Make Your Own Spoke Cards And Photos from the Bike Swap

see the contact paper around the unfinished card?

Kids made homemade spoke cards by decorating cards with stamps, glitter and pastels, then they were sealed in contact paper. You slide them between your wheel spokes and they spin happily as you ride.

Heat laminating might work better than contact paper (except maybe for the glitter) but we had neither electric power nor enough time to supervise the potential burns. 

To make your own, have 8-1/2 by 11 inch (or A4) 110 lb heavy card stock cut into sixths (or smaller if you are going to use them on small kids' bikes) at the office supply store. Gather stamps and ink pads, pastels, markers or anything else you can think of. Decorate the cards and seal them inside the clear contact paper with some edge overlap. We found contact paper at our office supply mega store. They may have it at the hardware store as well.

Lots of families stopped by and it was very fun. Many thanks to Active Transportation Alliance and Bike Winter for welcoming us to give it a try. Bionic bike mom Jane Healy- leader of Cal-Sag cycles- and her amazing daughters were our partners at the table. Jane shared her stupendous collection of bike stamps (there must be 80 of them) with us all- including a much-coveted Edward Gorey stamp with two kids flying on a bike.

We had a do-it-yourself how to make a balance bike display, and a few people put together spoke noisemakers from plastic picnic plates or cardstock and zip ties, like at our bike party.

The family riding presentation was great. There were plenty of very cute babies there. It won't be long before the babies are out riding the neighborhood greenways and protected lanes coming to Chicago. They'll be the first generation of Chicagoans to grow up with safe sheltered spaces for children to use their bikes as transportation. I can't wait. 

The swap itself went well downstairs, with plenty of interesting stuff and lots of people saying, "You should have been here a few minutes ago; I just sold a guy a bucket of the best stuff for $5!" One bike in the Bike Corral, for $20, was a Bridgestone Disney Princess bike with a roller brake and Japanese stickers all over it. There was a Rivendell Bleriot and a RRB and a bunch of Waterford Treks and titanium frames and, and... but no cargo bikes and no tandems. Only 2 kid seats, and they were pretty standard. 

You should try to make it next year! 

Come to the Bike Swap today!

Are you looking for bicycle-related bargains and camaraderie this weekend? Maybe you didn't think so, but it's worth dropping by the Chicago Bike Swap, at the Pulaski Park fieldhouse on Blackhawk just northeast of Division/Ashland/Milwaukee, today, March 3, 2012, from 10am to 5pm. We take our kids and they have lots of fun for a much longer time than you'd think.

There will be a chat at 11 a.m. to learn about family riding. We'll be hosting a family craft table upstairs on the second floor where you and your kids can make decorative spoke cards starting at about noon on until 2 pm. As for goodies to buy, last year we found tons of great stuff, like $60 tires for $5 and piles of odd bits and pieces, there are often bike-themed arts and crafts, and they have a bunch of interesting bikes to admire, buy, or swap. People will be available to talk about any aspect of bicycles or riding them in the city, and we'll try to bring along some of our cargo bikes and things for you to check out.

Considering the crowds, it isn't a bad idea to bring or plan your lunch ahead (edit: they did have food and drinks from Goose Island there, the lines today were short).  It's also handy to bring small bill cash since many vendors can't take any other kind of money and the ATMs aren't that close to the Pulaski fieldhouse.

If you are stuck for lunch one nearby option you might not usually consider is Podhalanka, an unlikely looking Polish lunchroom with plant grow lights in the windows, delicious homemade soups and Polish standards on Division between Milwaukee and Ashland. The woman who runs it always spoils our children with attention and red hibiscus Kompot to drink, and you can hear the kitchen staff (usually the waitress/owner) bashing the fresh schnitzel flat after you order it. It isn't a very expansive vegetarian option but there are potato pancakes, meatless pierogis and salads. There are tacos on Ashland at La Pasadita's three restaurants, and Lovely is a bakery and coffee shop just south on Milwaukee with good morning snacks, some lunch options, and adequate coffee. Bucktown/Wicker Park is just a few bicycle minutes west, with many more choices including Cumin, which has many veggie and some meaty Nepali/Indian dishes in a buffet, and Buzz coffee on Damen.

