Once the rain cleared the past Sunday, we spent a little time exploring the trails at The Grove in Glenview. The combination between the rain and a craft fair ongoing inside the buildings on the grounds yielded to quiet trails with few other hikers. While the fall colors tended mainly towards browns with a few blazing yellows, we enjoyed the rustic fall ambiance very much.
During our visit, we spied eight deer. If you look close, you can see one in this picture. They were all pretty calm and quietly looked at us before deeming us no threat and returning to munching.
Being in the forest is an incredible thing. With few other hikers around, we had more opportunity to see more wildlife. In addition to deer, we found squirrels, ducks, woodpeckers, chipmunks and more.
The respite is just what we needed after a couple of days stuck indoors with rain.
During our peaceful walk, we found plenty of time to pause and soak in the artistry of the forest including interesting stumps like that above.
I even found a couple of heart shaped leaves!
There are quite a few wetland areas throughout The Grove. Some are ephemeral and disappear from time to time. The benefit of all of the rain -- dreamy water scenes and plenty of ducks!
With the rain earlier in the day, we were tempted to spend the day inside. I am really glad we didn't! What a beautiful afternoon in the forest!
If you visit:
- Check out the nature center -- home to many animals.
- Check out the historic buildings & replicas including the Kennicott House, a wigwam and more. They are only open certain days but it is still fun to walk around.
- Sit and observe the bird feeders.
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