This was a pretty cool race. I have to give them credit -it was super well-organized. We got there…read moreabout an hour early to park in the lot with a shuttle bus that takes you to the start. My parents came to watch and I didn't want them to have to walk very far and this was an excellent service. The other lot option required you to have to walk about a mile, which is too far from them. The only bummer -and this is probably for safety reasons -was that I thought the planes were going to be taking off and landing closer to us. You know how you drive on I-90 or Mannheim Road and the planes are literally 10 feet over your head? Yeah -call me foolish, but I thought that was going to happen as we ran. I just assumed that if they got that close to the major streets, they would just be taking off and landing close to the route. So, you will not be experiencing that -but as far as a unique experience -this was still a cool race. There is a big plane that you can pose next to for pictures and just overall an interesting event because you are accessing areas of the airport property that most people will never see. You are literally running on a runway they close for the event. The shirt was cotton -would like to see a "tech-T" in future years, as they tend to hold up better after multiple washings. After all, it is going to be a fun shirt to wear and a great conversation starter regarding our experience!

Did this race for the first time today. Super unique and very picturesque -all grass terrain and…read moreseveral hills thrown in for an extra challege!! Located on the Mount Assisi Academy property, where the nuns live. Proceeds benefit the nuns who do charitable community work. Great race: community oriented / family feel, friendly people, and YES the sisters take part as runners and walkers!!!

2011 was another great year. The trail is just as gorgeous as ever and parking was a breeze. I…read moreshowed up 40 minutes early, parked, picked up my packet and got to racing. TMI, but I made the mistake of eating really spicy Indian food the night before and got sick. I was so thankful for the Porta Potty at the 1/2 mile mark. Wish there had been more along the trail or at least one near the finish line. They had ample toilets at the end of the event area, but when I went to use them I felt little desire to walk all the way back to the festivities. Their toilets were still in better condition than most race events'. So why the star downgrade? A couple reasons - Packet pick up was organized alphabetically, but from right to left instead of left to right. I got in line where I thought A might be, but it turned out I was over by Z and had to get back in line on the other side. This annoyance was offset by the chuckle I got from the handwritten MEDIAM on one of the shirt boxes. But the real reason I'm a little pouty today? I ordered (and paid for) a Medium shirt. Medium was written in my registration and on my bib. The woman checking me off even told the guy grabbing the shirts that I needed a "Mediam." So you can imagine my disappointment as I pull out my much anticipated Zorrel running shirt and discover it's an XL.

The Morton Arboretum holds an annual 5K through its grounds every year and I did it, for the first…read moretime, today. As I arrived and later ran, I realized I had never been to the Morton Arboretum before. It is beautiful! The 5K was really great. I would say, my only complaint, is that they should consider having waves or corrals next year. Everyone was released to run at once, which made the path a bit crowded, especially in mile 1. This didn't really bother me because my goal was to take my time and really soak in the surroundings. I do many 5Ks, many of which are on city streets or along the lakefront. -So to do one on such pretty grounds (sort of an open field alternating with a forest vibe), it was really cool. You leave the city of Chicago and you really feel like you are in a whole 'nother world! My other feedback is that I was hoping to see the vibrant hues of the leaves changing for fall (since it is called the Fall Color Run). Everything was still lush and green! -Not sure if it would be better to hold it later in the year? It's a tough call -the weather was perfect today -it was mild (60) and overcast so it made for great running weather. Maybe having it later when the leaves change would lead to much cooler temps? Not sure, but it's food for thought. I'm glad I did it, either way, as it was a really nice event overall. Nice people, well organized and a whole "festival" vibe afterward with many vendors, food and a live band (Soda -a local cover band). Regardless of the leaf color, I will be back for the beautiful, serene run next year!