Here's the Chainlink description of the swap:

Spend your Saturday with hundreds of other cyclists from across Chicagoland at the Chicago Bike Swap!
Shop for parts for your bikes, great gear or stop by our bike corral, to get a new bike or “swap” your old one (for $5/bike)!  We’ll also have great informative presentations, bike games, delicious lunch for sale and hot coffee.
Admission is $5 at the door for Active Trans members, $10 for non-members.  No need to purchase tickets in advance.  

Here's the map:
http://chicagobikeswap.org/location/

Maybe see you there!

Mama Chari ( ママチャリ ) in Chicago!

We found ourselves this afternoon at Working Bikes again, where there is a glut of great bikes now that it’s winter. In addition to the usual Schwinn/Raleigh/etc offerings, there were a few very unusual ones today, including a couple of Japanese bikes rarely seen in the US. If they had been (a lot) less than $300 each we would have had to run off with both of them!


We see Fujis in the US pretty often, since they have been (or were) sold here. They were more commonly imported to the Northeast than to Schwinn headquarters, Chicago. Working Bikes has an odd one now, an Avalon Sport — Japanese market? Not sure. Looks like it.

There was a good 3-speed Panasonic too. The picture didn't come out. You'll have to imagine it.

When was the last time you saw a With? Or is it a Pets With Kids? Not sure of the manufacturer’s identity. Some common ones for bikes like this are Maruishi/Frackers, Bridgestone, Sogo. Look at the link at the end for more. If you know what this one is and when it dates from please let us know. It’s a (1990-ish?) Japanese Mamachari - a mom chariot. Here are a few pics:

The Pets With Kids is a low, three single speed bike with a full chaincase and a step through frame. The kickstand locks open and holds the rear wheel up securely. See how the front wheel is small, with ape hanger bars surrounding a child seat / carrying basket? Even a small-framed person can easily move 2 kids and/or groceries or tools or whatever they want with something like this. Because the weight is distributed directly over the steerer tube, the child or load in front doesn't mess up the handling of the bike much. And they can talk to you easily and get a good view. There are windshields available on many of these bikes in Japan to keep the child comfortable even in a little rain.

 The little smoked orange colored plastic
footrest is down for a child to sit.

You can strap one kid into the front seat and one into the back, or use both baskets for carrying things. The back cushions on this one are a little old and messy (they need new upholstery or replacing) but everything still works fine. The plastic OGK basket on the handlebars sports a fold-down section for little feet to stick out the front when it's not full of groceries. See how the seats fold to turn into baskets?

 

This person raced to the store to
get the mama bicycle when she
heard about it!

The front fork can be locked in position so the bike doesn’t get knocked over by wriggling children (or wriggling groceries). There is a generator light — but only on the front wheel. The back has only a fender reflector. Look at the Japanese domestic market generator with a plastic guard to prevent splashing muck and to keep fingers clean! Modern mamachari bikes link the kickstand and the front fork lock automatically, but good luck finding one in Chicago. There are apparently one or two more of these bikes in town. Are they yours?

The back wheel has a cheesy ring lock, nearly enough to keep a bike safe in Japan except from the bicycle cleanup crews that toss them in the backs of trucks if they're illegally parked...  Always a good idea to lock your bike TO something, even there. This one even still has its key and keychain!


I love Japanese bicycle names - I once had a one speed "Fantastic Milk" with odd leaping monsters shaped like the word for mountain on the chainguard. Do you know of any other fun bicycle model names?












Here's a domestic Japanese market Bridgestone that someone donated or found:

The Bridgestone Starlight is not intended for carrying kids, but it has many similar features to the Mamachari. It has a 3- speed Nexus hub and a Bridgestone rear band brake. The sign says "this will give you a smooth trip for a long time". 

There is an older Nexus generator hub, the front lamp has a green blinking standlight-type thing, and the rims are stainless steel. 

Look at the, um, are those pressure indicators on the rims? This bike has some quality features I haven’t seen before.

