Carousel Columbia and Columbia Carousel are a pair of double decker carousels at Six Flags in…read moreCalifornia and Illinois. The carousel in California is the tallest carousel in the world at 101 feet and the one at Six Flags Great America is the second tallest at 100 feet. They were built almost 50 years ago on 1976. Each of the horses and animals is a replica of a famous carved carousel animal. The paintings reflect American history. When I visited Six Flags Great America with my daughter, I told her that this is how we should end our day of riding rollercoasters and that is exactly what we did. Climbed the stairs to the second level. Then chose a row of jumping horses and we were on our way. Such a great way to end the day at Six Flags Great America.

Cute camp themed area at Six Flags. Picnic benches are available if you need to take a break from…read moreriding roller coasters.

Victory Park is a small playground near the hospital. Recently renovated to be modernized. Has 2…read moreswings, 1 baby swing and 1 adult/infant swing. A climbing net structure and playground with 3 slides and different ways to climb up. It's for the older toddlers kids mainly. It's clean but not a lot of shade so in the heat of the day it is hot.

FLYING HIGH The…read moreCondor opened in 1991 and is located in Orleans Place next to the Superman roller coaster and Rue le Dodge, which is French for bumper cars. It was relocated to Gurnee from Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. The ride was installed in 1988 at Six Flags Great Adventure and was one of the first of three production models to appear in the US. The ride is manufactured by HUSS of Bremen, Germany. HUSS introduced the ride in 1984 at the World's Fair in New Orleans and it was called the Cyclo Tower. Unfortunately it spent most of its time closed because of operating problems. It took an additional 4 years of re-engineering before the ride was put into production. Six Flags purchased two of the rides and had planned to use the condor as part of its ride rotation program. It was an idea for parks to have new rides each year at a reduced cost of purchasing a new ride for the parks. Luckily for us it landed in Gurnee and never flew away. The ride is a 112 foot tower and offers amazing views of the park and parking lot. I love going up to the top and looking for my car. My little one just loves this ride and it never gets old to her. We have been riding on it together since she has been tall enough. It is a great family attraction because riders can sit together. One child can sit in front of you in each car between your legs and they will feel safe and secure. It reduces their stress level making them feel protected. The ride was designed to be programmed for various speed cycles but at Six Flags it only has two. The normal operation during the year and a version during Fright Fest where it slows down at the top. I wish that Six Flags would actually utilize the programming and make the ride more of an adventure. Riders would never know if there next ride was going to be fast or slow or in reverse. Let's mix it up because we have the technology. At night this is one of the best rides in the park to look at. It says fun and carnival as it lights up the night sky. If you are attracted to the ride then that is a good thing. The lighting was designed for the "European Fair Circuit" where rides compete against each other to sell tickets. The flashier the ride the more people wanted to ride it. Luckily for me it's included in my season pass or my little one would have cleaned out my wallet. There are 28 gondolas all painted to resemble a condor. Riders climb in as two riders or they can ride solo. In addition to an added seat belt there is an original pneumatic air pressure sliding gate. I love informing my little one that when I was a kid there were no added safety features like seat belts. Thanks a lot insurance companies. It freaks her out and she often asks why I never flew out. The ride has a dual rotation as it moves up the tower. It is fun to watch but even more fun to ride. There is also a tilting motion of the gondolas when it reaches the outer part of its rotation. It makes you feel like you are actually turning. We love riding the condor and a trip to Six Flags would not be complete if we didn't jump on board for a whirl. My little one and I often make a bird noise like "Ca-cow" as we spin to the top. It is one of those traditions that I hope she shares with her children one day.

It's a fun ride, not the best in the park, mind you, but very enjoyable.read more

This was a pretty cool event. I have not been to the Six Flags theme park in at least 6 or 7 years…read more I'm pretty sure the last time I was there, the water park was not even built yet! The race was very well organized and was not crazy at all -I would estimate that there were about 200-300 participants or so. I like that it was not crazy like some of the bigger downtown Chicago races. The first mile was through the parking lot; at mile 2, you enter the park. It was super cool to run through the park and see how it has changed. The water park portion was so extensive that I definitely want to go back next summer. -Not just for the water park but for the rides too! I had no idea of the additions and remodeling that had gone on. Running through the entire park brought back so many childhood memories for me. It was crazy to see all of the old structures still there as well as many new rides and attractions. If you are looking for some new "scenery" during a 5K, this was a cool event. My only criticism is how they handled packet pick-up: it was only 12-3pm on the Saturday prior in Gurnee. I had to work that day, and when I left to try to make it in time, there was a torrential rain storm and I had to get off the highway. However, I'm proud of the way they handled it -my friend who did make it out to Gurnee said they will let you come to the race early and pick up the packet beforehand. So, that's what I did. No long lines, no drama. Again, a unique event for those looking for something different than the typical neighborhood race.

