The nicest thoroughfare in the area. This is a great and often scenic place to sit and relax or…read morejust pass through. There is typically art on display so it is usually a fairly interesting route or destination. Overall, a nice place to enjoy your beverages and snacks from home (or wherever else) and appreciate artwork in the outdoors.

People don't really come here for the Lincoln statue; it's not a tourist destination. However, The…read moreChicago Lincoln (the name of this work) is notable in several respects. This statute was designed in 1860. That makes it one of the earliest of the Lincoln statutes; if you'll recall, Lincoln wasn't elected president until 1860. The statue cost $35,000 to construct--a sum that would be equivalent to $1.25 million today. The statute is sometimes know as the "beardless Lincoln" because--you guessed it--Lincoln as depicted here has no beard. This is true to life, as during his travels to and in Chicago from 1847 to 1860, he didn't have a beard. It's also what makes this statue unique: It's the only statue of Lincoln sans his famous facial hair. It's location is also a nod toward some of his important work in the city, as he met with his first vice president in Lake View Township to discuss business of the new administration. Though the statue has been in its current location for nearly 40 years, it's not its original spot. It was once placed right in the middle of the Lincoln, Lawrence, and Western intersection, and cars had to navigate around it. It is for this reason--in whole, or in part--that this intersection was one of the three most dangerous in the city, taking the dubious honor of being the second most dangerous in 1975. It was subsequently removed to its current location several yards away and no longer in the middle of the street, rendering traffic exponentially safer at this location.

If you've got to wait for a bus, you might as well wait with the 16th president…read more Seriously, there's always a very strange smell right here. It's a major intersection, with two bus stops next to the statue, a Walgreen's, and a lot of pigeons.

I absolutely LOVE Old Town!…read more Why? Here are just a few out of MANY reasons... Numerous and diverse restaurants Close to Lincoln Park and the Zoo Farmers Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays in Lincoln Park at Green City You can hear the Church Bells toll during the day on the hour Bike Path along Lake Michigan is close by The Chicago History Museum Annual Festivals...Greek, Hot Dog, Wells Street, etc. A few blocks from North Avenue Beach Fantastic Public Transportation Options via 22/36/73/ and other CTA Buses Close to the Brown Line and Red Line Trains Jewel Osco, Plum Market, Potash, and Aldi Supermarkets within a mile or less walking Unique family owned shops, restaurants, and establishments .... Also amazing sunsets from the West Side toward Chicago O'Hare Airport on a nightly basis!

If you have never visited Elgin or haven't been there in a while you need to come take a look! My…read morehubby & have lived in Elgin for 6 years & they have putting a lot of effort into the downtown revitalization efforts...there's a lot more to Elgin than just the riverboat casino! There are plenty of neat places to check out so if you are looking for a new place to visit for the day or afternoon come take a look. You can check out my Yelp List, "I Heart Elgin" to see my reviews on the various great restaurants (oh so many I love!) and a few stores in the area we are fans of. The other non-eatery places I love in Elgin (but perhaps haven't gotten around to reviewing quite yet): -The Fox River Bike Trail (Algonquin to Aurora -you can go for miles, and miles and miles...) --The Fox River - plenty of nice easy areas to kayak -Several excellent parks, some along the river and some not, just to name a few: -Lords Park - one of my favorite places to relax (they have an area where they help rehabilitate injured wildlife so you can check out some deer up close along with foxes & a couple of buffalo, even!) -John J. Duerr Park (aka Blackhawk Park, aka 5 Islands Park) - it's along the Fox River Bike Trail -Walton Island Park (just across the street from the library -Festival Park -The Gail Borden Library (the second-best library ever- sorry the first one is in Columbus, OH) -Elgin's Historical District - love those big beautiful Victorian homes -A whole block downtown with at least 4 different antique shops -Mexican Bakeries - we have several, and yes that entire tray mounded full of cookies will only total $5! -ReStore -the Habitat for Humanity home store! -The Hemmens -Harvest Market on Thursdays (it's small but still nice)

Elgin is the best city in Illinois and should be rated on a national list. The only thing holding…read moreit back is the school system. I believe the school system is superior, but teachers and the community believes it is not up-to-standards. Otherwise, the parks are big and have plenty of space to fly kites, play soccer and enjoy life. Elgin has a big Hispanic and gay population, which makes us a very diverse community. The best part about Elgin is seeing all the families enjoying the community events, supporting the awesome government we have and loving each other! This city is a hidden secret!