(Other Japanese related stuff in Chicago, if you are looking, includes the Midwest Buddhist Temple in Old Town, Mitsuwa marketplace on Algonquin Rd in Arlington Heights (from kotatsu tables to Japanese thick bread to the only delicious ramen in Chicagoland I think), Kawaii housewares on Halsted and Maxwell, Toguri on Clark and Belmont (closed), Sunshine Cafe on Clark and Catalpa, and JASC, the Japanese-American Service Committee, also on Clark, a cultural institution with many families that moved to Chicago after the US government displaced them from their land to nasty camps in the second World War. Now we need Muji and Uniqlo like New York already has. And a ママチャリ bike store!)

There are really good city and utility bikes in Japan. People use them every day in all kinds of weather. Just look at pictures of a Japanese train station to see the ocean of cycles waiting for their owners to return and ride back. There are also several interesting sites about mama-chari out there, including mama bicycle.  Best of all, though, this excellent post, full of great pictures, on Katesensei, a Japanese language learning site, gives you an idea of how great the infrastructure and bike options are in Japan - really, they don't have half this stuff in Copenhagen or Amsterdam. (Anyone interested in starting an Osakaize blog?)  There's a bike storage option for train stations you won't believe. Look at the link and drool!

oops - one followed us home...
what on earth will we feed it?
Looks like it'll be a kids bike. Maybe.
You can still find more good bikes there...

... like a lugged frame double-butted cr-mo
Schwinn superior for only $210, and a
triple butted Miyata mixte, too!

kidish made safe streets message

Streetsblog carried a sweet kid- or mostly kid made video about safe streets in New York.

The antidote to that sometimes-when-you-are-raising-kids-in-the-city feeling, that you should move far away into the country to homeschool your kids and go to the beach a lot, is to watch other city kids talk about living in their city. ( visit  beautiful SouleMama for her long running Friday moment for the country mouse heart tug)
Our children were pretty rapt watching this, partly because they love New York. Especially the Broadway traffic free zones because you can ride almost the length of the island (well, half of it) on a totally protected traffic free lane. On visits to New York we have whirled down Broadway together on the tandem, stopping in Times Square, at parks and snacky places all the way from Central Park to Battery City.

Partly the guys loved the video because they spend so much time on city streets here, and that city kid sense of being able to really get somewhere on your own on two wheels or two feet is so familiar to them.  And the ghost bikes. And the traffic.

The city is so messy and full of every kind of surprise. Cranes, deep holes in the street. Busy mornings flying out the door hopefully on our bikes. Maybe on the train.  Sometimes (alot) lately neither. It's what they know and they like seeing other kids talk about their messy busy crowded place. And the bike lanes that are coming. Really.


So instead of feeling like I should get out of here and find a big house with a barn I'll just try to remember that having a public school kid who knows where to find the best handmade tortillas at Maxwell Street Market and trawl Working Bikes for used lamps is kind of living the life too.

70 year olds ride bikes too, and you'll be one of them

We think bikes are great transportation for families with people from young childhood to old age. In a city that sometimes seems full of young adults on fixed gear bikes riding on "sharrow" lanes it's often easy to forget the other, bigger part of the potential bike riding public. You, for example. 


Today Jane Brody of the New York Times wrote a brief post about being a 70 year old woman who rides her bike regularly. She has tips for new riders as well. 


We all want to be 70 year old (or older) bike riders, too. And guess what? Now is a great time to make the streets better for when we get older (and for our kids now and in the future, too...)


Thinking about young and old riders is increasingly important as the City of Chicago continues to seek input for its Streets for Cycling campaign in order to plan new protected bike lanes that will be safer for everybody. People can click the maps on the site to enter their own suggested routes or contact the local community advisory groups. You again, for example. 


Don't be fooled by all the healthy looking young adults on bikes in Chicago. Think about all the other people who are already making it work, riding where they need to go. Then go to an upcoming community meeting, look at where the city is planning to change streets in your neighborhood, and make your own suggestions so the new lanes will make sense for everyone.


Then when you wake up decades from now you can zip off to ride with your grandkids to school on that old neighborhood greenway you suggested yourself as a young whippersnapper.


See you there.

Do studded winter bike tires make sense?

Studded tires came in handy on our trip to the suburban mall this weekend - nobody shovels the walks, there is no bike infrastructure, and car traffic is fast, multilane, and irresponsible. We turned a lot of heads, but never slipped on the ice.

