Eek! The second week in August. The beginning of the end when it comes to summer vacation. If your days are tied to the school year in any way, as most of ours are, you have a few more weeks left before life takes on a completely different pace. To make the most of your summer, here are 6 things to try before the summer ends.
One:: Spend the day on the beach along the Indiana Dunes.
This is seriously a super over-looked day trip spot for us Chicagoans. The Indiana Dunes, just North of Gary, IN are a little over an hour from the city. I recommend going to the Indiana State Dunes Park, which comes with a $12 parking fee but includes bathrooms and lifeguards, as well as a three mile walk North that is gorgeous and mostly free of people.
Two:: Hike Waterfall Glen or Busse Woods
If you are looking for a leisurely hike, that’s more like a walk, these are my two favorite spaces for that. Busse Woods is a little over 7 miles and Waterfall Glen is a just over 9 miles. Both are beautiful, scenic and not too crowded.
Three:: See an outdoor movie.
Whether it’s an old-school drive-in movie or one of the dozens of Chicago area movies in the park, there is something so fun about seeing an outdoor movie!
Four:: Picnic on the Ravinia lawn.
There are still plenty of concerts to see at Ravinia. Packing a picnic to enjoy while lounging in the grass to some great music is such an enjoyable way to spend the day. If you want to make a day of the trip, check out the Chicago Botanic Garden before heading over to Ravinia for the evening.
Five:: Bike the GreenBay Trail or the I&M Canal
Can you tell from my list that I grew up in the South suburbs but have spent my adult years in the Northeastern burbs? These two bike trails are so enjoyable to bike along. The GreenBay trail goes on for miles and miles, and winds you through quaint towns and forest areas. The I&M Canal trail is shorter, at 15 miles, but still a great choice for a bike ride.
Six:: See Shakespeare in the Park.
Chicago Shakespeare brings a little culture to local Chicago parks this summer, with a number of dates still left to enjoy. They perform A Comedy of Errors on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. This week I went to the Chicago Shakes performance at Wilson Park, and enjoyed the whole experience. You can find the rest of the Shakespeare in the Park schedule here.
Seven:: Walk the circumference of Lake Geneva
Only for the serious walkers/runners in the group, this is one of my favorite long walks in the area. I’ve done this on two different birthdays in recent years. The total circumference is 21 miles, but you could always do a portion of the walk. The little town also has a number of great restaurants and stores to explore. Usually my group splits into two. One walks the whole thing, one walks part and then spends the day in the town - either is a great option.
Eight:: Spend a day at the Zoo - Brookfield or Lincoln Park
Honestly, I love zoos and am always excited to visit them, so this one is a no-brainer to me. The Lincoln park zoo is perfect if you have a little time and don’t want to pay the money to see some animals. The Brookfield Zoo is the one you pay to see because of the amount of animals they have for you to see.
Nine:: Kayak the Skokie Lagoons or the Chicago River
When I lived further North, I spent several hours each summer on the Skokie lagoons. If you are a serious athlete you can get all the way to the Botanic Gardens - but that takes some serious dedication and several hours on the water. Earlier this month I kayaked the Chicago river, which was also a lot of fun. It was so unique to see the city buildings and the huge boats from the perspective of the tiny kayak. We used Wateriders to kayak there.