This small plaza is part of Washington Park, but sits right at the intersection of Washington St…read more and West St. There are 15 minute parking meters along West St., so it is an easy stop to make and pick up a little history. Dedicated on Veteran's Day in 2005, , it boast several interesting features. Among them are a 36 inch granite floating globe, a beautiful statue of a WWI dough boy, a statue of Orion Howe, a Civil War drumer boy, who was the youngest soldier to ever receive the US Congressional Medal of Honor. (He was 14 years old!) Also there is the largest bronze sculpture wall flag in the United States. This plaza is not necessarily a destination, unless you are a history buff, but if you are in the area, it is a serene and educational site to pause and reflect on the sacrifices of other. It is not exactly the best stop in the dead of winter, especially calf deep in snow, but I'm still glad we came. It was worth it to learn about Orion Howe.

Barrington's yearly 4th of July celebration includes 5 days of "Beer and Brats" in the tent they…read moreset up downtown. Its a great "small town 4th of July feel". Its also a great time to go drink some beer and eat some brats with friends! Can't wait until next year!

One of the main things that attract me to Chicago's north-side is its diversity, and Little India…read moreis just another piece of that. Little India is a strip located on Devon avenue in West Rogers Park; comprised of dominantly Indian restaurants and retail markets. I have only visited Little India on foot, and while cycling a handful of times, but drive through on a daily basis because for me it's the gateway from Lincolnwood to Edgewater neighborhood. One negative that I can say about Little India is that it is the worst area to drive in. If you choose to drive through Little India my advice is to be aware of pedestrians that will literally walk out in front of your car, and drivers that will cut you off, or even drive out in front of you when you clearly have the right-away. I end this with Little India is unique in many ways, and will leave you pondering at times if you are really in Chicago. It is a taste of India! Enjoy!

Bill Fucking Murray really did step actually here. It happened in Groundhog Day, a classic movie…read more Look for that place where he stepped in a puddle. Just a plaque, not much to look at. This is just a silly tourist attraction if you can call it that. Cool thing to put your foot where his foot was in that movie. It took place in Punxsutawney. The obvious difference is the movie was filmed in Woodstock. Producers liked the feel of this town more than the actual location. There's not much else about the actual plaque, but maybe take a look around for where the puddle is, and if it rained then you can also step in it and talk about it being a doozy like the movie scene. Cool for fans. If interested in more stuff, there's also a mural a few blocks from here. This is what it's best known for, and there's an annual festival celebrating it with the town's own groundhog, Willie.

In this life, I've met Bill Murray twice…read more Once briefly after his 2008 skydive stint at the Air & Water show a few years back where he stopped for only one person on his escape route from the madness, and it just so happened to be me. We locked eyes, shook hands and I died a little inside before he was rushed off from the quickly-forming crowd and I followed, love-struck behind. The second time was a bit more intimate... and I have photographic evidence to prove it (https://s3-media4.ak.yelpcdn.com/photo/-yADiZ7CwAMUl7PwrTapGQ/l.jpg). We were up in the club (a comedy club) and thanks to the one and only Carol J, I got to be the one and only 'civilian' amongst a buncha company stooges (newscasters and radio show hosts) to attend. We got to talk, take photos, brush up against each other, sweat profusely in excitement (okay, that was mostly me), etc. It was a grand ole day... and then about 10 paces outside the comedy club I stepped in the biggest pile of dog doo to ever land on a Chicago city street. And actually, in hindsight I can't even confirm that it was dog doo it was so huge. For all I know it was an urban bear or something, but it was absolutely huge. You win some, you lose some. This slice of cinematic history marks the Bill's (technically, Phil Connors') last step before he takes a short dip in a deep puddle off the curb after practically jumping out of his skin to get away from Neddy Ned Ryerson and his humbly aggressive attempts to pitch a life insurance policy on Phil's way to the annual Gobbler's Knob Punxsatawny Phil Groundhog Day ceremony. And while this historical marker located on the Groundhog Day Walking Tour (http://www.yelp.com/biz/groundhog-day-walking-tour-woodstock#hrid:nNx7lJ9Qgy5pAopxB4YIYw) isn't quite the real-deal, in person, out-of-body experience that actually meeting the the man, the myth, the legend is, it's a damn fine tribute for anyone who wants to walk where BM once, twice, thrice and beyond did... just beware of that puddle (1:44 - 1:46 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6NsVUHwQc8). It's a doooooozy!