For the past couple of years we have been riding with studded winter tires on our big child carrying bikes. The tires seem to be as much a topic of conversation as the bikes themselves sometimes, so we thought we'd share our experiences so far. Clearly, this winter has so far not been the worst ever in Chicago (temperatures between 30 and 60 F or 0 and 15 C roughly, and not much snow or rain), but we still have had a bit of ice on the roads and about a week of normal winter ice and slush. Maybe this information will be handier later in the season or next year...

First off, studs are little points of metal poking out of the tire which are intended to get a better grip on slippery surfaces, much like ice crampons for hiking or studded snow tires for automobiles. They come on tires with various designs for various uses. Just as there are narrow treadless tubular racing tires and off-road knobby mountain bike tires, each for different purposes, snow tires also vary. Most are knobby and 'aggressively' treaded for off road use but others are more like a tire for an old 3-speed, with only a little bit of tread. The first kind is not very popular among regular riders we know since the aggressive tread is noisy and slows you down. Ours are the second variety, like a slightly knobby all purpose tire with lots of metal bits sticking out. They are Schwalbe Marathon Winters. Another similar one is the Nokian A10. We chose the Marathon because of our good experience with their other tires and because they are available in a 20 inch size. Most aren't, and if you need anything other than 26 inch or 700c/29er it can be hard or impossible to find studded options.

See the little carbide studs, like gray dots?

We rode for years with regular tires without much difficulty, but occasionally a quick slide on black ice would surprise us, so we decided to spring for studded tires before last year. We kept them all winter long, from late fall to mid spring, to cut down on the risk of sliding on ice as we ride in busy traffic in a city with mostly painted lanes up to now. The people who suggest putting them on only for bad days and using other tires other days have never removed and reinstalled a wheel on a cargo bike.

They give an extra level of confidence in traffic. Even on a good day it can get colder or dark and puddles or slush can freeze into ice. We chose to put studded tires on both front and back since a skid of either tire on ice in traffic is unacceptable. I don't see much potential benefit from only one studded tire, and I haven't tried it. All in all, we are quite satisfied with their performance - they pretty much eliminate sliding on ice. You could ride your bike across an ice rink if the Zamboni guy would let you. They don't slide on pavement, either, but they offer no improvement over regular tires for slippery steel things like expansion joints, metal plates in the road, or train tracks. They don't affect steering. The ones we use have reflective sidewalls, which we like.

They do have a few small drawbacks. The studs make a sound like riding on gravel as you roll, and there is somewhat more friction slowing you down than with summer tires, especially on clear pavement. They don't hum as badly as mountain bike knobbies, and they don't slow you down as much either, but they aren't as nice as a lightweight bike with full tires on a warm day. They don't do anything for steel in the road, as I mentioned, and they don't work any better than other knobbies with thick slush, though they're better than regular summer tires for that. The studs can be twisted out of the little hole in the tire where they sit if you ride over a rut or something, though that has only been a problem with one tire so far really. And they cost money, which is unfortunate.

Sunny day, but perfect
for studded tires

One wholesaler of these tires has more information about them than you can probably read in one sitting at this address. He recommends carbide studs, which last much longer than steel ones, among other things.

In the end this winter, after putting the tires on one kid carrying bike and not the other, we were relieved to have the studs on as winter has blown back in and some serious ice is back on the streets. They do take a little more effort to push, but not really much, and they really work well on ice. Don't expect them to solve every possible problem, but they do let you stop thinking so much about the icy road surface and give you time to concentrate on the cars.

Streetsblog D.C. Reports that Suburban Chicago Republicans Refuse to Support Transportation Bill! Hooray!

"Three Chicagoland Republicans Defect on House Transpo Bill" is being reported today on Streetsblog on the D.C. page. Sorry we are behind on our blogging! (5th grader homework crunch anyone?) Please stay tuned on our other projects but definitely check out the story on Streetsblog. A possible light at the end of the tunnel on the terrible Transportation bill creeping to a vote. Yea!

