Play in the City

A visit to the Zoo

Going to the zoo has always seemed like a summer activity to me. Even though I've always known that the Milwaukee County Zoo is open 365 days a year, it never really occurred to me to go anytime except in the summer. Until today, that is. It had been a couple of years since we'd been to the zoo, so today we went and spent a few hours with the animals.

The sun was shining when we woke up, but by the time we got to the zoo this afternoon, it was cloudy and chilly. When we pulled in and walked into the park, I was really surprised at how crowded it was. I guess I didn't expect the place to be deserted, but it was really full of people. Mostly families, of course, because kids love the zoo. I remember being completely captivated by the zoo when I was little, and as a parent, it must be really fun to see your kids have that feeling. Going as an adult without any kids doesn't bring those same feelings of wonder and awe, but I still enjoyed our visit.

Dave is a huge animal lover and just felt bad most of the time we were there that the animals are being held in captivity. I definitely see this point of view, and it made me sad a few times, too, but on the other hand, I think that the zoo animals have it pretty good - being fed and cared for, and avoiding being hunted or becoming extinct for whatever reason. Some of the animals - the big cats, for one - don't seem to have quite enough room to roam around, but most of the animals appear to be content in their environment.

The new Big Cat Country was under construction the last time we visited the zoo, so being able to see the new area and the lions and tigers today was my favorite part. They are just the most beautiful animals. The lion we saw was just chillin, but the tiger was wandering around, coming up real close to the glass - and the little kids standing at the windows didn't even flinch! I just thought, man kid, if only you knew what that thing could/would do to you if that glass weren't there.



Besides the big cats, we saw monkeys, polar bears, black bears, wolves, sea lions, elk, camels, small mammals, moose, hippos, and elephants. We missed the giraffes somehow, and we didn't go into the bird area or the reptiles exhibit. But boy, did we see a lot of peacocks! They roam free throughout the zoo, and I think we saw at least 20 of them. Peacocks and children - I definitely got more than my fill of both of them today!



Despite all the people, the zoo is very quiet and peaceful. It's pretty expansive, covering about 200 acres, and the walkways going through the park make for a nice hike between the exhibits. It was a fun afternoon - I definitely look forward to taking my kids there one day and being able to see it all through their eyes.



The rest of the weekend was good ... This morning, Dave's parents came for a visit and we went to breakfast at Gil's on Downer Avenue. I've been there for lunch a few times - I especially enjoy being able to eat outside there in the summertime - but I didn't know until yesterday that they served breakfast on the weekends. I also didn't know they had an upstairs dining room, until they led us up there today! It was very bright and charming up there, and the breakfast was delicious. They serve omelettes and french toast and pancakes and eggs benedict ... I definitely recommend it!

Yesterday gave us a little taste of spring ... It reached over 50 degrees and the sun was shining, and so Dave and I decided to grill out for the first time this season. We had watched this show on the Food Network a few days earlier about the Build a Better Burger contest sponsored by Sutter Home Winery each year. We couldn't believe the amazing burgers we were seeing - we got some awesome ideas and vowed to try some of them out.

So last night we put a few of the ideas to the test - we made small patties with ground sirloin and put a wedge of Laughing Cow Swiss Cheese in the middle of two patties and molded them together - then we topped them with American cheese and onions caramelized in sugar, along with lettuce, mayo, and ketchup. Well, let me tell you, they were the best darn burgers I've ever tasted. The Food Network rocks! And while we were grilling the burgers, we made some margaritas and toasted - as seen below - to spring being almost here!



Just a few more weeks, folks ....

Ahhh, it's such a good feeling to be right on the brink of months worth of beautiful days!

A night at the dog track

I have many fond memories of going to the dog track.

Geneva Lakes Kennel Club in Delavan opened in 1990 when I was just eight years old, and since my grandma and my aunt and my uncle all lived in Delavan, our whole family would go on occasion, and I'd watch, fascinated, as the adults in my family placed their bets and watched the races intently, hoping to win big. I'd sit and sip my kiddie cocktail, and ponder which dogs I'd pick if I were old enough to bet.

When my friends and I all finally turned 18 our senior year of high school, spending a Friday evening at the dog track – preferably on 50 cent night, when admission, programs, hot dogs, pizza and soda were all just 50 cents – topped our list of things to do.

I never won any huge amount of money at the dog races, but the glimmer of hope was always there and that made it fun.

However, the popularity of dog tracks has been dwindling in recent years.

After 15 years in business, Geneva Lakes Kennel Club ended its live racing on November 6 this year, and it will officially close its doors completely next June. (Read about the closing here, here, and here.) Several other Wisconsin dog tracks have also closed in recent years, and now only one remains: Dairyland Greyhound Park in Kenosha.

Friday night, Dave and I went with Christi and Tara for a night at the dog track. It was something none of us had done in quite some time, so we figured we'd try our luck.

We got there just after the first race, and we were all pretty surprised at how dead it was inside. There were maybe 200 people in the entire place. Maybe. And it was "Dollar Drafts and Dogs" night, too.



We settled in and made our bets on the second race, but none of us won any money. When we looked to see how much we WOULD have won, we were further discouraged. Payouts aren't very big when the crowd is so thin.



Still, we all made bets on every race. By the end of the night, Christi and Tara both came out ahead, but Dave and I hadn't won anything. I decided that I don't really enjoy betting on dogs anymore. To me, there's just no rhyme or reason to it, and I feel like I have absolutely no control over whether I win or not. Poker or blackjack on the other hand, I at least feel like I have some control.

After an evening of cheap beer, greasy hot dogs, zero winning, and being surrounded by the very … interesting … clientele (can you say mullet?), I was ready to head home. I find it sad that a night at the dog track just isn't what it used to be, and that business is bad, but I can definitely understand why that is. It's probably only a matter of time until the Kenosha track closes, too, and then Wisconsin will be dog track-less.

No matter what happens, and even if I never go to the races again (which I don't think I will), I'll always remember my days at the dog track fondly.

Geocaching

Have you heard of geocaching?

I've heard about it from a few different people over the past couple of months and my curiosity is now sparked.

Geocaching is basically a current-day, high-tech form of treasure hunting. Caches are hidden all over the world, and would-be treasure hunters have to go onto the internet to find out the exact geographical location of a cache and then use a GPS (global positioning system) to find it.

When a cache is found, the finder must take something out of the cache, put something else back in for another person to take, and then document their visit in the logbook that accompanies the cache. Many also take their picture at the site to further prove they were there.

Now, when I first heard about geocaching, I heard that the items can be pretty cool: books, concert tickets, CDs, jewelry, etc. In reality, though, the items are more likely to be small things like Pez dispensers, baseball cards, disposable cameras, etc.

BUT, there is always that chance you might strike gold (so to speak), and that's exciting. Plus, once you get there, you have a chance to leave something of real interest to make it fun for the next treasure hunter. And besides, geocaching - like life - is more about the journey than the destination. Geocachers usually find themselves in places that they never would have been otherwise. It gives hiking a bit more direction and purpose.

So here it is. I want to try geocaching, but I don't really know how to begin, and I'm not exactly in the market for a GPS right now. I know there are scores of caches hidden in Milwaukee, so there must be plenty of people in the area finding them.

If you geocache and wouldn't mind me or me and a pal tagging along one day, please let me know!

For more information on geocaching in Wisconsin, you can go here. Happy Hunting!