Finding green in the city...
My most recent and fruitful photo outing was two weeks ago while my boyfriend was visiting. The sun was out long enough to inspire us to walk to the Lincoln Park Zoo. The zoo and its surrounding area have become one of my favorite places to walk. The zoo itself is open seven days a week and it's free. Just adjacent to the zoo is the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pond, a small secluded walking path ensconced in trees and greenery and encircling a lily-covered pond. In the warmer months, when everything is in bloom, it's a wonderful spot to sit and read. Rocks form various lounging options and a rather zen-looking shelter sits at the edge of the pond.
You can pick up the path from the street and it will lead you into the zoo. We walked through the zoo and found ourselves at the Lincoln Park Conservatory which houses hundreds of exotic plants from all over the world. The conservatory itself is a beautiful glass building, constructed between 1890 and 1895. It contains a succession of rooms to wander through, including palm, fern, orchid and showcase houses. Upon entering, I was agog at the amazing lushness that immediately surrounded me and was so glad I had my camera on me. I became lost in the amazing variety of shapes and colors. I don't think I took my face out of the lens the entire time - causing a few innocuous collisions with other visitors. One of my favorite things I saw that day was the pitcher plant. This is a carnivorous plant that uses deep pitcher-shaped leaves filled with water and enzymes to trap and digest insect prey.
Click here to see the rest of my images from the conservatory.