This is just great news and hopefully shows not only the growing awareness of our leadership on the importance of thinking beyond just roads for cars around Chicago but a big success from Active Trans and Bikes Belong as they helped share important legislative information with us all so we could work those phones too.

Longer School Day Could Squeeze Funding for Chicago Afterschool Bike Programs

The citywide discussion of the extended Chicago Public Schools (CPS) school day is making waves on playgrounds and in coffee shops this otherwise mild winter. You can overhear parents everywhere arguing about the pros and cons of the potential 7.5 hour day for their kids.

Love the plan or hate it, a less noted effect of the longer day is the possible loss of grant funds to nonprofit afterschool programs. To be eligible for many sources of funding they have to meet specific criteria, including a minimum number of afterschool program hours for our city's neediest children. The longer school day may make them no longer able to reach their minimum hours in the time remaining. This is a less talked about but potentially grim byproduct of the proposed 7.5 hour day.

Many nonprofit afterschool programs receive grant contracts to provide a specific number of hours per day or week for public school kids in Chicago. Afterschool basketball, biking and tutoring programs now facing a shorter timeframe to work with students are grappling with a risk to their funding that could result from shorter times providing activities to students of CPS.

Youth bike programs like West Town and Blackstone, afterschool tutoring and bike clubs (among others) could feel the squeeze on both grant funds and teaching time from the shorter hours. West Town and similar programs keep young people out of trouble and teach cycling skills and mechanics to kids of all ages. Everyone in the city from the mayor on down values these programs. What's more, in this year of phenomenal leaps forward in public input into our city's 8-80 network, we need these afterschool organizations to grow, in order to help families and kids learn to use the transformative new Neighborhood Greenways and protected lanes emerging in Chicago.

What does the prospect of the longer day mean for youth cycling education in Chicago? This week Chicargobike will explore how the longer day could help and hurt the free youth cycling programs in our fair city and how families might be able to help our bike nonprofits weather the potential changes coming to CPS next year.

To Chinatown by Bike to Welcome Year of the Dragon 4710

(Edited post with pictures of the celebration)
One of our favorite annual celebrations happened this weekend in Chinatown to welcome the Lunar Chinese New Year 4710. The Lunar New Year party always includes copious fireworks, an incredible Dragon dance and parade with marching bands and plenty of delicious food.  2012 is an extremely special celebration for Chicago's Chinatown. This Dragon year is a time of prosperity and power in traditional Chinese culture, and it's the Chicago Chinatown Centennial too, marking a hundred years of Chinese culture and community in Chicago from 1912-2012. It's actually been 4710 for almost a week already but the celebration was this weekend. The parade started at 1:00 on Sunday and other programs started at 11:30.

Here are our favorite tips for riding to Chinatown and enjoying the afternoon with children in tow. There are also some food and bike route suggestions that are good all year at the end. If you are going in summer look at our post about the water taxi from Michigan Avenue. If you have your own favorite tips or suggestions please add a comment - this isn't a complete list by far!

For the New Year celebrations:

• The fireworks are everywhere and they are loud and smoky and smelly so make sure everybody can manage surprises.
• There are zillions of people so plan to lock your bikes very well away from the crowd and dress your kids in something like a Day-Glo suit you can see easily if they slip away.
• It's pretty cold so dress extra super warm - bring an extra layer for once you are off your bike
• Don't try to take the water taxi - it's only in the summer. But the playground at Ping Tom park should be open. It's just north of Chinatown Square Mall in those residential streets west of Wentworth - is it South Tan Ct?
• Everybody at the event thinks they are going to go eat nearby, all at the same time, right after the parade. Bring lots of patience or have a secret plan to avoid the crowds if you don't want to wait. See below for our choices. You could also get back on the bikes and go to the Ed Potsticker House for dumplings (across from the police station at 3139 S Halsted in Bridgeport), for example, or just go for little goodies from a bakery. 

