Chicago Botanical Gardens & Skokie Lagoons

It’s April and it’s raining but that does not stop us. We’ve had such great weather during our Thursday hikes and we were more than happy to hike a few hours in light rain. We are members of the Morton Arboretum which gives us reciprocal privileges at the Botanic Gardens. See our Morton Arboretum playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1QmX…

This is a 2.7 mile hike inside the Botanic Gardens and the rain gives some great coloring to the plants and flowers but we find ourselves using an umbrella to protect the camera lenses. Tell us what you prefer: wet lens that allows a full 360° viewing experience or dry lens but the sky view is an umbrella.

Dad takes the camera and walks around the Bulb Garden. The rain has stopped for a few minutes and the calm pond water creates fabulous reflections. Watch this 360° video and experience some great views of the Chicago Botanic Gardens. Comment below at tell us what part of the Botanical Gardens you like the most.

While walking along the back side (West side) of the Chicago Botanic Gardens we encounter a ‘dark side of nature’ scene. I get pretty excited about the story so watch and comment if you’ve ever witnessed enforcer birds (birds ganging up on each other).

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It’s raining while we cross over to Evening Island. This is dad’s favorite spot inside the Botanic Gardens. Use the 360° video controls to see some ducks talking back at me. Upon rewatching this video, I discover how calming the rain drops on the umbrella can be.

We decide to extend the hike another 4.5 miles around the Skokie Lagoons in Glencoe and Winnetka. This loop is a ‘home game’ for us and we’re happy to be able to share some of our experiences. This extra hike along the Cook County North Branch Trail creates a figure 8 when combined with the Botanic Gardens.

The Lagoons are the main Deer heaven of the area. You’ll need to use the 360° controls to see the white tail run away.

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Dad talks about the Glenview Navel Air Base and anti-aircraft weapons from the 1950’s. I talk about culling the deer herd. After our hike, we discovered that the most likely site for the Nike Anti-aircraft Missiles was exactly where we are hiking. The bluff with the fence on top next to the trail is a square, man-made feature and most likely the missile site. https://www.wbez.org/stories/what-hap…

I describe the Tower Rd. trailhead area. Canoe and Kayak rentals are available. Dad and I have rented kayaks a few times and the lagoons are a great place for water exploration.

Dad turns on the video and steps away for a full noise experience. Look around and enjoy the sights and sounds of the main Skokie Lagoon.

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We are back on the Botanical Garden’s grounds. The greenhouses are closed but we looked into a few windows. It’s raining which makes for an interesting video.

We both agree that this spot at the Botanical Gardens is the most relaxing and beautiful location. We both have, on different occasions, come to this spot to relax. Then at the 02:40 mark, we begin a long and entertaining conversation about what animals can see colors. The Mantis Shrimp, the king of color receptors, becomes the focus of our interest for two videos.

Between the rain and the double hike, we have lost concentration on hiking and changed to discussing Mantis Shrimp. Mantis Shrimp have the most advanced color receptors, apparently this is of great interest to us today.

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Become a member of the Botanical Gardens https://www.chicagobotanic.org. This double hike ends up at about 8.5 miles. Despite the rain, we had a good time.