During a weekend visit to Indiana Dunes we wanted to get a really good hike in. We stopped by the…read moreIndiana Dunes Visitor Center and we were thankful we did. It seems if you know nothing about the area, you can be easily confused and lost. The State park actually is in the National Park boundary. The volunteer at the visit center gave us many hiking options. We ended up choosing the Bailly Homestead and Chellberg Farm. Both for the history aspect of it and the great hiking trails. It had three loops, a smaller one about .63 mile, a larger one about a mile, and the big loop approximately 2.4 miles with runs into the Calumet Trail. All are pretty easy walks. If your looking for a great hike in the Dunes area definitely give the Bailly Homestead a look. It has a decent size parking lot and restrooms. I'd also highly suggest stopping by the National Park Visitor Center as it is very close by.

This is one of the better hikes in the Indiana Dunes NP. Better yet, it's perfect for anyone as…read moreit's little more than a walk in the woods. And it's full of history. There's a parking lot, picnic tables, restrooms and other park facilities at the trailhead. Check out the map of the trails-and take a pic for reference on your phone. There are a few different trails and spurs that you can take. I like the loop that takes you through the Chellberg Farm, to the Bailey Cemetery and then have a beer or snack at the Homestead. That's about a two mile loop. If you'd just like to see the Homestead straightaway, park down by the Little Calumet River that it overlooks-three lefts from the parking lot. Easy parking down by the fishing hole and just a short walk up the hill to the Bailey Homestead. This was an 1820s fur trading post. This was the NorthWest back in those frontier days. Can you imagine? You can see what a perfect location it is. For me it's a perfect spot for a boozy picnic. Cheers!

123 year old monument to Civil War veterans. Incredible little piece of history that still stands…read moretoday.

To look at the Soldiers & Sailors Monument now, you might think it looks a lot like the monument in…read moreIndy. The reason is that back in 1903, sculptor Rudolf Schwarz created the five bronzes for this monument after having completed many of the bronzes down in Indy. You might also think that this monument must have been here for over a hundred years. But it wasn't. It was originally located on the south east corner of the courthouse and was dismantled in 1967. After sitting in storage for five years, the monument was reconstructed at this location and dedicated in 1973. The bronzes that you see include a 10' flag bearer on top, and statues of Infantry, Artillery, Cavalry, and Navy on a lower ring. When this monument was reconstructed, it displaced the miniature bronze Statue of Liberty that was built in 1951 as part of a Boy Scouts of America program. There are six of these mini statues around northern Indiana. The South Bend mini was moved to the east side of the courthouse. This is one of many stylish memorials erected over 100 years ago that commemorates those who fought to save the Union. South Bend's is in remarkable condition and is worth visiting the next time you are downtown. Review #3108

Beautiful and relaxing park east of Soldier Field. It's bigger than it looks. Gold Star Family…read moreMemorial Park honors local law enforcement that have lost their lives with various monuments and plaques. Has a good amount of paths to walk along. There's not much as far as parking but from the Museum Campus it's pretty easy to get to within a fast walk. A park like this has physical beauty along with an additional meaning that makes it bittersweet. It's also meant as a memorial for Chicago police officers who died protecting the city. There's a round wall featuring the names of these officers. A monument featuring a bronze statue of a police officer being celebrated by family and others features the red stars of the city as blue. There's also another monument with a waterfall. Bigger place than it appears. This is actually large enough to spend a few hours. Good place for honoring local police officers in addition to being a nice park to walk around. It's still a good park regardless of how one feels about police officers. Taking consideration of just how the park itself is compared to other parks it's pretty good compared to most of these.

An extremely important memorial for our fallen police heroes. Very well done and unique. Just make…read moresure you go to the right place as some GPS takes you to the completely wrong location. The correct one is south of Grant Park... not in the middle of the city as we found out.

Super SUPER cool theater and great prices (if you go on Tuesday). Love that the box office is on…read moreone of the upper levels, and you have to keep going up the ramp to get to the theaters! Never seen a movie in a place like that before and it's pretty unique. Saw a movie there last Tuesday with family. We signed up for the membership and go tickets for about $7 each which is pretty good. There's a lot more space that I was expecting in each theater, and our movie was packed. Definitely going to consider getting tickets online next time so we can get better seats. I recommend this spot if you live in the area and want to see a movie!!

This theater is fine. I'm a bit biased towards the one closer to my place that has newer seats and…read morean imax screen but this one has a nice retro charm. It's hidden away inside a semi kind of shopping mall? The escalators were broken so it took a maze of elevator and going to the wrong place to find it. Popcorn was yummy and salty, seats were not great, but the employees were friendly.

Can you turn the freaking air on? Maybe at least the fan to circulate air. If you want to watch a…read moremovie in great seats but hot stuffy air and warm and musty this is your place. I get times are tough but it makes for a miserable experience

When we were looking for a local cinema to see Ne Zha 2 for the second time, this time with English…read moredubbing, we were happy to find Landmark at the Glen! It replaced Arclight which was in a decline. The cinema had been renovated 2 years ago. It was a Thursday afternoon, and the cinema was pretty quiet. There were big kiosks for ticket purchases, and the process was quick and easy. We got a small bag (which was not too small) for $10 plus tax, a little pricy for popcorn, but it was good. The popcorn guy was friendly, and he also doubled as the guy to collect our ticket stubs, and informed us which cinema room to go to. We were there for the preview of the movie, and we got the entire cinema #5 to the 3 of us! While the lobby and hallways of the cinema was nice and cool, this room was a little too warm. We totally understood that they would not cool down an entire room when there was no audience inside. I went to talk to the popcorn guy about the air temperature issue, and he promised to have it adjusted. As I went back to the cinema room. We could feel that cool air started to come out, and it was comfortable for the rest of the showing. The chairs were big, clean, and comfortable. Sound and picture were great. The movie itself was enjoyable just like the first time, and the English dubbing was perfect. The entire cinema was very clean. I was especially pleased with their restrooms being spotless clean. There is a bar in the lobby, and across from it was the biggest poster I've ever seen in a cinema lobby, it was a colorful digital poster of Ne Zha 2, very appropriate for such a spectacular movie. When we left the cinema after seeing the movie, there was another guy at the hallway collecting ticket stubs, and there was obviously more audience coming in. We enjoyed this cinema experience very much, and would definitely return to see other movies in the future.