Our food suggestions:

• The Chinatown Square Mall (just north of Archer) is our favorite part of the neighborhood because the kids can run around without getting into traffic, there are lots of shops and restaurants, and the guy who makes noodles at Hing Kee across from Joy Yee always smiles at the kids as he spins a big clod of dough into uniform, delicious noodles with his bare hands. His line went well out the door this weekend.
• Another good bet might be Tao Ran Ju (Tasty House) at 2002 S Wentworth, a hot pot place off the beaten track known for its delicious soup dumplings.
• On the southern end of Wentworth, Evergreen is known for mu shi and similar dishes and the kids love the fish tank (why this one more than others? Don't know.)
• We ended up at Cai, a newish dim sum restaurant on the upper floor of the Chinatown Square mall, at the eastern end -- it was a good place with a huge bright dining room and some really well prepared dishes, and despite the huge crowds everyone was friendly. Since it was upstairs it filled more slowly than the others, but it was a pleasant new discovery for us. We'll definitely go back.
• If you prefer nonchinese food, Lawrence Fisheries on Canal just north of Cermak is famous for its fried fish and shrimp and it's a quick ride or walk. There's a little stand in the odd food court basement of the Richland Center just east of the Chinatown Square that has the only Japanese Okonomiyaki and Yakisoba I've seen in Chicago - cheap but no atmosphere at all. Ba Le on Archer has Vietnamese sandwiches and coffee and there's a Vietnamese place on Cermak too.

Other suggestions:

• Bathrooms haven't been a big problem for us since most places let kids use the bathroom.
• Coffee? Forget it. Unless you like it Vietnamese style with condensed milk at Ba Le. Alternative to coffee: strong Hong Kong milk tea - try the Sweet Station diner but it's not as kid friendly.
• There are a lot of good shops for specialty goods in Chinatown, particularly kitchen tools and housewares and of course groceries. Our best luck looking for unusual teas was at Ten Ren, 2247 S Wentworth. 

Chicago Chinatown Centennial Dragon Parade 2012 / 4710

The dragon parade with its marching bands and homemade floats is the big draw for most people, of course, but later in the afternoon the dragons come through the commercial district and dance in front of and inside businesses to bring luck to the new year.

See the yummy lettuce over the shop door?

There were three or four of them, with a dragon zookeeper with a long pike to keep the crowds safe. Businesses offer lettuce and oranges hung with a red ribbon above the door and a dragon leaps up and snatches the treat. Fireworks accompany the lucky dancing animals.

Older people give younger ones decorated red envelopes with money inside for the New Year - don't look until you get home!



There are a few good ways to get to Chinatown:

Since the 18th street protected bike lane has been put in, coming from Pilsen or South Loop you can just take it and then Wentworth south into the heart of the commercial section. Take the sidewalk over the bridge since they haven't installed metal plates there yet.

Coming from the west loop we might ride on Peoria to UIC then Morgan then east across the Cermak bridge to avoid Halsted, though that does connect too. There's also a nicer connection from Morgan and 18th down on Sangamon all the way to Cermak but you'll have to look at our map. We took the sidewalk on Cermak to Chinatown since the bike lanes are full of ice.

The Red Line El comes right in to Chinatown if it's really cold or otherwise no fun to ride bikes with the kids. You can also take the Blue Line to UIC-Halsted where there is a long ramp for your bikes on the Morgan St exit, then through UIC and Morgan as above.

Don't think about driving to the New Year parade. Park and take your bike or the El.

As the Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce says, GUNG HEI FAT CHOI TO ALL!

Yearly Patagonia Winter Sale begins tomorrow morning --January 25th

I know there are plenty of other sales going on out there but if there is a layer at Patagonia you have been hankering for their annual sale begins in the morning tomorrow. Last year we found some of the prices less slashed than previously but hopefully they have plenty to get rid of this season. It usually runs on-line as well.

Also there are Ibex wool underlayers on sale now, http://shop.ibex.com/specials/woolies-sale.html

Bullish on Hyde Park

Today, Saturday, is warm again. This January heatwave might be a great time to take a leisurely ride to one of our favorite places. Hyde Park.  It's almost a suburb, and it's almost part of town.
The smaller museums and cultural centers in Hyde Park are perfect for families to get close to great culture and art in small intimate atmospheres.
Here is a little list of our favorite Hyde Park spots.  It starts with description of today's family day at the Smart museum with more much tucked down afterwards.

