there is really just one option for children, the kid's breakfast, but we were perfectly happy with it because it is exactly what my daughter always wants: 1 scrambled egg, 1 pancake, and two sausage links (or bacon). If your kid has different preferences they also offer muffins, breakfast potatoes, croissants, English muffins, and other similar items as sides. We were able to order a single pancake for my other daughter, who proceeded to eat none of it. I had a croissant sandwich, that included scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheddar cheese and came with potatoes and mixed greens on the side. It was really good. My husband had the omelet special, which was prosciutto, asparagus, and asiago. He thought it was just OK. My older daughter devoured her kid's breakfast. I had a really delicious latte and my husband and daughter thoroughly enjoyed their whip cream topped hot chocolate.
Tuesday through Friday breakfast is served from 8 AM-11AM. Saturday brunch is served from 9 AM until 3:45 and Sunday brunch is from 9 AM until 3 PM. The menu is different during the week from the weekend and the menu is even different between Saturday and Sunday (kid's breakfast is the same every morning). The restaurant is located within easy walking distance of the Western Brown Line stop. There is a lot of parking available in the area but it can often be hard to find parking in Lincoln Square. There is not a ton room to bring in a stroller. You could probably leave it outside or maybe they have a place to store them, but it's not a huge restaurant.
On our way out we of course stopped at the front for some yummy baked goods. The girls went for turkey shaped sugar cookies with lots of glittery sprinkles on top. My husband and I had a hard time deciding what we wanted to try but ultimately decided on a slice of chocolate mousse cake that was very, very good. The cafe/bakery area is pretty small but there is a little room to sit and have some coffee and dessert (but probably not room for a whole family). The bakery also offers a holiday menu where you can order cakes and pies for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Prices are a little steep for us, though, so I guess everyone in our family will have to deal with my baking.
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