The Morton Arboretum

J and I have been chatting about visiting The Morton Arboretum since the first time we heard about it. This past week we decided to take advantage of the spring time weather, resulting blooms, and discount Wednesday admissions. ;) These are just a few shots from our wandering of the grounds...

A quick bite at the cafe...fantastic boca burger and veggie wrap with fresh fruit and creamy potato salad. Not to mention the view. :)

Jeremy and a Redbud.

Walking through Spruce Hill. This was a gorgeous woodland area.

Another view, just because we loved it so much.

Daffodil Glade.

Daffodil Glade.

Flowering trees - Dusky Pear tree. This was the most brilliant tree in that area by far.

The Dusky Pear tree again.

Magnolias.

Magnolias and J.

Magnolia detail.

The Morton Arboretum is home to the Millennium tree for the state of Illinois. You can visit the America the Beautiful Fund's website for more info. 

The Millennium Tree: White Oak.

One more shot...I love how twisted and gnarly it looks!

On the East side of the Arboretum: Japanese flora.

J taking a break under a Callery Pear tree.

Me taking a break on a Ussurian Pear tree. One of the most fascinating aspects of the Arboretum is how well known it is. I Googled "Ussurian Pear" and many of the websites talked about this specific tree I am sitting in! (Same goes for the Dusky Pear tree J was climbing above).

Elm. I love elms in the spring. Another fantastic fact about the Arboretum: they have developed several cultivars of elm that are resistant to Dutch Elm Disease.

J and I back at the start after a long day of hiking the grounds.

:)