Whether you're a tourist or a resident of the Windy City, you may occasionally feel overwhelmed by all the restaurants, museums and hubbub downtown and on the "Magnificent Mile." However, Chicago boasts plenty of other attractions, both in the city and surrounding areas, worthy of day trips. Once you travel outside of the city's central business district, there are many healthy recreational and cultural opportunities, from biking, fishing and boating to farmers markets.
Lincoln Park Zoo
The Lincoln Park Zoo occupies 35 acres in the middle of the 1,208-acre park of the same name just north of downtown Chicago. Watch over 1,200 animals in replicas of their natural habitat. You can explore the Nature Boardwalk. It mimics a natural ecosystem, with frogs, insects, butterflies, birds and fish visible as you walk. The zoo offers daily programs that highlight the Boardwalk's birds, fish and the pond ecosystem. The primate house has a noisy collection of monkeys, marmosets and gibbons. The always popular Farm in the Zoo has goats, chickens, rabbits and daily cow-milking demonstrations. Rent a bike at the zoo's Go Bike Chicago stand and pedal along the lakefront after your visit. You can visit the zoo free of charge 365 days a year, though there's a fee for rides and special attractions.
State Parks
You can participate in a number of recreational activities on day trips to Illinois state parks. Chain O' Lakes State Park, in Spring Grove, was first inhabited by Algonquian Native American tribe, and later visited by explorers Joliet and Marquette. Purchased by the state in 1945, the 2,793-acre park has seven picnic areas with grills and water fountains and a concession area that's open from April to mid-October. You can rent horses and ride along one of the four trails or fish for bluegill from a rented boat. Starved Rock State Park, known as one of the "Seven Wonders of Illinois," has 2,630 acres of forests, waterfalls and stunning rock formations. Take a canal boat or trolley tour through the park, hike or fish. Starved Rock, located 94 miles from Chicago in central Illinois, is open every day of the year except Christmas, New Year's Day and Thanksgiving.
Botanical Gardens
The Chicagoland area boasts two large botanical gardens within 25 miles of the city center. The Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe has 24 display gardens with roses, conifers, petunias and other plants and flowers situated on nine islands. The Morton Arboretum in Lisle spans 1,700 acres. It has a children's garden with separate areas for little ones to learn about woodland plants, backyard flowers and a central plaza with a "tree walk" with several species. Take advantage of the walking and biking trails that wind through the arboretum's collection of woodlands, prairies and its maze garden. Both the Arboretum and Botanic Garden are open year-round, weather permitting.
Oak Park
Architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed 25 buildings in Chicago's western suburb of Oak Park. Buy a map and walk through the area on your own or take a guided tour of the architect's home and studio offered by the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust. You can also take a tour of the birth home of novelist Ernest Hemingway (sponsored by the Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park) and visit the Hemingway Museum down the street from the house.
Long Grove
Long Grove, an historic town 35 miles northwest of Chicago, maintains a rural atmosphere with its antique shops, art shows and old-fashioned restaurants featuring home cooking. The Long Grove Farmers Market takes place every Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and you can buy fresh produce, sugarless pastries and other healthy foods. Long Grove's Strawberry fest in late June, features music, art and of course, delicious desserts made with strawberries. October's Apple Fest serves apple cider, pies and even plain, uncooked apples, along with the entertainment
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