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Monday, September 27, 2010

A Walk In Allerton Park

Bunny here, hoping to bring you a little cheer on Monday morning with my post from the keyboard.

This weekend, we decided to choose an easier place to get out and stretch our legs than we took last weekend.  So, we decided to go and visit Allerton Park in Monticello, Illinois.  It is not a state park, but it is listed as one of the Seven Wonders of Illinois, and for good reason.  Because this wasn't so much a hike as a walk through the park, Blueberry came along and only the people wore backpacks.

For people curious about the park, it was property once owned by an art collector named Robert Henry Allerton.  His mansion is there along with some of the artwork he collected.  He must have had a lot of money, because he sure owned a lot of land and there were a lot of sculptures there.  He spent decades shaping farmland into the into beautiful landscapes that featured some of the artwork he acquired.  After forty years, while visiting in Hawaii, he decided to start all over and do the same thing there.  So, he donated his Illinois property to the University of Illinois to create “an educational and research center, as a forest and wild-life and plant-life reserve, as an example of landscape architecture, and as a public park.”  I can tell you all, I am sure glad that he gave this most wonderful gift because we all loved seeing it.

While we were there, not one, but two weddings were being prepared for, so we didn't stop and pose for all the pictures we'd have liked to in a few areas.  We are sure hoping the people got married before it started raining later in the afternoon.  Mom said if she had to plan a wedding again (which she about breaks out in hives just thinking about) that she'd want to have one there.

There were lots of different kinds of gardens.  Some were really formal and some were kind of wild.  They all had been worked on a lot.  My favorite was the Fu Dog Garden!  It was built to showcase Mr. Allerton's collection of thirty two blue Chinese dog statues.  One of the weddings was held in that garden, so I know those people are going to have a perfect life ahead of them after getting married in such a wonderful garden.  Every one of those dogs was different, too.  We weren't the only dogs admiring the garden, either.  There were some dogs who I think might even have been attending the weddings.

There were some wedding guests there who did a lot of admiring of us and petting us, too.  That always makes the trip more fun.   One woman was especially keen on getting a Greyhound of her own and she kept fawning over us.  I wanted her to know what we make the best pets ever so she'd give another one a home, so I let her pet me for a long time.  She even offered to take a picture of us all together in front of the mansion.

Dad says we're definitely going back and I can't wait.  Hopefully this makes Monday a little brighter for everybody.  I know it sure made me happy to be there!

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34 comments:

  1. What a lovely place! We like the family portrait in front of the pretty house.

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  2. The girls could be doggie bridesmaids!

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  3. That dog statue looks suspiciously like one of Gozer the Gozerian's minions ... hmmm ...

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  4. So lovely to see a family photos:-) And another gorgeous spot you've visited. I think we need to do a house swap and you can check out our beaches and we can check out your wonderful historic places and favourite hiking spots:-) I wonder if the lady will get a greyhound of her own?

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  5. How lovely! I can't imagine a prettier place to spend the day with the "kids".

    Sam

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  6. What a lovely park! You are so lucky to have so many places for you to go hiking or just for a walk!!! Thanks for sharing the pictures as they are really beautiful.

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  7. Woof! Woof! Beautiful park. Lots of Golden Woofs, Sugar

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  8. A lovely park AND a lovely family photo!

    Woofs and Licks,
    Maggie Mae

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  9. Those pictures are beautiful!
    How do you find all these amazing places to go?

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  10. K and R want to know if you got to go swimming in that pool? They thought that looked like a perfect swimming hole!

    It looks like a lovely place. What a generous man leaving behind such a place for everyone to enjoy.

    I'm glad that the greyhounds kept spreading the good news about what great pets they are!

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  11. Oh I DO hope you go back there and show us more. That is an amazing place.
    I love the Family Pic.!!!

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  12. Very cool, Bunny! Love the family picture. This is yet another place in Illinois that Mama did not know about - does she have head in the sand or what!!

