After a busy summer filled with swim team practices, family photo shoots and wedding photography, it was great to kick the feet up and enjoy a quiet family camping weekend with the family. We literally decided on a Friday evening and within two hours were packed and ready to go! – Lucky for us, there is a beautiful Forest Preserve close to home. You may recognize it from our group camping expedition last year. This time, it was just us and a handful of other families wanting to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and head for the trees!
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Camping is so much more than just pitching a tent and sleeping in :)…enjoying the flaura and forna is as important as the tent itself!
The ABSOLUTE best part of Blackwell Forest Preserve is Mount Hoy. It was an old landfill in the 70’s and is actually quite tall. It has this slope that is used for sledding in winter. Of course we used it to roll downhill….and boy, oh boy, we had so much fun. We could not stop laughing…
Before we left home, we talked about keeping a clean campsite…a certain someone took that very seriously and we had fresh flowers everyday to beautify the site.
To me, one of the best parts of camping is awaking up in the morning to the sounds of birds chirping and the clean crisp smell of wet mud and trees…it is the best fragrance you will ever find!
Blackwell also has wonderful kids programs in the summer. We went for an “owl hike”. It was such a great experience not just for the kids but also for the adults. Did you know putting a piece of red cylophane over your torch light makes it easier to spot animals and birds. Thats because animals and birds are not bothered by red light and are less likely to fly away when you point the light source near or at them!…Imagine that….
So the next time you are in the Chicagoland area and have a few hours or few days to spare, check out Blackwell and if you are so inclined, pitch a tent and enjoy this little piece of nature, smack dab in the middle of a bustling city 🙂
Jamie Bodo - Love your perspective… loving these images (and I officially want to go camping now)!!!
Jete Devisser - Love these! Actually makes me want to pack up and go. But being 2 days into potty-training my youngest… Probably not the best idea 😉 Looks like you guys had a great time!!
jenn of hello|inspira - what a beautiful place! love the flowers and that rolling hill!
Mark Martinez - Love these images! You captured the feeling of the area so beautifully and the floral images are just stunning.