Winter Fun for Chicago area Kids - Brookfield Zoo

Last Friday the family (well only me) wanted to get out and do something.  I love spending the day at one of the Chicago museums but that was just not in the cards for us.  We tried to get a museum pass for the Museum of Science & Industry but they were all checked out.  Then we decided to head to the place we figured no one else would go on a snowy winter day... The Brookfield Zoo, boy were we right!  We planned on using the Macy's Adventure pass but unfortunately it only allows free admission for 2 people - not enough for our family.  I also made sure to check the free admission days to the zoo and area museums to make sure I wasn't going to run into a huge crowd.  Luckily a member of our family has a Chicago library card so we were able to use the Kraft Free Museum Pass which allows free admission to the Brookfield Zoo for 4 but you still have to pay for parking.  We pulled into the parking lot and were one of 6 cars parked there.  It was really very beautiful walking into the zoo with the snow gently falling and not a soul in sight.  

It wasn't too cold out so that made it all the better.  The kids had a great time running around and playing tag as we walked from exhibit to exhibit.  My first destination was the bear cages but once we got there we read the signs that the bears had moved into a new exhibit - Great Bear Wilderness.  So while we worked our way to the other side of the zoo to see the bears we stopped off to see the Big Cats, another favorite of mine. 

The two lions were cuddled up right by the window pawing and grooming each other.  They were so cute!!!  Once we stopped at the window the lion stood up and started to stare us down - what fun!  The lioness was feeling playful so she coaxed the lion out into yard area and started to attack and wrestle with him. 

We stopped into many of the other exhibits to warm up along our way such Tropic World where 2 of my favorite animals live the, Tree Sloth and the pigmy hippo.  We watched 5 dolphins playing in the water with a toy bat in the Seven Seas and checked out the seals at Pinniped Point.  We headed into another indoor exhibit the Fragile Desert where we saw the oh so cute Meerkats, and a 
 
tiny fox with huge ears (the smallest of the canine family).  

Hard to believe that this little guy isn't a house cat but that is what they claim.

We stopped into the Feathers and Scales exhibit where I like to watch the Road Runners run around but either they were on vacation or they were sleeping because I did not see hide nor feather of them.  




The wolves were enjoying the snow and were easy to spot and see close up - I guess is was close to lunch time and they thought I was delivering the food.

Unfortunately, by the time we made our way to the bears it was almost time to leave, our 4 hours were up and we had to head home.  I still wanted to stop in to see the wambat and the bats in the Australia House but there was not enough time.  During the time that we were at the zoo we saw about 4 other families, definitely no waiting in line to see anything for us that day.