Day 44 - Chicago Botanic Gardens and Ravinia

This was a fabulous day. Good friends of ours in Santa Rosa had recommended that we visit the Chicago Botanic Gardens, so we drove in to Highland Park and did that. What a wonderful place!! Every garden, pathway, border, field, fountain or sculpture is in perfect condition. The pathways wind around through a profusion of plantings, done in a natural way with particular emphasis on native plants to Illinois. It is different from Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London or the gardens at the Huntington Museum in S. California in its natural look and modern blend of colors and textures. The other notable display within the Gardens is the model train exhibit which we thought was the best we had ever seen. Photographs don't do it justice - the attention to detail, the natural materials used in the construction of the buildings and bridges, the variety of trains (all G gauge), the way the beautiful plantings are woven into the various displays for each town or National Park setting for the trains make this a destination for anyone with children and the young at heart. I have selected just two of about 20 photos I took of the model train exhibit. By the way, I have recently discovered that you can click on any photo to expand it.

In the evening we went to Ravinia for a Chicago Symphony concert in this lovely, old outdoor venue. We picnicked first on the lawn, renting the needed chairs and a little table. We had purchased tickets for the pavilion seating and it was wonderful. On this July 1st, the concert was "An American Celebration" with a mix of pops and light classical. Very enjoyable. Ravinia does not allow cameras on the grounds, so no photos could be taken.