My husband and I have returned to Chicago for a four-day visit with our daughter and son-in-law. For the third October in a row, we are enjoying fantastic weather. The last two years we have visited on the first weekend in October and been greeted by sunshine, warm temps and light breezes. This year we arrived a week later and have again been blessed with highs in the upper 70s–low 80s and sunny skies (just last weekend it was chilly, windy and cloudy here). I don’t know what we’ve done to earn this great weather karma, but I’m sure glad we’ve got it! Chicago is a great city, with lots to see and do no matter what the time of year (or weather). Over the last five years, when one or both daughters lived here, we’ve visited at least once a year, so we’ve seen most of the big tourist attractions and have come to feel pretty comfortable with getting around (and the public transportation system really makes that convenient). Yesterday we returned to Lincoln Park Zoo to stroll around for a few hours in the sunshine. Although the zoo isn’t huge, it does have some great exhibits (especially entertaining are the two gorilla families), and the grounds are beautifully maintained. Perhaps best of all, admission is free (!!), so it’s a great attraction for families on a budget to enjoy. We also spent a short time touring through the adjacent Lincoln Park Conservatory, a series of Victorian-era greenhouses with exotic and fantastic flora. The four main rooms feature palms, ferns, orchids and a “show” room. As a gardener, I appreciated the opportunity to stroll the paths and admire the lovely flowers; unusual foliage; and striking colors, shapes and textures. This evening we’re revisiting another Chicago favorite — Second City — for one of their hilarious comedy shows. And tomorrow promises to be another perfect day, weather-wise, so the plan is to steer clear of the Chicago marathon crowds downtown and stop in at the Morton Arboretum out in the western suburbs. Yep, you can’t go wrong with a visit to this dynamic city . . . especially when the weather cooperates! — Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor