Cool spot that I didn't realize was in the area. Looking for a good meeting spot to meet friends…read morefor a walk, found Sagawau. On the day of my visit, we saw this black netting/screen. Curious, we stopped to ask staff. It turns out on Sundays they do bird banding. This was very interesting how they catch birds, take data, and release back into the wild. I recommend! The nature center was well kept and had clean bathrooms. They close the area at 4 pm daily. Check it out for a nice walking and educational opportunity.

Sagawau is waaaaaay out in Lemont, so pretty far from me, and it's also bit confusing to find when…read moreyou get there. But I really enjoyed it so I'd say it's worth it, and now I'll know where I'm going in future! Word to the wise: There's the large parking lot, and what looks like a driveway is not. Park in the lot and use the wide paved path to get to the nature center. The purpose of the first preserve system was to both preserve and conserve, but also to provide natural areas in which people could recreate. They also have a nature center here with exhibits, as well as a variety of programming. I came for a program. A land acknowledgement was provided to connect the land to its history, and the people who once called this land home. I came for a hummingbird program, which took place in the hummingbird garden. The garden had quite a few bees and some wasps, but those insects are actually invasive in this area so you may see traps out for them so they don't take over the hummingbird garden. There are hummingbird feeders around to bring the hummers out. But nectar isn't their only source of food; they'll eat insects and invertebrates. Most importantly, they need pesticide-free habitats to survive. It was interesting to learn that hummingbirds live only in North, Central, and South America. When colonizers came into contact with hummingbirds, they thought they had no feet and that is where their scientific name is derived. Hummingbirds are surprisingly loud! The ruby-throated hummingbird is only ruby throated for the males. Juveniles and females have a white throat. But the color only comes out with the light, as it's iridescent, so the males may look black. Ruby throated is the only native one in Illinois. The juveniles are about the weight of a penny. In migratory season, they try to double their weight in order to sustain their migratory most fly over the Gulf of Mexico, which is a single flight of about 600 miles. They can do that flight in 16-24 hours. Hummingbirds fly with a figure eight pattern, which allows them to be one of the few birds that can fly backwards. It also allows them to hover! Migration is hard, so why do they do it? At least in part, it's because there's less competition. Apparently day length is a trigger to let birds know when to begin migrating, and the plants and flower on which they rely for food usually coincides to their migratory season. The nesting behavior of hummingbirds draws a direct line between environmental stewardship and habitat protection. They line the nest's outside with lichen and plant scale, and line them inside with soft things like dandelion fronds. Air pollution won't affect the hummingbird directly, but it will affect lichen and thus the integrity of their nest and subsequently their success in breeding. They will use spider webbing to bind their nest, which makes spider conservation important too. How fascinating how these things all connect! Whilst visiting Sagawau, I learned that this preserve is a licensed bird banding station--not just for hummingbirds. Banding allows us to gather much of the information that we have about birds in general. The information gleaned from banded birds can tell us about their migratory patterns, lifespan, and so on. I believe they have some events during the year where you can observe this process. In addition to their great programs, they have a nature center with exhibits related to the natural history of Sagawau and the region. One of the things that makes Sagawau so unique is it is a dolomite prairie, of which only about 500 acres exist in the world--over 100 of those acres being here. There are several trails to walk, and they have maps showing these to help guide your way. And this site turns into a cross-country ski location in the winter! In that season, walking is not permitted on the trails because they're used for skiers. They have lessons and equipment rental, but you can also bring your own gear--you just need to call first to make sure it's open for skiing, dependent upon the snowfall. I saw more open acknowledgment of snakes here than at some of the other preserves, which may make me nervous to visit very soon--snakes in just about any capacity (cartoon, real, image, etc.) creep me out more than anything. But, Negin is the employee that led the hummingbird chat, and she was really great. Welcoming, inclusive, knowledgeable, and friendly. I'd love to attend more of her programs.

