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Day 5 was a day off
Should you find yourself in Rockford, Illinois, I highly recommend Anderson Japanese Gardens. This is especially true if you are a photographer, painter/illustrator or if you just like beautiful places created with beauty and contemplation in mind. If you are a gardener or have an interest in trees, I recommend Klehm Arboretum
J and I took R to the Madison airport. We left at 6:00 and even with breakfast and a slight mistake with directions we were back at the hotel by about 10:20 this morning. The mistake in directions allowed us to visit Cherrydale where many of the streets really are lined with cherry trees. We spent a couple hours at the hotel and let one rain storm pass. I worked on my online courses. About noon we headed off to find someplace to spend sometime outside and moving around.
We first went to Klehm Arboretum . Once we were there we each headed off to wander alone. After about 45 minutes there it started to rain. As soon as we were back in the car it stopped so we headed back off into the gardens. About 10 minutes later it started to rain again. Of course, it stopped as we both made it back to the car a second time. We gave that round to Mother Nature and decided to try and find Anderson Japanese Gardens.
What I managed to see of Klehm was very nice. They have a large herb garden, a children's garden, and extensive collection of conifers. I would imagine it is a spectacular place in fall and winter.The Japanese gardens were fabulous. The trail there wound through dozens and dozens of carefully created views. Some views were expansive and others were small in scope if large in impact. Often the trail wound in such a way that the same thing (tree, rock arrangement, bridge, sculpture) could be viewed from multiple distances and angles. I am hoping to go back to each before I leave. Klehm is open late enough to go after we stop working one day. Anderson is on my way out of town so if nothing else I can stop then. I suspect I would be a regular visitor at both if I lived here.
Several photos behind the cut. More on flickr and even more still to be processed. Don't click if chipmunks or bugs bother you.
First few are from Anderson
The rest are from Khlem
J and I took R to the Madison airport. We left at 6:00 and even with breakfast and a slight mistake with directions we were back at the hotel by about 10:20 this morning. The mistake in directions allowed us to visit Cherrydale where many of the streets really are lined with cherry trees. We spent a couple hours at the hotel and let one rain storm pass. I worked on my online courses. About noon we headed off to find someplace to spend sometime outside and moving around.
We first went to Klehm Arboretum . Once we were there we each headed off to wander alone. After about 45 minutes there it started to rain. As soon as we were back in the car it stopped so we headed back off into the gardens. About 10 minutes later it started to rain again. Of course, it stopped as we both made it back to the car a second time. We gave that round to Mother Nature and decided to try and find Anderson Japanese Gardens.
What I managed to see of Klehm was very nice. They have a large herb garden, a children's garden, and extensive collection of conifers. I would imagine it is a spectacular place in fall and winter.The Japanese gardens were fabulous. The trail there wound through dozens and dozens of carefully created views. Some views were expansive and others were small in scope if large in impact. Often the trail wound in such a way that the same thing (tree, rock arrangement, bridge, sculpture) could be viewed from multiple distances and angles. I am hoping to go back to each before I leave. Klehm is open late enough to go after we stop working one day. Anderson is on my way out of town so if nothing else I can stop then. I suspect I would be a regular visitor at both if I lived here.
Several photos behind the cut. More on flickr and even more still to be processed. Don't click if chipmunks or bugs bother you.
First few are from Anderson
The rest are from Khlem