The lovely colors of fall are here to brighten our lives. Every year during this time I tend to visit one of the forest preserves nearby to enjoy the magnificent colors of this season. Lately the weather hasn’t been so harsh and it is lovely to take a stroll looking at the trees that are slowly shedding the colorful leaves, Maple , Oak, Bald cypress to name a few. This year I visited the Morton Arboretum, a forest preserve which is about an hour away from Chicago. It was definitely worth a visit as we drove around 16 miles to see the spectacular hues all around the preserve. We also hiked for a bit along the lake Murmao there. A very well spent day overall and one of the few last outdoor days for me in the next couple of months 🙂
Most of us are now relishing the few last days of summer this year. It is the time to say good bye to the long days of summer and welcome the lovely colors of fall. The weather being super nice last week, we decided to hike at Matthiessen State Park which is right by the Starved Rock State Park in Ottawa, Illinois. We walked about 5 miles around the canyons and waterfalls enjoying the nature and appreciating it. The most challenging part of the hike was climbing up the unending flight of stairs. The entire park is in circles and there are just so many stairs to go down and then climb back up. Since it rained the previous night, the ground was damp and it was very enjoyable to step on the pebbles and cross the streams of water to make our way to the canyon. We also enjoyed making our way up to the canyon to get a close view of the water fall. How have you been spending the last days of summer? I would love to read. Do share!
Starting this spring until fall, my friends and I have promised ourselves outdoor adventure every weekend. Last weekend we hiked the trails of Starved Rock State park which is about an hour and half away from Chicago. Starved Rock State Park is a hidden gem of the Midwest and known for its rugged canyons, scenic waterfalls and vivid foliage. The forest preserve is huge and the drive to the State park was very scenic. The lush mint lemon colored trees and red bud flowers on both the sides looked beautiful. I could see a lot of bikers enjoy their bike ride in the warm and sunny weather. We arrived at the park before noon and were all geared up and excited to trek and explore it.
Boardwalk
Wild Flowers
Lasalle Canyon
We started our day with the Board walk trails, hiking uphill along the steep steps to reach the Lover’s leap which was the highest point of the park. It had a great panoramic view of the Illinois river, rock formations and forest preserve. Walking further down along the winding pathways by the river, we headed towards the Lasalle Canyon which was about two miles away. We enjoyed climbing tree tops in the perfectly breezy weather which kept us going towards the Canyon. We trekked for about 4 miles in all and were exhausted by the end, but it was all worth it when we caught a sight of the beautiful falls at the Lasalle Canyon. We relaxed by the flowing stream of water for a while and then made our way back to the visitor’s center.
Now that I loved this hiking experience at the Starved Rock State Park, I am even more excited to visit the Rocky Mountain National Park at Colorado during my long weekend travel at the end of this month. Do you love to hike? Which was your best hiking experience? Which other outdoor adventures do you enjoy?
Travel adventures across the World!!! 