With Mitch being done with his exams, which had been comsuming his life for the past two weeks, we decided to go out as a family today and do something out and away from the house. I was exremely grateful for this because I had been feeling liked a couped up mother hen. Several people have told us about the Mitchell Horticultural Conservatory or "The Domes" so called because of their shape. We didn't get a picture because it was pretty cold today and it had snowed two inches last night, I guess the cold Milwaukee weather is back. Well the interior has three domes that have several different plants in them. The first dome we went to is the "Show Dome" this one is a particular interest to the kids because the display is has right now is a Lego village and working trains that choo choo and whistle, miniature size of course. This dome has a variety of flowering plants that are mostly hybrid species for men and women's enjoyment. They had several pink flowers for Valentine's day.

Mitch and I sat in there for awhile enjoying the wonderful smell of all the flowers which was so wonderful!! It made me long for spring and warmer weather. The second dome was the desert dome. It was full of cacti of all kinds, palm trees, and it even came complete with a full moon up above. The domes just received a remodel that included lights that display in patterns at night to music and the moon was central in creating the ambience of this dome, we were told. Although the desert is lovely and it smelled like ST. George Mitch said, I didn't really enjoy that dome as much as the last one we visited.

The last dome was full of tropical plants!! I think this was Mitch's favorite too because he kept reminiscing about Costa Rica and trying to remember the plants that grew there or saying "oh yeah we had this one". Mitch was so enthralled with recalling memories of one plant that he was looking at that he noticed a slug milling through the leaves of it.

It was really cool because most of the time you don't see the slug out of its shell and this one gave us a great view of it's little neck. We saw all kinds of plant life including a banana tree, a cocoa tree, and all those plants that you always hear about but don't really know what they are like Eucalyptus, African Mahogony, pepper plant( that has peppercorns) and the chicle tree that you make gum out of. They also had species of one of my favorite types of flowers Orchids. If I would have had the money I would have liked to have these for my wedding flower, but I loved my calla lillies just the same.

We had a great time at the Mitchell Domes and I hope to go back soon, it's free for Milwaukee residents on Mondays so I think Addie and I will be going quite a lot, it's a nice little reprieve from the snowy cold and the monotony of the four walls of staying at home.Maybe that's because the walls are curved, maybe not!