Now that it is starting to warm up and feel like spring, I love to be outdoors enjoying the weather. One of my favorite things to do is go for long walks, especially now after being cooped up indoors all winter. Last week I decided to meet a friend of mine at Independence Grove for a walk. We both have young daughters so we brought them along with their strollers to enjoy the walk too.

I’ve been to Independence Grove a few times in the past couple of years, I participated in several 5K races there. However, to be honest, I never really paid attention to my surroundings as I was always consumed with the race and registration process. This time, I had no reason to be there except to get some exercise, catch up with a friend and take in the scenery. Now that I was paying attention, I was amazed at just how pretty the area is.

Independence Grove has over six miles of preserve trails that encircle a big lake. We parked our cars and hopped right on a trail. We decided to take the Overlook Trail which is about a two and a half mile loop. This trail is paved which makes it easier with strollers. It is also great for biking or rollerblading too. As we began our walk, I was able to quickly forget that less than a mile down the road is a busy intersection. You feel as though you are far away from everyday traffic and congestion. The trail winds through the trees around the lake. Along the way there are little bridges taking you over the lake and maps pointing you in the right direction. I really enjoyed seeing all of the scenery, even though not everything is green yet and the flowers aren’t in full bloom, the preserve is so pretty and refreshing.

We noticed that on one part of the lake there were pedal boats parked on the side which looked fun. Out of curiosity, we checked into this to see about renting these for a future visit. We found out that during the summer you can rent the pedal boats as well as canoe’s, kayak’s and bikes too. I’m definitely planning to return this summer to try that out. There is a café and several large rooms you can rent out for events. There is also a large outdoor pavilion area that can be used for picnics or bigger get-togethers as well.

It took us about 35 minutes to complete the loop. When we finished walking we sat down on the grass and let the girls run around and play for a little while before getting back in our cars to head home. We all had a great time and really enjoyed ourselves. I am looking forward to returning to try some of the other trails and maybe even rent a pedal boat or kayak for a couple hours too. It’s nice that with all of the buildings and houses going up everywhere that there are still places like Independence Grove where you can enjoy the outdoors and nature.

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The first warm and sunny Saturday of April found me trekking southwards to check out the Antiques and Garden Fair at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. As a lover of the outdoors, I was excited at the prospect of spending some time among the colors and fragrances of the gardens, and the antique fair sounded like an interesting opportunity to take in some different art. Approaching the gardens, I encountered two enormous white swans who rooted through the grass with their black beaks and waddled about non-chalantly while visitors took their photograph. I passed them through the entryway and crossed a stream via an arched wooden bridge with purple pansies hanging overhead.
Following voices down a central pathway put me face to face with what appeared to be a giant stork made of pink chrysanthemums. The sculpture was exquisitely constructed, and served as a beautiful centerpiece for the room. Beyond the stork, visitors passed in and out of a gallery filled with artwork of every shape and size. Huge ceramic vases filled with vibrantly-colored floral arrangements caught my eye, and I admired their craftsmanship before moving on to a strange metal sculpture. Flanked by natural wooden wheels and lamps made from industrial coils, the sculpture looked like a standing elipse composed of geometrically arranged iron pins. Towards the center of the room, a large fountain full of pink flowers and still water was inhabited by some regally-sculpted white geese.
Not far away, the sound of trickling water led me a wonderfully bizarre sculpture protruding from a wall. Three white ceramic lion's heads, eaching holding a green apple in their mouth, framed a smaller, dark lion's head on a fish's body that spat water over some pink bouquets into a fountain below. Looking around at the displays, I realized that they had come from all over the world and from varying time periods, many ranging back hundreds of years. I admired a cement table-and-chairs set that had been molded to look like as though they were carved from an enormous tree. Other lions surfaced nearby, these ones full-body sculptures a couple feet long that dated back to the 19th century. Up above, sculpted horse's heads from the same era cast a watchful eye over the proceedings.
I made my way back outside, and followed a path between rows of neatly-cropped trees to the English Walled Garden, where columns and vines showcased a magnificent fountain neighbored by sky-blue pansies and an oddly-shaped "Weeping Beech" tree. I continued on the path along the lake to the Japanese Garden, curious as to what I might find there this time of year. I crossed the wooden bridge leading to the inner garden, where Yukimi snow-collecting lanterns stood near small pines and decorative rocks. The garden was alive with chirping and singing, as birds from crows to robins to red-winged blackbirds swooped and hopped about the foliage.

I continued up the path towards the sound of rushing water and saw a towering, multi-layered waterfall. I climbed the stone steps to the pond that served as its source and took in the tranquil, panoramic view. Following the path further, I came upon a meadow of white birch trees carpeted at their base by purple and yellow irises. Royal Ferns were growing nearby, and I was amazed to learn that they dated back to 230 million years ago. I saw what I thought at first was a grasshopper in the brush, but turned out to be a tiny Ruby-crowned Kinglet. His bright-red head lived up to his namesake, and he flitted about before flying off with another. I completed my circle and crossed back through the art fair, admiring some beautiful animal paintings created by an artist from England. Over the course of a couple hours, I took in enough refreshing sounds, sights, and fragrances to feel fully revitalized, and I vowed to return to the gardens in later months to see the seasons reflected in the plants.

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On a sunny and cool afternoon last week I took a short trip northwards to the Illinois-Wisconsin border to check out the Russell Military Museum. I remember driving back to Illinois from Wisconsin on Highway 94 for many years and seeing military vehicles off to the west, but I never realized until recently that they were part of the collection of an elaborate historical museum.
For some reason I had had the impression that the museum was a showcase of attractions solely from the Vietnam era, but upon entering found out that the collection consisted of exhibits from World War II to the Korean War, to the war in Vietnam, up to both the first and current Gulf Wars. As I entered the gallery, a display case with old newspapers caught my eye, and I read a headline from the Chicago Herald from December 8th, 1941 announcing "U.S. Declares War on Tokyo". An adjacent glass case held some intact fragmentation grenades and a Japanese sword, along with some Japanese infantry helmets. Also on display was an old U.S. C-Ration labeled "Beef w/ Spiced Sauce" and a circular tin of peanut butter that was probably well past its expiration date. To my right was what looked like an enormous green boat with tank treads underneath, which the sign revealed was an M129C "Water Weasel". The vehicle was an amphibious cargo carrier manufactured by Studebaker in 1945, and I was sure I had seen its likeness before in at least one WWII movie.
Next to the Weasel were two army-green motorcycles that to my surprise were manufactured by Harley Davidson. The placcard told me that the cycles had been equipped with sub-machinegun brackets and were mostly used for reconnaissance, their lighting systems altered to comply with military zone requirements. I moved on to a tank known as an M-5 Stuart Light that was powered by two Cadillac engines. Cases nearby showed a 1941 soldiers' field manual and a box of ammuntion for a 9mm Luger pistol. Also on display were Nazi flags and an embroidered Nazi jacket, which took me back in time to a conflict that I've only read about and seen portrayed in films.
Giant tanks lined the north wall, among them the M-7 "Priest" Howitzer, which had one of the biggest cannons I've ever seen. Nearby was an OH-23 Raven "Light" Helicopter, which looked as though it lived up to its name through its compact design. I read that the vehicle was used mainly for observation and Med-Evac missions during the Korean War, and that the civilian model was the first helicopter to fly from California to New York. I walked among large engines of varying shapes and sizes, and looked through a case of old gas masks and a wide range of artillery shells. I browsed around some Vietnam-era machineguns and smooth "baseball-style" grenades, and came across an interesting specimen known as a "Dog Doo Transmitter". In a decorative case was what looked like waste from a medium-sized animal, but what the sign explained was actually a homing beacon used to signal aircraft. The casing of the device was cleverly designed so that the transmitter would not be removed from where it was planted. A case nearby displayed a hand-made Vietnamese knife with an elaborately carved wooden handle, as well as an M-60, AK-47, and M-16.
An exhibit of memorabilia from the Gulf War included Iraqi money with Saddam Hussein's portrait and stood next to an HMMWV truck (also known as a Hummer), which the sign explained could ford a five-foot-deep river with a snorkel kit and climb a 60-degree slope. I stepped out into the outdoor exhibit and felt as though I was in a land of giants, as enormous tanks and helicopters stretched back towards the horizon. I looked over a vehicle called a "Peacekeeper", which was essentially an armored body built onto the chassis of a Dodge Ram. The information card told me that the truck is also used today by SWAT teams and other police forces. I recognized a Huey (UH-1 helicopter) and PBR (Patrol Boat- River) from the Vietnam era, and made my way across the yard towards an enormous beast of a machine with a hollow underbelly that towered over just about everything else in the yard and looked like something out of Star Wars. The monstrous propellers told me that this was some sort of helicopter, and it turned out that the vehicle was actually a CH-54 Sky Crane Heavy-Lift helicopter, a machine capable of lifting over 27,000 pounds (more than its own weight) that had recovered over 380 downed aircraft in Vietnam.
I strolled around through the yard admiring the many vehicles, among them a British Centurion tank that had been featured in the movie Courage Under Fire with Denzel Washington. There was a lot to take in, and upon re-entering the indoor museum on my way out I noticed a case of interesting-looking rocket launchers that I had passed by the first time. My previous exposure to military machines had been strictly through various war movies, and, after touring the museum, I felt that I had been given a firsthand appreciation for the size, sophistication, and capability of our military technology as well as an interesting retrospective of how it has progressed over the decades.

