The year in adventures

Over our long (and well deserved, if I do say so myself) winter break, we plan to see Les Miserables and The Hobbit in (GULP!) a movie theater. We're also counting on another Milwaukee County Zoo visit and a Starved Rock State Park birding hike. Otherwise, though, our break will be centered on home, comprising conversation, food, books, games, swim practices, walks, and family film nights.

But although we're concluding 2012 on a rather quiet note, the rest of the year provided us with ample doses of adventure.

THEATER

■ The Feast: an intimate Tempest at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater
■ A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater
■ South Pacific at the Cadillac Palace Theatre
■ Short Shakespeare! The Taming of the Shrew at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater
■ Being Shakespeare from the Chicago Shakespeare Theater at the Broadway Playhouse
■ Timon of Athens at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater
■ The Iceman Cometh at the Goodman Theatre
■ Crowns at the Goodman Theatre
■ Three Sisters at the Steppenwolf Theatre
■ Sunday in the Park with George at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater
■ Hamlet at the Writers' Theatre
■ Equivocation at the Victory Gardens Theater
■ Black Watch from the Chicago Shakespeare Theater at the Broadway Armory
■ Metamorphoses at the Lookingglass Theatre
■ Les Miserables at the Cadillac Palace Theatre
■ A Christmas Carol at the Goodman Theatre
■ The School for Lies at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater

CHICAGO SYMPHONY CENTER

■ Joshua Bell
■ Leif Ove Andsnes
■ Yo-Yo Ma 
■ Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma

LYRIC OPERA

■ The Magic Flute 
■ Elektra

MUSEUMS, ZOOS, AND THE LIKE

■ The Field Museum (multiple visits)
■ The Art Institute  of Chicago (multiple visits)
■ Morton Aboretum
■ Brookfield Zoo (multiple visits)
■ Lincoln Park Conservatory
■ Lincoln Park Zoo 
■ Volkening Heritage Farm
■ The Vera Meineke Nature Center at Spring Valley
■ Milwaukee County Zoo
■ Museum of Science and Industry
■ Volo Auto Museum
■ Cantigny: The First Division Museum and the Robert R. McCormick Museum
 

OTHER

■ Job "shadow" (marine mammal training) at Oceans of Fun
■ Bristol Renaissance Faire
■ Yankees v. White Sox
■ "Wild Encounter" (marine mammal training) at the Brookfield Zoo

What a year!