I did the Shine tour 2015 Color run this summer and it was a bit of a let down. First of all, it…read morewas cloudy at the start line and then the skies began to darken. My friends and i then heard the claps of thunder and then it was like, OH SH*#, its coming down. And then it did. As we started to run, it began to pour! And not just a brief shower, It rained the whole race!!! Not that any of us could control the weather but as Lily Z. had mentioned, the event planners were ill prepared for the rain. Instead of getting a "dusting" of colored powder, you received a heavy sling of colored mud (because the powder had already mixed with the heavy rains) as you ran through each color station. And just when you've hit the 3.1 mile marker, drenched and cold and perhaps starting to get the shakes from hypothermia, you are hit one last time in colored mud... Only this time its GOLD powder!!! Yes people. You're hit with gold colored mud only to be glowing like a sad looking Oscar statue at the end of the finish line. Let's just say it was the piece de resistance to end it all off. My guess was that the crowd either loved and embraced the drenching experience or hated it completely. I'd hear runners say, "This is so BLEEPIN" awesome! Let's do this next year!" And then there were those that were like, "This Fn sucks. I'm never doing this again." And then there were those families with their 2-3 year old crying incessantly because they're all wet... The blowers at the end of the race were of no use to anyone there since you were already covered in rain and powder. The powder just stained you and anything you touched. Luckily i was smart enough to bring a towel to sit on in the car ride home, otherwise i would have had a helluva time time doing detailing on the car seats!!! Post-racers left the event looking like "Carrie" from the movie but instead of blood, you were a rainbow/glittered hot mess... I guess the only consolation prize this year was that they gave you a finisher's medal. Perhaps next year will have better weather.

The most low key 5k ever. This was my first and everything was oh so casual! I wish the different…read morecolor stations were better prepared because some of them ran out of powder by the time we arrived. Also, I don't know if they were adequately prepared for the rain. The post-it wall was a wreck. The Shout station was closed. I was not impressed with the SINGLE leaf blower for the entire race. The organizers made it seem like the leaf blower was some amazing post-race cleaner. No. it was really a guy with a leaf blower. A bit disappointed but at least the other runners made it fun and energetic.

This updated inclusive park is so beautiful! Such a great addition to Mundelein parks! My daughter…read morehad an absolute blast here, and I loved seeing kids of all abilities enjoying the space!

Great accessible playground for kids and the park also has pickle ball courts, bocce ball and…read morebeautiful grassy spots for lounging.

The Badass Dash 5K Obstacle Race is pretty new to the Chicago area. Last year was the first year…read moreand they held it in Rosemont. This year, they have two races. I completed the one at the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates. They are doing another one in August in Rosemont again too. Usually, these types of races are held pretty far from the city in rural, farm areas. I couldn't picture what this would be like in the burbs, but they did a really good job. The obstacles were really unique -there was no mud, but plenty of water oriented ones! Most of it was done either in or around the Sears Center (running up and down the stadium stairs were killer!) However, I was really pleasantly surprised by how pretty the prairie path was around this area too. It was the perfect combination of urban and "farm like" environments. The obstacles were pretty cool and many were unique to this race. My favorite was the end -climbing up the rope ladder and then sliding down into a pool. I would do this again next year -it was really fun and challenging! My advice, though; do not buy the spectator VIP package. I did and it wasn't really worth the money -this part was a bit disorganized and my parents didn't get any more "VIP" of a view than anyone else. Have your spectators sneak around and get a great view from the Sears Center lot.

Did the Sears Center 7k last weekend. It was ok. I'm more used to the farm field type runs and…read morefound it a little disappointing to be running back and forth and back and forth in a parking lot for much of the run. That being said, it was still a good time and the obstacles were fun. The finish line area in particular was very very unorganized. The spectators were not separated from the runners in any way and there were many instances where the spectators were in the path of the course. The timing of the race was also odd. We signed up for the 9am heat, and they released the 9am heat in small batches at a time in 5 minute intervals so we were at the starting line for about 30-40 minutes after 9am waiting for our turn to go. They should have had a 9am heat, a 9:05, a 9:10, and so on. Then when we finished we checked the time of day, but had to wait a good 45minutes or so to find out what our race time was. We didn't know what time we finally started the race, so we couldn't figure out how long it took us to run it until they posted the times. All in all it was a good time, but I'll probably choose a different race to run next time.