The original Batman Clone this is the one that started it all as this exact coaster exists at many…read moreof the Six Flags parks across the country! This one however has some details that are different which if you've ridden all of them like I have then you will notice that the Bat Cave station is a bit more detailed than the others which is cool because it totally feels like it fits the part. The layout of this coaster is perfect and it's just a fun ride from start to finish every time I ride one of these I always say how fun it as at its just a super cool compact layout that provides a great ride for all ages every single time! Overall it's the OG Batman Clone and it's definitely one of the best ones out there still it's for that reason of how fun it is I will look forward to my next ride on this one or one of the many other ones that exist at some other parks in the chain!

Have you ever wanted to feel what it feels like to fly?! You need to ride Batman! It will give you…read morethe sensation of gliding through the air, feet fancy free! Batman the Ride goes up to 55mph and growing up, it was my favorite ride at Six Flags Great America opening in 1992. I way way too young to ride when it opened, but once I got to junior high I was all about it! I could ride over and over when there with no lines with ease. It's kind of crazy to think that this ride is 25 years old! It surely does not seem like it. I suppose that's just how innovative the roller-coaster was for the time! Batman goes fast, does twists & turns, loops, all while you're sitting with your feet dangling below. Do not wear sandals on this thing! They will surely fly off, never to be seen again. Doing the loops while your feet fling above is really a cool feeling! I love it! Thrills are always had while riding Batman at Great America!!!

You read the name of this 5K and perhaps you think to yourself, "I've been training my whole life…read morefor this run. I have *plenty* of experience running from the cops." This event is hosted by the Vernon Hills Police Department, but you're actually running WITH the cops more than FROM the cops. We were a little disappointed that officers weren't chasing us with handcuffs and billy clubs. However, I was excited to see that the festival and race have expanded since 2009. Registration fees and donations went to benefit wounded veterans, so you can't go wrong with that. There were service men of all backgrounds there in uniform and repping their units with shirts. It was great to see the community come together to support people who are out there helping keep us safe. And everyone was super nice and helpful. These men and women really do a service for us and their respective titles. The race happens in mid-July, which probably isn't ideal racing weather. It was in the 80s and the humidity was ridiculous. I saw a ton of people on their hands and knees to the side. But the organizers were prepared and there were plenty of paramedics and volunteers on hand to help people out. The course is super easy and flat, but you'd swear this 5K is hardcore when every couple minutes you see someone puking from the heat. I even ended up taking my shirt off the last mile, and this is coming from a firm believer that nobody needs to see that. Post-race area was pretty basic. None of the vendors for the fair were open yet. I think the festival doesn't start until noon, so I wasn't able to get my nachos or my funnel cake on, but I was able to grab a ton of free water, Gatorade and something similar to Muscle Milk and shove it in my nifty, complimentary Sports Authority bag (which was the best bag design ever but quickly fell apart). Corner Bakery was also there with plenty of bagels and cream cheese, pumpkin bites, coffee and bananas.

Don't worry. Yes, you do run from the cops, but there aren't any repercussions if they pass you…read more They don't handcuff you or whack you with their billy clubs. They don't kick you off the course and throw you off to the side of the road either. In fact, it was hard for me to distinguish the police force, which probably was because they started at the very back hence the name of the race. The race is run along Lakeview Parkway, which is also the site for Vernon Hills' annual Summer Celebration. You then run to Gregg's Landing where there are some large and gorgeous houses and into this little subdivision on Lake Charles Drive, which has even bigger and more gorgeous homes and is not even complete yet. There are no start corrals since the race is relatively small. It can be hard to establish your pace depending on where you start. If you are a speedy runner, I suggest lining up near the front. The race is chip-timed so you will receive an accurate finishing time no matter where you start. There is also only one aid station on the course, which is fine for a 5K. However, if you need more hydration along the way, you may want to carry your own hydration. Post race, there were goodies including banana halves, muffins, bagels and coffee from Corner Bakery. The muffins were the best post-run snack I have ever eaten. All the other runners must have loved the muffins too since they were all gone at the end of the race. The awards ceremony was nice and the medals look great and are not dinky like at other races. The race tee-shirt is made of a dry wick material so you can work out in it again if you would like. My only gripe would be that the orange lettering did not really stand out well on the gray shirt. The results were posted in a timely manner and you can also download your race photos for free on the Running Guru website. The total cost for the race was $30 with the proceeds benefiting wounded warriors. Overall, this is an excellent and well-run race. I definitely would consider running it again if it fits into my training schedule. The race is run in mid-July so it can get hot so just be aware of that.