Checking out "the Bean" with surprise guest, Daddy!
When you live in a thriving urban suburban community as I do, it is easy to get lazy about venturing into The Big City. This is a shame because when there’s no traffic – uh, which is never – it is a mere 15 minute drive down I-290 – known locally as “the Eisenhower” or, even more informally, the “Ike” – to the heart of the Chicago Loop. And while there is a lot going on in the lively towns west of the Loop, Chicago is one of the world’s great cities and the opportunities for fun and culture are limitless.
And so, for Zuzu’s last day of summer vacation, we planned a jaunt to what may be Mayor Daley’s greatest triumph, Millennium Park, a green oasis filled with breathtaking public art and architecture situated between Michigan Avenue and the Lake. As if the mind-boggling Cloudgate sculpture, nicknamed “the Bean,” and the irresistible urban splash pool that is the Crown Fountain were not enough of a draw, all summer long, Millennium Park features a Family Fun Festival complete with music, crafts, and areas for creative play and it is all free of charge. (The Family Fun Festival is sponsored by Target and while I know it is fashionable to bad-mouth Target right now, I have to applaud the company for this philanthropic effort.*)
These foam blocks captivated J.R. for ages
The Family Fun Festival is truly a marvel: seeing J.R. build a fort out of enormous foam blocks in cooperation with a gaggle of other kids while, steps away, Zuzu danced to the tunes of a teenage funk band made me grateful to live so close to such a vibrant dynamic city. As an aside, these giant foam blocks, intended for outdoor use, are exactly the kind of open-ended play equipment that experts have found encourage children to engage in imaginative and cooperative play. If only more playgrounds and parks had them! There was a recent article in The New Yorker about the limitations of most American playgrounds which are designed more for physical activity and less for imaginative play. I think we need to provide opportunities for both in our children’s playtime. It was remarkable to see how long these blocks engaged children ranging in age from 1 to 10. And if you got tired of the foam blocks, another area had buckets of very simple rectangular wooden blocks that were inspiring the kids to make – and sometimes destroy – amazing structures.
Splashing in Crown Fountain
Lucky for us, Daddy was in town today and had an opening in his schedule, so he came and met us for a relaxing outdoor lunch at the Park Grill. And after lunch, the kids had to take a dip in the Crown Fountain. I just love the idea of a fountain that is designed to draw people into the water, rather than keep them out of it.
All in all, it was a full day of outdoor activity and play in the most urban setting one could imagine. And the only money we had to spend was $14 for parking and the price of our lunch. It was a great reminder of all the fun that is to be had a mere 9 miles due west of our door.
*On the movement to boycott Target for donating to a Minnesota business group that then, in turn, gave to a gubernatorial candidate who opposes gay marriage, I’m not buying it. It is my personal belief that gay couples should have the right to marry and every other civil right that other Americans enjoy. Yet, Target is being unfairly maligned as anti-gay in this matter. Before this particular dust-up, Target had an excellent record of gay-friendly policies. Furthermore, Target is headquartered in Minnesota and has a real interest in who the next governor of that state is. Corporations, like most individuals, choose which candidates to support by looking at how they vote on a variety of issues. But, of course, Target was exercising its 1rst Amendment right to political expression in making the donation and its customers are free to react accordingly.
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