Current events tend to overshadow Chicago’s history, and most early buildings (and trees) succumbed long ago to grander projects. I frequently visit Forgotten Chicago to learn about the traces and erasures of things that were, and waste a lot of time wondering about history I will never know.

Horst's Polka Band

In my past life (as a frequent I-94 commuter), I often saw brown signs along the highway pointing to “Long Grove Historic Village,” but never took the time to stop. What a mistake. Long Grove was settled in the early 1800’s, and the buildings from that time remain alive and well. It’s a thrivingshopping destination that hosts car- and busloads of visitors from near and far. Historic Long Grove’s small downtown area includes 120 businesses and provides family-friendly events all-year round. Pick an event and mark your calendar (the local’s choice: Chocolate Fest in May). Recently lured by Oktoberfest, my family and I parked just off Old McHenry Road and followed the sound of music to Fountain Square. Underneath a tent, Horst’s Polka Band from Racine, WI, pumped out rounds of deutsche Musik to a happy audience.

Kitchen at Long Grove Historical Society

After our appetites for food, drink and dance were sated, we crossed the road in search of the Historical Society. Their farmhouse museum stands just south of the covered bridge, across the parking lot. Our friendly guide wore an authentic costume, and shared the house’s history with us (it had been rescued from a different location). Another visitor chuckled at the sight of the iron wood-burning stove, and remembered her grandmother cooking up burnt biscuits in Mississippi with a similar set-up.

Olivia's Past boutique

Time travel is imaginable in Long Grove. Just squint your eyes, ignore the passing cars, and pretend you’re off to market. The shopkeepers pack their cozy stores with friendliness. Many tend a bit towards the touristy, but there are some real gems in the midst. Visiting the boutique Olivia’s Past feels like visiting the closet of a friend with fantastic taste. It’s filled with unique items that are completely wearable and gorgeous. Next door, the new European Flower and Gift Market (fomerly the Fairy Garden) actually does import some of its unusual flowers from Europe, and caters to out-of-town orders as well. Needlecrafters should certainly visit the yarn studio, I’d Rather Be Knitting (which pointedly welcomes crocheters too), for one of the most color-charged yarn walls I’ve seen, and an accommodating, enthusiastic attitude. There are so many more: over 47 shops and businesses appear on the walking map.

I'd Rather Be Knitting yarn shop

After all that dancing, learning and shopping, it was time to eat again. We picked The Village Tavern, a family-friendly restaurant that’s been operating continuously since 1849. It’s so refreshing to sit in an authentic space that’s still being used. You can even see the original cut-marks in the timbers. The Tavern also hosts live music. When we were there, a bunch of little kids jumped up on the stage to dance, and a grandmother was celebrating her 93rd birthday. The food was great, the service excellent.

Historic Long Grove, it took a long time, but you’ve got me now. See you again soon.

Happy Exploring!

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It’s kind of funny how our views change over time. As kids we loved snow storms because it usually meant a day off from school along with countless hours of fun in the snow. As adults we seem to have forgotten those times, we now often correlate snow with having to get up extra early to clear off the driveway only to battle long commutes.

Luckily we all still have an inner kid buried within us and there is no better way of putting the fun back into winter then by visiting the Lake County Forest Preserves. After last week’s snowfall I took my family to the sledding hill located at the Wauconda Forest Preserve. The hill is a decent size and it’s lit up after dark. We all had so much fun zipping down the hill. It truly brings back the childhood enjoyment of winter. I highly recommend checking it out. Also you can get all the latest sledding hill and other winter sport conditions at http://www.lcfpd.org/.

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I love Japanese and Thai food, however, I haven’t been able to find many places around Gurnee that have a great selection of these foods….until now. Over the weekend, I was craving Japanese food so we decided to try Sushi Thai which is located in Libertyville. I have driven by this restaurant so many times but hadn’t actually tried it. We were excited to see what it was like.

The inside of the restaurant is smaller than I pictured it would have been, but it has a nice feel to it. The menu has a lot of options for both Japanese and Thai cuisine. We decided to go with Japanese food this time, however, we plan to return soon to try the Thai food.

We started out with an order of egg rolls and pot stickers. We really liked both of these. I especially loved the sauce that came with the pot stickers. It was a little different than your typical pot sticker sauce so it made the taste a little more unique. I also had a green salad with ginger dressing. I enjoyed this as well.

For our main course, my husband Luke had teriyaki chicken, fried rice and vegetables. I had a California roll. I normally would have ordered more than one roll as my main meal, however, the roll had eight pieces which is bigger than I’ve normally seen, so it was plenty for me. Both of our meals were delicious.
We ended our meals with smoothies made at the smoothie bar in the restaurant. The smoothies are made with fresh fruit and green tea. I had a mango smoothie and Luke had a strawberry banana smoothie. These were so good!

We both really enjoyed our dinner and definitely plan to return to try out more things on the menu. The prices were very reasonable and the wait staff was great. We didn’t have a set waitress, there were several wait staff in the restaurant who stopped by our table to deliver food and take our orders, so we felt that we were well taken care of.

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Chicago Botanic Garden

In my last post, I provided information on some of the great indoor things to do during Chicago’s winter months. While I’d generally advise tourists and Illinois residents alike to avoid outdoor activities in freezing temperatures, there is one spot that should be enjoyed outside, year-round.

The Chicago Botanic Gardenin Glencoe is a 385-acre living plant museum featuring 24 distinct display gardens surrounded by lakes, as well as a prairie and woodlands. It’s my favorite place to visit when I need to get out of the city and enjoy a natural and peaceful environment. (I often go with my mom for long walks or with girlfriends on bike rides.) And while one might think the only suitable time to visit the Garden is in spring, summer, or fall, I strongly suggest a visit during winter months as well.

“Even though the branches are bare and there is snow on the ground, the Garden is a beautiful place in winter,” says Jodi Zombolo, Director of Visitor Events & Programs. “From the warmth of the tropical greenhouse to the exhilarating rush of snowshoeing on fresh fallen snow to the introspective exploration of an art exhibition, the Garden is a destination worth visiting.”

Throughout the year, the Chicago Botanic Garden holds events, programs, and activities for all ages. Whether you’re interested in plant science, gardening, cooking, exercise, or art, there is definitely something for you.

Learning about bonsai trees

This weekend the Garden presents “Three Friends of Winter,” a silhouette bonsai show from Friday, Jan. 29 through Sunday, Jan. 31. Deciduous bonsai trees lose their leaves in winter, revealing the intricate structure of their branches and trunks. Visitors can see the trees on display, attend a lecture on bonsai, browse the Lunar New Year Market for a blooming plant to take home, and participate in family activities. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on all three days.

From now through April 4, Garden visitors can also visit the “Losing Paradise?” exhibit in the Regenstein Center which showcases 44 botanical illustrations of endangered plants from North America and around the world. Curated by the American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) and developed in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, “Losing Paradise?” seeks to draw attention to plants that are in danger of disappearing from the planet.

The Garden is open every day of the year. Admission is free, but parking will set you back $20 per car. I’d advise to “go green” and bike, take public transportation, or carpool with friends.

Spend 20 to 30 minutes, or as long as you can stand the temperature that day, and enjoy a walk through the Garden – especially the Malott Japanese Garden and the English Walled Garden – my two favorites. For a quick tropical experience, take time to warm up by visiting theGreenhouses, and then grab some tea or hot chocolate in the Garden Café. A winter visit provides a different and fresh perspective of the Chicago Botanic Garden that might just surprise you. Dress warmly, and enjoy Illinois!

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