Scenes from Lincoln Park Zoo Lights

It was our first time ever going to Lincoln Park Zoo Lights this weekend, a holiday event showcasing over one million lights, and sponsored by ComEd every winter at the zoo after-hours. We've never done it before, because, by the time we get our act together it's already too bitter cold to be wandering around aimlessly outdoors. Three years later, I finally got smart and decided we needed to go as early as possible in the season. It was just perfect, with a winterscape created by a snowstorm overnight, leaving little mountains of snow everywhere. We warmed up with hot chocolate while ambling around the zoo on a clear night, lit up by miles and miles of twinkling Christmas lights in the trees. It reminded me of Santa's Enchanted Forest in South Florida, but seemingly mildly less "Christmas on crack" (everything in Florida is __________ on crack) and a gazillion times more cold and snowy. And despite braving the 20something degree temps that night, my strategy to go early on in the season was totally validated as I write this post on a day that was 9 degrees when I woke (and only gonna get worse from here on out!).

Oh, and the occasional odd penguin and snowman was spotted, or two.