Highs and Lows- Day 10

So after missing our last church because of confusion on location, we came prepared...and early, too early. We'd struggled a bit with getting up, either setting clocks wrong or not set at all. Today was going to work...until we slept in 30 minutes. In speed mode, we rushed through showers, breakfast and out the door. The clock read 9:05 when we pulled into an empty lot. Yep, we were an hour early. We had a FHE lesson in the Relief Society room and then helped set up chairs in there. With a great choice of seats we enjoyed Sacrament meeting. On our way to another Park-n-Ride we stopped by the Chicago Temple (locked and beautiful).



We were on our second transfer on the L when we heard an announcement "Those on their way to the Gay Rights Parade can use the stations before and after Belmont." So now the colorful beads and awful taste in clothing was making sense. The only problem that was our station. Touristy-mystified, we still got off amidst the chaos, talked to plenty of station officials, learned about child rates and got back on our way. One more L ride and a bus transfer, and a lot of explaining to the kids about gays and rainbows and we were on our way to the Lincoln Zoo.

We were blessed with great weather and active animals. This zoo is free, parking is expensive which is why we took the L in. We saw an assortment of animals (most typical to all zoos). The exception was how active they were--no lounging around or hiding. Here are a few:

	We lucked out on a rare appearance. He came out for 5 minutes!	He looks lazy here, but he stood up, left the rock and took up another lounging spot
	The seals were fascinating above and below, round and round in circles.	Underneath they flipped over.

The monkeys were the best. The gorilla was picking handfuls of grass and eating it. The monkeys inside swung on branches, playing tag. One mother (blonde) displayed how she cleaned her child (black)....very thoroughly, everywhere. The crowds went from "Ah" to "Gross".



We even had our own monkey's wiggle through a climbing maze.

 

After dinner, we set off for Lake Michigan...crossing over a bridge that spanned an interstate. Despite the title "Lake" its was a mini ocean with waves and a sandy beach.

Exhausted and ready for bed, we set off to catch out bus. However, the parade had detoured all the routes heading north so 45 minutes later we boarded a bus (when we could have walked to the L station), caught our L and put up with the crazy people. Before heading back to our hotel we hit Rite-Aid for corn nut dinner for Emma and California rolls for the rest of us. Crazy and fun day.