CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN - MyShadowProductions #176

Happy July amigos !!

On Saturday June 15, 2024 I went to the Chicago Botanic Garden which is actually North of Chicago in Glencoe, IL :)

As part of the trip I used the Ogilvie Transportation Center (OTC) in Chicago for the first time. It is about a 15 minute walk from the Metra Station at Union Station. The OTC is basically a newer station with additional Metra trains serving additional destinations.

My trip was a BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe) Metra train from Aurora to Union Station, walk to the OTC and a UP-N (Union Pacific-North) Metra train to a stop at the Braeside Station and a 25 minute walk to the Garden, about 2hrs and 45 minutes in all. Not as bad as it might sound, there are a lot of sights on the way.

Needless to say, I took a lot of photos :)

I like for the photos to give a good idea of what it is like walking the new to me paths and experiencing scenery for the first time, hope it comes across close to that.

Here is a Map of the Garden for reference:

For a walking tour of the Chicago Botanic Garden I have created 5 videos from my photos :)

VIDEO 1/5 The journey there, the entrance area, Esplanade view and North Lake views, Native Plant Garden and the Fruit & Vegetable Garden Island

VIDEO 2/5 Graham Bulb Garden, Spider Island and Model Railroad Garden 

VIDEO 3/5 Heritage Garden, Rose Garden and English Walled Garden

VIDEO 4/5 Japanese Garden 

VIDEO 5/5 Evening Island, Lavin and Shida Evaluation Gardens, walk back to the Train for journey back to Chicago and Aurora.

I didn’t see all of the Garden and next time I can include Dixon Prairie, Festival Field, Butterflies and Blooms, Grandtram Tour, McDonald Woods, Bonsai Courtyards and much more.

While walking the Garden I got used to the Cicadas “singing” and you can actually hear them in several of the Videos :)

I learned an interesting bit of info from the entrance sign at the Heritage Garden:

Padua, Italy (site of the world’s oldest Botanical Garden still in its original location) is only about 32 miles south of Fonte Alto, Italy where my paternal Grandparents were born and lived until their journey to the USA (very early 1900’s) and Springfield, IL (Village of Grandview - Starnes Park).

Have a great 4th of July week !!