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Who collects antiques? I know a lot of people are into antiques and collect them, however, it was not something that interested me. My perspective has indeed changed after visiting the Gurnee Antique Center on Saturday. I can now understand why people do collect antiques and go all over the place to find that perfect piece. The furniture, art and other items were beautiful and really well crafted.

Even though I live in Gurnee, I had never noticed the Antique Center and didn’t even realize it existed. When I pulled up, I was surprised at how big the building was. I expected a small shop. When I walked in, I was greeted by a pleasant woman asking if there was anything in particular I needed help finding. I let her know it was my first time to an antique shop, so I was going to explore a little.

The Center is laid out so that you wind up and down rows of items. It is broken into sections with similar items. The first section that caught my eye was an area that had some old games. I especially liked an old foosball table they had on display. It’s interesting that after all of these years, the game has not changed. It’s just gotten more high-tech and bigger than the past. Many of the kids toys were fun to look at too. Again, there were many toys that were similar to the classic toys you see today for kids, stacking blocks, puzzles, etc. The craftsmanship of the items was generally wonderful and truly impressive.

Another area I spent a lot of time looking at was the jewelry section. There were so many pieces that I loved…and wanted! There were a lot of beautiful beaded bracelets and necklaces that actually reminded me of the type of stylish jewelry you see in stores right now. What is different about these pieces is that you know there is some type of history that goes along with each piece. This, I realize, must be one of the reasons people love to shop and buy antiques.

I enjoyed looking at the glass case that held all of the cameras. These were really neat to look at. The cameras were so big, I cannot imagine having to drag one of those old cameras with me anywhere. We truly are spoiled today with how little cameras have become. My camera is so small that I actually keep it with me all the time in my purse.

What there seemed to be the most of was artwork. Throughout the entire building, paintings lined many of the walls. There were so many that caught my eye, a lot of different styles and times.

I spent a lot of time at the Gurnee Antique Center. There is so much to see and I truly do have a better understanding as to why people love and collect antiques. I found myself day dreaming and trying to imagine who and how each of these pieces were used. So many of the pieces must have an amazing history to them, which makes shopping antiques all the more interesting and fun!

