A Nature Walk

Today was a beautiful Monday. After working at home I decided to hike at Lincoln Memorial Garden. Located along Springfield, Illinois’s Lakeshore Drive, this is a great place for a nature walk! Spring is glorious everywhere, but Lincoln Memorial Garden’s trails is one of the best places I know. There were several cars in the parking lot. But with several trails to choose from, it was easy to keep my distance. I was able to enjoy a 3 mile plus 45 minute nature walk in this beautiful place!

What did I see?

Spring flowers abound! Sadly I can’t identify them all. My minor in botany doesn’t hold up to all the wild flowers. Thankfully, I do have a pretty good recall of most of the trees. Soft blue, lavender, yellow and white were the flowers spring pastels that dotted the floor of the woodland landscape.

Many trees are in bud and bloom.

The Redbuds dot the shoreline across the lake with red everywhere.

Bridges and log crossings

I walked across bridges and logs. At times I acted like a kid balancing on the logs. A couple ducks darted in and out of recessed ponds. The fungi and stark branches add their own beauty as leaves just begin to fill out. Woodpeckers were hammering out a tune of their own. One one bird that I could not identify sounded like he was laughing.

Water, creek and lake

Water gurgled in the creeks and waves lapped at the lake shoreline. I must say the walk was quite idyllic and Walden Pond like. It was a spouting poetry type of experience. Those that I passed would nod and go on. Several were solitary walkers, others in pairs and one was a small group of teens.

Historic tree

Tucked away in a corner, I saw a tree that was here when the Constitution was signed. There was a plaque from the National Arborist Association and the International Society of Arboriculture recognizing the significance of the bicentennial tree. This tree was alive during the signing of the constitution, what an unexpected find.

What a wonderful afternoon! What a great nature walk.