Small but a ton of fun! Wasn't a lot of people just me and 4 others so I got in plenty of skating!…read moreA nice peaceful evening ripping it up

We have kids who ride scooters and skateboards. One of our kiddos is a fairly advanced scooter…read morerider who rides every day. We spend quite a bit of time driving our kiddos back and forth to various skate parks in the area. My son had been begging us to take him to the new Vernon Hills Skate Park, so we headed out on a beautiful sunny day. Getting to the park was a little tricky. For some reason we missed the turn. Aspen Drive is a little hidden if you don't look out for it. When in doubt, just turn around in the Vernon Hills Police Department parking lot ;-) The skate park is new and on the smaller side. For our kids, this was a little more on the beginner level. I don't recommend it for advanced riders. The rails and ledges are limited and it's pretty flat. But, it's so nice and new. The park district did a fantastic job. I have no doubt it will get used quite a bit. It's a great place to gather with friends! Take note: There is only a little shade with a couple of covered areas Tons of parking, and there is a Walgreens nearby for those wanting a snack. The nearby Sullivan Center is actually really nice. It was closed the day they went due to Covid19. Highly recommend for those starting out. Open dawn to dusk.

We stopped by Kelley Garvin Park and had a great time. The playground was clean and well…read moremaintained, and the slides were a lot of fun. It's a great place for kids to play while parents can relax nearby. One of the things I liked most was that the park is close to a walking trail, making it easy to enjoy both the playground and a nice walk through the area. There was plenty of space to enjoy the outdoors, and the park had a peaceful, family-friendly atmosphere. Overall, this is a great local park that's perfect for families or anyone looking to spend some time outside. We'll definitely be back again.

I stopped in to check out the holiday market. While it wasn't quite what I was expecting, I did…read morefind a few things to purchase as gifts, an ornament and pastries and cookies from a Taste of Paris. Some of the proceeds went to support a charitable cause. I will check out the pickleball schedule -- my friend has taken classes here.

If you like heavy metal music blasting, rude and obnoxious male trainers, and management oblivious…read moreto the offensive behavior of this senior male trainer in particular, this is your place! It is no wonder that after a year, most people move to the Northwestern Hospital Fitness Center. Take a tour of it to see how a properly managed facility is run. And start supervising your employees!!

I have been at McCrae Farm for the past 4 years with my horse and as a student of Jill's. Could…read morenot be happier with my experience here. Not only is Jill a great trainer but she is very understanding of rider's and their horses. I can not imagine having a better group of boarders at a barn and we all have so much fun together. Jill has managed to craft a very unique experience at McCrae Farm with amazing people and horses. Cannot recommend McCrae Farm enough for anyone looking to board their horse or take lessons. Jill specializes in French Classical dressage but we also have clinics on Quadrille riding, Working Equitation and Liberty.

I cannot thank Jeff (owner) enough for creating such a memorable first time riding experience for…read moremy 6 year old niece! He matched her with the sweetest trainer Kelli who took the time to decorate the, already beautiful, horse's mane with roses and put a unicorn horn on his bridle. Kelli engaged my niece throughout the entire 45 min lesson with different games. The lesson ended with the horse "taking a bow." After the lesson we sipped on hot chocolate and Kelli took us on a tour of the beautiful property to see the other horses, goats and chickens. It was a magical experience, and one Jessie will remember forever!

Did you know Highland Park is well know for all it's beautiful parks in and around the entire city?…read moreTiny community parks in neighborhoods, big parks with covered areas near the downtown and patchy grass walks hidden around town. Don't let the website link fool you into thinking this park is still under construction, because I'm pretty sure it's complete... and it's fabulous! We used to come here when the kids were smaller. The play structures were pretty scrappy. I remember the sand was dirty and loaded with hornet looking flying thingies, it used to be super buggy, but the plus side was always the spinning climbing toys. There are still have cool kid spinning structures, but they got a facelift, and we're so excited because we can officially still call this park *the spinning park*. Pluses: - Brand spanking new climbing structures - Different areas for different ages - A running track around the park - A ginormous field for outdoor field sports - It's usually pretty quiet and unpretentious here - It's a nice neighborhood park at the end of a street Minuses: - Not a lot of covered picnic areas, unless I just didn't see them - Nothing else I can think of - Street parking only near the play area What a lovely place to bring the kiddos.

This is a really nice park, that's at the South end of the Sherwood Forest subdivision. It's not…read morethe fanciest park in Highland Park, but it still has its charm and a good number of amenities. Their crushed-limestone path is a great trail for running. It's very even, stays firm even after a rain, and is easy on the joints. There are water fountains along the trail, and at the playgrounds. There are two playgrounds, one suited for younger children, and the other suited for older kids. Between them are a number of benches and tables to park strollers, eat, or hang out. The shelter isn't fancy, but the bathrooms are clean and they have an overhang to protect you from the rain. The baseball diamond is pretty plain, but is fine for a quick pickup game. The two full basketball courts are in good condition, as are the backboards and rims (though they take the nets off during the winter). There appear to be no parking at the north entrance, so you'll have to park along the south end and walk to the park area. The only lights are at the shelter, so you'd best head out before dusk. Early in the spring, sometimes the park district forgets to tend to the grounds as often, and it can become overrun with dandelions and tall grass, but they often get to it after a few days. Mooney park is probably my favorite park in the Sherwood Forest area (with Cloverdale Park a close second).