This gem is about 45-50 minutes outside of the city (depending on traffic and where you're…read morelocated). The stairs are a great workout! I wish more places had something similar! Bring a water bottle! I saw only 1 fountain (old rusty manual hand-pump one) that was about a 10 minute walk on the yellow trail by the stairs. Not even sure if it works! There are a lot of trees (which is surprising since most trails I've been to in the Chicagoland area is pretty sparse)! Watch out for horse poop! Apparently, these trails are shared with bikers, pedestrians, and equestrians!

Can I get a w00t w00t for Forest Preserves?! The Sag Valley Trail System in Palos Park is a great…read moresystem of forest preserves that one can use for hiking, biking, running, horse riding, and of course throwing a stone soul picnic. We decided to grab our mountain bikes for some early spring trail riding. Plenty of people out and about enjoying the trails, and even an equestrian or two. (Watch out for road apples!) The trails are clearly marked but do yourself a favor and print out a color copy of the trail map or you might take a wrong turn at Albuquerque and wind up doing a loop twice. Trails were well-groomed albeit somewhat muddy in spring, there is definitely some degree of difficulty of steep uphill and fast downhill riding, so be prepared to get a workout. There's an old toboggan slide that we decided to carry our bikes up to shorten our ride. This hill makes Rocky's jog up the Philadelphia Institute of Art stairs seem like child's play! And there was a high school wrestling team taking advantage of it for workouts. It's a Vision Quest! I can't wait to do this again in summer when there is full greenery. This is an incredibly peaceful Oak Savannah, with many oaks and the occasional fir, and we had four deer run across the trail 20 yards ahead of us at one point. The Sag Valley Trail System in Palos Park is only a 45-minute drive from the city center, so rack up those bikes and surrey down! You won't regret it!

Just the free areas of hiking is enough for me. Quarries in the background, rentable water stuff…read morelike kayaks, ziplining over them, etc etc. It's kewl.

We arrived here at about 9:45 am on a Saturday, and it was very active! Apparently a triathlon…read morehappened... but despite this, parking was not bad, and we were able to find a spot in the closest lot. The price was $21 for two adults and 3 year old (free) to mini golf. Only two other groups golfed during the time we were there. We spent more time than normal because most of the holes offered a challenge and my son wanted to get the best score and trick shots down the various ramps. This place is one of my new favorites! The course is clean and beautiful. Also Nice that the bathrooms are nearby and clean. We plan to come back and check out the playground.

Awesome Good it was a good time They showed us…read morewhat to do.it was a great experience

My partner and I had reservations for axe throwing at this location. As soon as we arrived, we…read morenoticed that none of the other patrons we're wearing masks. If there were only a few people in the establishment, it wouldn't have made us as uncomfortable. But, there was a party being hosted at the same time as our reservation so the amount of maskless people while the Omicron variant is running rampant made us leave immediately.

Over 50 group exercise classes, large variety of equipment, multiple workout areas and rooms off of…read morethe main gym floor. Free trial passes and takes a few different insurances.

Small gym, but it gets the job done! I am in the area for winter break and I was needing to go to a…read moregym that offered day passes. The first day I came, I paid $8. I asked if they had any package deals or trials and i was told they did not. The second time i came I was preparing to pay again, but a different worker asked if I tried their 3 day trial. She recommended me to sign up for the 3 day trial that's good for 90 days, meaning they did not have to be consecutive and best of all it was FREE! Shout out to this worker that went above and beyond. I could tell it was a little more work to prepare this for me, but she was so kind and I really appreciated her assistance. So for the record, yes they have a 3 day trial for FREE for anyone who is needing a quick gym in the area.

All family functions are here! We've going to this park for years for our family reunion. Plenty of…read morespace to play for the kids and adults to play adult games. They also have a splash pad right next door to the park for her kids to cool off and play water games.