    Your pal, Pip

    P.S: I just noticed The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo on your bookshelf. Have you seen the film? My papa's company (Music Box Films) is distributing it here in the states. Just a little fun fact.

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  13. That was such a good outing, Bunny... thanks for showing us around the park... and apparently sharpei is one of the Fu dogs in ancient China :)

    Licks, hero

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  14. Hi Bunny and family,
    What a great place you found. Love that the fanily gos together!!! Families who play together stay together!!
    I think Bambi eating the cat food proves that we can't fall off our diet even once b/c then bad things happen!!! In this case we can see it plan as day!!! With people the bad thing doen't show up so in your face!!! Stay on your diet it proves!!! So never again will I fall off nime or foget to pick up the cat food!!!! NEVER AGAIN
    XXOO, Bambi & Fern
    PS, Geryhounds rock!!

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  15. What a lovely place you shared with us today. Mighty generous of Mr Allerton to donate it all. The grounds are so beautiful!

    Love the picture of all of you in front of the mansion. Lovely shot.. just missing Lilac.

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  16. Wow, Bunny! You gets to go to the greatest places! And yes, this postie made me very happy. I think it's Most Wonderful that they lets dogs come there and that they even have a dog garden!

    My Auntie K is getting married in March but dogs aren't allowed. Can you imagine? I should tell her abouts that place. I'm sure she wouldn't mind changing all her wedding plans for me.

    Wiggles & Wags,
    Mayzie

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  17. Great photos. Loving the one of you all together.

    Bunny, Could you see yourself in the pond?

    Certainly looks like a fab place to go. Thanks for sharing.

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  18. That is so nice of you to be a role model fur helping get udder dogs a home. Mom say it duss be a big responsibility fur us adopted dogs to show the werld how wonnerful we is. And mom sayed too that I should thank you on her behalf fur bringing back memories - that park ringed a bell in her brane and sure enuff, mom look it up and she woz there once too way afore my time.

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  19. What a beautiful place! Thanks for sharing something else I didn't know existed in my own state. Just curious...what are the other 6 wonders of Illinois? I might have some traveling to do...

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  20. That looks so very pretty - we just love places where they welcome us dogs too.
    love
    Martha andBailey xxx

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  21. Awesome place! That sure did make my monday alot better Miss Bunny!

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  22. Very pretty. Did you get to swim in the pond with the Koi?

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  23. What a fabulous place - great photos and we loved the family photo particularly!

    take care
    Clive and Murray

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  24. Oh dats such a purty place...and I am so happies dat theys lets doggies in theres!
    Did ya'll gets to pee on da purty flowers?
    Looooves da family foto.

    Puddles

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  25. What a beautiful place and photos. And the family photo is pawsome! And Foo dogs! How cool is that?

    lotsa licks, Lola

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  26. What a gorgeous park :) Glad you guys had a good stroll. Murphy tries to gather admirers on his walks, too.

    Kira

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  27. Looks like you guys had another great adventure! I went to the Allerton Gardens in Kauai last year - it's beautiful there too!!!

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  28. Thanks for showing us that pawesome place!
    I am sure you all had a lovely time there!
    Kisses and hugs
    Lorenza

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  29. What a nice park! You're so lucky, Bunny.

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  30. Well that certainly did make our Monday better. FAncy park. So many trees to water. And that lily pond.. did you see any peepers?
    norwood

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  31. oh, wow, miss bunny, that is such a pretty place to visit!! mama loves watching outside weddings, so she would have been all over that, too. heehee. i really like those doggie statues, too! were there koi fishies in that pond you were standing beside?

    *woof*
    the booker man

    pee s -- how cool is it that me and miss morgan's birthdays are so close! woohooo! :)

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  32. Allerton park look lovely! oooh all the green and sunshine! Great Blog, thanks for sharing.

    Lisa, Madison and Abigail

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