This is the year I especially appreciate my own neighborhood and it is always fun to learn more about it. So when the Evanston Literature Festival offered a literary walking tour along the Main-Dempster Mile, I signed up right away. I am of course familiar with the bookstores on Main, but it is always fun […]
It’s been a busy summer researching some passion projects and rehoming myself after a few years of caregiving flux. In June two broods of periodical cicadas descended upon Illinois, and I fully expected them to land on my back porch like the annuals do. However, South Evanston was spared and I had to drive to find […]
At the beginning of June I traveled to Milwaukee for the Bead & Button Show. I didn’t really need any more beads, but I found a workshop I wanted to take and decided to make a long weekend of it. After my drive I visited the Milwaukee Art Museum, where I was overwhelmed with new […]
While I was in Elmhurst, the temperatures were still fitful, but I did want to explore some of the outdoor attractions nearby. On my museum day in Wilder Park I popped into the Wilder Park Conservatory. The charming greenhouse was filled with the fragrance of Hyacinths. Narcissi gave me hope for Spring. The off-limits airplants had […]
Last week I went downtown to visit a friend, and enjoyed riding the CTA Purple Line for a spell. I love the express route as you get a glimpse of the beautiful skyline and cross so many intriguing neighborhoods. Since I got in a little early, I explored the Chicago Riverwalk before she got off […]
This week I wrapped up my Waldo Scavenger hunt. I mainly did it for social media fun, and since I knew most of the businesses I skipped I didn’t feel compelled to complete all passport stops. Instead, I returned to Secret Treasures because not finding him there bugged me. Angel spotted a lovely teaset perfect […]
On Friday I visited a lovely new-to-me Nature Preserve. North Park Village Nature Center is a remnant of a former Tuberculosis clinic in Chicago. The wooded, 46-acre nature preserve holds various types of landscapes. The easy-to-follow looped trails offer an overview of Savanna, Woodlands, Wetland, Prairie and Edge Forest. Open from 10 am to 4 […]
Find Waldo Local is a community-wide scavenger hunt originated by independent bookstores. Local residents can pick up a passport that lists participating stores, and then stroll local shopping districts to locate tiny Waldo cut-outs in the shops. I believe Bookends & Beginnings instigated the scavenger hunt in Evanston, and it has expanded to various non-book stores […]
On my first visit to the Halim Museum I also strolled through the Clocks of the World. This exhibit starts with a reproduction of the oldest known clock, and impressive installation of gears attributed to Richard of Wallingford. He designed an astronomical clock,which was built approximately 20 years after his death. More than 1,100 timepieces are […]
In early January I took a staycation and stumbled on a wonderful new Evanston Museum. Founded by an avid collector of clockworks and stained glass windows, this brand-new museum is a gem! The museum houses three exhibits: Stained Glass Masters, Treasures of Louis Comfort Tiffany, and Clocks of the World. Custom-built by the Halim family, […]
