Today, my boyfriend and I rented a paddleboat for an hour. The weather forecast indicated rain…read morewouldn't start until 1:00 PM, so we thought we had plenty of time. However, around 12:20 PM, the sky turned black. We immediately turned around and began pedaling back to the dock as fast as we could. While we were heading back, a safety staff member on a speedboat approached us. He told us we had to return to shore but added that he couldn't tow us in--we had to pedal all the way back ourselves. While we were already doing that, the storm was rolling in incredibly fast, and it was a genuinely scary experience. As we finally approached the dock in the storm, we saw two teenage employees who had been assisting people earlier. One of them looked right at us, but instead of helping us secure the boat, both boys ran back into the covered checkout area and completely ignored us. As we struggled to park and tie up the boat in the pouring rain, not a single staff member stepped out to help us dock safely. Meanwhile, at least 10 employees were crowded inside the checkout area. As a person of color, I am unfortunately always hyper-aware of how I might be treated in certain environments. I have visited this forest preserve many times, always thought it was beautiful, and was so excited to show my boyfriend around. To be treated with such a lack of care was incredibly disappointing. When we spoke to the male manager, he explained that they are required to clear the water during storms. My boyfriend clarified that we had no issue with leaving the water; our issue was the complete lack of staff assistance to help us dock safely in a dangerous situation. The manager offered us a "rain check" for a free rental, but missing out on time wasn't the issue--our safety was. No one seemed to care that we were the last ones out on the water. I hope this forest preserve implements a better emergency protocol, because storms on the water can quickly become life-threatening. I guess my question is if the staff are closely checking the weather , why even let people still go out on the water ? Instead of saying "hey there's a storm that is going to be rolling through , we are holding back on rentals at this time for safety reasons " .

Independence Grove is such a nice forest preserve with lots of things to do especially in the…read moresummer time. Beautiful trails to walk/run along but they also have a playground for kids. They have a beer garden and snack shop. They also have water activities that you can rent like paddle boats and kayaks. It's just a nice place to go solo or with friends if you are looking to connect with nature for a bit.

My husband and I met a friend at Century Park Arboretum to get some exercise. I really like this…read morePark. There are several nice waking paths around the park. The park also has a lake you fish at, exercise equipment along the waking path, a playground, and a picnic shelter with picnic tables and bathrooms. I highly recommend Century Park Arboretum!

A nice, clean park for people of all ages to either exercise, take a leisurely stroll, do…read morerecreational activities like fishing, picnic or just chill (or all of the above :-) ). I enjoy going here for walks and jogs. I forget how long of a trail it is for walking/ jogging/ bicycling purposes but either way, it is enjoyable. They have BBQ grills and picnic areas, benches, fields for baseball and soccer, a basketball court and some complimentary exercising (gym) equipment for anyone who would like to use it. The park has easy (multiple) access points and although, certain parking areas can get busy during nice weather days, you have other parking options nearby. There are multiple restroom areas in the park. Pets (dogs to be exact) are allowed for a walk. You get pretty views of sunsets from here over the small lake that's there as the area is scenic. I go here occasionally for either exercising or just to get my mind of things as I find this place relaxing and chill. Check this park out if you haven't been here before. It's worth the visit.

Hit this pool late in the season and had a blast! Definitely will get a season pass for next year!read more

Fun day at the pool! I went with friends and their children. The the adults and kids loved the…read morewaterslide, the splash pool and pool that spins you. It was not overly crowded. It was a perfect relaxing day.

The rides I got to do were great. HOWEVER, Goliath, Wrath of Rakshasa, Demon, Maxx Force, and the…read morelog flume were all closed today at some point. I could see the maintenance crew. They were not on task or working hard at all. And a member of my part was not feeling well at all. The staff was not helpful.There were also good things. The food was decent and the park is clean for the most part. There are also a lot of rides for the kids to enjoy.

Kari's Rating 8/10…read more TLDR: -Groupon has a pack of 4 tickets for $200 through Sept 7 -Bring walking shoes/sunscreen -Fast passes are 100% worth it if you can afford on a weekend Got here at the bum crack of dawn for parking (10am) and got right into the park in their preferred parking lot. We got the ultimate fast passes and I realized throughout the day I literally don't have time to think/be able to panic in-between rides. It was such a fun time and definitely worth it to get the ultimate fast passes-especially during the weekend when it's absolutely packed. Even tho some of the rides don't take fast pass like American Eagle, we found on a Saturday it was 100% worth it as far as lines go. I have ranked the rides below according to how much I loved them. 1. Goliath 9.5 2. Raging Bull 8.5 3. American Eagle 8 4. X flight 7 5. Rakshasa 7.5 6. Demon 7 7. Whizzer 5 8. Viper 3 9. Rue La Dodge 2 The $35 all you can eat dining wristband was worth it if you want to try all of the vendors. We got burgers, chicken tenders and a chicken wrap. So for us two it was well worth the price! Stopped and also got a coffee as well as a few dipping dots which weren't included in the wristband and cost $13 and $8. I think it's definitely worth it. If you're coming with the family on a weekend to get the fast pass, I know it's a little expensive, but it really does give you the flexibility to explore almost all of the rides and not spending time waiting in line lines! But if you come fairly often and have a season pass, then I guess the lines may be worth it.

