Today was a fun day.  One of those days we don’t plan, but rather decide the night before.  We realized the Orchid Show was going on at the Chicago Botanic Garden (it is not GARDENS!) and decided to head north for the day.  We went to the show last year, and loved the more than 10,000 orchids on display, so why not do it again!

We try to go to the Botanic Garden at least 2-3 times a year.  Once in the spring, once in the summer / fall and once for the Orchid Show in the winter.  We are never disappointed, even though it’s sometimes too cold or rainy to spend much time in outside gardens.  Today, we were in a bit of a hurry since we left home a little late and Nate wanted us to pick him up from school by 3:30, so he didn’t have to go to “after school prison”.  We arrived at the CBG around noon and headed straight to the Orchid Show.

While it didn’t feel as large and elaborate as last year, we still enjoyed the show very much.  It started with a walkway of photographs by Paul Lange.  The detailed images of orchids in bloom got our juices flowing and made us anticipate seeing the real thing.  After presenting our tickets, we entered the show proper and were immediately drawn to the entry rooms where there was a vast display of different orchids and an impressive array of Asian decorations.  After we saw everything to see in this area, we headed to the focus of the show.  Somehow, the staff have managed to incorporate thousands of orchids into the normal flora of two of the three greenhouses at the Garden.  While only temporary, the orchids look like they’ve been there forever.  The variety, vibrant colors and immaculate positioning of the orchids add to the already impressive array of plant life in the greenhouses.  We spent about 40 minutes admiring the orchids, and avoiding the inordinately large number of people blocking the walkways while trying to achieve the perfect photo op – most of them failed.

Outside the greenhouses, there ae additional displays of orchids as well as interesting facts about how they are viewed and used around the world (mostly India and Asia).  We learned how orchids are used to cure skin conditions, increase longevity of life and generally make people feel better.   We also saw examples of how orchids are used in fabrics and religious ceremonies.  Believe it or not, orchids have played a major role in many cultures for thousands of years.

At the end of the Show every year, the Garden sells the orchids to the public.  Be aware, however, that first dibs go to Members of the CBG and by the time non-members (like us) can buy anything, there’s not much left.

After the orchid show, we decided to visit the third greenhouse, to get more steps in, before heading to lunch.  The Arid Greenhouse is Tom’s favorite and features an extensive display of succulents and cacti.  This is definitely not a place where you want to sit on a plant – Ouch!  We saw plants that looked like seas creatures, a fifty-year-old cactus and many other strange and interesting things.  The Chicago Botanic Garden is worth a visit – any time of year.

Leaving the Garden, we had two primary options for lunch.  Last time, we went to Francesco’s Hole in the Wall, where we had a great meal and even got to meet Francesco.  We had an interesting chat and he even told us the story about how his ex-wife opened the restaurant next to his!  If you haven’t been there, it’s worth the trip.  We will return to Francesco’s, but today, we decided to try Charlie Beinlich’s.