Chicago Botanical Gardens
Since last Monday was Labor Day the college that I go to was closed and the first day of classes was cancelled. So instead I went with my wife and two of our friends to the Chicago Botanical Gardens.
It was a first time going there for all of us and despite it being ninety-some degrees that day it was really a nice time. I took a few pictures with my Nikon N70 (film) and Ginnie took a few with our Nikon Coolpix 885 (digital). I'll post a few of the digital pictures that she took until I get my film processed. The same roll of 36 exposures has been in my camera for almost a month now! I was pretty much in photographic hibernation for the month that I was off school.
This is Ginnie at the garden, looking away from the camera. The wind was blowing her hair around and she was also pissed off at me for not taking the picture right! She's quite a photography coach if you don't mind a little abuse.
The gardens are a great place to go and get lost because the walk way system there is winding and circuitous. If you have time to spare and want some exercise this is great, but if you want to go to a specific place and you haven't brought your GPS with you, then you may get annoyed. But all in all I think this is a great escape for Chicagoans who want to get out of the concrete jungle and be as one with nature. I could seriously see myself sitting for a few hours with a book in some of those fields on a crisp autumn day.
Admission is free, but you have to pay $12 to park your car/van (or in my case... caravan by Dodge). My advice is pack your car full of people to take advantage of this high parking cost. The garden itself is totally outdoors and surrounded by beautiful ponds, fountains and waterfalls (in the waterfall garden). There is also an indoor Education Center where you can use the restrooms, buy cool drinks, tour their 3 or 4 green houses and look at whatever exhibits they have in their gallery. Last week they had a really interesting show up. It was about endangered or rare plants from Japan and it consisted of watercolor paintings and drawings of various plants.
I enjoyed the waterfall garden and the fruit and vegetable gardens most of all. I liked to see the apples and grapes growing because it reminded me of when I was little and used to go apple picking with my mom and dad. The orchards seemed so huge when I was small and it seemed that possibilities were endless in that huge space. Now... in the fruit and vegetable gardens you're no supposed to pick or eat anything there, but that's kinda hard when you're surrounded by juicy apples and rasperries. Luckily I was still in pain from my tonsilectomy and couldn't really eat anything anyways, but my wife sampled a few things. I would say wait another week or two if you plan on going for the "free" food tour. Nothing is quite ripe yet.
It was a first time going there for all of us and despite it being ninety-some degrees that day it was really a nice time. I took a few pictures with my Nikon N70 (film) and Ginnie took a few with our Nikon Coolpix 885 (digital). I'll post a few of the digital pictures that she took until I get my film processed. The same roll of 36 exposures has been in my camera for almost a month now! I was pretty much in photographic hibernation for the month that I was off school.
This is Ginnie at the garden, looking away from the camera. The wind was blowing her hair around and she was also pissed off at me for not taking the picture right! She's quite a photography coach if you don't mind a little abuse.
The gardens are a great place to go and get lost because the walk way system there is winding and circuitous. If you have time to spare and want some exercise this is great, but if you want to go to a specific place and you haven't brought your GPS with you, then you may get annoyed. But all in all I think this is a great escape for Chicagoans who want to get out of the concrete jungle and be as one with nature. I could seriously see myself sitting for a few hours with a book in some of those fields on a crisp autumn day.
Admission is free, but you have to pay $12 to park your car/van (or in my case... caravan by Dodge). My advice is pack your car full of people to take advantage of this high parking cost. The garden itself is totally outdoors and surrounded by beautiful ponds, fountains and waterfalls (in the waterfall garden). There is also an indoor Education Center where you can use the restrooms, buy cool drinks, tour their 3 or 4 green houses and look at whatever exhibits they have in their gallery. Last week they had a really interesting show up. It was about endangered or rare plants from Japan and it consisted of watercolor paintings and drawings of various plants.
I enjoyed the waterfall garden and the fruit and vegetable gardens most of all. I liked to see the apples and grapes growing because it reminded me of when I was little and used to go apple picking with my mom and dad. The orchards seemed so huge when I was small and it seemed that possibilities were endless in that huge space. Now... in the fruit and vegetable gardens you're no supposed to pick or eat anything there, but that's kinda hard when you're surrounded by juicy apples and rasperries. Luckily I was still in pain from my tonsilectomy and couldn't really eat anything anyways, but my wife sampled a few things. I would say wait another week or two if you plan on going for the "free" food tour. Nothing is quite ripe yet.
posted by latentimage at 10:29 AM
1 Comments:
I am quite a photography coach. It's just too bad that you can't stand even a little bit of abuse. *sigh*
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