August 15 -- headed for the Aquarium

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8:40 am.  Morning sun on the flowers in the middle of Michigan Ave.

Sparkly lake.

Because I can, let's see what it looks like with the saturation pushed.  I kind of like the "olde fashioned postcard" look........

Another look at the same thing, with statue.

9:20 am.  High water.

I like the way the increased saturation shows the yellow of the sunlight on the water.

10:55.  On our way to the Aquarium.

In front of our hotel, looking south.  With helicopter.

Looking back at our hotel.  All of the "excellent view from our hotel room" pics were taken from this window.

I left the Cheerios in the window, as a sanity check as to which window was ours.

Looking down Michigan Ave at the bridge hotel.  Bridge was still happening, but not for us on the 15th.

There are lots of dogs in Chicago.  Lots and lots of dogs.

Not one of them wanted to talk to me.  Not one, including this corgi boy.  It was sad.  I like to talk to dogs.....

We have walked east through the park, and are walking along the lake to the Aquarium, which you see at right.  The planetarium is the littler (farther) dark building closer to the left, with dome.

I've talked about the "no swimming" signs along the walkway.  This one is "no diving," but there was a "no swimming" one right next to it.

Lots of boats on the lake.

Bigger and smaller.

Oops.  I need to get into the habit of buying tix ahead of time, whenever possible!  We had already been in line for at least 15 minutes at this point.  Sigh.  And out in the sun, too............

Luckily a nice young man (who worked for the Aquarium) walked down the line, telling people that we could expect to be in line for at least 45 minutes longer, but if we wanted to pay an extra $15 (on top of the regular $40 entry), we could by-pass the line.  We said "That's us!" and he walked us around the side to the double-secret probation entrance, where we paid our money and got in then, rather than most of an hour later.

Really must check on getting tix ahead of time, every time.  !!!

On the other hand -- I really want the Field Museum and the Aquarium and the Planetarium to be there, the next time I visit Chicago, so I can regard the extra as a donation to the venue with that in mind.  No problem.  Not as fun as buying constellation socks, but a lot more fun than standing in line, in the sun!, for an hour......

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