Hiking Through a Glacial Landscape at Glacial Park Conservation Area in Ringwood, Illinois

 

Spectacular weather recently enticed us to explore the many rolling trails of Glacial Park Conservation Area in Ringwood, Illinois. We quickly became enamored by the glacial sculpting of this amazing McHenry County preserve and are already anticipating return visits. Visit Glacial Park Conservation Area with us:

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Favorite Places to Snowshoe in the Midwest

Strap on those Snowshoes and Wander these Fantastic Midwest Trails Suggested by Midwest Travel Writers!

Winter wonderland in the Midwest affords an opportunity to experience our treasured natural spaces under a coat of glittery snow treating us to some truly breathtaking views! Snowshoeing provides for a fun yet energetic way to traverse stretches of powdery, drifting snow through stunning Midwest preserves in search of magical winter views. A popular wintertime activity throughout the Midwest, I checked with my fellow Midwest travel writers for ideas on favorite snowshoeing locations throughout the region. Here are some incredible suggestions if you are looking for a new snowshoeing experience:

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Prompts for Exploring Nature with New Perspective Printable

Enjoy this new printable I created for exploring Nature With New Perspective! Use this to explore nature in your backyard, your garden, at a preserve, at a park and more in NEW WAYS! Click the image so it will open for you to print.

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Wandering the Paths of the University of Wisconsin - Madison Arboretum

Wandering the Paths of the University of Wisconsin - Madison Arboretum

University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum's many paths help visitors entirely ensconce themselves in nature including woodlands, prairies, savannas and wetlands. The arboretum is a mix of remnants of original ecosystems as well as restorations of native ecosystems that had been altered by development. The goal is to represent the original Wisconsin. So, a visit is an adventure through some of the landscapes native to the state.

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Summer Adventure to Denmark and Iceland with a Quick Stop in Sweden

Summer Adventure to Denmark and Iceland with a Quick Stop in Sweden 

Denmark and Iceland entranced our family for the last 10 days with castles, canals, fjords, waterfalls, history, royal jewels, gardens, volcanoes, Vikings and much more! While in Denmark, we even were able to add a short trip to Sweden by crossing the Øresundsbroen Bridge. Pairing Iceland and Denmark really worked well for our family. During our stay in Copenhagen, our days were full of tours of castles and landmarks taking time to absorb the immense history in the city and Denmark. Our days in Iceland were full of nature exploration, unique hikes and spectacular views. This vacation was really one of the best we have ever enjoyed and had something for all of our individual passions even the teen! We just returned yesterday and while I am a bit jet lagged, I am so inspired by our experiences that I would like to share a little about our adventure!

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Hiking to the Kentucky River at Raven Run Nature Sanctuary Near Lexington

Hiking to the Kentucky River at Raven Run Nature Sanctuary in Lexington, Kentucky

After lingering a couple of days in Maryland, we finished our spring road trip in Lexington, Kentucky. Before our trip, I learned about Raven Run Nature Sanctuary just on the outskirts of Lexington. The preserve featured meadows, woodlands and streams offering an idyllic opportunity to begin our day in Lexington with the tranquility and grace of nature just waking up to spring.

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Backyard Bird Care for Winter

Backyard Bird Care for Winter:

**Disclosure: I do manage The Wildbird Shack's  social media outreach. All opinions are 100% my own.

Birds experience a scarcity of resources during winter months and need a little help from us. My friends a The Wildbird Shack in Mount Prospect, Illinois have a few suggestions on how you can help birds this winter and keep them coming to your yard:

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Bald Eagle Days and Eagle Watching Coming Up in the Quad Cities

Eagles at Centennial Bridge image by Stacey Jeffery courtesy of Visit Quad Cities

Bald Eagle Days and Eagle Watching Coming Up in the Quad Cities

Winter is a fabulous time to look for bald eagles along the Mississippi River in Illinois. The Quad Cities have some excellent opportunities to view the majestic birds and learn from naturalists. Take a peek:

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Waves, Tide Pools and Relaxation at Cannon Beach in Oregon

We drove up the Oregon shore to Cannon Beach from Tillamook along US Route 101. The route hugs points on the coast and has some great views of the Pacific Ocean as well as coastal communities. We enjoyed the drive so much that we managed to fit it twice into our visit! How can you resist views like this:

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Hiking and Skipping Stones in Matthiessen State Park in Illinois

Canyons, bluffs, waterfalls, ponds, a lake, a stream, caverns and more make Matthiessen State Park in Oglesby, Illinois a natural wonder. We were immediately enchanted during a recent hike at Matthiessen a couple of weeks ago. Take a peek:

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Minnehaha Falls and Chain of Lakes Offer Natural Inspiration in Minneapolis

**Disclosure: Thank you to Visit Roseville for hosting our incredible visit to Roseville, Minnesota! Views are 100% my own.

Our weekend adventure in Roseville, Minnesota was not short on breathtaking nature experiences! Despite the above 100 F temperatures, we were able to take advantage of cooler mornings and evenings to explore. We started one morning by visiting stunning Minnehaha Falls.

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Penny Road Pond in Barrington, Illinois

Looking for a new place to hike, we headed over to Penny Road Pond in Barrington over the weekend. The trails adjacent to the pond area are a bit less defined than in other preserves. In general, the area experiences less traffic which lends to a particularly peaceful experience.

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Spring at The Morton Arboretum and the Troll Hunt

This week we went for a spring hike at The Morton Arboretum and it was glorious:

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Coral Woods and Festival of the Sugar Maples

Coral Woods Conservation Area in Marengo, Illinois hosts an annual Festival of the Sugar Maples Event each year. With the glorious weather in the Chicago area, we were able to visit today to explore the preserve and learn about maple sugaring.

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Scenes from The Orchid Show at Chicago Botanic Garden

On Sunday we spent some time in the tropics without leaving the Chicago area by visiting the Chicago Botanic Garden Orchid Show! The annual show provides a much need brilliant bloom infusion for this time of the year! An incredible number of orchids are on display in the greenhouses and adjoining exhibit rooms. This year's theme is Asia in Bloom.

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Garfield Park Conservatory in Winter

Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago is our winter oasis. Inside, we can remove our bulky jackets and enjoy brilliant blooms despite the normal bleakness this time of the year.

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Bald Eagle Days and Eagle Watching in the Quad Cities

Eagles at Centennial Bridge image by Stacey Jeffery courtesy of Visit Quad Cities

If you are looking for a winter excursion, January and February provide a prime time to look for bald eagles in the Quad Cities. The number of bald eagles seen in the Quad Cities area has been on the rise, so there definitely is a good chance you will see one!

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Favorite Midwest Hiking Trails

The Midwest is full of natural treasures ready for a hiking adventure. With the help of some of my favorite Midwest travel writers, I have collected some of our favorite Midwest nature destinations to inspire your next adventure.

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Fall Splendor at River Trail Nature Center in Northbrook, Illinois

This week, we went on a lovely hike at River Trail Nature Center in Northbrook, Illinois. Reds, oranges, browns and yellows are currently present in the forest preserve.

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Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford, Illinois

We spent the last day of summer break wandering the tranquil environs of Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford, Illinois. The balance between water features, natural elements, tea houses, foot bridges and sculptures had almost a meditative effect. We had a wonderful morning of reflection.

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