BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND
I wrote many stories about nature destinations in 2024, but I also explored other topics that were near and dear to my heart including writing about family memories, sharing feedback from a first-time trip to Iceland (that article is actually a nature/culture/travelogue combo), contemplating the inevitable passing of time (especially as it relates to being a father), and celebrating Chicago weather legend Tom Skilling on his retirement.
While there was much light in 2024 (especially the joys of family, friendships, and nature), there was also considerable darkness. Examples include escalating climate change; ongoing science denial; an increase in book bans (or attempted book bans); a toxic environment at times on social media and in other public discourse; a creep (gallop?) toward an illiberal democracy in the U.S.; and a general breakdown in societal norms of behavior that have been the glue that has held our country together for many years.
I wish for a more peaceful and kind 2025 in which people help, accept, and love each other more; embrace facts; steer clear of soul-sucking social media wars and fact-challenged “media” sources; and fight to fix the wrongs and inequities that exist in our nation and world. And that more people embrace nature–from our city parks to our beautiful state and national parks–as an antidote and sort of “power pack” to weather the storms of 2025. You can check out more than 50 of my non-nature stories by clicking here. Topics include reviews of biographies and Chicago-focused books, the Flight 93 National Memorial, Chicago “characters,” local ghosts and cemeteries, an epic 19-hour Amtrak trip, off-the-beaten-track museums, and much more.
Here are the most popular non-nature posts in 2024 based on page views by my readers. Click on the links to read the articles. (Note: I’ll be posting a list of the most-popular nature stories of 2024 in early 2025.)
2. Saying Goodbye to Tom “Freakin” Skilling: 6 Reasons Why I’ll Miss This Chicago Weather Icon
3. Fond Memories of My Childhood Tree House
