I stopped in to pick up my packet for Edgewater "Back To School" 5k. I was actually a little…read moreexcited to stop in this place, because most of the time I walk pass Edgewater Chamber of Commerce, it's normally closed. Normally, because I walk pass in the evening hours, and always think that its abandon, but it's not! Edgewater Chamber of Commerce, does do a lot for Edgewater community, and does a really good job keeping positive events in our neighborhood. https://www.edgewater.org/

Fun stroll [Chicago IL]…read more Just a short distance from the Millennium Park is this cool 925-foot-long winding pedestrian bridge in the Loop community area. This was fun to walk along and took us to another park at the end, the Maggie Daley Park. Interesting and cool piece of engineering looking like a giant silver snake. The stainless steel sheet looks beautiful shimmering in the sun. Aside from the Cloud Gate, the BP Pedestrian Bridge is another one of Millennium Park's popular attractions drawing large crowds of visitors including us! We were able to see views of the Chicago skyline, Lake Michigan, Historic Michigan Boulevard District, and Grant Park. If you're wondering what the BP stands for in its name it is named after the energy firm (formerly called British Petroleum) who donated a large sum to the project. Review #3824

Gehry designed this 925 ft long pedestrian bridge that spans Columbus Drives with skyline views &…read morethe Nichols Bridgeway arches from the park to the Art Institute's sculpture terrace. Named for energy firm BP, which donated $5 million toward its construction, it is the first Gehry-designed bridge to have been completed. BP Bridge is described as snakelike because of its curving form.

Formerly the Long Grove Covered Bridge, renamed the Robert Parker COFFIN bridge, this one-lane…read morecovered bridge has been struck 50 times in the past few years. It's easy to see why; it's a one lane bridge and three streets converge at the bridge and other than the stop signs, there's not a clear right of way procedure. Maybe make traffic one way through the bridge? I would have liked to take a few pictures but there is too much traffic to do so.

The Long Grove Covered Bridge is a landmark in Long Grove and northeastern Illinois. It has been…read morefeatured in many TV shows and movies. It's a gateway into the historic downtown district in Long Grove. It is nice to take a walk through on a picturesque summer day and a great selfie location in the winter when it's covered with snow. I highly recommend the Long Grove Covered Bridge!

This is the headquarters of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County. We are so lucky to have…read morethis institution here as well as sister agencies in the suburbs and other areas of Illinois. I'm from Oregon which has lots hiking, state parks, and so on, but the forest preserves are special. They provide a lot of great programming and the agency maintains over 70,000 acres of woodlands, wetlands, trails, and other outdoor spaces in Cook County. My experience with the FPDCC has been to attend various programs they're hosting. Usually those are some sort of hike or trail walk with a naturalist providing context and education along the way. Whilst there's several nature centers (kind of akin to the field houses at parks in the Chicago Park District) in the FPDCC system with different amenities, there are picnic groves, walking/hiking trails, camp sites, aquatic centers, and places for folks to have events, etc. I've been to the more "typical" events you'd expect of a forestry agency, such as a night hike at Sand Ridge Nature Center; hike learning about and looking for beaver activity at Trailside; owl education at River Trail Nature Center; and so on. An event about nature journaling held by a FPDCC volunteer piqued my interest in learning more about and doing some nature journaling, and led me to join the Chicago Nature Journaling Club. But they also have tried to expand to include some cultural programming and that's totally my bag. One of the signature programs supported by the department of Conservation & Experiential Programming is the American Indian Center's annual pow wow at Schiller Woods. I haven't been to that yet but it's on my list! Today I went to one of the Black History Month programs they're hosting, which was a lecture-style program with an indoor poetry trail and a discussion and introduction to Black naturalists and environmentalists from the Chicago area and beyond. It was a really interesting presentation and I'm only sad that I was the only person besides the employees who showed up! But we did have some good conversation about trying to reconnect Black folks to nature, environmental racism, how the issues early Black activists were concerned about are still germane today, and what folks are doing in the present to ensure these concerns remain part of the conversation. I really appreciate the discussion I had with Art, Bill, and Will. I'll be attending the BHM program at Sand Ridge that is a self-guided tour through trails that connected to the Underground Railroad. The forest preserves are fascinating, y'all!

Due to the weather that's been impacting Illinois I am not able to continue family reunion for…read moreAugust 15. I'll call today August 14 at 10:30 and was told I was not able to be refund, but if I call I yesterday the 13th, maybe they would have considered it. It's sad because those who work at the preserve know that it has been storming and I have been without power for the last four days.

If you enjoy being surrounded by nature ,park ,lake and skyline , this view will surely take your…read morebreath away. Don't forget to bring your camera to capture this picturesque moment!!

Absolutely amazing view of the skyline with greenery! Perfect for a stroll in the park right in the…read morecity and short walk to the lake shore and beach. Great spot for the quintessential Chicago photo. Make your way over

On a walk from Chicago to Evanston, I passed through South Boulevard Park. It's quite lovely, just…read morepast the large rocks on Sheridan and provides access to the beach as well as a grassy area. Definitely recommend spending time there.

Overall atmosphere & experience clean and inviting. My favorite beach front. Great for a romantic…read morestroll or as a meditation spot.

Let's talk about vehicle stickers…read more I was not aware of this phenomenon until I moved to Illinois. I was not aware that many suburbs had them until I moved to Wood Dale. THOSE stickers are actual stickers. They are an enormous pain to get off. It took me over an hour to scrape, peel, razor and spray my previous two off. So enter Lombard. You know what Lombard's vehicle stickers are? Vinyl cling. No adhesive, no mess. BRILLIANT. I love it. It's such a small thing, and yet, I am so grateful. For I know as long as we live in Lombard, I will not have to peel and scrape endless stickers off my windshield each year. (Oh, and the police and public works departments are pretty helpful, as previously noted. They listen to my suggestions. They take my stolen GPS report without calling me an idiot. They CALL me to explain why there's no crosswalk at Highland and Majestic. Rock and roll.)

Lombard, while I am still most appreciative of the things I mentioned in my previous review, you…read moregotta lose a star now. The storm blew through here on 7/1. Please explain to me why it is now 7/17 and the storm debris is STILL on every street? I've driven through Elmhurst and Villa Park and they are at least making progress. But you? Nooooo. Also, remember that blurb in my original review about the oversight on my part in paying my sewer bill? Did you have to retaliate with oversight on YOUR part in closing the file on that as PAID? The mortgage company was not amused when it came time to re-finance. Neither was I.

Going to any kind of government office is never a fun experience. And I can't say the 27th Ward…read moreOffice is an exception. However, I did have a generally good experience (relatively speaking) with it. The people I interacted with over the phone and in person were polite and professional. They weren't particularly friendly, but they were definitely not unfriendly either. The office is kind of old and run down, and it smells like moth balls. But it's clean. It's accessible via the Chicago bus, or a decent walk from the Chicago Blue Line station. All this pretty much adds up to 3 stars, but the 4th comes in because they are open 9-1 on Saturday! Gov't offices open on a Saturday are few and far between, and I recall having to leave work early during the week when I needed to go to my previous Alderman's office. I don't know much about Ald. Burnett in general, but I know his ward office is open on Saturday, and that's cool with me!