Over the weekend, my wife, my son, and I went to Chicago and Wisconsin Dells.  In Chicago: we visited some friends, picked up my wife's passport, ate LOTS of Japanese food, and visited a Japanese grocery store.  In the Dells: we went to the deer park, we went to Storybook Gardens/ Animal Park, we went swimming, and we visited "The Wonder Spot."

It was a nice trip.  I enjoy driving to Chicago and visiting Wisconsin Dells.  My biggest surprise was a drive to downtown Chicago during the day on Friday.  The traffic was not as bad as I had expected.  We were in and out in less than a half-hour each way from the northwest suburbs.

Dad (me) got to feed the horsie at deer park.

Kenny tried to feed the animals.  He held out the food, the animals came close, and then he chickened-out as soon as the animals tried to eat.  Here's a deer:

And a goat:

Kenny tolerated swimming, although I don't know whether he was all that into it.

He sat poolside and complained in baby-talk.

Mom sat with the three bears at Storybook Gardens.

Kenny saw his favorite animal at SBG.  He loves the Zeeba!

We visited the Wonder Spot.  A crooked cabin in the middle of a valley.  An interesting effect.

In Arlington Heights, Illinois, there is a supermarket called Mitsuya Market.  There is a full Japanese grocery store along with: a Japanese bakery, liquor store, book store, video rental shop, food court, and odds-and-ends store. I was really impressed with that place.  It was just like a supermarket in Japan.  There are some shockingly authentic Japanese places up there north of Chicago.  I didn't know that there were such places in America.