We woke up today, to the best weather we’ve had in a while.  The forecast was for sunshine, with temperatures in the low 40’s.  Not too shabby for March in Chicago.  We talked about what to do and Theresa said, “I think I’ll go for a walk outside now, the summer sun’s callin’ my name.”  Tom replied with, “I hear ya now.  I just can’t stay inside all day, I’ve gotta get out, get me some of those rays.”  And, as simple as that, we had our plan.  With earworms in place, we tossed Nova into the car, stopped for coffee and a Puppuccino, and headed for one of our favorite strolling spots – Lincoln Park.

We parked in a convenient lot on West Belden Ave and began our walk.  First stop was the Lincoln Park Conservatory.  Dogs are not allowed, but we were only there for the clean restrooms and took turns watching Nova while the other went inside.  Outside the Conservatory, we spied a food truck giving away free samples of the new Diet Coke flavors.  We tried Feisty Cherry, Ginger Lime and Zesty Blood Orange and agreed they we all pretty bad.  Maybe the Twisted Mango is better?

From the Conservatory, we headed south through the park, on the west side of the zoo.  We’ve walked through Lincoln Park many times but have never bothered to take a close look at the statues and plaques that dot the area.  Today, we decided to change that since we had plenty of time and no real destination.  Our first statue was an 8-foot-tall bronze of Hans Christian Andersen.  This bright green monument was installed in 1896 and features the author sitting on a tree stump with book in hand and goose by his side.  Seeing the statue brought back fond memories our childhoods as we reminisced about the fairy tales he created.  Our reminiscing was short-lived, however, as Nova found a “friend”.  We didn’t see a lot of dogs today, but Nova wanted to personally meet each one we spotted.  Interestingly, we learned that while Nova is perfectly comfortable sniffing the rear-end of other dogs, she does not appreciate it when they try to reciprocate.

Moving on, we came to a plaque that marked the original shoreline of Lake Michigan.  Apparently, the lake was 20 feet higher eight-thousand years ago and much of the park was under water.  We also took in a monument dedicated to Galena resident, Union Army General and President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant.  Yes, the Grant monument is in Lincoln Park and the Lincoln stature is in Grant Park.  Only in Chicago.

We then decided to take a short break from monument hunting to walk along the Zoo’s Nature Boardwalk.  The dog-friendly boardwalk circles the park’s South Pond and features a wide variety of plant and animal life.  It also passes behind the Farm in The Zoo and the cow barn.  Nova doesn’t like cows.  Finally, the Boardwalk provides some of the best views looking south to the city.  Chicago really is a beautiful town.

After we got our nature on, it was time to resume the quest.  Our next find was by far the strangest of the day.  Just west of the park’s baseball and softball fields is a small plaque entitled, “Hidden Truths”.  The plaque describes the layout of the Chicago City Cemetery, which once stood where the ball fields are now.  Between 1843 and 1871 over 15,000 people were buried there and supposedly there are still bones remaining in the soil.  A little creeped out, we moved along, casting wary glances over our shoulders in case we had disturbed any restless souls.  Thankfully, we were in the clear and were able to enjoy the statue, Fountain Girl, without having to call the Ghostbusters.  That would be the 1984 team, not the 2016 one.

We reach the end of the park at the Cardinal’s Mansion and headed east towards the lake.  Our final stature, found at the end of Astor Street, was of Greene Vardiman Black.  Contrary to our initial reaction, this is not a statue dedicated to a law firm.  Rather, the man with three last names is commonly thought of as the “Father of Modern Dentistry”.  Our buddy GV invented the dental drill and was the first to use nitrous oxide when pulling teeth.  The National Dental Association had to be making some serious money to afford this stature back in 1918.

Leaving the park behind us, we proceeded along the lake’s shore path.  Here we found some interesting wall art and Nova enjoyed the great views of the Gold Coast.  We followed the shore path all the way to Chicago Avenue, where we realized we were over three miles from our car.  At that point we headed inland and decided to weave our way back north.  Along the way, we window shopped on Oak Street, strolled past the immense Carl Sandburg Village and tried to decide what to do about lunch.  Beginning to run short on time, we opted for Subway sandwiches on a bench, back in Lincoln Park.  The sun was still shining, we had 6.5 miles in the bank and Nova had been rather good all day.  All-in-all, It’s a Sunshine Day.