Chicago - Shedd Aquarium

http://www.sheddaquarium.org/

The Shedd Aquarium combines some of the better points of both small and large aquariums. They divide into different regional areas, so any one room is manageable, but there are many rooms and many animals.

I don't know that I can do a good job covering the whole thing, and the web site is pretty good for that, allowing you to explore by animal or by exhibit.

One of the key reasons we wanted to go was to see beluga whales, which we love, and we have seen them before but the had a lot here. My inability to get good pictures of them holds true, but we still saw them, and that was good.

We have seen Magellanic penguins before, but this was the first time we got to see Rockhoppers. In addition, they had a great chart showing the different penguin species sorted by the climates they live in, which was kind of cool.

There were different types of turtles all over, which we love. There were also many frogs and snakes and other species that live in and around water that are not specifically fish. Of the fish, we loved the seahorses, and it was touching to me to see a tank for the Mekong, because that holds a special place in my heart. Most of the exhibits had good visibility. The octopus was hiding, but they always do that.

I have always been creeped out by lampreys, and I got to see a whole bunch of them here. It did not help; I still find them creepy.

A lot of it is just the atmosphere. You go around and see something odd or cute or beautiful, whether it's a jellyfish or an otter, and you enjoy that and move on. Navigation is pretty good, and the decor is beautiful. There is a marine theme that is carried through with light fixtures and carvings, and a lot of it is really beautiful.

We had panini for lunch at one of the cafes. The prices seemed pretty reasonable, and we ate outside where we had a great view of Lake Michigan and the city.

If I would make one recommendation, it would be to split up the Shedd and the Field Museum. It makes sense to keep them together because they are so close, but they are also so big, and have so much to see, that it makes for kind of a big day.