We're off to see the Wizard...The wonderful Wizard of...

This morning I awoke to a somewhat cold and dreary Chicago day that made me want to pull up the covers and settle in for a long winters nap. Instead, I decided to adopt a more mid-western "can-do" attitude and set out to explore my new city on foot, with Bella at the helm. As it turns out, cold and dreary days are actually good for a refreshing stroll, and Bella and I skipped around town on quite the power walk! We were keeping such an impressive pace that I nearly strode right past the following sight before turning on a dime to discover I had found myself in the Jolly Ol' Land of Oz!!

Oz Park, Chicago...that is.

 

I assure you I was no less thrilled than if I had actually been over the rainbow! After spending a moment with my dear friend the Tin Man, Bella and I decided to follow the Yellow Brick Sidewalk into the park to see what other magical treasures awaited us. 

Quick backstory here, I love, love LOVE the Wizard of Oz. My Grandmother decorates her house every year exclusively in WOZ themed Christmas decorations, my first dog was named Toto (RIP), and I dress up as Dorothy for Halloween every year and force the various men in my life to dress as other characters, which they have generally been good sports about. 

Suffice it to say, stumbling upon this hidden treasure has made Chicago a lot more likely candidate for my new No Place like Home. 

On our way through the park we passed by the Emerald City...

...Scarecrow...

...and Dorothy herself, donning those ruby reds with Toto by her side! That ol' so-and-so the Lion eluded me on this trip, Coward that he is, but I will find him next time!

After returning back to the bachelor pad I immediately googled Oz Park and came to find out it has a history as charming as the park itself! It was named Oz Park in 1976 honoring the author of the beloved children's books, Lyman Frank Baum, who lived in the neighborhood during its earliest years. Soon after that, artist John Kearney was petitioned by an elderly woman (whose name was supposedly Dorothy but that would just be too cute for words) to create statues of the WOZ characters for the park, which were eventually commissioned and installed in the 1990s. Today the park serves as a green space for the Lincoln Park neighborhood, and hosts Movies in the Park during the summer, and a pumpkin patch in the fall!

So far I have found that the rich sidewalk culture, and the wonderful surprises like Oz Park that await the ambulatory explorer, are some of the most unique and special treats of living in a city, especially a city with as much character and history as Chicago. I hope that living here I never again let a gray day dissuade me from strapping on my sneaks, grabbing a puppy, and hitting the streets to see how beautiful this city is, even under the dreariest of conditions.