The primary objective of the day, a graduation ceremony at an arena in Hoffman Estates, swallowed the morning without haste. What remained, frittered away at Honey Berry Pancakes. We had only just been to Brianna’s earlier in the day. There appear a multitude of these establishments in this area, demonstrating a sincerely strange infatuation for flapjacks.
Part of the crew required respite prior to getting involved with other activities, leaving the other half to wander aimlessly about burning time. A nearby sculpture park offered some amusement before reminding of the hour and a need to investigate points beyond.
Stepping back in time at Elk Grove Village found things closing up for the evening. The planned exploration of the Pioneer Days of this small town, ultimately swallowed by the sprawl of the Chicago metropolitan area, would have to wait for another time.
All was not lost though, the situation enabled discovery of a few odd and ends nearby also frozen in time, standing as unique displays of art in their own right. The local government obviously had some involvement, as well as the public library, though the tiny strip mall remains questionable.
Eventually, rousing from their deep afternoon slumber, a rendezvous with remainder of the crew offered enough time to take in the sights of the Spring Valley Nature Center & Heritage Farm. The shorter components of the team found the Bison’s Bluff Nature Playground most interesting, enabling a little climbing, crawling, jumping, exploring, ultimately working up a good appetite.
An old friend joined the fray just in time to move on with the expedition to gather around the table of the Illuminati. They offered a perfect forum to catch up and reflect on events of the day, while soaking in some excellent Chicago pizza, before retiring for the evening.
Further Reading
