- Oct 1, 2018

7 SPECTACULAR | Celebrated Outdoor Fall Gems

CELEBRATED OUTDOOR FALL GEMS

There’s just something about the fall season that makes us want to be outside, breathing in the crisp, fresh air around us. Kane County has many places that are inviting during the autumn months– from natural settings in nearby neighborhoods to unique outdoor establishments. This month we’ve selected 7 Spectacular Celebrated Outdoor Gems for you and yours to visit so you can see for yourself why they are worth celebrating.

1. Fall Fun in Geneva Tucked away amidst the gorgeous Fox River Valley is Geneva, a picture postcard®, overflowing with comfort and charm. This town boasts the perfect getaway with over 100 specialty shops among historic architecture set against a backdrop of vibrant fall colors. With award winning restaurants and abundant leisure activities, including bike trails and relaxing salons and spas, Geneva supplies endless opportunities to reclaim your weekend. For more information visit www.genevachamber.com.

2. Fox River, Aurora

Aurora is rich in history with several designated historic districts with their own bed and breakfast inns, theaters, museums and more. Additionally, the outdoor scenery is just breathtaking along the Fox. www.enjoyaurora.com

3. Japanese Garden Colonel George Fabyan's historic home, with his collection of Asian artifacts plus Japanese gardens sits in Geneva just off of Batavia Avenue along the banks of the Fox River. This lovely oasis was originally designed in 1910 by Japanese landscape architect Taro Otsuka as a private garden for George and Nelle Fabyan. With original stone designs throughout the gardens, this local treasure is cherished by many. www.kaneforest.com/historicsites/japaneseGarden.aspx

4. Fabyan Windmill

The Fabyan Windmill is an authentic, working Dutch windmill dating from the 1850s located off Illinois Route 25. After years of planning and effort to restore the historic Fabyan Windmill to its original grandeur, including a trip to the Netherlands for authentic timber and gear work, the Windmill made its public debut in June 2005 with a Grand Reopening Celebration. A truly unique piece of history. This 68 foot, 5 story structure sits on the east side of Fabyan Forest Preserve and is a working windmil. Take a tour today! www.kaneforest.com

5. Hickory Knolls Discovery Center Floor-to-ceiling windows provide a cathedral-like backdrop with views that look out onto a rolling natural savanna where colorful songbirds animate the natural gardens. Beyond the oaks, 130 acres of woods and prairie provide habitat for local fauna, red-tailed hawks, white-tailed deer and even great blue herons. Hickory Knolls’ offers indoor and outdoor charms; enjoy your special day out on the patio and the low-growing buffalo-grass lawn or host your event within the center’s warm and inviting rooms. 3795 Campton Hills Rd., St. Charles, www.stcnature.org

6. Johnson Mound Johnson's Mound is a heavily wooded classic example of a stratified gravel hill known as a "kame", which was deposited by glacial ice and water some 10,000 years ago. This kame is a prominent feature on our mid-county landscape, rising 50 feet above the surrounding tributaries of Blackberry Creek and the glacial outwash plain. Located on Hughes Road, approximately 1 mile west of Fabyan Parkway.

7. Morton Arboretum The Fall Color Festival celebrates the most brilliant season at The Morton Arboretum. Take in 1,700 acres of seasonal splendor, as hundreds of thousands of trees from 40 countries blaze with fiery orange, warm gold, and vivid crimson. Hike or bike in the crisp fall air. Drive scenic roads to see spectacular vistas. Make family memories in our award-winning Children’s Garden, or enjoy fall-themed events on select weekends. www.mortobarb.org

Watch for a new, uniquely themed 7 Spectacular List inside each issue of Glancer Magazine.