When asked if I was going run the Elvis is Alive 5k, I could only respond with one of my all time…read morefavorite quotes -- "Yippie ki-yay mother f---er!" (Deepak Chopra's concluding remarks at my college commencement). The race costs $33, is at beautiful Diversey Harbor, and has a small participant group. You are guaranteed to have a blast, but resist the urge to shout "This race is the master race and superior to all others!" because that will probably get you in trouble (unless you're in a Paula Dean restaurant). Couple of notes about the race. People who dress like Elvis get to start first. However, there are no corrals, so if you don't have a costume, or you move slower than Adele's metabolism, stay towards the back. This race isn't timed but there are timers at the start and every mile in between. If that isn't enough to figure out your time, just focus on keeping your drool cup tied tight and not acting irrationally violent when someone finds a quarter behind your ear muffs. Also, I noticed many of the runners wore bright fluorescent shirts representing the recipient charity, the Team to End AIDS. Or was it called the Team With AIDS? I can't remember! Good thing I used plenty of hand sanitizer when interacting with them. After the race, there are tables piled high with peanut butter sandwiches, bananas, watermelons, Clif bars, and pretzels. This is a welcome sight if you gave it your all. Probably less so if your bulimia is acting up. But then again, how badly do you want to be a Theta?? There also also trash cans piled high with water and Gator-ade. Amazing considering I just read a book about this place where kids have to fight to the death with primitive weapons just to win sustenance for their hometowns ("North Korea -- The Untold Story"). The after party also includes a stage with singing Elvis impersonators. It's great because I had no idea Elvis was the guy who originally sung some of those songs. I thought "All Shook Up" was just a poorly chosen selection on the "Deliverance" soundtrack. They even sang non-Elvis songs by the Stones or CCR. Just a suggestion for next year, though -- I'd like to see Elvis takes on slightly more modern stuff, like the Milkshake Song or any track by Two Live Crew. I thought the good vibes were captured when one Elvis exited the event and exclaimed, "Elvis has left the building!" Everyone laughed, although probably not nearly as much as when that phrase was first declared (by the coroner when asked "How is Elvis?").

Very entertaining, this was our first time going. Tickets were a great price, we saw the Redhots at…read morethe Cicero Stadium. Great skaters, super fast! We definitely will come watch the Redhots again!

"Death Before Passive Offense!"…read more I fell in love with the sport because, as Ricky Bobby once stated "I wanna go fast!" If you like non-stop derby action (and I mean that literally), then this is where you should be. I will not spoil it for you, but if you put anything in your bucket list. "See a Red Hots game" should be top priority.

This American Legion post has a small but very interesting military museum. They raise funds for…read morethe museum through monthly arts and crafts shows. The organization "The Young Marines" also meets here and is present at the arts and crafts. The place is very clean and well lit, especially during the arts and crafts shows. Five stars..

A great place to dispose of your worn American Flag, a dropbox is located outside of the building…read more If you can, get a buddy to fold it properly. Plenty of parking, including handicap.

Nice place to walk your dog. I didn't see too many other people there. Most of the forest…read morepreserves can get pretty nasty but this one wasn't too bad. There's a pavilion that's pretty clean and not broken down.

Nice terrain - kind of hilly. 3 miles between 95th and 107th and back. You'll see occasional…read morehorse riders. I feel it's a good workout out in nature. There is a longer option where you make a left and keep making lefts, cross 95th heading north, passing a few ponds.

My 2.5 yo and 1 yo love Learning Loop! We go on Wednesdays for the Tot Hop class and then stay for…read moreopen play. The space is great, small enough where you never worry about losing track of your child but big enough for the kids to run around and get energy out (especially important for winter months!). Kendra, the owner, is so nice and always introduces herself to new moms/caregivers. As an added bonus, they supply kids tables for byo snacks and have free coffee for moms! I hosted my son's first birthday party here and it was a huge success. We had a lot of adults at the party and there was plenty of space for them to chat and for all the kids to run around and play. Kendra even supplied a bubble machine for the big party finale! I am very thankful this space exists so close to our house!

We love Learning Loop Academy! We take the Tot Hop class with Sarah Jean (who is awesome) and my…read more3yo + 1yo have the best time. We stay after for Open Play, which has tons of space to run, great toys and art supplies. I recently hosted a party there for daughter's third birthday and Kendra, the owner, made it simple, seamless and so much fun! Great option to get kids out of the house and active - and free coffee is a nice perk too!