My pals, recently I decided since I was getting up there in years (I’m seven), I needed to get healthy. If you remember, I attended a Google Hangout with Purina Veterinarian Dr. Kurt Venator, and he gave me five exercise tips. To catch up, read Five Exercise Tips to Keep Us Dogs Healthy This Summer. Dr. Kurt told me “Pet owners should set aside time every day to exercise their pet”. As a pet, I took this the other way around that us pets need to make a point to exercise our owners too. I told my rents to set aside some time, because we are walking Chicago! Chicago has a lot of pet-friendly attractions and a lot of great urban trails to explore.
My Walking Supplies
I packed a bag for my mom to carry for me. I made sure to bring a water bowl, plenty of water, a map in case we got lost, and a smartphone to call a Uber if … well, I got too tired. I also wanted to track my progress, so I set up an activity tracker called the fitBark to give me data of exactly how far I walked!
The Plan
When I looked at the map, Chicago didn’t look very big. I decided I wanted to see all the sites I could on the shoreline. So off I went!
Exploring the Magnificent Mile
My first stop was Macy’s. I know what you are probably thinking … what?!?! I had a mission. One of my all time favorite designers, Marc Tetro, has a unique Chicago bag I just had to get for some of my pals. Now you understand, right? … hehehe.
Cloud Gate (The Bean) in Millennial Park and My Scandal
What is a trip to Chicago without going to see the famous sculpture and taking a photo? Cloud Gate is a public sculpture that was created by Indian-born British artist Anish Kapoor. It is in the middle of the AT&T Plaza at Millennium Park. After a couple of photos, a man in uniform approached me. I knew that I was in trouble, but I didn’t know what for. I didn’t mark the bean, I promise. I didn’t even bark at it. I was totally confused. Then he banned me from the property!?!? I tried to tell him who I was, but it didn’t matter. Apparently, Dogs are NOT allowed in Millennial Park. Yep, I got kicked out for being the wrong species. I will be honest, I was very hurt and sad. Dogs, if you want a photo with the bean, take a snapshot quickly and run before you become an outlaw like me!
Buckingham Fountain
My next stop was the famous fountain shown in the opening credits of the old TV show, Married with Children. For those of you that don’t know what I am talking about, it is called Buckingham Fountain. At this point, I had already walked 4,140 steps, and had been active 51 minutes. It was time for a break. Lucky for me, the area around the fountain had plenty of seating. Oh, and dogs were actually allowed, so I didn’t have to watch my back. After taking a few photos, I took a nice long rest and drank a bowl of water.
Michigan Lake Shoreline
We were staying at a hotel near Navy Pier. If you know Chicago very well, you know we had a long walk back. To get back, we decided to walk the Michigan Lake shoreline trail. It was such a nice walk with a breeze and seagulls for me to try to chase. I saw hundreds of sailboats too! I wanted to take one out on the lake, but Mom said that would be stealing, and I was already an outlaw from the bean incident. Plus, we have no idea how to sail a boat. That was a shame, I think it would be fun to have the wind in my face.
Chicago River
At this point, I was one tired dog. Dr. Venator from Purina was right when he said we needed to take things slow. I wasn’t ready to give up and call an Uber, so I trekked on. Before moving on, I stopped to take a photo overlooking the Chicago River. I think it shows how beautiful Chi-town can be at night!
My Fitness Goal
When we arrived in front of the hotel, the fitness app sent me a message saying: “WooHoo Preston reached his goal!” I walked 9,319 steps, and was active for 1:52 mins! I was one tired dog! I admit, I went straight to sleep as soon as we got back to the room. I am proud to say that I saw Chicago, and at least for one day, I was not a lazy pup!
If you want to learn more fitness tips, make sure to check out http://www.Purina.com
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Purina but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
