Boys' day out

While the girls were enjoying themselves elsewhere, it just so happened to be a great day - rain showers notwithstanding - for the boys to do the same.

We had yet to go to Millenium Park's Family Fun Festival (which started Wednesday and continues daily into September); the Chicago Blues Festival was in its second day in Grant Park; and the Chicago Tribune's Printers Row Lit Fest had just started in the South Loop.

Dad and Lincoln tackled the first and last - and Dad got a special taste of the other in between.


As always, we started the family festival with the Wiggleworms program.


But not at all like always, there were live animals to touch! And Lincoln had no qualms about petting the giant pythons, the little turtles, and the lizard. It was Wild in the City week, with activities provided by Chicago Wilderness and Millenium Park's own Lurie Garden.


Watch this comical encounter between Lincoln and a turtle. They stare each other down!

We stopped to hear a little of Sarah and the Tall Boys playing on the Pritzker Pavilion stage before strolling to Lit Fest, where we just wanted to see Peter "Paul and Mary" Yarrow - who wrote "Puff the Magic Dragon" - perform kids songs.

We passed the front of the Art Institute and got our first look at how the lions had been decorated recently. The Chicago Blackhawks just won the Stanley Cup, in case you hadn't heard.

Lincoln fell asleep soon after and thus did not get to meet Otis Taylor, the blues musician that Dad saw perform Thursday. Taylor and another man were walking toward us, heading in the direction of the blues festival. Dad stopped him and shook hands. He's a nice guy!

Then, when we got to Lit Fest, the cast of the Tony-nominated musical "Million Dollar Quartet" was rocking the stage. They weren't even on the schedule Dad had in hand! They stuck around to see Peter Yarrow perform.


And here he is. Thank goodness Lincoln was awake for it!