What a nice County park in the city of Chicago. This is a large park, and has portions on both…read moresides of 87th Street. South of 87th Street you enter the parking lot at about 88th Street on Western Avenue ... north of 87th Street you enter the parking lot right on 87th Street just east of Western. The north portion runs all the way down to the train tracks at about 83rd Street, about four blocks. The south portion runs up to 90th Street and partially - on the east side - over to about 91st Street. Either way you are in for a treat. This expansive park has loads of room to spread out, whether a summer picnic group or a small family gathering with a cookout. In fact, during the pandemic, just visiting and sitting in the parking lot with your friends in lawn chairs is a way to keep active socially. There are a couple of shelters on each side of the park, but these undoubtedly require reservations. There is enough room for a pickup family flag-football game. The south section is mostly flat, while the north end is hilly, and they used to have toboggan slides there. The parking lots also hold scores of cars. Give this place a try and you'll enjoy.

I saw these ponies at an event I was at recently and it made me upset to see the conditions of said…read moreponies. First, the ponies were transported in a tiny little space. Then, the ponies were situated in a VERY SMALL enclosure. They looked like they wanted to get out and looked sad. I just hope the ponies are being treated humanly.

It would be nice if they weren't racist. Extremely racist. The phone woman was rude …read more.... Short.... Quoted me $150 extra over online pricing. I'm an African American..... In turn I had my Caucasian friend call and not to my surprise..... $100 less than my price. Sad ... Very sad . Shakita Travis

Where should I start? I got a Living Social deal and decided…read moreto try them with my girlfriend who is an experienced Hunter/Jumper rider. Let me just preface that their regular prices are so good I drove from Chicago, and will again. First of all, if you think you are at the entrance, but not sure because no one answers your knocking on the door, just walk in. We spent 10 minutes hoping someone was around while their two goats followed me. One of the owners came out and got us and I had to leave my goat girlfriend who escorted me along their property. The owners (a couple, forgot their names) were very nice, which is a treat because I have gone to other places for riding and in my experience most horse people are arrogant and don't have patience for beginners. Not the case here, very kind, patient, and a sense of humor to boot (no pun intended). They do all kinds of training, western, english, dressage, and they train their customer's horses daily. Horses were well maintained, as were the stables. I was retaught how to post, and I cantered for the first time. Smallish arena, but music was playing and it was relatively easy to hear the instructors, who were the owners. My girlfriend and I got to ride together for the first time, and even though it wasn't a scenic trail, it was very fun. Worth the trip Worth the money Worth a look I will be back, at least to see my goat friends.

My family and I found Country Meadows about 12 years ago, I was 9 years old and had been riding at…read morea barn through the local park district of my town. Someone had told us about Country Meadows and that we should really check it out if I wanted to continue horseback riding. We took a trip to see the barn and meet the owners and right away we decided we wanted to have a lesson there. I remember from my first lesson, how happy I was and how safe I felt on the horse and in their barn. I had just one, hour long lesson and I never went back to my previous barn. The owners Mike and Dale, and trainer Julie make it feel like home. They are all so friendly and loving and really want you to grow and become a great rider. They are like family; they support you, help you achieve your goals, and really genuinely care about you as a rider and a person. From my first lesson to now I've grown so much as a rider and a person. I have learned and grown to be so much more confident and outgoing. Continuely connecting with so many of their friendly and happy horses. And really became a rider that I always hoped I could become. Every horse you will ride teaches you something new and different and really challenges you as a rider. With the training and attention to detail they give you during your lesson, you will find yourself starting to get a hang of it and becoming a better rider every lesson. They take great pride in the way their horses are taken care of and getting the treatment and love they deserve. Their red barn is so gorgeous with beautiful wooden stalls and siding, the viewing room is very clean and nice and heated for cold winter days with a large window for you to be able to watch your children, spouse, or friends ride. They have a heated indoor arena that is very long and big so that you have lots of space to ride if there are a few other people in your lesson. They also have a beautiful large outdoor arena for lessons when theres a nice sunny summer day. They have the sweetest dogs that will come greet you with lots of kisses and some very vocal chickens in their second barn across the indoor arena that you'll want to meet. If you are looking for a barn that will teach you and help you learn to be a great rider, who are friendly and really truly care about the rider and that persons lesson and progress. This is definitely without a doubt the barn for you. I am so grateful and really just thankful I found this barn 12 years ago and the people in it because it really is a family away from my family. Honestly I do not think I would be the rider I am today if it wasn't for finding Country Meadow Farm!