Fox River Views at Red Oak Nature Center in Batavia, Illinois

Red Oak Nature Center in Batavia, Illinois rests along the Fox River providing trails following along the meandering river as well into the forest. Trails connect the preserve to nearby natural areas. We have always found Red Oak Nature Center to be a nice spot to see wildlife and last Sunday was no disappointment. If you look closely in the photo below, you will see a blue heron at the water's edge:

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Hiking in Paul Douglas Forest Preserve in Hoffman Estates, Illinois

Last week, we hiked a section of Paul Douglas Forest Preserve in Hoffman Estates, IL. This section of the Forest Preserves of Cook County was new to us and we were pleasantly surprised. The section that we hiked abuts near I-90 yet we found the preserve to be quite peaceful.

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Wednesday Weekend Windup {Oktoberfests, Plein Air Art, Farm Stroll, Johnny Appleseed and More}

Family Fun in the Chicago Suburbs September 28-30, 2018

Chicago Suburban weekend fun ahead! Fall weekends are some of the best around here. Looking towards this weekend, we have a Farm Stroll, Plein Air Art, Johnny Appleseed, Barkapalooza, Oktoberfests and so much more! Here are my picks for family fun this weekend:

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Foodie Finds in Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon certainly does not fall short on the foodie scene. The city is full of intriguing and innovative restaurants. We had quite the adventure exploring and sampling a variety of flavors. We could probably spend months exploring culinary treasures in the city! Alas, we only had a few days but we made some fab discoveries:

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Colectivo Coffee and Black Cat Alley in Milwaukee

After our adventure down memory lane at the Mitchell Park Domes in Milwaukee, we went in search of locally roasted coffee and popped into Colectivo. In addition to our hot beverages of choice, Colectivo has a decent menu of breakfast items, sandwiches and wraps. Plus, they have tempting fresh baked goodies from Troubadour Bakery. As a family of famished explorers, we ordered a selection of sandwiches. I, of course, ordered my traditional mocha latte which I can say was delicious!

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Open House Chicago October 13-14

Open House Chicago put together by the Chicago Architectural Center is coming up October 13-14, 2018. During Open House Chicago, the public is invited to explore notable structures throughout the Chicago area for free. Many of the locations give behind-the-scenes peeks and all the public unique access to buildings and areas not always accessible. The event includes 250 structures and admission to all of them is free!

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Wednesday Weekend Windup {Norge Ski Jump, Apple Fest, WWII Days, Autumn Fest and More}

Plenty of fall fun events this weekend in the Chicago suburbs! Here are my picks:

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Exploring Swedish Heritage in Chicago at the Swedish American Museum

Exploring Swedish Heritage in Chicago at the Swedish American Museum

A few weeks ago we took a little adventure to Andersonville here in Chicago to visit the Swedish American Museum. Swedish immigrants played an important role in the development of Chicago, so we were pretty interested in learning about this Swedish community. In fact by 1870, the Swedes living in Chicago represented the largest cluster in the United States and at one point there were more Swedes in Chicago than any other place in the world outside of Stockholm. After the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, Swedes began to move into the Andersonville neighborhood. Elements of that Swedish heritage still remain in Andersonville, so it is the perfect home for the Swedish American Museum.

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September Degustabox: Lunchbox + Giveaway

This month's Degustabox was packed FULL of goodies! Many of the items are great for packing in your school lunchbox, so perfect for the back-to-school theme of the month. Other components are useful in making meals quicker. Things do tend to get busy between school, work, sports, etc.

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Mitchell Park Domes in Milwaukee: Inviting Nature Exploration Year Round

Mitchell Park Domes in Milwaukee, Wisconsin feature summer all year round.

**Please verify any admission changes due to COVID before visiting.

Mitchell Park Domes in Milwaukee truly offer a splendid warm weather oasis throughout the year. This especially becomes enjoyable during rainy, snowy or cold days. When my daughter was younger, we took quite a few adventures to Milwaukee on cold days to enjoy the warmth and greenery of the Domes. We would couple the visit with a jaunt to the Public Market because who could resist? This week, we realized that it had been so long since our last visit. So, we seized on a free day to take a trip to Milwaukee.

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Chicago Culinary Kitchen: Texas Style BBQ in Illinois

My husband loves BBQ, so naturally we had to check out a BBQ joint for his birthday. At some point over the summer, I noticed one that I actually had never heard of before in Palatine -- Chicago Culinary Kitchen. Chicago Culinary Kitchen is a unique local experience, so definitely the type of restaurant we seek out. Chicago Culinary Kitchen is only open on Saturdays and Sundays 11AM - sold out and features locally sourced meats and craft beer. Ok, this place was made for us and is so close to home! We planned our weekend visit and couldn't wait to check it out.

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Wednesday Weekend Windup {Oktoberfest, Butterflies, Birds of Prey, Pioneer Day and More)

The weekend is on its way! There are plenty of fun festivals this weekend including Oktoberfest, butterfly fun, pioneer experiences, fall fests and more! Here are my picks for this weekend in the Chicago suburbs:

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Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon

Our Oregon Coast exploration introduced us to an incredible wildlife preserve -- the Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge. Hiking in the refuge took us through an old growth forest and landed us at the beach. The refuge was established in 1938 and has remarkable cliffs that mark a drop off from the forest above to the beach below.

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Nic's Organic Fast Food: Our New Option for Quick Service Food

**Disclosure: I did receive a complimentary meal at Nic's Organic Fast Food in order to bring you this review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

On a recent rainy day, my husband and I went on a lunch adventure to Nic's Organic Fast Food in Rolling Meadows. The restaurant piqued our interest because we are always looking for quick service food options for those busy days but don't really have what we would consider a decent sized list to choose from. So, new options are always welcome!

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Riding on Amtrak's Empire Builder

Amtrak Empire Builder route from Chicago to Seattle and returning from Portland takes you through incredible landscapes.

For this year's summer vacation to Portland, Oregon, our mode of transportation was just as much of an adventure as the destination itself. For our journey to the Pacific Northwest, we hopped aboard the Amtrak Empire Builder which runs between Chicago and Seattle or Portland. The approximately 46 hour trip transported us through some of the most scenic parts of the country. Since we took the train out and back, we were able to see some of the scenery in a different light as well as some that we may have passed in the night in one direction. So wonderful and relaxing to spend a couple of days with nothing to do except enjoy scenes like this in Minnesota go by:

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Wednesday Weekend Windup {Rootsfest, Encampments, Monarchs, Apples and More}

My Picks for Weekend Fun in the Chicago Suburbs September 7-9, 2018:

A short week means that the weekend is right around the corner! Lots of fun events ahead for the weekend! Here are my picks:

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10 Favorite Fall Experiences in the Chicago Suburbs

Fall experiences in the Chicago suburbs to add to your fall fun list:

Fall is here which means there is a whole bunch of fun ahead! Here are some of my favorite fall events to watch out for:

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Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland, Oregon

Lan Su Chinese Garden is a walled garden treasure right in Portland. Exploring the garden, we could hardly remember that we were in fact in a city. From the moment you step inside, you are a world away.

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