One week in Chicago: Animals

by Mike Barish on

I love animals. Not in the way the the guy in the photo to the right does, but I do enjoy seeing exotic animals. That’s why I tend to get pretty giddy when I have the chance to check out a zoo or an aquarium. So, you can imagine how excited I was to visit Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium and Lincoln Park Zoo. Why are they so special? Well, the Shedd was once the largest aquarium in the world and remains the most visited aquarium in the United States. And the Lincoln Park Zoo is the largest free zoo in the world.

Between eating and sightseeing, I enjoyed visiting the Shedd and the Lincoln Park Zoo because they provided me with a chance to relax, enjoy some amazing creatures and lose myself in the wonder that is the animal kingdom. When you’re watching sharks and rays swim around a giant saltwater tank, you tend to forget all about how awful that deep dish pizza was.
When I mentioned to friends that I was going back to Chicago once again, without fail they all said that I should finally visit the Shedd Aquarium. I thought it was odd that people would encourage me so strongly to take time out of my sightseeing to visit an aquarium, but once I arrived, it all made sense. While the statue outside the building (see photo above) is a tad odd, it does send the message that the people of Chicago love fish. And respect them, for that matter.

The Shedd Aquarium opened in 1930 and the building was heavily influenced by Greek architecture. It doesn’t lookat all like an aquarium. Instead. it resembles an art museum or government building. But inside it’s all about the animals. You’re immediately greeted by a 90,000 tank reproducing a Caribbean reef. All manner of tropical fish coexist while divers feed the animals and take questions from visitors. That’s what impressed me most about the Shedd. It wasn’t just about displaying these creatures and letting people “ooh” and “ahh.” The staff at the Shedd truly seem to cherish the opportunity to teach people about the animals and to respect them, as well. I sat with a Shedd employee for 10 minutes as he showed me a rather large tarantula. He patiently answered my questions and assuaged any fears I had that such a creature would one day kill and eat me.

The Shedd’s Oceanarium is the largest indoor marine mammal facility in the world. Sadly, it was closed for renovations when I visited. However, when it reopens later this summer, it will once again feature beluga whales, dolphins and sea otters.

I found myself near Lincoln Park late on a warm afternoon and, on a whim, decided to go to the zoo that I’d heard so much about. I’ve long been a sucker for zoos. Ever since, as a child, I went to the Bronx Zoo and rode an elephant, I’ve found zoos to be magical places. So when I heard that the Lincoln Park Zoo was not only amazing but free, I knew I had to spend a few hours there. I spent nearly an hour in just the ape and monkey houses marveling at how these amazing creatures swing through trees, interact with one another and hamming it up for visitors. Children frolicked throughout the zoo eating popcorn, snapping photos and giggling at how long a giraffe’s tongue is.

There’s something simple and endearing about a good zoo. It allows a domestic trip to become more international. It turns your afternoon into a safari. It transports you to back to your childhood and to different places in the world. The Lincoln Park Zoo is a vast collection of animals that is well organized, professionally run and, well, free! It’s a must-see for anyone visiting Chicago with children. But if you’re a single 30-year-old writer traveling alone, you’ll enjoy it too.

Read all about my Chicago food adventures here and some of the best sights to visit in the Windy City here.

Swim with sharks at Dubai mall

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Dubai just changed how we’ll all look at malls forever. The Dubai Mall could have changed the rules simply by installing an aquarium and zoo … or gone even crazier by putting sharks in the water. Hell, watching sharks swim is a great way to eat your Auntie Ann’s pretzel. In Dubai, you can have your friend hold your pretzel while you put on a wetsuit and hop right in!

At the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo within the mall, visitors can slide into a 10 million-liter tank with sand tiger sharks, reef sharks and leopard sharks – not to mention giant groupers and stingrays.

Certified divers can arrive at the mall an hour before the dive (which lasts 20 – 30 minutes), while non-certified divers need to take a SCUBA course (noon on Thursday or Saturday). Certified divers will need to spend $225, with $300 for those who aren’t certified.

Mascots needed for Miami Seaquarium Easter celebration

by Tom Johansmeyer on

If your parents told you your career at Chuck E. Cheese was a dead end, you can finally flaunt your possibilities. The Miami Seaquarium is ready to make your dreams come true. Its annual Easter Egg Hunt Celebration starts Friday, April 10, 2009 and runs through Sunday, April 12. To make the event come to life, the Seaquarium needs mascots, and that’s where you get involved.

You can bring your own costume! The celebration is open to mascots of all kinds. Throw your funny animal into the mix, and you’ll get to ride in a truck every day at 11 AM for a special ceremony – along with famous Miami Seaquarium personalities such as Flipper the dolphin, Lolita the killer whale, Roc the crocodile and Maime the manatee. You won’t be the guest of honor though. Come on, how could you upstage the Easter Bunny?! To assume your spot, you’ll have to get to the park a half hour before the festivities begin.

For those not dressed for the affair, the Easter Egg Hunt activities start at 10 AM and run until 4 PM.

Budget Travel: Baltimore

by Grant Martin on


Summary: When most people think of the city of Baltimore, tourism is the last thing that comes to their mind. The Maryland city known for high crime, seedy neighborhoods and social stratification often falls by the wayside when travelers consider the hipper east coast cities — Boston, New York, Philadelphia or Washington DC.