On Saturday the Smart  Museum of Art at the University of Chicago is having the first of a winter series of free family days.  Smart family days are amazing. They're always fun and exciting and free with great materials and patient docents leading the way. The museum is small so the tours are always just a little nibble, not too long.
And this winter they will hold one every month.

Family Day: Knot Your Average Art Materials

iCal Event Info

When:	Saturday, January 7, 2012 1:00 pm
Where:	Smart Museum of Art  5550 South Greenwood Avenue, Chicago, IL
Description:	The Smart now offers free family activities on the first Saturday of every month! This Saturday, drop by and get inspired by contemporary artists who use materials like string, chord, and yarn in their work. Learn to weave on a flat loom you can build yourself and create your own cloth. Then, explore unusual art materials during a docent-led tour of the Smart's contemporary gallery. All ages welcome. Activities are designed for children 4–12. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Cost:	Free
Website:	http://smartmuseum.uchicago.edu/learn/families/
Contact:	Smart Museum of Art 773-702-0200
	Persons with disabilities who need an accommodation in order to participate in this event should contact the event sponsor for assistance. For events on http://event.uchicago.edu/students/, please contact ORCSA at (773) 702-8787. Information on Assistive Listening Device

To get to Hyde Park we take the Lake Front Path down to Promontory Point since we haven't found a good route on city streets.  We go through the tunnel westward under Lakeshore Drive just before the Museum of Science and Industry, at 56th street. From here you can ride straight across 56th to Greenwood where the museum is just a bit north of you, but it goes against traffic for part of the way. You can take 57th for a good part of the way instead, where there is coffee at Z & H (never at Medici, home of the worst coffee in Chicago, including vending machines). Smart has a cafe with OK coffee and little snacks too.

lots of bikes in Hyde Park - there's still no snow!

Promontory Point, at roughly 55th street, is great for cook outs if you can fit all the things on your bike! They have fire circles so you don't need a grill, just a rack or sticks to hold the food above the fire. OK, not really the right time of year for this information, but a winter fire can be really fun too.

The Skating Rink on the Midway Plaisance is one of our favorites, free if you have your own skates and $6 to rent a pair from them. It's been open despite the lack of snow. They have a terrific warming house and little cafe. 312 745 2470.

Robie House on 58th and Woodlawn is a famous wonderful restored Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece and they offer kids tours based on the book The Wright 3, a mystery solved by kids who live in Hyde Park. They also have a free self guided neighborhod map you can get at the visitor's center of the important places in the book- just ask at the desk. The tour of the house is not cheap but it is special for kids who love the books. The Robie house is a great first visit for a kid learning about FLW.

The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago is amazing, the perfect size for kids and lots of impressive statues and Egyptian, Abyssinian, Mesopotamian, etc things to see. The Museum atmosphere is  magical and mysterious. We find it is easy for the kids to get close to beautiful ancient  objects here without getting overwhelmed. There are small interactive computer kiosks scattered in each exhibit with fun games and information about the collection. Movies about the Middle East and Levant are screened on Sundays.Donation requested.

tut tut.

SHoP- Southside hub of Production, in the house just north of the Unitarian Church on Woodlawn, has ever-changing projects and events and a project room for kids. They are housed in the old Fenn mansion with oodles of room to explore. They have quirky innovative kid programs that are really fun.

Bonjour French Bakery has good sandwiches and little baked things across from DJs Bike Doctor (Raleigh parts) in the Treasure Island mall on Lake Park Avenue just north of 55th st (Lake Park parallels the Metra tracks).

Z and H is the only place with drinkable coffee on 57th st.

Hyde Park Art Center, S Hyde Park Blvd between 55 and 56th, also has a good cafe.

Blackstone Bikes refurbishes bikes and has a youth program.

57th Street bookstore has a great children department. It has a lovely quiet feeling for browsing that is very comfortable. The children's section is hidden away in the back of the shop.We find they have an especially strong selection of children's books and graphic novels for every kid. They have our favorite selection in the city for middle readers about eight to twelve years old. It's probably our favorite store in Hyde Park.

Rajun Cajun is our favorite place to eat in Hyde Park, with a little soul food and lots of fresh Indian dishes in a fast food atmosphere. It's on 53rd near Harper. Try the chai.