I stopped in to check out the holiday market. While it wasn't quite what I was expecting, I did…read morefind a few things to purchase as gifts, an ornament and pastries and cookies from a Taste of Paris. Some of the proceeds went to support a charitable cause. I will check out the pickleball schedule -- my friend has taken classes here.

If you like heavy metal music blasting, rude and obnoxious male trainers, and management oblivious…read moreto the offensive behavior of this senior male trainer in particular, this is your place! It is no wonder that after a year, most people move to the Northwestern Hospital Fitness Center. Take a tour of it to see how a properly managed facility is run. And start supervising your employees!!

I was bringing my daughter to American eagles over the last many years. The place improved quite…read moresubstantially with the new owner in the recent years. Super clean and organized. Coaches are well trained. They keep a nice balance of kids health, happiness, and helping them realize their potential. They had been scooping many medals from their competitions that attest to the quality of the program. I recommend AEG highly for both recreational and competitive attendees.

The place is clean and well organized with amazing coaches and staff. The staff and coaches are…read morefriendly. My daughter has been going here for the past few years and met a lot of friends and enjoyed being there during practices. A lot has changed with the new owner and everything got more organized. floors were changed, new equipment were added and equipment was moved with the new owner. They keep it safe and healthy for all the kids for all ages. I would definitely recommend going to this gym.

This is a nice little beach in Wildwood. You do need a resident parking sticker to park along the…read moreposted area however. We are not Wildwood residents but have found parking not too far off. The swimming area is marked and mostly attracts families with young kids.

Nice park. It has a pavilion and a small beach area. The park is not very big, but it is a hidden…read moregem. Recommend you check it out. Oh, and Joe says, "Don't forget...it turns out the grass isn't always greener on the other side."

Small but a ton of fun! Wasn't a lot of people just me and 4 others so I got in plenty of skating!…read moreA nice peaceful evening ripping it up

We have kids who ride scooters and skateboards. One of our kiddos is a fairly advanced scooter…read morerider who rides every day. We spend quite a bit of time driving our kiddos back and forth to various skate parks in the area. My son had been begging us to take him to the new Vernon Hills Skate Park, so we headed out on a beautiful sunny day. Getting to the park was a little tricky. For some reason we missed the turn. Aspen Drive is a little hidden if you don't look out for it. When in doubt, just turn around in the Vernon Hills Police Department parking lot ;-) The skate park is new and on the smaller side. For our kids, this was a little more on the beginner level. I don't recommend it for advanced riders. The rails and ledges are limited and it's pretty flat. But, it's so nice and new. The park district did a fantastic job. I have no doubt it will get used quite a bit. It's a great place to gather with friends! Take note: There is only a little shade with a couple of covered areas Tons of parking, and there is a Walgreens nearby for those wanting a snack. The nearby Sullivan Center is actually really nice. It was closed the day they went due to Covid19. Highly recommend for those starting out. Open dawn to dusk.

This is an initial review because there was no listing for Blair Park, which is surprising…read moreconsidering it is home to: 1. Lake Bluff Golf Club - 18 Hole Golf Course, Driving Range, Pro Shop & Locker Facilities, Village Grill Restaurant 2. Lake Bluff Park District Recreation Center, including a Gymnasium, Fitness Center &Locker Facilities; Running/Jogging Track 3. Outdoor Facilities, including Outdoor Shelter with Grill; Olympic Swimming Pool & Locker Facilities; Play Equipment; Lighted Sledding Hill; Two Outdoor Tennis Courts; Skateboard Park ;Two Soccer Practice Fields with Goals 4. Paddle Tennis Facility; Three Paddle Tennis Courts; Paddle Hut Now we are Lake Forest residents so we really haven't utilized this facility as we could. Having kids, the rec pool is the biggest draw for us. (Still can't believe LF doesn't have a community pool!) We did love the kiddie pool until it had to be closed down due to leaking. However, they have turned it into an adorable sand play area... which, to be honest, is a pretty big hit, too. My son is taking swimming lessons at the pool. And they offer a day camp for kids -- VERY popular with our friends. We've also used the sledding hill. We thought it was awesome. Completely freaked out our 5yo. He just wasn't ready for the speed. Dad, however, was.