Today, my boyfriend and I rented a paddleboat for an hour. The weather forecast indicated rain…read morewouldn't start until 1:00 PM, so we thought we had plenty of time. However, around 12:20 PM, the sky turned black. We immediately turned around and began pedaling back to the dock as fast as we could. While we were heading back, a safety staff member on a speedboat approached us. He told us we had to return to shore but added that he couldn't tow us in--we had to pedal all the way back ourselves. While we were already doing that, the storm was rolling in incredibly fast, and it was a genuinely scary experience. As we finally approached the dock in the storm, we saw two teenage employees who had been assisting people earlier. One of them looked right at us, but instead of helping us secure the boat, both boys ran back into the covered checkout area and completely ignored us. As we struggled to park and tie up the boat in the pouring rain, not a single staff member stepped out to help us dock safely. Meanwhile, at least 10 employees were crowded inside the checkout area. As a person of color, I am unfortunately always hyper-aware of how I might be treated in certain environments. I have visited this forest preserve many times, always thought it was beautiful, and was so excited to show my boyfriend around. To be treated with such a lack of care was incredibly disappointing. When we spoke to the male manager, he explained that they are required to clear the water during storms. My boyfriend clarified that we had no issue with leaving the water; our issue was the complete lack of staff assistance to help us dock safely in a dangerous situation. The manager offered us a "rain check" for a free rental, but missing out on time wasn't the issue--our safety was. No one seemed to care that we were the last ones out on the water. I hope this forest preserve implements a better emergency protocol, because storms on the water can quickly become life-threatening. I guess my question is if the staff are closely checking the weather , why even let people still go out on the water ? Instead of saying "hey there's a storm that is going to be rolling through , we are holding back on rentals at this time for safety reasons " .

Independence Grove is such a nice forest preserve with lots of things to do especially in the…read moresummer time. Beautiful trails to walk/run along but they also have a playground for kids. They have a beer garden and snack shop. They also have water activities that you can rent like paddle boats and kayaks. It's just a nice place to go solo or with friends if you are looking to connect with nature for a bit.

I visited the Viking Park on Tuesday July 21 about 10:30 am. The weather was perfect for the…read moreoutdoor summer concert for the kids. There were many families with little ones. Jeannie B. Put on a remarkable performance with music and dancing for the children. There were many hands on activities. The adults got Chance to join in with their children at the end. It was simply amazing to be out in the park after the many days of dangerous air levels. A nice place with great musical acidity for the family.

been here a dozen of times...a hidden gem that is not easily visible and accessible from the main…read moreroads...located off the historical "old grand ave"...very well maintained recreational area...great for hosting different indoor and outdoor events (i.e. bday parties, weddings, craft shows, private gatherings)...several indoor centers with that old country settings...the rental rates are cheap maybe because it's a gurnee park district and not privately owned...clean indoor bathrooms complete with plumbing...different outdoor courts (basketball, tennis, volleyball, badminton, etc.)...plenty of parking scattered around...beautiful large old trees (especially the acorn) compliments the setting that mimics a bob ross landscape painting...the only negative comment i can say - metra line is next door so expect some train noise when outdoor...or wear ear muffs!

My husband and I met a friend at Century Park Arboretum to get some exercise. I really like this…read morePark. There are several nice waking paths around the park. The park also has a lake you fish at, exercise equipment along the waking path, a playground, and a picnic shelter with picnic tables and bathrooms. I highly recommend Century Park Arboretum!

A nice, clean park for people of all ages to either exercise, take a leisurely stroll, do…read morerecreational activities like fishing, picnic or just chill (or all of the above :-) ). I enjoy going here for walks and jogs. I forget how long of a trail it is for walking/ jogging/ bicycling purposes but either way, it is enjoyable. They have BBQ grills and picnic areas, benches, fields for baseball and soccer, a basketball court and some complimentary exercising (gym) equipment for anyone who would like to use it. The park has easy (multiple) access points and although, certain parking areas can get busy during nice weather days, you have other parking options nearby. There are multiple restroom areas in the park. Pets (dogs to be exact) are allowed for a walk. You get pretty views of sunsets from here over the small lake that's there as the area is scenic. I go here occasionally for either exercising or just to get my mind of things as I find this place relaxing and chill. Check this park out if you haven't been here before. It's worth the visit.

This park has a little bit of everything: new playgrounds, old playgrounds, basketball court, path,…read morefitness stations, sheltered picnic area, bathrooms, and a spray park.

