Trailside Museum of Natural History — Attraction in River Forest

Chur Shangri-La, A Covid Retreat

In the woods just 200 yards west of the Trailside Museum in River Forest, there was a spiritual space built to reflect on the terrible pandemic that we have all endured over the last year.

There were masks to honor the people that were lost to the horrible virus. Each mask honoring 5,000 Americans.

There were words of inspiration and flowers to create an environment that allowed for all of us to meditate and pray for a better life to come.

There were dragonflies to symbolize our ability to overcome times of hardship and remind us to reconnect with our own strength, courage and happiness.

There was a Tree Limb Garden and a Glass Garden to represent how beauty can grow and rejuvenate no matter what has happened in the past.

There was a bird feeder for the birds and a water bowl for the dogs. And a take one – leave one walking stick collection.

There was a simple swing for kids to enjoy during their brief visit and a bucket of balls to play with for fun. The goal was to put 2020 behind and us and have some fun in 2021.

A message can was available for those that wanted to share their name and provide a brief note on how they enjoyed the Chur Shangri-La. Many children described it as a fun place to visit, others were thankful for a spot to be able to ponder for a short time and forget about the sadness of the pandemic. One woman wrote how blessed she felt as one of the masks that honored Americans lost to the Corona virus represented her mother.

It was a peaceful and inspirational space that provided no danger to humans or animals. It was a living and growing space that was to provide a sanctuary to many people for many years. It was a special place that represented hope and dreams of a better future. It was a true Shangri-La.

To my disbelief and great sadness, the Forest Preserve found the sacred retreat and obviously felt that it did not belong in the Cook County Forest Preserve. They took a chain saw and ripped the sanctified shelter to shreds. The honored, the hopes, the dreams and the future demolished and left in saw dust – for...

First off, ample parking—a true luxury. The sheer joy of getting a vacation’s worth of walking just from your child’s car seat back to the driver’s seat. That whole millisecond of tranquil silence before stepping back into a car filled with nursery rhymes, broken Goldfish, and my own shattered dreams? Bliss.

The picnic grove is a great place to watch hours of carefully prepped food go untouched by both children and adults, while you sit in the shade of ancient trees contemplating your life choices. There are nature paths for stretching little legs (and your patience), an outdoor nature play area where kids can let loose, and animal enclosures where you can pretend, just for a moment, that you are alone in the woods instead of managing complete and utter chaos. The owls are beautiful, by the way.

Thatcher Glen Pond is there if you want to try fishing—but check the website for rules before you break some obscure fishing law and get side-eyed by a ranger. Thatcher Glen Woods hosts fun weekly events, including a "Worst-Case Scenario Hike", which feels oddly like my everyday life. The Des Plaines River is there too—though, let’s be real, I mostly come here for the indoor nature center from November to March, where my kids are entertained, and my sanity...

This place is such a wonderful hidden gem River Forest almost, oak park area. It’s a wonderful resource for families and best of all FREE it has a few animals on display and a lively kid’s area in side. The museum can also be rented for event, in fact our dear friends were married here in a tiny ceremony. It’s was just lovely. There’s a little lagoon Out back and fun trails for riding bikes or walking with the family! Just wondrous for littles and big kids alike plus they have tons of fantastic family friendly events all year long. We highly recommend you check then out and follow us for more awesome and mostly free fun at...