Wednesday Weekend Windup {Passport Europe, Oktoberfest, Autumn Festivals, Apple Fest and More!}

Explore Europe this weekend at Morton Arboretum's Passport Europe Festival. Image credit Morton Arboretum

Passport Europe, Oktoberfest, Autumn Festivals, Apple Fest and More Family Fun in the Chicago Suburbs September 20-22, 2019

The weekend is near! This time of year is certainly festival here in the Chicago suburbs! There is plenty of festing opportunities this weekend and tons of other fun. Here are my picks:

10 Favorite Fall Experiences in the Chicago Suburbs

10 Favorite Fall Experiences in the Chicago Suburbs in 2019

Time to get all of those fall feels! I am excited about scarecrows, pumpkins, bonfires, corn mazes, fall colors and more fall fun to come! Here are my favorite 10 fall festivals to have on your list. 

Skokie Lagoons: Stunning Water Wonderland in the Chicago Suburbs

Chicago's North Branch Trail Wound Us Through Breathtaking Skokie Lagoons

Skokie Lagoons provides an amazing 894-acre nature preserve featuring hiking, biking, boating, fishing, kayaking, picnicking and more. My husband and I visited Skokie Lagoons for the first time this weekend and just wow -- we should have visited much sooner! A little interesting tidbit -- Skokie Lagoons is not actually in Skokie. The preserve is on the Skokie River in Wilmette. Skokie is a little further from our home than Wilmette and would have taken a bit more planning, so I think my own not understanding the preserve's location kept us from going sooner! I am glad that we finally explored the spectacular views!

3 Unique Waterfalls in West Iceland

Wandering Around Waterfalls in West Iceland

Our Iceland adventure certainly was not short on waterfalls! After exploring the stunning Snaefellsnes Peninsula during our recent trip, we wandered through more of West Iceland. Of course, we had to add several waterfalls to our excursion! During our West Iceland excursion, we explored three different waterfalls and each was quite unique!

Wednesday Weekend Windup {Art in Nature, Shermerfest, Bonfire, Depot Days and More Fun!}

Family Fun in the Chicago Suburbs September 13-15, 2019: Art in Nature, Shermerfest, Bonfire, Depot Days and More Fun

The weekend is around the corner! There is plenty of fun ahead and fall fun is just beginning! Here are my picks for this weekend:

Wandering the Gardens of Oak Park Conservatory in Oak Park, Illinois

Wandering Through Gardens Year Round at Oak Park Conservatory

Oak Park Conservatory in Oak Park, Illinois welcomes visitors to a nature oasis year round. The glass covered gem located in the Chicago suburbs was constructed in 1929 as a community effort to collect plants that residents collected as they traveled around the world. Consisting of a Mediterranean Room, Tropical Room and Desert Room, the conservatory certainly gives visitors a taste of different environs that easily transport you on a drab day.

Highlighting Walk for Adoption Chicago: A Day to Celebrate Adoption

Walk for Adoption Chicago Brings Families Together Celebrating the Beauty of Adoption

Walk for Adoption Chicago will bring families together to celebrate adoption on Saturday, September 28 at Lake Arlington in Arlington Heights. Walk for Adoption Chicago began in  2010 as way to celebrate the positive side and experiences of adoption. The annual event provides an opportunity to celebrate adoptive families and birth mothers while forging a supportive network. During the event, families can interact with others following a similar path while enjoying a fun family outing. Over all, the day is one of sharing the beauty of families built in different ways.

Lion's Den Gorge Nature Preserve: Forest Bathing and Lake Views in Grafton, Wisconsin

Lion's Den Gorge Nature Preserve Offers Spectacular Hiking and Views Near Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Lion's Den Gorge Nature Preserve in Grafton, Wisconsin offers spectacular gorge and lake views, the opportunity to admire undeveloped bluffs, meanders through wetlands along boardwalks and sublime forest bathing.