| Like most cities nowadays, Chicago is a bustling | | | | A new feature, the City Garden, will be open |
| metropolis that is birthplace and home to some of the | | | | throughout the year. |
| tallest skyscrapers in the United States. Progress | | | | People and sight seeing are rolled into one at the posh |
| simply cannot be taken aback and more and more | | | | Lincoln Park with its own conservatory of the same |
| people are finding it difficult to literally stop and smell | | | | name. The conservatory houses different tropical |
| the roses in a steel and concrete world. | | | | plants and ferns and has four display houses open to |
| Luckily, Chicago is still home to small pocket gardens | | | | the public namely the Palm House, Fern Room, Orchid |
| and conservatories that still balance the relationship | | | | House and Show House. Lincoln Park is also home to |
| between man and nature by providing a respite for | | | | the publicly open Lincoln Zoo, with different animals |
| Chicago floras and faunas to prosper even amidst an | | | | such as meerkats, bears and deers for viewing. It also |
| urbanized city. The best part is all of these don't even | | | | has a separate area for the children to interact with |
| have to be paid for as they are open to both tourists | | | | domestic animals such as pigs, horses and cows. A |
| and locals most of the year round. | | | | refreshing ride in one of the Lincoln Park Lagoon's |
| The Garfield Park and Conservatory is a welcome | | | | boats or kayak will give a great view of the whole |
| escape to the monochromatic view of buildings. The | | | | park and sometimes birds in the area. |
| conservatory has several display houses all offering | | | | With the advent of Chicago cheap flights making the |
| different species of plants to curious visitors. There's | | | | city accessible via air to even the most far flung visitor, |
| the Aroid House which is residence to the common | | | | the conservatories and other floral areas are a great |
| houseplant. There's also the Desert House with a | | | | way to see the plants in Chicago even during a harsh |
| collection of different flowering and non-flowering cacti, | | | | winter. Cheap flights to and from Chicago can be |
| from the smallest species down to the largest. The | | | | made via the three airports in close proximity to the |
| Fern Room is home to a collection of different plants | | | | city, the closest being O'Hare International Airport, |
| which emanates the feel of what Chicago used to be | | | | followed by the Rockford and Milwaukee Airports. |
| in the prehistoric era and is home to one of the oldest | | | | Potential vacationers might want to save on airfare by |
| plants in the world, the Cycad. | | | | checking out all the possible flights in the adjoining |
| For those who just want to relax, strolling through the | | | | airports as it may be easier to drop in via Rockford or |
| different gardens in the conservatory is a great way | | | | Milwaukee and just take a bus or car going to the city. |
| to refresh the body and rest the eyes. Different | | | | Pocket gardens are a reminder of a more laidback |
| gardens are open in different parts of the year. The | | | | and simple lifestyle amidst the consuming pace of the |
| demonstration garden, which has helpful displays or | | | | city. A vacationer or local should always take one's |
| urban agriculture, composting and city scape gardening, | | | | available time in stride. Stopping and smelling the roses |
| is open from May 1 to November 1. The same goes | | | | should be a priority in itself. This will make for a |
| for the Monet Garden, a replication of the French | | | | healthier and happier vacation, even for the everyday |
| Impressionist painter's own garden in Giverney, France. | | | | Chicago resident. Don't let the city swallow you up. |