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On a sunny afternoon last week, my brother and I headed over to Rinkside at Gurnee Mills to see what we could find. I had driven past the striped building that houses Rinkside several times, but I had never been inside, and had only heard from acquaintances that both laser tag and ice skating could be found within. I wasn't sure how I felt about ice skating, but I knew that it had been too many years since I had last played laser tag, and I was ready to try my hand at it again.

The first thing I noticed upon entering Rinkside was the spacious reception area to my left, which looked as though it plays host to some sizeable birthday parties. I strolled past the teens and youngsters near the entrance towards a ride called "The Tornado", which resembled a black, mechanical octopus that raised and lowered riders in the buckets at the end of its arms while rotating in a circle. Looking around, the lights and sounds reminded me of various arcades and amusement parks that had delighted me in my youth. We secured our tickets for laser tag at the counter, and I decided to have a look around while waiting for our game to begin.

Walking to the left side of the room, I discovered another room that lead to the attraction that (I assume) gave Rinkside its namesake: a massive ice rink where young people of all shapes and sizes cruised across the frozen surface. A couple skaters were receiving lessons on the ice from adults, and I watched, impressed, as a girl of about eight or nine jumped and spun through the air, only to land and glide gracefully backwards like a professional.

Back in the arcade section, enthusiastic boys swiveled and fired from the cockpits of racing and flight simulators, fully immersed in the high-tech graphics. A video game from a series that I had played in years past caught my eye: Tekken 5. I hadn't played any of the games in the classic martial arts series since Tekken 3 was released about 10 years ago, but that didn't stop me from giving it a try. After only making it to level two, however, I decided to go a little more old-school and play some skee ball.

After a few rounds of skee ball it was almost time to begin laser tag, so we sidled over to the arena to check it out. From a television monitor above the entrance, we could see the teams currently playing. Kids fired over barricades and ducked behind pillars as we watched them from a birds-eye view. Soon it was our turn to give it a try, and we entered the corridor and were ushered into a room lit by Black light where we watched a short video hosted by a laser tag commando on how to score, where to shoot, and where to find bonuses. We were given our vests and phasers and let into the Black lit arena, my brother representing the red team while I played for blue.

The arena consisted of ramps, pillars, and barricades striped in orange and green that reflected the soft ultraviolet light. I ducked behind a pillar and shot out towards my brother, my red laser point visible on the walls. Low-key, trancelike music filtered through the room, giving it an otherworldly feel. A laser hit the dancing lights on my chest guard and it vibrated and lit up orange, and I ducked behind a column for protection. I shot out and saw orange flash up on the red team member's vest, indicating a hit for the blues. Mist rolled out overhead as I crouched down and I shot my laser into it out of curiosity, marveling at how the photons lit up in the cloud. Lasers flashed overhead from two different directions, and I moved up the ramp behind me to a window hole in the wall to gain a vantage point.

Sensors shook and flashed orange as we continued to trade shots and move stealthily behind the barricades. The counter on my light gun told me that I was being a little trigger-happy, as I had only landed about a fifth of my shots fired. I decided to tighten up my strategy and only fire when I had a clear shot. Lasers flew for a couple more minutes before the announcement came on that our time was up. Back outside of the arena we were shown the tally of our scores. My brother ended up with a higher score than I did, but only by a little, so I didn't feel to bad. My eyes readjusted to the light and I played a couple of rounds of a game called "Monopoly", where tokens are dropped through a moveable slide onto precariously stacked tokens behind glass in an effort to knock them over the ledge and win tickets. I cashed in my tickets for candy at the exchange counter and headed out, brainstorming about who I could bring with me for the next game of tag. Rinkside may be geared towards the younger customers, but I found plenty to enjoy there for those of us who have passed the kid stage but still remain kids at heart.

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