2011/12/26 - Cosley Zoo Lights (16 Photos)
Cosley Zoo decorates nicely for Christmas and since it's smaller and much closer than Brookfield Zoo it's more appealing during the cold Winter months. I can see us checking out the holiday lights annually.

2011/10/26 - Field Museum (16 Photos)
It's been a long time since we last visited the Field Museum of Natural History. It's actually a very nice museum, but the exhibits don't change much so it's boring compared to the Museum of Science and Industry. We did enjoy the dinosaur exhibit, however.

2011/10/24 - Morton Arboretum (21 Photos)
It's always nice to visit the Morton Arboretum but it's most picturesque in the Fall. Not only do the trees look beautiful, but there are cool scarecrows placed all around Meadow Lake.

2011/10/23 - Farm & Lake (11 Photos)
Photos 1-8 are from St. James Farm and the remaining are from Herrick Lake.

2011/10/22 - Volo Auto Museum (46 Photos)
Volo Auto Museum is a really interesting place to visit even if you're not a car enthusiast. There's a ton of cool cars to see from tv/movies and an antique mall across the parking lot to satisfy a shopping craving.

2011/10/09 - Scarecrow Fest (27 Photos)
The best festival every Fall is hands down the Scarecrow Festival in St. Charles, Illinois. The scarecrows are so cool and there's plenty of food, fun, and craft booths. It's a must-visit.

2011/10/01 - Jonamac & Sonny A (27 Photos)
The Fall must-visits: Jonamac Orchard & Sonny Acres Farm. The orchard had a really nice pumpkin patch where you could pick your own pumpkins. The first 11 photos are from Jonamac and the rest are from Sonny Acres.

2011/09/23 - MSI & LPZ (32 Photos)
We visited two of my favorite places in the city today - the Museum of Science and Industry and Lincoln Park Zoo. Both have baby chicks on display so you'll see a lot of them in this photo set. Pics 1-15 are from the museum and 16-32 were taken at the zoo.

2011/08/27 - Botanic Garden (63 Photos)
Wow, I can't believe it's been three years since our last visit to the Chicago Botanic Garden! At $20 per car and an hour drive I'm guessing that explains it, but there will be more pictures come Fall now that we get in free with our Morton Arboretum membership. This visit features the Model Railroad Garden as well as pictures of the grounds at dusk.

2011/08/21 - Peck Farm Park (23 Photos)
Peck Farm Park is run by the Geneva Park District in Illinois. We typically visit in the summer months when the butterfly house is open. It's a great little place to take the kids to learn about these colorful insects.

2011/08/14 - Morton Arboretum (17 Photos)
We enjoyed our visit and tour of the Morton Arboretum so much that we decided to become members. Membership also gets us into the Chicago Botanic Garden for free. Between those two there's going to be lots of fun trips between now and next year. I can't wait until Fall when the trees change colors!

2011/06/05 - Shedd Aquarium 2 (17 Photos)
Some of the less frequently photographed parts of the Shedd Aquarium are featured in this set, including the intriguing clock pictured here.

2011/06/05 - Shedd Aquarium (44 Photos)
Chicago's Shedd Aquarium's new jellyfish exhibit cannot be missed. It's the best place to see the very intriguing upside-down jellyfish (photos 38-42).

2011/04/23 - Cosley Zoo (25 Photos)
This could be considered the duck and baby animals addition with the kids and lambs that were recently born. Also, the Easter Bunny paid a visit. ;)

2011/04/20 - Tennessee Aquarium (25 Photos)
It doesn't get better than the Tennessee Aquarium. The two aquarium buildings (Ocean Journey and River Journey) are set up so that guests take an escalator to the top of each building and work their way down ensuring nothing is missed. Best of all they have an extensive jellyfish collection that can only be matched by the Newport Aquarium in Kentucky.

2011/04/19 - Chattanooga Zoo (15 Photos)
Chattanooga Zoo is a little zoo with a lot of heart. My favorite exhibits involved birds - the great horned owl is beautiful and the blue and gold macaw is funny and cute. He came down his perch to wave hello to me and my husband with his foot.

2011/04/19 - Georgia Aquarium (33 Photos)
Georgia Aquarium is the most modern aquarium I've ever visited and they recently added a dolphin show to their portfolio. What really stands out for me, however, is their impressive tank that houses several whale sharks and a smaller tank with lionfish.

2011/04/18 - Zoo Atlanta (53 Photos)
Atlanta Zoo has someting most zoos do not - giant pandas, and a baby one at that! The cuteness alone is worth the trip to this zoo.

2011/04/17 - Incline Railway (10 Photos)
The Incline Railway, also known as the Chattanooga Choo-Choo, is located on Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Would you dare to ride it?

2011/04/17 - Nashville Zoo (50 Photos)
Nashville Zoo is a wonderful zoo in Tennessee that clearly puts the welfare of their animals before all else. The enclosures are some of the largest and most realistic I've seen. From the reptiles to the red pandas, every section of the zoo is interesting and fun to explore.

2011/04/09 - Oak Park Conservatory (50 Photos)
Oak Park Conservatory is a nice little place to visit when you want to get back in touch with nature, particularly after a long winter. In addition to the plants and flowers, they also house several birds, koi, turles, and an American bullfrog. It will definitely be an annual visit for us now that we know it exists.