Beautiful park named after the famous hometown author. It's one of the must see places in Waukegan,…read morebut it's usually pretty quiet. Ray Bradbury Park is located in a residential area, so it's isolated from tourists. A lot of people don't know where it is either. That helps keep them away and you can enjoy it better without crowds and stuff. As for the park itself, it's actually not that big. It has an entrance off a side street, close to a few houses. There's a marker noting history of the Waukegan River and the ravine that was mentioned in Bradbury's Dandelion Wine and Farewell Summer. Cool for book nerds. For sure it's cool for anyone obviously. Bradbury was even at the park dedication and met a few excited authors and fans. The marker has photos and information. Has no parking lot because this is a residential area. It's usually not busy so street parking is pretty much okay. There's not a whole lot of people who know where this is, so it doesn't get lots of tourists.

The great Science Fiction writer Ray Bradbury was born in Waukegan in 1920. His writings include…read moreFahrenheit 451, and of course The Martian Chronicles. Several of his novels are semi-autobiographical. In stories such as Dandelion Wine and Farewell Summer he reinvented Waukegan as Green Town. He wrote about a park, drawn from childhood memories, in Dandelion Wine. In 1990 the park, located a few blocks from his boyhood home, was rededicated as Ray Bradbury Park. Bradbury himself, was on hand to do the ribbon cutting. The park is not large, but it has a neat stairway that drops down into a deep ravine. It is easy to imagine Bradbury as a child, exploring this magical place. It obviously left a lasting impression on the great writer. Go pick up a copy of Dandelion Wine, wait for a nice sunny day and let Mr. Bradbury take you on an adventure as you explore his park. You never know what you may discover!

This is an initial review because there was no listing for Blair Park, which is surprising…read moreconsidering it is home to: 1. Lake Bluff Golf Club - 18 Hole Golf Course, Driving Range, Pro Shop & Locker Facilities, Village Grill Restaurant 2. Lake Bluff Park District Recreation Center, including a Gymnasium, Fitness Center &Locker Facilities; Running/Jogging Track 3. Outdoor Facilities, including Outdoor Shelter with Grill; Olympic Swimming Pool & Locker Facilities; Play Equipment; Lighted Sledding Hill; Two Outdoor Tennis Courts; Skateboard Park ;Two Soccer Practice Fields with Goals 4. Paddle Tennis Facility; Three Paddle Tennis Courts; Paddle Hut Now we are Lake Forest residents so we really haven't utilized this facility as we could. Having kids, the rec pool is the biggest draw for us. (Still can't believe LF doesn't have a community pool!) We did love the kiddie pool until it had to be closed down due to leaking. However, they have turned it into an adorable sand play area... which, to be honest, is a pretty big hit, too. My son is taking swimming lessons at the pool. And they offer a day camp for kids -- VERY popular with our friends. We've also used the sledding hill. We thought it was awesome. Completely freaked out our 5yo. He just wasn't ready for the speed. Dad, however, was.

Such a special spot. I feel so grateful that this place exists a short drive away. We love going to…read morebuy quality meats and produce at the market, play with the goats and attend various events. Now that they have their little cafe, it's just the perfect destination. The cafe is tiny and there is always a long wait. I almost walked away when they told me it would be a 40 minute wait but another lady in line leaned towards me and whispered "trust me, it's worth it." I was honestly surprised at how delicious and unique all the dishes were. I've never seen "brothy beans and pancetta with country bread" on any menu before. I don't really eat beans and wouldn't dare order something like that at any other restaurant. But I sure am glad I ordered it here. It was perfect like everything else we tried.

Beautiful hidden gem in the North Shore. We've been here a few times so I'm shocked I have yet to…read morereview. There's tons of parking and it's an easy walk from the parking lot. Whether you're looking to visit the farm animals, the cafe or the market there's something to see for everyone. We visited the cafe for lunch on a Friday afternoon and it was rather hard to get a table. We were fortunate enough that someone had gotten up shortly after we got there because you need to sit to scan the QR code to order. It was all a bit chaotic because someone ordered at our table and moved to a different table and so their food kept coming to us but then there was a delay on our food because of that? Not sure what happened but eventually we're got our food. We got the burger and a grilled cheese for our little. I also ordered a side hashbrowns which were so good! The burger gave us an option of pink or no pink. It had onion jam and cheese on it I did wish we had the option to add lettuce, pickles and tomatoes because that would've certainly added the crunch it needed. The fries felt like they were the bottom of a batch because they were a so tiny and mushy but overall okay I also got the aqua Fresca which tasted rather watered down but was iced and great for a hot day. They had a station for water and all the condiments but we weren't sure if it was a serve yourself or someone brought it to us because there was no clear direction so we just didn't get it because there was always a line of someone running coffee drinks there. Afterwards we went to the animals, our son had a blast seeing the ducks, chickens and goats roam around. The market was super fun to visit and it was so great to see them selling and offering products from other local farms on the area as well. Overall a beautiful place, with something for everyone and we had a great time!