<<Grabs popcorn>>. Oh, this should be good…

Annual @JolietSlammers game!. W

@chipublib We'll continue to visit parks as upgrades are made and new ones open. Park finder: An amazingly detailed guide to Chicago playgrounds: Schmidt family Chicago park visits: Thanks for reading! (5/5)

Overall, this was a great bonding experience!. We got a unique view of the city and became playground connoisseurs. We had no safety issues even as we took CTA to most parks. Sloane wants to visit all 81 @chipublib branches and museums. We're over halfway thru libraries. (4/5)

@ChicagoParks I'm hoping to get an audience with @ChicagoParks to double-check my work. I have lots of q's -- why did some parks fall off the original list?. Why are certain parks locked?. What are the plans to make all parks accessible by bus and train?. Why are there two Essex parks? (3/5)

@ChicagoParks Some parks have been decommissioned since we started. A half-dozen haven't opened. We did our best to get as close as we could to those. Some spaces are labeled as parks, but really, they are just vacant lots with nary a bench. Some parks are well-groomed but padlocked. (2/5)

@ChicagoParks On July 4, Sloane + I finished a project lasting nearly 6 years. Shortly after she was born in 2019, I began taking her to parks near our home in Wicker Park. On Friday, we visited our 632nd park, West Pullman Park. We have visited every Chicago park, with some asterisks. (1/5)

That means my 5yo + I are one park away from having visited every Chicago park*. *Not all parks are open. Also, we seem to have found a South Chicago park not in official @ChicagoParks records. And I’m not sure if CPD tally counts Heron Pond Park or decommissioned parks. (3/3).

Then we got a ride to Indian Ridge Marsh Park, entering at 122nd and Torrence. We ran into 2 very nice @ChicagoParks workers who showed us how to walk to Park No. 597. They told us 2 other preserves (Deadstick Pond and Whitford Pond parks) are inaccessible to public. (2/3)

. @ChicagoParks District has half a dozen very far South Side nature preserves. Last year we did Big Marsh Park (a gem!). Today we did 3 more. None of the parks are easily accessible by bus or train. Picked up at Hegewisch station to Hegewisch Marsh, entering off Torrence (1/3)

Sloane would like to speak to a manager! The @whitesox removed the phone in the kids area. And the switch in Kids Club registration to a digital format is creating monster lines even as not many people here …. But at least the baseball is good?

Before we wrap up this project after 5.5 years, we stopped by the Chicago parks in development. They are in Bridgeport, Bucktown, near Navy Pier + East Garfield Park. Garfield Park Community Plaza is closest to completion. Was supposed to open in 2022. 628 parks down, 6 to go!

Better finale than #WhiteLotus !!!!.

We completed Chatham yesterday with a trip to West Chatham Park. It’s such a big community area, I expected more than 6 parks. All but Park No. 419 (a vacant lot) are worthwhile. 625 Chicago parks down, just 9 to go!!! . Mostly just far South Side nature preserves left.

WE’RE IN! chomp chomp #Gators.

We are so back! #whitesox #OpeningDay

2 Chicago parks have been renamed since we started this project in 2019, so we revisited them in Edgewater and Morgan Park. We have 10 parks left: 5 far South Side nature preserves, 2 placeholder spaces, 1 under construction, 1 in Chatham and 1 in West Pullman. 624 parks down!

We wrapped up Englewood this week with a trip to Moran Park. Englewood has 11 parks, which boast some pretty good playground equipment. Hamilton and Sherwood parks are stars. We have visited 623 Chicago parks, completing 69 of 77 community areas. Just 11 parks to go!!!

We watched river dyeing then visited Meyering Park to finish Greater Grand Crossing. GGC is a huge, oddly shaped community w/10 parks — there should be more. Auburn Park, an idyllic green space near a lagoon, is a standout. 622 of 634 Chicago parks + 68 of 77 communities done!

I had the pleasure of hanging out with the PingPongParkinson group when I was in NYC last month . here's how pingpong is helping Parkinson's patients.