Summer Series 1: Lincoln Park

Both kids are finally done with school! So it's officially summer and officially time for me to get back to work full time with them.

Don't get me wrong, I relish this time of year. I am so thankful for the opportunity to stay home with my kids and for all the adventures that we are able to go on. It does become a bit of the "All Mommy, all the time" show, though, so it's good to have some activities ready for the summer.

And what better city to explore in the summer than this one, right?! We complain about the weather for nine months out of the year, but summer in this town can't be beat. We're going to be exploring lots of different parts of Chicago this summer and hope you'll come along with us or be inspired to check out some new nooks and crannies on your own!

Have you checked out this book yet?

It's so fun!! The author is an absolute hoot (got a chance to meet her a few months ago!) and she's a very talented writer. Every single page in the book makes me want to run right out and try the things she's written about. You can check it out on her website or wherever you like to buy books. Highly recommend!

So, armed with a great list of ideas and some of our own research, we started our summer of adventures off in:

Lincoln Park
Lots of families live in Lincoln Park, so it's not like this is some "undiscovered gem" in Chicago, but we don't actually live that close to it. Aside from trips to the Lincoln Park Zoo and Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, I had never really wandered around. What a treat! I'll show you some of the highlights. Keep in mind, there is so much to do in Lincoln Park! This is just a tiny taste.


Oz Park: 2021 N Burling

I'm a real sucker for a wooden playground! We had a great time exploring here. The statues of the characters from the Wizard of Oz are fun to find!

Happy Play: This place lets you play with bunnies and birds! The birds loooooooved Little Guy! He talks about this place every day now. So we'll probably go back.

The Weiners Circle: 2622 N Clark
I'm probably going to get sick of hot dogs at some point this summer. But it hasn't happened yet!

Chicago-style, baby. The works. Get that ketchup outta here.

Imposters! Those are children, not an all beef frank! (This was at the Chicago History Museum.)

Pequod's Pizza: Seriously, why have I not eaten this before?? Caramelized cheese crust on deep dish. That is all.

Little Dragans say two thumbs up!

Sweet Mandy B's

Before you tell me that this blog should just be renamed "Dragan Stomachs," allow me to interject that we only went to Sweet Mandy B's to buy something for Grant because it was Father's Day. The rest of us ate nothing! This time...
We've been to a cupcake decorating class there in the past and it was adorable and delicious!

Chicago History Museum: This was a surprise HUGE hit with all of us! They have audio tours that you can walk around with and the Little Dragans loved finding the different items and listening. They had three different interactive exhibits going with very charming volunteers, and we learned a ton while having fun. Kids are free!

The first "El" car!

Lincoln Park was a fascinating neighborhood to explore! We spent three days there on these different outings, and we've barely scratched the surface of all that the neighborhood has to offer. It also has gorgeous architecture and is along the lake!

I hope you like these neighborhood glimpses! We'll be back with many more.
Next up: Rogers Park