Escapes near chicago

Eleven designated-use trails meander through the mile wide forest to provide visitors with places to ride on horseback, hike, bike, mountain bike, ski, snowshoe, and cross-country ski.

Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive was designed specifically so that visitors from surrounding cities could drive through the most beautiful scenery of the forest on a day trip. Lake Geneva is a Wisconsin resort city on the shores of a small lake by the same name.

Visitors can walk or bike the mile shoreline along the Lake Geneva Shore Path for an up-close view, or see them from the water with the Lake Geneva Cruise Line. This year-round getaway offers an eclectic mix of shops, restaurants, nightlife, outdoor activities, and points of interest. Highlights include Moser Tower — a beautiful foot bell tower, a clock tower, three fountains, a covered bridge, heritage sculptures, an amphitheater and labyrinth, and paddle boats.

Visitors can also visit the popular Centennial Beach and Grill, a sandy beach waterpark and restaurant. The community prides itself on its racial, cultural, ethnic, professional, religious, socio-economic, lifestyle, and religious diversity. In other words, everyone is welcome here. History buffs will want an Oak Park day trip to include a walking tour of the Wright District, an area of prairie-style homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright; his personal home and studio are open to tour.

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Their Gurnee location is open on the last weekend of April through the first weekend of November. Visitors can indulge in a wide variety of eats at over 50 restaurants and stands. You are reading "25 Best Day Trips from Chicago, Illinois" Back to Top or More tourism, attractions for couples, food, things to see near me today Top things to see near me, beaches, cruises, parks near me, underrated tourist attractions downtown, travel blog, attractions, places near me right now, things to do near me, vacations, resorts near me, family weekend breaks, mountains, open now, tonight, breakfast near me, affordable rental, kids activities near me, campgrounds near me: Catskills , Pink Sand beaches , Best Places to Visit , Bar Harbor , Destin , Minneapolis , Jacksonville , Wedding , Key West , Nashville , AZ , From LA 8.

Visitors will find wineries and wine shops, antique stores, flea markets, rustic furniture and collectibles shops, and a pottery studio. Grand Bear Resort has inexpensive day passes to their 24,foot indoor waterpark, as well as a restaurant, sports bar, and sweet shop.

Four nearby state parks provide outdoor recreational opportunities. With such range, choosing a favorite garden is a highly personal decision. The botanical garden offers several self-guided walking tours that are narrated via a smart phone app.

Guests will also find bike trails and rentals, birding and birding classes, and an onsite restaurant and gift shop. Fifty miles of diverse trails weave along the lakeshore where visitors can hike, bike, ride on horseback, snowshoe, cross-country ski, or bird watch. Douglas Center, four historical buildings from a 19th century homestead, and a square-foot modern pavilion.

Visitors can watch a minute video in the audio-visual theater describing the history of the Old Capitol prior to touring it on either a self-paced tour or a minute docent-led tour. This stretch of Lake Michigan coastline offers wide sandy beaches, towering dunes, great birding, easy bike trails and interesting history. Head to neighboring Chesterton for creative burgers at the Octave Grill and a pleasant night at Dunes Walk Inn, a restored mansion. Related: Get our trip guide to the Indiana Dunes area.

This resort town of 7, has draws for summer and winter. Hotels, resorts and restaurants hug the lakeshore. Most visitors loll on the beach or cruise the lake during summer, but you can also experience the warmth of its winter in January and February during the annual Winterfest. Related: See our getaway guide to Lake Geneva. Towns like New Buffalo, St. Joseph, Benton Harbor, Holland, Saugatuck and Grand Haven provide pristine beaches, great shopping, lakeside restaurants and front-row view of sunsets over Lake Michigan.

The most accessible section of this shore extends from the Indiana line miles north to Ludington. How far you drive is up to you — each town has its own personality. Take a spin on the carousel at St. Joe, tour a working windmill in Holland or just stretch out on a beach - preferably with a view of a lighthouse.

Related: Get our guide to the southwest Michigan shore. Shops and restaurants in century-old buildings have long attracted visitors to this town of 3, But take time to hike, cruise the river or ski the slopes, sip local wines, taste beer and Related: Get our trip guide to Galena.

With its rolling terrain, state parks and preserves traversed by the mighty Rick and Mississippi rivers, plus biking and hiking trails crisscrossing the area, the Blackhawk Waterways region of northwest Illinois promises outdoor recreation bliss.

The region also helped shape the childhood of our 40th president, whose boyhood home opens its doors to visitors. A great weekend destination for both shoppers and history buffs, Cedarburg has a Main Street that's on the National Register of Historic Places and dozens of limestone buildings housing more than 70 boutiques, chocolate shops and restaurants. Related: Get our trip guide to Cedarburg.

For theater-lovers, summertime means outdoor Shakespeare. But in downstate Illinois, that takes on a fresh new form. Want improv Shakespeare? Sing-along Shakespeare? Or just a performance of his classics?

Other draws to the area: Bloomington's restored s buildings house farm-to-table restaurants, shops and live-music venues. Inside the three-story courthouse, a museum highlights the area's historical treasures.

Related: Get our Bloomington-Normal trip guide. This town embraces the quirky and classy in its arts, museums, shops, dining venues and outdoor activities. Even its farmers market is a Bohemian rhapsody of local produce, entertainment, art and political activism on the state capitol square. Wander the paths and trails at Olbrich Botanical Gardens or the University of Wisconsin Arboretum ; admire the art at Chazen Museum of Art or the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art ; take a leisurely cruise around Lake Mendota or Menona; and be sure to work up an appetite-Madison's plus restaurants offer something for every taste.

Related: Get our trip guide to Madison. Best Western Indian Oak. Lake Geneva, Wisconsin — 80 Miles. Where to Stay in Lake Geneva. Top rated. Lake Geneva. Starved Rock State Park — 94 Miles. Hotel Near Starved Rock. Brightwood Inn. Saugatuck, Michigan — Miles. Read more.

Door County, Wisconsin. Indiana Dunes National Park. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Manitowish Waters. Hoosier National Forest. Need more travel inspiration? The best weekend getaways from Chicago. The best places to go camping near Chicago. Things to do. Make a quick escape and spend a few nights amidst nature. Recommended [image]. You may also like [image] [title].

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