Searching for Forest Fairies During The Grove's Fairy Quest

Searching for Forest Fairies During The Grove's Fairy Quest

The Grove National Historic Landmark in Glenview unfolds a diverse nature oasis year round. We love periodic adventures to observe changes in the flora and fauna. Today, I learned that The Grove has an app with a few tours including the newest The Grove's Fairy Quest. I thought it would be fun to look for little woodland fairies, so my husband and I set out on the trail on a beautiful fall day!

Fairy homes can be spotted throughout nature with The Grove's Fairy Quest.

We downloaded the app and began the tour. If you set it to recognize your location properly, it will notify you when you are near one of the fairies. We did find that the position of the fairy home locations appeared a bit closer on the map than we thought they were. Just a little FYI.

Fairies live high and low at The Grove.

A set of clues helps with locating the little treasures. You will be looking up, down and all around. Some are in quite creative places! Alas, there were a couple that we did not locate. So, we will head back and check again.

Woodland fairies may spotted throughout the preserve!

We did have quite a nice walk looking for the little whimsical homes. After our adventure, we embarked on a longer hike through the preserve. I love the late fall and winter woods because so many natural structures normally covered by foliage can be see in a new light. This season is also the season of the the woodpecker, so be on the lookout!

The fall sun lights up the beauty of the fall forest.

History and Nature Blend at The Grove:

The Grove National Historical Landmark also holds particular historical significance. The preserve once was home to notable horticulturalist and educator Dr. John Kennicott. A number of historic buildings as well as replicas dot the preserve including Kennicott's home. We have toured the 1850s home and I recommend it when tours are available again.

The Grove was home to Dr. John Kennicott. His home was constructed in the 1850's

The Day in the Life Tour on The Grove's App will give you a little more information about some of the structures in the preserve and a peek into history.

The Plank Road made travelling easier.

The app certainly helps with discovery! While looking for fairies, we discovered The Plank Road for the first time which is a replica of The Milwaukee Plank Road with wooden planks meant to give sufficient footing to travelers. The road was a toll road and originally sat in the place of the replica road. Pretty interesting!

Admiring the pond at The Grove.

While we love wandering all of the paths at The Grove we especially enjoy the water views! Ducks delighted us throughout our visit. You never know what wildlife you will encounter during a hike at The Grove, but there is always something to discover!