Lincoln Park Zoo and Café Brauer
It was a perfect day, so we made plans to park in downtown Chicago, walk to Lincoln Park Zoo and have an outdoor lunch somewhere along the way. With memories of Jonathon Brandmeier’s The Moo-Moo Song dancing in our heads, we set off on another Date Day adventure.
Parking in downtown Chicago can be expensive, but there are ways to save a buck. We’re big fans of ParkWhiz, which helped us find all day parking at the corner of Erie and N Fairbanks for $15. This is almost free compared to the nearby Westin, which charges an outrageous $63 for the day.
We found a nice spot on the roof of the garage and began our journey. Something just feels right when you’re strolling along Michigan Avenue on a warm sunny day. The street is tidy and clean, the John Hancock building towers above and the people watching is fun. We’ve said it before, but there can’t be a better big city for a date day!
The Beaches
We strolled along for a while then decided to cut over to the lakeshore to continue our trip north. Oak Street Beach was alive and bustling with people walking, biking and sunbathing. There were even a few crazy enough to brave a dip in the 65-degree water. We elected to skip the water and keep moving, passing the Concrete Beach and the Chess Pavilion. No one was playing chess today, but there were lots of people enjoying the sun on the concrete. We’re not sure why hard concrete is more appealing to some than the nearby sand. Maybe it’s the smaller crowds?
Our next stop was North Avenue Beach. Here we found more sunbathers, a few police horses and lots of volleyball games. We also found a 12oz bottle of Dasani for $4. Chicago has some great beaches, but if you’re heading to one this summer you may want to bring your own water.
Having had enough beach time, we followed a pedestrian bridge over Lakeshore Drive and headed for the zoo. When approaching from the south, we always like to take the Nature Boardwalk. The boardwalk circles around South Pond, offering the opportunity to see, and learn about, native plants, birds and fish. It also offers some of the best views of the city as you stroll along.
Lincoln Park Zoo
Anyone who grew up in Chicago during the 60’s or 70’s remembers the Ray Rayner and Friends show. One of the best segments on the show was The Ark in the Park with zoo Director Dr. Lester Fisher. It’s opening song made kids from all over Chicagoland beg their parents to take them to the zoo in hopes of seeing an elusive Unicorn.
We didn’t see any unicorns today, but we saw some other cool things. The polar bears were active, the giraffe was posing nicely for pictures and the rhino was one of the foulest smelling things we’ve ever encountered. We also enjoyed the monkeys, lions and zebras.
The zoo has invested a lot of money over the years to keep reinventing itself and has done an excellent job. We never use a map when we visit. Instead, we wander around and see a few different things each time. This always leaves us wanting to come back. Lincoln Park Zoo is a great place to spend an hour or an entire day.
The Patio at Café Brauer
Seeing all the animals makes us hungry. Luckily, there’s a great little restaurant just outside the zoo. The Patio at Café Brauer overlooks the Nature Boardwalk and offers great views of a restored prairie and the Chicago skyline. We’ve eaten here several times and have never been disappointed. An added plus to the location is that it makes us feel like we’re on vacation.
Today’s lunch was a tuna melt for Tom and a BLT for Theresa. One of us opted for fruit instead of fries, but then helped the other eat his. We also enjoyed a couple cold adult beverages. Cider for Theresa and watermelon wheat beer for Tom. The Patio is a nice spot, with friendly staff and a good menu. It even has live music in the evenings Tuesday through Thursday. If you haven’t been there, it’s worth a try.
Leaving the restaurant, we headed back through the park to North Boulevard. We try to pick different routes each time we walk from the park to downtown and today we chose Dearborn Street. The street is lined with houses representing many architectural styles and we enjoyed pointing out our likes and dislikes. Most of the time we agreed, but now and then we came to an impasse. It was an amusing way to pass the time on our 2-mile walk and before we knew it we were back at the parking garage.
Another day well spent.
June 2018
Lincoln Park Zoo
2001 N Clark St. Chicago, IL
Free Admission
1-4 Hours
$20-30 Parking at the Zoo (much less it you don’t mind a little walking)
Patio at Café Brauer
2021 North Stockton Chicago, IL
1 Hour
$50 (Including drinks)