But nestled deep in the grit of Baltimore lies a dark warm culture, a thriving food and nightlife scene and volumes of history. Coupled with its proximity to the coast, Philly and DC, Baltimore serves as an excellent budget destination and home base for day trips through the east. Come along as we show you around.
Getting in: Ever since Southwest Airlines set up camp at BWI airport in ’93, Baltimore has enjoyed budget airfares across the United States and to foreign destinations alike. Visiting from Detroit? Book far enough in advance and you can get flights for around $100. Visiting from London? You can get to Baltimore direct on British Airways.

From the airport it’s an easy ride on the light rail into the city for $1.60.

If the rail lines fit your fancy, Amtrak, where you can often find good weekend fares, serves Baltimore from all over the east. Or you can even take the MARC train up from DC for less than $10.

An even less expensive option is to use the Chinatown Bus, that despite dropping you off on the outskirts of the city, will get you all over the east for often less than a meal at Olive Garden.

Where to Stay: Unlike New York and Toronto, you can’t just plop down in most places in Baltimore and consider yourself safe. Crime, while in digression, is still a concern in the city and it’s best that you stay in safer neighborhoods during your visit.

That said, there are several excellent, rewarding neighborhoods, around the city that are both walkable and full of culture.

  • Right downtown is always the best bet if you’re looking for safety first. Adjacent to the Inner Harbor and a short hop away from Fells Point, the largely commercial region is a good central hub for attacking the city. You can get there in an inexpensive taxi from Baltimore Penn Station or via light rail for next to nothing, and there are a wide variety of traditional hotels available for you to use your points at. The Holiday Inn right downtown is always a safe, inexpensive bet.
  • Just south of downtown and on the waterfront is the Inner Harbor, the revitalized social and tourist hub in the city. It will be more scenic and you’ll have better access to the sights here, but it’ll subsequently be more expensive than downtown spots.
  • Fells Point (pictured) is just adjacent to the Inner Harbor and is the “bar and restaurant” core of the city (try the chowder.) With the wealth of activity in the area it’s also an excellent choice for accommodation, although hotels are not as numerous. As an alternative, there are a variety of delectable rentals that you can find on vrbo.com for a very good price.
  • Other neighborhoods including Towson and St. Charles Village host pockets of hotels and activity. If you do decide to stay in these areas though, make sure you do your homework and know how safe it is before you commit.

What to See:

  • Edgar Allan Poe’s grave: While the Poe House and Museum are in a seedy part of town, the poet’s final resting place is actually quite close to the downtown area. On the corners of Fayette and Greene Streets just west of downtown you’ll find Westminster Hall and Burying Ground, where the likes of Poe, James McHenry and Philip Barton Key are buried. Make sure you stop by Poe’s tombstone and drop off your pennies. Oh and the best part? It’s absolutely free.
  • The National Aquarium in Baltimore: One of the best aquariums in the nation, pictured, is at the far end of the Inner Harbor. The sprawling exhibit is host to 16,000 creatures with a multiple story shark tank, dolphin display and rooftop rain forest. Admission for adults is just over $20.
  • At the center of downtown’s activity, The Inner Harbor is the revitalized host to much of the city’s social and commercial activity. You can find all sorts of the standard big city accoutrements here, from the ESPN Sports zone to the Hard Rock Cafe, but be forewarned that it’s a very touristy and some say, less authentic Baltimore. The USS Constellation is also docked here.
  • Founded in 1876, The Johns Hopkins University is one of the oldest, most prestigious research institutions in the United States. Their Homewood campus, a quick cab ride north of down town, is set in a beautiful Federalist style where you can roam between campus buildings, stop in a cafe for a break and watch the students pass by. Walking east from the campus, you can sneak into the top of Charles Village where you can get some excellent pub food at the Charles Village Pub.
  • Take a day trip out to Washington DC or Philadelphia. For a mere few dollars you can slip into either of the more expensive cities for the day, enjoy the sites and take the evening train back into Baltimore for the night. You can usually catch the MARC from Penn station for a few dollars while the Amtrak to Philadelphia can be a bit pricier. Annapolis is also fairly close, but you’ll have to rent a car to get there.

Finally, remember to stay on your toes and practice good tourism in Baltimore. By the numbers, the city isn’t as safe as most on the east coast, but if you’re smart, attentive and logical you’ll love the city, its culture and you’ll even save a few dollars by staying in a Gadling Budget Destination.

Sharks Get Violent at Dubai Mall Aquarium

by Josh Lew on

Come shop in the mall recently built in the shadow of the Dubai Burj, the world’s tallest building. You will enjoy over 1,200 of the world’s finest shops and a huge, glittery gold market…and see a 10-million liter aquarium in which divers and small fish are ravaged by gigantic sharks.

The aggressive sharks are part of a 33,000 specimen tank at the 12-million-square-foot Dubai Burj Mall. The tank includes an acrylic tunnel that people can walk through and gaze up at the aquatic life. The mall’s grand opening was marred when the large sand sharks attacked and killed nearly 40 smaller sharks. I doubt that the mall’s goal was to remind people of the casual brutality of nature before they began browsing through the world’s largest gold market. I’m sure the goal was spectacle, but naturally aggressive sand sharks do not mix well with other sharks in a closed environment. Divers performing maintenance on the interior of the tank have also been attacked, though no fatalities have been reported.