RDU magazine online

ON TO THE CHICAGO CONVENTION

CHILDREN WELCOME

by Anne E. Stein
As visiting school children frolic under water cascading from two towers in Millennium Park, it’s clear that architects had family in mind when they designed Chicago’s latest showcase.

Sure, the new 24.5-acre, $US450 million park, located downtown between Lake Michigan and Michigan Avenue, has lush public gardens, stunning outdoor sculpture, and a state-of-the-art music pavilion. But it’s the happy shouts of children that reflect how welcome families feel as they stroll through this and the city’s other parks, museums and visitor attractions, as well as along the sparkling shoreline.

You can picnic in the park and join in with the statues in Chicago when the family goes to the R.I. Convention in 2005.

Chicago is truly a city for people of all ages, offering an abundance of activities for Rotarians before, during, and after the 2005 R.I. Convention in Chicago.

Where do you begin your family’s tour? The great outdoors is a good start.

Mayor Richard M. Daley is a huge fan of horticulture (you’ll notice miles of flowers up and down Michigan Avenue) and bicycling, and he’s worked hard to expand the public trail along Lake Michigan to 30kms up and down the shore (the lakefront spans a total of almost 50kms from north to south).

You can rent a family-size bike (seats four) at Navy Pier to get a variety of city views, grab a pair of roller skates, or simply walk along the lakefront path to take in the sights.

Chicago’s an ethnic melting pot, with neighbourhoods ranging from Greektown to the Ukrainian Village. Throughout the summer, the city sponsors numerous neighbourhood festivals. Check the city’s department of tourism website, www.ci.chi.il.us/tourism, for that weekend’s events.

A family walking tour is a great way to explore each culture’s delicious restaurants, bakeries and unique shops, or arrange for a guided tour, leaving from the Chicago Cultural Centre.

You’ll also get a chance to celebrate Rotary’s ethnic diversity on Saturday, June 18, during Rotary’s Centennial Parade in downtown Chicago. The parade will feature marching bands, floats and Rotarians in ethnic attire.
The next day, June 19, is Father’s Day in the United States, and with warm, sunny weather, it would be the perfect time to visit one of the city’s two world-renowned zoos. Brookfield is in the western suburbs and Lincoln Park just north of downtown.

Both are open every day of the year and each has a children’s zoo. Combine your Lincoln Park visit with a stop at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, adjacent to the zoo. Check out the butterfly garden and the Hands-on Habitat, which is geared especially to children under seven.

An easy way to get to many of the city’s attractions is by trolley. It’s free and takes you to the Nature Museum, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chinatown and Pilsen, as well as the Chicago Historical Society, Navy Pier and Chicago’s Gold Coast.

There are numerous street corner stops, and it also connects with the city’s elevated and subway trains and Metra commuter trains.
(Go to www.transitchicago.com or www.metrarail.com).

Navy Pier is the city’s No.1 tourist attraction, and with its impressive Ferris wheel, you can’t miss its downtown presence along the lake.