Adler Planetarium

No Latin inspired titles this time, friends! (Although, there were a lot of conversations about Greek and Roman mythology given where I spent the morning).

Today, I braved the weather (a lovely 45 degree day if you ignored the rain that splashed down on us and the wind that blew through us) to go to the Adler Planetarium. It was a free day for Illinois residents and I am one of those (even though I don’t have an IL ID yet).

When I arrived at the planetarium, I was ready with my library card to prove that I am a resident and they could not have cared less. They didn’t even look at it! They just handed me a white wristband and sent me out into my space journey. Parker had beaten me there – because my bus drove right past me without stopping – so once I found him, it was time to go exploring. (Short sidebar: I did not realize that like all of Chicago’s biggest museums are lumped together on what they call the Museum Campus. The Planetarium, Field Museum and Aquarium are all neighbors!).

Space selfie

Honestly, this was not the most impressive planetarium/space museum I’ve visited but I had a good time there. I figured out a challenge about how they got the Apollo 13 back to Earth all by myself, so basically, I could be an astronaut. The discussions about Greek and Roman mythology were inspired by the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions and we even got to see one of the Gemini capsules – which really reinforced how little legroom they had and how little I want to be an astronaut. 

Lost! Lost! Lost! IN SPACE!

We stopped at the gift shop on the way out (ok, you sort of had to go through the gift shop to leave, so why not?) and discovered that they had astronaut penguins! Like the little penguins in MCT’s Aladdin were lost in space! (Totally working on a sequel now).

The planetarium only took an hour so we had time for lunch, or brunch, as we ended up getting. A quick Google search revealed a restaurant called Chicago Waffles that was within walking distance. I was sold. Parker did not take much convincing either because waffles.

They had so many waffles! Including a waffle sampler plate that let you get little mini-waffles! That was tempting, but I ended up going with the red velvet waffles (they came with strawberries and cream cheese -- can't beat that!). Parker got waffles with bacon cooked inside and chicken on top (meat is murder but damn those waffles looked good). I was really happy with my choice and was actually able to finish my whole meal without needing to loosen my belt while still being satisfied, which is probably the mark of the best brunch ever.

I had an appointment at 3 and after lunch, I didn’t really have enough time to go back to my apartment so I went to Parker’s, which was much closer to where I needed to be. I had never been there, despite the fact that Parker and Claire have now lived here for three whole months! Parker prepped for his job as a trivia host and attempted to introduce me to one of his favorite shows – I charged my cell phone.

After that, I was a victim of the elements once again. I was too stubborn to close my umbrella and just get soaked so I was basically blown the distance I needed to commute. Post-appointment, the weather had settled down a bit but I was still ready to go home and collapse, which is where I am now! I am safe from the rain here but the wind is working hard to make sure that I still feel it by trying to bust through my windows with thunderous gusts. I’m toasty warm with my mermaid blanket, heated mattress pad and glass of wine, so no worries, just prayers that tomorrow will be dryer!