On the Road Friday ~ Shedd Aquarium ~ Chicago, Illinois

Welcome to On the Road Friday.

My On the Road Friday posts are of places we have visited. I like to give travel tips and fun ideas of places to visit if you are planning to do something new.

For my first On the Road Friday of 2015, we are traveling to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois.

My birthday was in December and my sister treated me to a trip to Chicago for the weekend of December 12 - 14th. It was a special trip, just the two of us, something we had not done since high school! She treated me to a full day at the Shedd Aquarium.

And now it is your turn. 

 Let's go look at some fish!

Here is the entrance to the Shedd Aquarium.

First a bit of history. 

 

Mr. Shedd’s gift
John G. Shedd wanted to give back to the city in which he had risen from stock boy to president of department store giant Marshall Field & Company. Because every great city in the United States and Europe had a fine aquarium, he decided that Chicago must have the biggest and best.

Mr. Shedd imagined a stately marble building and a collection of aquatic animals from around the world that would complement the two world-class institutions already in Grant Park, the Field Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Immerse yourself. Shedd’s exhibits connect you to incredible animals from around the world — and close to home. Dive deep into coral reefs and flooded rainforests, and stroll along the craggy Pacific Northwest coast.
Whether it’s the fresh, cool Great Lakes or warm waves of the Caribbean, Shedd’s many exhibits reveal the secrets of our planet’s waters. 
 

The outside and the inside of the Shedd Aquarium is full of character. 

Just a bit of the character inside the building

 

 a neoclassical temple of white marble and terra cotta that celebrates aquatic life, from the marine fossils in its limestone floor to Neptune’s trident capping its glass dome.

 Beluga Whale

The photo above is the Abbott Oceanarium, this area is where the Aquatic Shows are held. The water you see outside is Lake Michigan. It is just a beautiful place. Then add a beluga whale and it is just an amazing sight. A very peaceful setting as well.

We got to see the Holiday Show. We saw beluga whales and dolphins do amazing tricks. We also enjoyed a sea lion and some beautiful holiday music.

 

Not your typical live animal show, Shedd's aquatic show features a rotating group of Shedd residents.
See and hear how animals like beluga whales, sea lions and dolphins at Shedd are cared for every day by their trainers. Then see how the Shedd way of training highlights their incredible natural behaviors.
Witness the beauty of aquatic life, feel the connection we all share with the living world and share the responsibility we all have to care for animal life on this planet.

 Granddad! He is in the photo below. 

Granddad was huge! He was eating some lettuce.

 I just loved this guy. Not sure about his pose. I think he is balancing on one flipper.

 This fella was swimming in the Caribbean Reef, which was one of my favorite places in the Aquarium. I went back to visit it three times.

And I think this ray's smile is a perfect way to wish you a Happy Friday!

I hope you enjoyed your trip to the Shedd Aquarium.

For more information, Click Here

♥

Carla