When we chose Chicago for our winter break quick getaway, we knew that we were in for a chilly adventure!
Many of the museums that we visited, required a bit of a walk to and from, and just the nature of a big city no matter where you park, or take public transportation, you find yourself walking outdoors quite a bit. Check out our other Chicago adventures to Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, Adler Planetarium and American Girl Place.
As a hockey family through and through, one of the highlights of our winter trip to Chicago, was the skating ribbon at Maggie Daley Park.
Do you ever hold out on your children, and save their most anticipated event to the end of the trip, so that you could hold it out like a carrot in front of them when needed for motivation prior to that? Well, sometimes we have to do what we have to do.
Buggy had received a new pair of ice skates for Christmas, and since the weather in Michigan has not cooperated for the lakes and canals to freeze yet, it looks like it will be a while before she gets a chance to try them out at home. Buddy was interested in trying to set a personal record for how far he could skate in a limited amount of time, and Bubba is always excited about hockey skating.
Maggie Daley Park skating ribbon, consists of a serpentine shaped wide flooded sidewalk that creates a 1/4 mile loop around what is a rock climbing wall in the summer. It has a flat surface that is zambonied approximately every two hours. And no, it is not your mind playing tricks on you, there is a slight incline, and then a slight decline as you skate around the loop, which was proving to be a challenge for rookie skaters.
The skating ribbon is open from late November through the end of February each year, though does close if the daily temperature exceeds 50 degrees. You can get more updates, as well as check out some amazing aerial photos of the skating ribbon on the Maggie Daley webpage. 
For those tots, who are not ready to skate on their own, but do not like to hold onto their parents hands, the park has free penguin pushers that each child may borrow on a first-come first serve basis. Bubba was very excited at first, however these penguins are really quite heavy, and he found them too hard to push, especially uphill.
Admission is currently $5 per person, and if you are not like our family, and do not travel with your own ice skates, you can rent them from the skate rental area at the park, for approximately $16. The drawback to this, is that they are also on a first-come first-served basis, and we watched an ever-growing line form during our two hour skating session. It was very cold, and I cannot imagine that many young children would have lasted two hours standing in line, prior to their skating session. I honestly think it would be wiser to invest in a great pair of adjustable skates for kids like these Lake Placid Adjustable Skates of the people who were waiting in line were young couples looking for a fun date night.
{2020 Update: Yes! The skating ribbon is still open, but as with most things this year, there are new rules in place. One of them is that you are REQUIRED to have a reservation for a specific time. These time slots sell out quickly, and can be made a week in advance. Once you make a reservation, you cannot modify your reservation, or get a refund.}
I would also like to point out that we were the only family on the ice that had all five members wearing a helmet. In fact, we were the only helmets to be found on the ice while we were skating. This always shocks me. As a seasoned skater, I do consider myself of above average skill on the ice. However, I cannot control other people on the ice, and therefore I protect my noggin with a helmet every time. It did not appear that there were helmets to rent with the rental skates however, so if you are renting skates a helmet may not be an option for you, unless you bring your own. 
During non-2020 restrictions, the park system did have a fast pass system that you could purchase to guarantee your skate rental and locker for the timeframe in which you were skating. The cost for this fast pass was $40 per person, so you would need to decide if that additional cost made sense for your family.
The website indicated that unattended bags would be removed, so we did not haul our hockey bag from the car to the skating area, yet made each child wear their own helmets, and carry their own skates. In reality, when we got down to the skate chaining area, they had a shelving unit that said all unattended bags will be placed in this area. And most people were just placing their bags in that area preemptively.
In the end, Bubba only made it one full lap. We did take advantage of the rest area at the halfway point around the ribbon, complete with picnic tables and a concession stand. Buddy set a personal record of just short of 10 miles, and Buggie made some new friends to skate around with while we were there. 
Visiting a new large city can sometimes be a challenge when it comes to parking, however in this situation we nailed it on the first try! On this trip, we tried Spot Hero for the first time. {This website (or app) allows you to pre-purchase parking spots based on price and location so that you can get the very best deal. You can read reviews on the parking spots, and ask for a refund right up until the point where you scan your parking pass. Many of the parking spots are monthly spots that people rent out during the hours they know they wont be using them.} Daddy was a little leery of the process, but they have gotten millions of great reviews, and I was excited to give it a try. We were able to book our parking pass for the Lakeshore Garage at Millennium Park for a fraction of what it would’ve cost us had we just rolled up in our car and paid full price. The parking ramp that we parked in, was one escalator and just a few steps away from the skating ribbon. Even after skating 10 miles, it was a close enough walk that we didn’t even hear a complaint from Buddy. And Bubba didn’t need to be carried.
If you are looking for a different perspective on a beautiful city skyline this is one experience not to be missed! If you are looking for an additional (and free) skating opportunity in Millennium Park, you can visit the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink located at the base of Cloud Gate – most commonly known as “The Bean.” {2020 update: McCormick Tribune Ice Rink will not be open for the 2020-2021 season.}
