Schaumburg, IL Weekend Getaway Friday, April 3, 2015

Since I was off a half day for Good Friday, we decided we were long overdue for a weekend getaway so we went to Schaumburg, Illinois.

We had points accumulated that we used to stay at the Sheraton Suites Chicago Elk Grove. It is a very nice hotel located a little off the beaten path with two room suites giving you a little more space in the living area. I didn’t hurt that they have a pool and hot tub.

We had dinner at the Thai Garden in Schaumburg and it was incredible. With my many dietary restrictions, I have learned that the Thai usually don’t cook with soy sauce, use coconut milk in place of dairy milk or creamers, any noodles or pasta are rice based and usually have spring rolls made with rice paper. We started with an egg roll for Paul and spring rolls for me (that he seemed to enjoy just as well, after he picked out the cucumber). I had a vegetable noodle curry that was delicious. Paul enjoyed chicken Pad Thai which he said was just as good. We ended the evening with Black Bean Sweet which was unique and worth the try.

Schaumburg, IL Weekend Getaway Saturday, April 4, 2015

Our morning began with a trip to the Cosley Zoo in Wheaton, Illinois. The square footage of the zoo may be small (which is a definite advantage is some ways), but the way they have made some great use of the space, developed natural exhibits, and incorporated a good variety of animals make it an excellent zoo. You will notice, the theme of the day is ducks.

Lunch was at Bahama Breeze in Schaumburg. The second I walked in, I was brought back to Seattle. The name alone wasn’t familiar enough to say I had been to one, but the layout was identical to the one we ate at in Seattle when we traveled with my family for an Alaskan cruise. The food was very good and the waitress was willing to answer any questions and find out answers she did not know.

After lunch we explored the Spring Valley Nature Center which included trails around a small lake (large pond), across and along a few streams, through prairies, forests and at the west end a historical farm. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect and the walk was interesting and about the right length for a leisurely Saturday afternoon.

There are painted turtles on the log in this first picture, although it is difficult to see.

The ducks in the picture below are doing synchronized swimming. There are numerous male/female couples circling each other, all at the same time. It must be mating season….

As you can see from the butterflies to the widlflowers, to the rhubarb, spring is here.

Schaumburg, IL Weekend Getaway Sunday, April 5, 2015

On our way home, we stopped at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. I can only imagine how beautiful the gardens must look when in full bloom but there was not a lack of interesting things to see. They had a Japanese Garden, spring bulbs, three greenhouses, and nice trails leading through several small islands.

The weather was absolutely perfect: sunny with temperatures starting in the upper 50s and ending at 65 when we left around noon. The temperatures didn’t follow us though. When we crossed the Illinois / Wisconsin border, the temperatures dropped 10 degrees instantly and then continuing to drop to the mid 40s.

Now on to the pictures.

In the greenhouses

In the outdoor gardens