This trail is part of a larger trail that spans 26 or so miles. While many parts are plowed, you do…read moreexperience some icy portions in the winter. However, for winter running, especially lo g runs, it's a great loa toon and trail. There are some nice scenic parts to view and some street runs. I didn't see any spots for bathrooms, but I would like to check further along the way. It has some hills, which are great, and other parts that are flat. I enjoyed this paved trail very much. Can't wait to run it again!

This is my 500th review. I was waiting for something amazing for such a personal landmark. I am so…read moreglad to have stumbled upon the Cal Sag Trail. I am fairly certain that Mother Nature does not enjoy being paved. However, in the case of the Cal Sag Trail, maybe she might just reconsider. Hear me out. I used to stomp around with the dog along the Cal Sag as a side trip from Lake Katherine. The area along the Cal Sag was pretty disastrous. Overgrown, neglected, weedy, muddy or rocky, mostly unfriendly and unusable. We never travelled very far but we always liked watching the boats and trains along the way. Along came the Friends of the Cal Sag with a brilliant idea to put in a trail that would go all the way from Lemont to the Burnham Greenway, which is almost to Indiana. The full distance will be 26 miles. It is not all done yet, but the parts that are completed are spectacular. I walked with my dog along the new addition in Palos Heights. Not to sound cliché, but truly, "If you build it, they will come." That is exactly what happened here. So many walkers and so many bikers. All ages. And it is not even officially opened yet. The trail is paved and two lanes. It twists, turns and has some great sights, like bridges and trains. Other times maybe you see a car wash. There are signs along the route that let you know what suburb or area you are in. The Cal Sag Trail feels like it was always meant to be there. Land that was unused is now being used and enjoyed. Please, without delay, get a bike or some walking shoes and get out there.

Buckingham Fountain is such a magical iconic spot located in the heart of Grant Park…read more It runs from May to Mid October from 8 am to 11 pm. It also has a 20 minute light show which I unfortunately did not get to see as I visited during daytime. I did however experienced the beautiful garden that leads to the fountain and the amazing skyline in the background. Photos and selfies galore. This fountain is massive but so pretty. There are benches sorrounding the area where you can rest and admire the scenery. It is truly an amazing work of art. The design has 4 bronze horses which are designed to represent Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin and it was built in 1927. Perfect stop after you have already visit Millenium Park.

Went to Lolla and located in grant park in the center is the infamous fountain made famous by the…read moreshow married with children's opening credits It's beautiful!

There is only a little to say that has yet to be told by previous reviews. So, we were driving back…read morefrom South Bend, and the wife noticed a sign along the highway that read, Chief Menominee statue next exit. It was odd because we had recently been to the Menominee Reservation in Wisconsin last year since I've been trying to research my ancestry. We had no idea that it was in the area. It was about four miles off the exit. It was pristine and a respectful way to honor Chief Menominee. The locals have done a good job.

Southwest of Plymouth, a granite marker indicates where the start of the forced relocation march of…read morethe Potawatomi Indians began. The relocation to Kansas caused the death of 150 of the 859 people who were moved. The relocation was labeled the "Trail of Death". Back in 1909, the state approved funds for this 7 foot granite statue of Chief Menominee that rests on a pedestal on the high ground of the small park-like area set aside for the monument. The Chief was the leader who resisted the relocation, but ultimately had to yield. The statue was carved by Novelli and Calcagni from Vermont and dedicated in 1909, seventy one years after the relocation began. The actual camp of the Potawatomi Indians was about 21/2 miles to the southwest of the statue. I was unable to find why this site was selected instead. Review #3078

You will find this very intriguing statue in Daley Plaza. There is metered street parking and lots…read moreof parking garages available within a reason able walking distance, but most people viewing this statue will be passers by on their way to another destination. The statue is the work of Pablo Picasso, yes, that Picasso, who created the piece in 1967. It is made of solid steel and weighs 162 tons. It stands 50 feet tall. The abstract sculpture is intended to resemble the head of Picasso's Afghan hound. This is an iconic piece that just draws your attention. I find it interesting that Picasso is known for his paintings, but was also a decent sculpture in his own right. I really like this piece. I acknowledge that it is not a destination piece, but it is still worth a peek if you are in the area.

This statue has no official name, but it's called The Picasso because the man himself created it…read more I'm not a fan of Picasso, I'll say that straightaway. However it's quite a boon that Chicago was able to get an artist of his magnitude to design a sculpture in our great city, in a time when public art was mostly limited to historical figures. I do think it's fun that Picasso said that although he doesn't do commissions, he had the opportunity to do a project for the two great gangster cities (apparently the other was Marseilles). The Picasso doesn't do much for me as a piece of artwork, but I do understand the significance of the work and of the artist. And it's an easy landmark for visitors or meeting with friends. And it's an iconic Chicago landmark so that alone makes it special.