We received complimentary entry to the Garden, but were so impressed that we have planned to do another post or two. The grounds are STUNNING and I cannot wait to see how the colors look in the Fall!
One of our favorite ways to enjoy summertime is to spend time outdoors. This mild summer means we have plenty of opportunities to connect with nature. The boys attend a farm preschool and enjoy spending time with animals, flowers and plants, so adventures in the great outdoors are right up our alley! A special visit to the Chicago Botanic Garden was planned for this past week and I opted to make it a family day before we start back in the hubbub of a weekly school schedule.
Our morning started at the fruit & vegetable garden. Beautiful vegetable plants and delicious smelling herbs caught the boys’ attention. We learned about different uses for this garden and found out that some of it is actually harvested to be used in the Garden View Cafe (#CBGcafe). Charlie and Jack then saw how we eat a rainbow of colors and sorted the fruits and vegetables to correspond with them. Jack even tried to sneak a fake grape, but quickly realized that it was not edible. He was then furious.
The boys were able to play chef and help build a dessert pizza made with almond butter and delicious fruits and coconuts. This sweet treat was easy to make and is definitely going on my list of easy desserts. We also had the opportunity to sample the macaroni and cheese from the kids’ menu in the cafe. The boys GOBBLED IT UP and never even realized that it had butternut squash inside. Crispy chicken tenders and the best zucchini bread I have EVER TASTED completed our lunch.
We continued on our adventure to one of the most anticipated exhibits – the Model Railroad Garden. A slight additional fee to general admission, the Garden is immaculately kept and filled with landmarks from around the United States, such as the White House and Statue of Liberty. Each section contains gardens, plants and beautiful landscaping. The trains go up, down around and even overhead and the boys had a blast following them all over the place. We were even surprised by a “visit” from Thomas & friends. Make sure this part of the property is on your list when you come to visit!
The rest of our time was spent enjoying the gorgeous grounds and playing by the water. Beautiful colorful flowers and a vast variety of plants, I would love to see this area transformed by the colors of Autumn. On our next visit, we plan to make a stop at Butterflies and Blooms and explore the Garden even more. There is plenty to do, large space to run around and lots of learning to be done! Consider renting out an explorers’ backpack from Guest Services or playing some Garden Bingo along your way.
Have you visited the Chicago Botanic Garden? What is your favorite area of the space?
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I definitely want to get up there sometime!