I jumped off the Metra train at the Braeside station after my long but pleasant pair of train rides. Sadly, my hopes for coffee and a bathroom were quickly dashed as the area seemed business-less. The stop was, unlike most Metra stations, quiet and surrounded by nature. Honestly, it was a bit jarring, and it took me a minute to get my bearings as I had been expecting the usual downtown suburb hubbub. Considering my lack of options, I decided my best bet was to stick to the plan and head towards the Chicago Botanic Garden.
Lucky for me, there were big signs for the natural trail pointing the way. My path set, I crossed the, thankfully, not-too-busy road and started my way down the walking/biking path.
Although the path followed along the road, there were still enough trees to feel and enjoy more of a nature vibe than you would think. The walk also felt super safe, which can be a question mark when it comes to suburban areas (ok any area). I think it was a common sentiment as there was a pretty significant amount of pedestrian and bike traffic for how early in the year it was.
In particular, I really appreciated the number of signs. The trail literally guided you directly from the train station to the Chicago Botanic Gardens. In addition to the walking path, it also looked like there was a Pace Bus that could take you from the station to the garden.
With the path as my guide, I made it to the gardens in what felt like no time at all. I had been on the lookout for places to stop along the way, as I knew I had some time to kill before the rest of my party arrived but there was only nature, houses, and a disappointing lack of benches.
Luckily for me, my parents were just as early as me. They swooped me up in their car and we killed time by making a bathroom run at Walgreens.
Exploring the Chicago Botanic Garden
When we came back, what little line there was moved quickly and we were able to get in a little earlier than our time slot, 10 a.m.
Walking through the garden it was clear we were catching the early blooming flowers. I was actually pleasantly surprised at just how many flowers we were able to see outside. After all, it was only early spring, barely spring at all really. In Chicago weather terms, we were in one of our ‘false springs’. It felt like summer, with the temperature rising to the high 80’s that day.
One of the highlights was a beautiful tree in full bloom. Its white flower petals already falling down and coating the ground like confetti.
After walking around outside for a bit we ventured into the Chicago Botanic Garden’s greenhouses.
Their Greenhouse gardens were amazing. It was so much fun to walk among the cacti! They had this tough and rugged beauty to them. The sweltering heat they thrived in, however, was not for us. We left panting, desperate for a breath of the relatively cool Chicago spring air. The Greenhouse was really not the escape from the outside heat that we had hoped for.
Back outside we wandered through the English Walled Gardens which were absolutely stunning. There were photo ops galore! Of particular note was a set of beautiful round windows in a brick pavilion overlooking beds of flowers and a view of the lake.
Here there were benches but unlike the resting spot I sought earlier, these became a tool for a photo shoot as I kneeled and stood on it trying to capture the moment.
Lunch Time
As it neared lunchtime we began wandering back to the visitors’ center and the car. While we were walking our stomachs reminded us to start thinking about food. The grumbling made us turn toward fast food. So, into the GPS we plugged a fast-food chain but along the route, we spotted a Brunch Cafe. Of course, that’s where we ended up for lunch (now brunch!)
Beautiful pictures! The story was fun to read. Made me remember how pretty it was there for an early spring day! I for sure want to get there again in another season!
Thanks! It was so much fun taking photos of the beautiful flowers!