Matthiessen State Park is an Illinois state park located a few miles south of the more famous Starved Rock State Park. The main entrances to both parks are located on Illinois State Route 178. The park is centered around a stream that flows from Matthiessen Lake to the Vermilion River. This smaller park is often overlooked, being in the vicinity of the larger Starved Rock park. But the Cascade falls is nevertheless pretty scenic. The hike to the falls itself, is interesting as it meanders thru the bushes, bridges and couple of streams. Spending the afternoon provided worth while, as I incidentally found this cave with a lovely framed view of the falls. Surprises are good :)
Buckingham Fountain at Chicago, is seriously beautiful. One of the favorite spots in the city, one can literally spend hours hours watching the fountain. The backdrop of Chicago or the lake, behind the fountain make it even more gorgeous. With 134 jets and a fountain capacity of 1.5 million gallons, it roughly pumps 14,100 gallons of water per minute. Water is re-circulated from the base pool after the basins are filled and not drawn from the outside except to replace losses from wind and evaporation. Some amazing engineering – be it the stupendous architecture or the the lighting at the dusk or the synchronous musical play that goes along with the lighting. The fountain located in the shores of Lake Michigan also symbolizes Lake Michigan, with four pairs of sea horses representing the four states that border Lake Michigan's shoreline. It was really lovely to see the Cassiopeia (Constellation) shining atop, even amidst all that man made city light. By the by, that lovely blue building, that u see there - that is where I work out of, lucky me … or not ;-) I present to you Sea horse, Skyline and some stars at Buckingham Fountain, Chicago. How do u like it ?
The Volcanic scenic byway - It is one of the strangest places where I have seen some amazing fall colors. The Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway skirts lakes, diverse wetlands, and scenic ranches, all against a stunning backdrop of volcanic landscapes. On second look, it felt like the lava was out flowing again :) In the making for several thousand years, how do u like the fall colors juxtaposed amidst the rocky volcanic remains ?
