Anderson Japanese Garden in Rockford

My daughter came home from college for a few weeks and we were looking for something new to do together that wasn't too far from home. We thought about going to the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie, but I decided we needed something a little more upbeat on such a beautiful day.

I knew there had to be gardens in the area that we haven't been to and discovered there were two in Rockford, Illinois, which is a little over an hour drive away from us. Anderson Japanese Gardens gave exactly what it advertised, a place for reflection, serenity and renewal. There were a lot of little corners with benches where you could feel as if you had the place to yourself, but my favorite part was the koi that were in every pool of water along the path.

The path twisted and turned, and while there weren't as a large a variety of plants in this garden as what I am used to, there were a lot of interesting statues, stones, and buildings that made it feel as if you were in a different world.

 

The highlight of the garden is a sweet little waterfall toward the end of the path. The pictures in the map pamphlet they gave to us showed this waterfall in the different seasons, and I'm looking forward to coming back again to see this lovely little garden in the fall and to visiting the Klehm Arboretum next time I'm in town, too! It was a very relaxing way to spend an hour with my daughter before she heads back to Eau Claire in June. My next adventure will be helping her move...including driving the UHaul truck myself and camping for the night in my new tent cot! It should be a lot easier to maneuver and set up than a big fifth wheel!