Most people don't realize this, but even though we live in a city with millions of people, all stacked up in the tall buildings, there are still so many quiet hidden gems in the city.
I've lived here nearly 15 years (E for longer), but it has really taken having dogs to get out and explore all the pockets of our city. Sure
we love being in a crowd, but sometimes it's just nice to have some quiet, nature-filled walks. After seeing
this from our friends over at
Peaceful Dog, we thought we would share some of our favorite unexpected places in the city:
Humboldt Park
Around the turn-of-the-century, the city designed a series of parks to create a refuge from hectic city life. The park is over 200 acres which includes a boat house, lagoon, butterfly and bird gardens, a small beach, tennis courts, several baseball diamonds and a lot of walking paths. The wide open spaces and boat house feel very Gatsby-esque, and it's a fun place to explore with our pups. We tend to go earlier in the morning as it has become a popular place for
off-leash dogs.
North Channel Trail
Even though we have 18 miles of beautiful lakefront trails, those can become extra crowded. We like this stretch of the Northshore Channel Trail which snakes along the river and has so much foliage you forget you are smack dab in the middle of the city. The area where we start has a dog park, which means we often encounter the off-leash crew that plays outside of the designated dog park. Though we really love taking this walk during the winter where it all seems extra quiet.
Milton Lee Olive Park
So much of the lakefront trail is congested with bikers and runners passing and weaving through, it can be difficult and scary for dogs. We discovered this scenic path by chance when we were
on this vacation. It's located downtown behind Oak Street Beach and it's the perfect blend of scenic views without the crowds. We were out walking during the day, and we were basically the only ones out there despite being located right on the edge of downtown.
Have other people found unexpected places while out exploring with your pup?
Also:
If you happen to have 36 hours...
Making the park like our vacation
Learning to walk in the city
2 comments:
I love how adventuresome you guys are ALMOST as much as I love the dogs jowls and neck waddles! I mean seriously, I could look at those mugs all day!
On my walks with Nala I like to explore every side street in the neighborhood - it's fun to see the architecture and/or gardens that I would never have seen without my walking companion! And she does sometimes make me literally stop and smell the flowers - I have tried to take in the sites and sounds of our neighborhood just like her, makes the walks much more enjoyable! (just the other morning I was two feet from a bird that seemed to be chripping right at me - never would have noticed that without Nala!!)
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