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.

Kids Castle is one of the best parks and playgrounds around. The playground has so many different…read moreareas to explore that kids can easily spend hours playing without getting bored. Everything is well maintained, and there's plenty of space for families to spread out and enjoy the day. One of my favorite things about this park is its location. It's close to great walking trails, so it's easy to go for a relaxing walk before or after visiting the playground. There are also fishing ponds nearby, which make it an even better place to spend the afternoon outdoors. Whether you're bringing young kids to play, going for a walk, or just enjoying the peaceful surroundings, Kids Castle is a fantastic destination. It's one of those parks that keeps you coming back because there's so much to do, and it's always a fun place to visit.

Entertaining for all ages! Took my step daughter (5/6 year old) and husband here one summer…read moreafternoon. Clean, updated and a blast for all 3!

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."

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.

I always forget there are so many parks around finally checked out this one. Has a big parking lot…read moreand the playground was big enough for the small kiddos to run around in. If there are a lot of people it won't be as fun as it is all just bunched together. Also has a nice walking trail. They have a lodge that you can rent for parties and events that has bathrooms and kitchen.

Nice looking park. We actually rented a building here for a family event. It came equipped with…read moretables and chairs and a small kitchen area. You set up and put away everything and clean up after yourself, it was very nice and convenient. Those who booked it said they'd do it again, and we were all very satisfied with the experience!

Such a beautiful location! I really love the safety of a one-way road winding through the park. I…read morecame for a party at pavilion D and it was gorgeous. It felt private and secluded, parking lot and restrooms nearby also felt private to the specific space. There were no sinks in the restrooms so if you have wipes, I'd suggest bringing them. While hand sanitizer is provided, I like to know my hands are clean before I go back to eating. I saw evidence of many well groomed trails for walking and would love to come back again and hike a few of them. I also noticed benches which I appreciate! The covered pavilion itself was huge and looked newer. There were plenty of picnic tables, trash bins and a large grill available for use. Green space behind and to the side provided plenty of room for running around and playing games. Public walkways are nearby, but not close enough to interfere with private events.

A friend and I went here for a walk and I was impressed. There's a 1.5-mile paved loop and a few…read moreshorter limestone off shoots. It's well lit and there's a plethora of parking, bathrooms and pavillions. Really a very nice place for a long run, if you're into that, because you're never far from a bathroom but the terrain is still varied enough to not be maddeningly boring.

Such a special spot. I feel so grateful that this place exists a short drive away. We love going to…read morebuy quality meats and produce at the market, play with the goats and attend various events. Now that they have their little cafe, it's just the perfect destination. The cafe is tiny and there is always a long wait. I almost walked away when they told me it would be a 40 minute wait but another lady in line leaned towards me and whispered "trust me, it's worth it." I was honestly surprised at how delicious and unique all the dishes were. I've never seen "brothy beans and pancetta with country bread" on any menu before. I don't really eat beans and wouldn't dare order something like that at any other restaurant. But I sure am glad I ordered it here. It was perfect like everything else we tried.

Beautiful hidden gem in the North Shore. We've been here a few times so I'm shocked I have yet to…read morereview. There's tons of parking and it's an easy walk from the parking lot. Whether you're looking to visit the farm animals, the cafe or the market there's something to see for everyone. We visited the cafe for lunch on a Friday afternoon and it was rather hard to get a table. We were fortunate enough that someone had gotten up shortly after we got there because you need to sit to scan the QR code to order. It was all a bit chaotic because someone ordered at our table and moved to a different table and so their food kept coming to us but then there was a delay on our food because of that? Not sure what happened but eventually we're got our food. We got the burger and a grilled cheese for our little. I also ordered a side hashbrowns which were so good! The burger gave us an option of pink or no pink. It had onion jam and cheese on it I did wish we had the option to add lettuce, pickles and tomatoes because that would've certainly added the crunch it needed. The fries felt like they were the bottom of a batch because they were a so tiny and mushy but overall okay I also got the aqua Fresca which tasted rather watered down but was iced and great for a hot day. They had a station for water and all the condiments but we weren't sure if it was a serve yourself or someone brought it to us because there was no clear direction so we just didn't get it because there was always a line of someone running coffee drinks there. Afterwards we went to the animals, our son had a blast seeing the ducks, chickens and goats roam around. The market was super fun to visit and it was so great to see them selling and offering products from other local farms on the area as well. Overall a beautiful place, with something for everyone and we had a great time!

My kiddos loves this park. Very clean and has areas for every age group. Wonderful during the…read moresummer days. Take some food and have a picnic!

A sensational park, trail, nature reserve that has been a gem for decades. As a kid, we would often…read morevisit the forest preserve to fish, go on the playgrounds, bike the extensive well-connected trails, walk..so much memories here. Great spot to host a cookout or party with their rental shelters too. Happy to see it still functioning for many folks after all these years. Wish Charleston, SC had preserves like this!

There was a wedding reception (dinner and dancing) held in Shelter A and B of this forest preserve…read more As a former Illinois resident I thought the wedding party would be uncomfortable, given this time of year. But I was wrong! Both the weather and surroundings were beautiful; I heard they sprayed for insects beforehand as well. Many picture opportunities. Open enough to enjoy the rest of reserve and share the good vibes with passersby. Some bees came out but only when we were already packing up. Maybe more available parking spaces would've been nice. Other than that, it was a good time.

Spent the morning at Illinois State Park beach...the biting…read moreflies finally win and chased us away...which led us to this little hidden gem. Jones Island Park is a well kept park full of shade trees, a playground, walking trail with benches, a shelter house, a sand volleyball court...and a beach. It's small, we'll-maintained, the swim area is marked off, the water is warm, the littles can stand, and there are no flies!!! Not quite the view of the Great Lake, but still a beautiful setting. Swim in the lake area. Fish in the canal. Relax beneath a shade tree. A little bit of something here to keep the young and the old content for a very long while!!! Annnnnd, unlike the rest of the local park/beaches....it's free!!!

Fantastic local park, with volleball field, kids park and a small beach. Great fishing too.read more