We visited family in Chicago a few weeks ago and wanted to spend some time seeing the sights. The city offers a wealth of options for a wide range of interests, but we needed an activity which would take in the needs and interests of three generations: my husband and I, our two daughters and one-year-old grandson. Our first choice was the Lincoln Park Zoo. Our previous visit a few years back found it a wonderful attraction, clean, lovely grounds, appealing exhibits and — really great for a young family — free! Unfortunately, the weather on this Monday was, while not chilly, decidedly wet. That directed us to our next option: the Shedd Aquarium. Located on the shores of Lake Michigan in Grant Park in what is known as the Museum Campus (encompassing the Field Museum of Natural History, the Adler Planetarium, Soldier Field and McCormick Place Lakeside Center), the Shedd houses more than 8,000 aquatic animals in a series of halls with accessible and visually appealing exhibits. We parked in the large parking structure at Soldier Field and figured we’d timed our visit well: it was just about 1 p.m., so large school field trip groups would be leaving, and Monday afternoon in early May meant no large crowds of tourists. There was, nevertheless, a long, slow-moving line to purchase tickets, and we began checking our options. A little advance planning and we could have avoided any lines and purchased online at slightly reduced rates. Another option for those visiting the city for several days is the Chicago CityPASS, offering admission to five of the city’s most popular attractions for $96 (adults). However, we decided to extend the gift of this one-day visit to the aquarium to a full year’s membership so that our Chicago family could enjoy its treasures, along with friends on guest passes, all this coming year. It provided the best bang for our buck and is fully tax-deductible, besides! What proved priceless, however, was our grandson’s reaction to all the sights and sounds of the exhibits. The aquarium offered a better venue for him than the zoo, I think, because he was able to get right up against the glass of the tanks and be literally nose to nose with the colorful and exotic fish. His wide-eyed, round-mouthed expressions of delight and fascination made us glad for the rainy weather that brought us here. Once again, Chicago and its many charms delivered a wonderful visit to us, as I’m sure it will for you. Do plan ahead and look into special package deals for attractions and online ticket purchases to avoid lines and high fees. — Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor