Read our Lake County, IL Blogs

Six Flags Great America opening day with the Midwest TPR gang!!! by: Patrick on behalf of traincrossin

noreply@blogger.com (Lake County CVB) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:35:00 +0000

So yesterday was Six Flags Great America's opening day and I had a blast! The weather forecast said that it was going to rain most of the day, but the rain held off and we didn't get drenched! It was very foggy, but the forecast scared away lots of crowds! There were not many people there that day. The longest we probably had to wait was either for food or 15 minutes for Superman which was only running one train.
Pretty much everything was open which was very nice. A couple rides only had one train running (Superman, Eagle, Whizzer put a second train on later in the day), but the crowds were never that bad. Little Dipper is coming along nicely and is looking great so far. Magiquest looks kinda fun, i'm sure it will appeal to some people and hated by others. The park staff was very friendly this trip which is always a plus.I can't stress enough how much fun I had hanging out all day with TPR peeps, I always have a great time with all of you! If you haven't come out and said hi, you're missing out! I got a new camera for Christmas and I took lots of "artsy" shots. I'll put in a couple pictures of the gang, but you guys will probably find more once I post them on Facebook. I also got tons of video so hopefully i'll be able to make an antic video AND a normal video. Those should hopefully be up in a couple weeks, but the end of the school year is coming up so no guarantees. Enough talking, how about some pictures?
See the complete group of pictures at http://themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=886284#p886284

The Little Radio Station That Could

jmendoz@fastmail.fm (Jesse) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 03:10:00 +0000

If you're ever in your car driving through Lake County, fumbling around with your radio dial, you may just bump into a little FM radio station you may have not known existed- right in your own backyard.

Nestled in a rather unassuming neighborhood in what used to be the village hall and police station for Round Lake Heights, the little red building at the intersections of N. Pontiac Ct. and S. Summit Ct., is home to radio station WRLR 98.3 LP-FM. You may just miss it if you drive by, but tune in and you'll hear a wide range of programming presented by home-grown DJ's and a dedicated staff of volunteers.

Siha Gnet live on JstreetRadio

WRLR's first broadcast took place on September 2, 2005 with a dedication by the late Adeline GeoKaris and a handful of programs to entertain the listening masses. It has since grown to over 40 programs covering every day of the week and ranging in subject matter from talk radio, religious, technology, country music, metal... you name it. There's a program for everyone.

What makes this radio station stand out from the rest is it's dedication to being community oriented and all volunteer. The operations of the station are made possible by grants and underwriting from area companies, and donations of funds, equipment, and time from area residents who volunteer their time to bring you the very best in broadcast media- straight from the heart.

Don't have many radio's lying around these days? Well, the station also streams its broadcast via the web by visiting the stations website at http://www.wrlr.fm. Currently, the station can broadcast throughout a 25 mile radius and reach over 90,000 residents including all the Round Lake villages, Hainesville, Lake Villa, Grayslake, Lindenhurst, Ingleside, Long Lake, Fox Lake, Antioch, areas of unincorporated Lake County and many others.

Visit the station website for more facts and programming schedules. http://www.wrlr.fm

Local band Unnatural Act rocks Sharky's Billiards in Round Lake

heatheracton78@gmail.com (Heather Acton) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 02:39:00 +0000

This past Friday night marked the return of one of my favorite local bands, Unnatural Act of Lindenhurst, IL. After a two month break to expand their setlist, Mike Poulsen, Phil Kwiek, Dave Saam, Russ Katzenmaier, Annie Bzdawka, and newcomer Aubrey Smith brought energy to Sharky's Billiards that you'd never find there without this crew.

Unnatural Act was formed in 2006 and has been performing covers of some of the greatest rock tunes of all times. Fan favorites include Green Day's "Holiday", No Doubt's "Just a Girl", and Iron Maiden's "Run to the Hills". Recently they were crowned the co-champions of the Battle of the Bands at Uncle Fatty's Resort in downtown Chicago, and you can look forward to seeing them play later this year at Lindenfest. Keep in touch with all of Unnatural Act's upcoming gigs by going to the calendar on their website.

Unnatural Act kicked off Friday's show with a new addition to their setlist, Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train". With this song, Aubrey Smith, the band's new singer, made her live debut with the band on HER BIRTHDAY of all days! The show continued with many of my favorites including Billy Idol's "White Wedding", Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Higher Ground", and many new setlist additions including hits from Kings of Leon and the Beastie Boys.

Sharky's did a great job of hosting the event. There was plenty of room for the loyal following that UA draws, and they had drink specials waiting for us. Many of the other patrons of the bar wandered in as they heard the tunes blasting from our corner of this massive establishment. EVERYONE had a great time, and some even took to the dance floor! Not me, though; that's me on the right, enjoying my $1.50 draft with my aunt and uncle!

Unnatural Act headed down to Springfield for a performance at Marly's Pub early the next day, which also looked like a great time. Had my family not been celebrating Easter that day, I would have taken that road trip.

Keep your eyes peeled on Unnatural Act's website calendar for upcoming gigs to be posted soon. And, if you see me in the crowd at any one of their performances, feel free to stop by and say "hi!"

Until next time, be sure to become a fan of Unnatural Act on Facebook and join the "Unnatural Fan Club" at Unnatural Act dot com!

Easter Bunny at Gurnee Mills

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole Mertens) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 20:39:00 +0000

The spring weather is finally starting to creep through after a long, long winter. My family has been counting down the days until Easter which is when we officially feel like we are over the winter hump. In order to get more into the spirit of Easter we decided it was time to make a visit to the Easter Bunny, now that our kids are old enough to understand who he is...and more importantly what he brings to them on Easter morning!

We chose to visit the Easter Bunny at Gurnee Mills - I was there a couple of weeks ago and noticed that the set-up looked very nice and festive, and since it is close to home it worked perfectly. When we arrived there was a very short wait which was a perk. As I mentioned, the set-up is really cute and great for the pictures with a lot of colorful flowers, eggs and spring decorations. The Easter bunny was very friendly, waving at all the kids as they walk by. My daughter Reese is very nervous about anyone who is dressed up in a costume, she was very weary about Santa Claus as well. However, after staring at him for about 15 minutes and determining that he looked nice enough and was harmless she was eager to go sit on his lap for a picture.

The packages they have to buy the picture(s) are very reasonably prices. It was a painless process, we didn't wait long and got the kids' pictures taken quickly. Now that the kids have met the Easter Bunny and we have our picture, all we've heard about is how we need to go back to get another picture taken with him and visit some more since he was so nice! It was a great experience and lots of fun for the kids, we'll be back next year.

Hello Lake County Blogs! A brief introduction

jmendoz@fastmail.fm (Jesse) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 03:36:00 +0000

I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself.

My name is Jesse Mendoza, and I've been a resident of Lake County almost my entire life. I have lived in Waukegan, Wauconda, and currently reside in Round Lake Beach. The best thing I enjoy about Lake County are its forest preserves. As a runner and outdoor enthusiast, I frequent them all year around.

Forest Preserves such as Old School and Independence Grove, both in Libertyville, offer paved and gravel trails long enough to do double digit miles for bikers and runners alike. One of my favorite runs on weekends includes a round trip from Independence Grove, to Old School, and back again. This particular trip is good for 16 miles!

If you are a runner or a biker using the trails that traverse the Lake County Forest preserves, I'd like to offer up a few of my own personal tips to make sure your hike is safe for you and others.

All of these apply to both bikers and runners:

1. Stay to the right of the trail and always slow down around blind curves.
2. When coming up behind walkers, kindly say, "On your left." or, "Passing." Small bells work too!
3. When stopping, pull off to a safe, visible area, off of the trail.
4. Always wear a helmet.
5. When wearing headphones, leave music loud enough to hear things happening around you.
6. Where the trail crosses a street, stop, look both ways, and continue when safe to do so.
7. Always respect the environment. Don't leave garbage behind, and don't disturb nature.

With the warmer months quickly approaching, the preserves will be filled with all sorts of activities from nature walks, star gazing demos, canoe/kayak lessons, bird watching tours, fishing expos, and much more.

I'd like to send along a thank you to Anthony and the folks at the LCVB for giving me the opportunity to write for the blogs section. I hope to bring you more of what Lake County, IL. has to offer and hope you'll enjoy the adventures with me!

For more information on your preserves, be sure to visit http://www.lcfpd.org.

Places to find me on the web:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/jessejstreet
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jessejstreet

Enzo & Lucia’s Ristorante and Fiddler on the Roof By: Jayne Nordstrom

noreply@blogger.com (Lake County CVB) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:24:00 +0000

My Friend Georgia agreed to take my husband's ticket to "Fiddler on the Roof" at the Marriott Theatre. First, we decided to go to a later lunch and since I had not had the chance to eat at Enzo & Lucia's in Long Grove, it seemed like a good time to go. I've heard wonderful things about the restaurant as they offer gluten-free pasta, the food is good and they are great for group dining.

It’s a lovely, two-level restaurant right across from the Visitor Center. Our server gave us a lovely basket of bread and (I should have asked the Italian name of this) mixture of garlic, olive oil, tomatoes and such for dipping. I tried a sample and it was so wonderful – lots of garlic. I have to tell you, bring lots of mints with you.

I ordered Pollo Saltimbocca which is a flattened chicken breast topped with prosciutto and mozzarella cheese. There was also sautéed spinach and grilled veggies. As I learned from Georgia that saltimbocca means “jump in your mouth” and boy, did it ever. A truly enjoyable meal and I had the leftovers the next day for lunch. Georgia ordered Eggplant Parmigiana which she could hardly touch after eating all the bread and garlic mixture! We had a bit of time to visit the shops in Long Grove and were glad to get back to the car with all of our bags.

As always, the Marriott Theatre never disappoints with the quality of talent and the variety of the shows. “Fiddler on the Roof” was a true joy. Tevye was played by Ross Lehman who also portrayed Edna in “Hairspray”. Ross’ interpretation of the main character was a little different than what I remember in the movie. I had never seen the musical done live before so that was my only comparison. His portrayal was a little less gruff and more loving I think. The strong themes of the musical were still there, giving us a glimpse of what it must be like to be driven from a home they have always known. That even during oppression, hope and love can continue on; faith, family and friends will carry us through.

Breakfast at Wildberry

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole Mertens) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:30:00 +0000

Growing up we had a lot of traditions in my family. I never realized how much of an impact those little special moment had on my childhood until I reflect back now. One of those traditions was big breakfasts with my whole family on the weekends. Now, as we've expanded our family to four, it is important to me that we make fun traditions for our family to enjoy as well. So I've continued this tradition of weekend breakfasts with my husband and kids. Sometimes we make a big breakfast at home and other times we head to local restaurants.
Last weekend we decided to head to Wildberry for breakfast. Wildberry is one of our favorite places to go for breakfast. It is located in Libertyville right on the corner of 137 and Milwaukee. One of the reasons we love Wildberry is the uniqueness of the items on the menu. In addition to standard pancakes, or French toast, they have options like Banana Bread French Toast and Tiramisu Pancakes and other creations like that. Each time we go I try to order new things because there are so many things that sound good and I have to say I haven’t been disappointed!
Depending on the time you arrive on a weekend morning for breakfast, there may be a bit of a wait, however, the great thing about Wildberry is that they have a little café in the lobby where you can get coffee and a little something to hold you over if needed.

On this visit I decided to have the whole wheat crepes with fresh berries. These had a little bit of powdered sugar on them with fresh strawberries and blueberries inside the crepes and on the top. They were delicious; however, the best part for me is that I left feeling like I had a good healthy breakfast which is important to me too.
My husband Luke decided to go with a skillet. He chose a ham, cheese and onion skillet. They also put potatoes in all of the skillets. He really liked it and I had some as well and thought it was great. My daughter Reese loves the pancakes at Wildberry so she had an order of the Silver Dollar Pancakes and was a happy camper (not to mention she had plenty leftover to bring home for a snack later too).
My father also joined us for breakfast. He ordered a Dutch Baby Pancake. This is a German pancake that takes around 25 minutes to make (he arrived early to get his order in so we didn’t have to wait too long with the kids!). He’s had this before and loves it. It is served with powdered sugar and lemon slices. It is very light and tasty…worth the wait.

We enjoyed our breakfast at Wildberry and look forward to returning to try some of the other things on the menu. I’m glad we’ve carried on this tradition!

Come Along to Historic Long Grove By: Linda Gardner Phillips Contributor on Behalf of the Illinois Bureau of Tourism

noreply@blogger.com (Lake County CVB) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:33:00 +0000

Current events tend to overshadow Chicago’s history, and most early buildings (and trees) succumbed long ago to grander projects. I frequently visit Forgotten Chicago to learn about the traces and erasures of things that were, and waste a lot of time wondering about history I will never know.

Horst's Polka Band

In my past life (as a frequent I-94 commuter), I often saw brown signs along the highway pointing to “Long Grove Historic Village,” but never took the time to stop. What a mistake. Long Grove was settled in the early 1800’s, and the buildings from that time remain alive and well. It’s a thrivingshopping destination that hosts car- and busloads of visitors from near and far. Historic Long Grove’s small downtown area includes 120 businesses and provides family-friendly events all-year round. Pick an event and mark your calendar (the local’s choice: Chocolate Fest in May). Recently lured by Oktoberfest, my family and I parked just off Old McHenry Road and followed the sound of music to Fountain Square. Underneath a tent, Horst’s Polka Band from Racine, WI, pumped out rounds of deutsche Musik to a happy audience.

Kitchen at Long Grove Historical Society

After our appetites for food, drink and dance were sated, we crossed the road in search of the Historical Society. Their farmhouse museum stands just south of the covered bridge, across the parking lot. Our friendly guide wore an authentic costume, and shared the house’s history with us (it had been rescued from a different location). Another visitor chuckled at the sight of the iron wood-burning stove, and remembered her grandmother cooking up burnt biscuits in Mississippi with a similar set-up.

Olivia's Past boutique

Time travel is imaginable in Long Grove. Just squint your eyes, ignore the passing cars, and pretend you’re off to market. The shopkeepers pack their cozy stores with friendliness. Many tend a bit towards the touristy, but there are some real gems in the midst. Visiting the boutique Olivia’s Past feels like visiting the closet of a friend with fantastic taste. It’s filled with unique items that are completely wearable and gorgeous. Next door, the new European Flower and Gift Market (fomerly the Fairy Garden) actually does import some of its unusual flowers from Europe, and caters to out-of-town orders as well. Needlecrafters should certainly visit the yarn studio, I’d Rather Be Knitting (which pointedly welcomes crocheters too), for one of the most color-charged yarn walls I’ve seen, and an accommodating, enthusiastic attitude. There are so many more: over 47 shops and businesses appear on the walking map.

I'd Rather Be Knitting yarn shop

After all that dancing, learning and shopping, it was time to eat again. We picked The Village Tavern, a family-friendly restaurant that’s been operating continuously since 1849. It’s so refreshing to sit in an authentic space that’s still being used. You can even see the original cut-marks in the timbers. The Tavern also hosts live music. When we were there, a bunch of little kids jumped up on the stage to dance, and a grandmother was celebrating her 93rd birthday. The food was great, the service excellent.

Historic Long Grove, it took a long time, but you’ve got me now. See you again soon.

Happy Exploring!

Bring out your inner kid at the Lake County Forest Preserves.

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Zuniga) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:29:00 +0000

It’s kind of funny how our views change over time. As kids we loved snow storms because it usually meant a day off from school along with countless hours of fun in the snow. As adults we seem to have forgotten those times, we now often correlate snow with having to get up extra early to clear off the driveway only to battle long commutes.

Luckily we all still have an inner kid buried within us and there is no better way of putting the fun back into winter then by visiting the Lake County Forest Preserves. After last week’s snowfall I took my family to the sledding hill located at the Wauconda Forest Preserve. The hill is a decent size and it’s lit up after dark. We all had so much fun zipping down the hill. It truly brings back the childhood enjoyment of winter. I highly recommend checking it out. Also you can get all the latest sledding hill and other winter sport conditions at http://www.lcfpd.org/.

Great Food at Sushi Thai

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole Mertens) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:10:00 +0000

I love Japanese and Thai food, however, I haven’t been able to find many places around Gurnee that have a great selection of these foods….until now. Over the weekend, I was craving Japanese food so we decided to try Sushi Thai which is located in Libertyville. I have driven by this restaurant so many times but hadn’t actually tried it. We were excited to see what it was like.

The inside of the restaurant is smaller than I pictured it would have been, but it has a nice feel to it. The menu has a lot of options for both Japanese and Thai cuisine. We decided to go with Japanese food this time, however, we plan to return soon to try the Thai food.

We started out with an order of egg rolls and pot stickers. We really liked both of these. I especially loved the sauce that came with the pot stickers. It was a little different than your typical pot sticker sauce so it made the taste a little more unique. I also had a green salad with ginger dressing. I enjoyed this as well.

For our main course, my husband Luke had teriyaki chicken, fried rice and vegetables. I had a California roll. I normally would have ordered more than one roll as my main meal, however, the roll had eight pieces which is bigger than I’ve normally seen, so it was plenty for me. Both of our meals were delicious.
We ended our meals with smoothies made at the smoothie bar in the restaurant. The smoothies are made with fresh fruit and green tea. I had a mango smoothie and Luke had a strawberry banana smoothie. These were so good!

We both really enjoyed our dinner and definitely plan to return to try out more things on the menu. The prices were very reasonable and the wait staff was great. We didn’t have a set waitress, there were several wait staff in the restaurant who stopped by our table to deliver food and take our orders, so we felt that we were well taken care of.

Winter at the Chicago Botanic Garden By: Claire Prendergast Contributor on Behalf of the Illinois Bureau of Tourism

noreply@blogger.com (Lake County CVB) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:39:00 +0000

Chicago Botanic Garden

In my last post, I provided information on some of the great indoor things to do during Chicago’s winter months. While I’d generally advise tourists and Illinois residents alike to avoid outdoor activities in freezing temperatures, there is one spot that should be enjoyed outside, year-round.

The Chicago Botanic Gardenin Glencoe is a 385-acre living plant museum featuring 24 distinct display gardens surrounded by lakes, as well as a prairie and woodlands. It’s my favorite place to visit when I need to get out of the city and enjoy a natural and peaceful environment. (I often go with my mom for long walks or with girlfriends on bike rides.) And while one might think the only suitable time to visit the Garden is in spring, summer, or fall, I strongly suggest a visit during winter months as well.

“Even though the branches are bare and there is snow on the ground, the Garden is a beautiful place in winter,” says Jodi Zombolo, Director of Visitor Events & Programs. “From the warmth of the tropical greenhouse to the exhilarating rush of snowshoeing on fresh fallen snow to the introspective exploration of an art exhibition, the Garden is a destination worth visiting.”

Throughout the year, the Chicago Botanic Garden holds events, programs, and activities for all ages. Whether you’re interested in plant science, gardening, cooking, exercise, or art, there is definitely something for you.

Learning about bonsai trees

This weekend the Garden presents “Three Friends of Winter,” a silhouette bonsai show from Friday, Jan. 29 through Sunday, Jan. 31. Deciduous bonsai trees lose their leaves in winter, revealing the intricate structure of their branches and trunks. Visitors can see the trees on display, attend a lecture on bonsai, browse the Lunar New Year Market for a blooming plant to take home, and participate in family activities. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on all three days.

From now through April 4, Garden visitors can also visit the “Losing Paradise?” exhibit in the Regenstein Center which showcases 44 botanical illustrations of endangered plants from North America and around the world. Curated by the American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) and developed in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, “Losing Paradise?” seeks to draw attention to plants that are in danger of disappearing from the planet.

The Garden is open every day of the year. Admission is free, but parking will set you back $20 per car. I’d advise to “go green” and bike, take public transportation, or carpool with friends.

Spend 20 to 30 minutes, or as long as you can stand the temperature that day, and enjoy a walk through the Garden – especially the Malott Japanese Garden and the English Walled Garden – my two favorites. For a quick tropical experience, take time to warm up by visiting theGreenhouses, and then grab some tea or hot chocolate in the Garden Café. A winter visit provides a different and fresh perspective of the Chicago Botanic Garden that might just surprise you. Dress warmly, and enjoy Illinois!

Enjoying Winter at Frostyfest

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole Mertens) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 22:05:00 +0000

We are now halfway through winter and I feel like we haven’t been outside in ages. The kids could definitely use some fresh air, however, it’s too cold to be out there for me! Last Friday, though, I decided it was time to bundle up and spend some time outdoors at Frosty Fest which is held outside of Viking School in Gurnee…luckily it was a milder night!

I was surprised at the turn-out, there were a lot more people there than I anticipated. Right as we walked into the area where the festivities were being held, a horse drawn sleigh went by us which was all it took to get my family excited. There was a long line for the sleigh ride, so we decided to check out some of the other activities.

We started out roasting marsh mellows over a fire pit and then watched a professional carve a big block of ice into a horse. I never gave much thought to how that is done – they use a chain saw to carve out the design, it’s really neat. They had several other ice sculptures around this area as well. After that we checked out a big group of people participating in a snow man building contest, everyone seemed like they were having a great time.

By this point we were getting pretty chilly so we went inside Viking Dance Hall where the junior high band was performing (they are VERY good by the way) and they had hot cocoa and animal crackers for the kids. They also had some crafts set-up for the kids to work on. We thawed out for awhile and then headed back outside to see the snow sled dogs. There were a lot of dogs there and many were up for adoption. They had a dog sled all set-up and in motion. It was fun to watch. Those dogs are amazing.

We ended our night with a sleigh ride. This was the highlight of the night for us. They had three sleighs going so the line moved quickly and the ride was a lot of fun. We really enjoyed ourselves and ran into several people we knew which was fun too. It was nice to actually enjoy the winter weather a little for a change!

Football Sunday at Bill's Pub North by: Christine Frentz

noreply@blogger.com (Lake County CVB) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:26:00 +0000

This past Sunday my family and I decided that instead of watching the NFL playoffs at home, we should go out somewhere new. I picked Bill’s Pub North because we all had a taste for pizza and we have never been there before. It is located right off of Washington Street in Grayslake, right by the College of Lake County. So it is really easy to get to.

Bill’s Pub North is a great pick for a place to watch different games. The dining area is all open so you can see the score from almost every seat in the restaurant. The atmosphere is really relaxed, so it wasn’t too loud. It is nice to still be able to have a conversation during the playoffs without having to yell across your table.

When the hostess seats you, she gives you your menus and a basket of peanuts. After you eat the peanuts you throw the shells on the floor. This really added to the great atmosphere of the restaurant.

Bill’s Pub North has a variety of items on their menu, but it is also nice and compact. It doesn’t take forever to decide what you want to order. If there are a ton of picky eaters, like in my family, you can always split the pizza toppings in half.

We ate so much pizza that we didn’t have enough room for dessert. Next time we go we have to save room because their chocolate chip cookie sundae sounded amazing!

Friends Gather at the Anastasia's Sports Lounge North by: Christine Frentz

noreply@blogger.com (Lake County CVB) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:56:00 +0000

My friends and I are always looking for a place to go that is close to home and that has great drink and food specials. Anastasia’s Restaurant Sports Lounge North is the perfect place to meet with friends to hang out or to watch sports. It is located off of Lake Street in Downtown Antioch so it is very easy to get to.

At Anastasia’s Restaurant, all of their prices are very reasonable. My friends like to go on Thursdays for the all you can eat pizza for only $4.95. There are good drink specials that day too, so it ends up being a very cheap night out.

The servers and bartenders are always in a good mood, and they do everything they can to make sure that your experience there is a good one. I have not been to their other location in Waukegan, but I am sure the restaurant is great too.

The atmosphere at Anastasia’s is nice because it isn’t too dark or noisy so it is a perfect place to go to with friends. If you do go alone, there are always people at the bar that are probably watching the same game and rooting for the same team as you are.

I would say that the best time to go is in the summer. Wintertime is good because there are so many games on, but the summertime is great because Anastasia’s has outdoor seating. The outdoor seating is nice because they have a server that goes outside and it is accommodating when you are with a large group.

I am looking forward to this summer and spending time at both Anastasia’s and shopping in the historical downtown Antioch!

Christmas Shopping at Gurnee Mills by: Christine F.

noreply@blogger.com (Lake County CVB) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 21:06:00 +0000

This year, like every year I did most of my Christmas shopping at Gurnee Mills. It is the perfect place to get your shopping done for everyone. There are stores that even your strangest relative would want a gift from.
Most of Gurnee Mills’ stores are outlets, which is perfect when you are looking for deals. The best is when the outlets even have sales, which most of them do. I went shopping there on Black Friday, and I do have to say that it was not even necessary. Most of the stores in the mall have the same if not better deals all month long.

This year I felt like Gurnee Mills was definitely ready for the holiday rush. All of the stores that I went to had plenty of people working the registers and enough people there to help you find what you need. That is so helpful, you can go into the store that what you want and move on to the next store without any hassle.Aside from Christmas shopping, another great deal time is the week after. All of the stores have their spring stuff out, so all of their winter clothes are so cheap! Gurnee Mill’s keeps adding stores to keep up with what their customers want, and I know for me, they are definitely making their customers happy! Keep the shopping coming!

Wonderland Express at the Chicago Botanic Garden by: Christine Frentz

noreply@blogger.com (Lake County CVB) — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:12:00 +0000

Before all of the running around on Christmas, I wanted to do something new and relaxing before the busy holiday. I thought that the perfect solution would be to go to the Wonderland Express at the Chicago Botanic Garden. From what I saw on their website, it was perfect!

Once I got there I realized that what I saw on the website was just a small part of all of the holiday activities that they had going on. My favorite part was the Wonderland Express train that ran on tracks for days. The display was huge! I couldn’t believe it! They had mountains and trees that the train ran through, and they looked so real! There were also cute little houses and villages that were in the display.

Since it gets dark out so early, we were there to see the Christmas lights that the garden put up. They were beautiful! All of the decorations were festive and really wonderful to look at.

When I was at the garden, Mrs. Claus was there and you could visit with her and have hot chocolate. Later that night, there was supper with Santa that people could go to. They even had a festive dinner and festival of lights that was put on for people who celebrated Hanukkah.

One thing that I did not do but I wish I did was the ice skating and snow shoeing that the garden had new for this year. They do not rent out the skates, but if you bring your own they have a big rink and it’s surrounded by all of the lit up trees. This is something that I definitely want to do the next time I go. The Chicago Botanic Garden Wonderland Express is running until January 3rd, so it is great for people with family in town looking for something to do.

It’s Like Stepping Back in Time – Long Grove at Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Judi Tschappat) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 05:04:00 +0000

If you want traditional holiday charm, there is no need to go any further than Long Grove at Christmas time! You’ll find fantastic shopping and activities for the whole family. It is an opportunity to SLOW DOWN and enjoy the season.

And don’t think that because it is December 22nd, the festivities are over…not so! Activities continue through the end of the year.

I walked around the village on the 13th and really began to get in the spirit of Christmas. I was excited to see that there were carolers right outside the Long Grove Apple Haus. They were dressed in full “Dickens” garb. I grabbed a cup of hot cider and sat down to listen. It was really fun to see people of all ages stop and begin singing along.

I moved from one thing that warmed my heart to another. I just love a horse-drawn carriage ride. My husband and I were married in Long Grove and took a ride on our wedding night. The memories came flooding back as we sauntered around the shops. It was quite cozy under that warm blanket!

After warming up with hot cider, Christmas carols and a carriage ride under a warm blanket, I was ready to shop! But where should I begin??? There are so many unique shops all around town. I try to make time for as many as I can!

I love the homemade chocolate candies as well as the chocolate dipped strawberries. After walking out of there, I could have died a happy woman!

The next stop was The Olive Tap. It is a must-see for me when I get to Long Grove. Where else can you enjoy a Tasting Emporium AND Gourmet Market! It is always hard to choose which olive oil and balsamic vinegar I MUST take home!

There were quite a few little “home” type gifts on my list to buy this year so I ran into Mangels and found everything I needed! The selection is amazing; from Mark Robert Fairies to home accessories, to the most beautiful Christmas tree decorations you’ll find. I wish I could buy complete rooms and just “install” them in my home. Love it!

Seasons of Long Grove has had quite a few activities for young and old alike. The Nutcracker Tea runs through the 27th. You may bring your own hat or borrow one from their collection. The Santa’s Breakfast ran through the 20th and all children received a special gift (whether they were naughty or nice). And finally, this past weekend was the Dickens Dinner, with Victorian Buffet and live music from their Christmas Carolers.

Check out the Long Grove website www.longgroveonline.com. You’ll see all of the scheduled events through the end of the year AND you can check out the festivals that go on throughout the year. I can’t wait until they have their 2010 dates. I need to mark my calendar early!

Jump into the Holiday spirit in Downtown Antioch

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Zuniga) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:28:00 +0000

Once again time seems to have flown by and the Holiday season is upon us. To help get in the Holiday mood my family and I decided to escape the shopping mall madness by taking a trip to the hometown atmosphere of Downtown Antioch. Our first stop was “Santa’s Enchanted Castle” located on Toft Ave.

For $5 dollars we had our picture taken with Santa Claus and received a nice goodie bag that contained treats for the kids along with several coupons for local merchants. One of coupons was for a free cup of hot chocolate which was a nice since the weather was pretty cold that day. Upon leaving the castle the next door building has a huge tank on display which our boys thought was really cool. I truly had them convinced that it was there to protect their present’s lol.

Next we took a stroll down Main Street to do some Holiday shopping. The kid’s kept busy counting snowmen in the store front displays for the “Find Frosty Contest”.We did find the special snowman for the Baskin Robbins treat, but I won’t ruin it by mentioning the location. After turning in our contest entry form we took a “Horse- Drawn Carriage Ride”.

The ride took us for about a 10 minute loop around the downtown area. Our boy’s really liked “Nell” (the horse pulling the carriage) and it was a perfect way to end our visit. Happy Holidays!!!

Zion...a new Christmas tradition for our family!

noreply@blogger.com (Judi Tschappat) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:04:00 +0000

I think our family has found a new Christmas tradition! Last year, we took our "then" two year old to Zion’s Festival of Lights, a light show and walk through Kringle’s Kingdom. We loved it – so we decided to go back again this year. At the end of the evening, Mark asked if we could make this an annual family event with Maggie!

The event takes place in Shiloh Park, off of Sheridan. There are several activities during the festival; you have to leave yourself enough time to see it all.

A walk through Kringle’s Kingdom included over 450 lit Christmas trees, some small and some very tall. They were beautiful!! In and amongst the Christmas trees, individuals, groups and business decorated dioramas filled with all different Christmas themed scenes. Every scene was different, some simple and some elaborate, some were animated and some had music; however all were very creative! I giggled when I saw the Subway scene; snowmen selling “Snoway” sandwiches! What a great play on words.

The walk through the trees was actually placed in the Zion park district’s pool area. Picture a tall, winding slide lit with Christmas lights and HUGE wrapped presents coming down! AND, at the bottom of the slide, you see some sort of a runway, lit with green and red lights, only to realize it is Santa’s sleigh’s runway and the lights directing his arrival.

We turned the last corner and what did we see? Santa’s home! Now let’s just say that in the past, meeting Santa has been much more fun to talk about than actually do, for Maggie. Well she saw him sitting inside in his chair and she ran up the stairs, opened the door and gave him the biggest hug! She told him that she wanted princess gifts and I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. Never once has she been comfortable enough to sit on his lap. This time, she tackled Santa – it was awesome!

As we exited Kringle’s Kingdom, we heard the trolley bell ringing. We boarded it for a fun ride around the neighborhood. We passed the “Shiloh House” and were given the opportunity to run in and take a look around the museum! I swear there was a fireplace in every room!

The trolley took you on a tour of the Festival of Lights too! We drove through dinosaurs and dragons, under an archway of jumping reindeer, a frog jumping into the pond, snowmen playing baseball and so many more light displays. It was just beautiful!

Before we knew it, our ride came to an end and so did our time in Zion for one more year, but like I said in the beginning, we will be back next year! Visit the Festival of Lights website http://www.cityofzion.com/fol/index.html. They have listed all of the activities and taken photos to get you excited about going! The site says that you won’t find a collection of holiday events like it anywhere in northeast Illinois – THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!! The event runs through December 30th and activities generally begin around 7:00 p.m. although the drive-thru display opens at sundown.

This is a must-see!

Grab the Spirit at the Vernon Hills Winter Wonderland

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole Mertens) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:30:00 +0000

I still can’t believe that Thanksgiving has come and passed and we are nearing Christmas, where does the time go? We always start putting out our Christmas decorations and light up our house the day after Thanksgiving. For some reason we were dragging our feet this year so we decided we needed some inspiration. We packed the kids up after dinner and headed over to the outdoor Winter Wonderland Holiday Light Show.

This light show is located on the grounds of the Cuneo Museum in Vernon Hills. It opens at 6pm every night. The drive through the light show takes about 20 to 25 minutes and they have you tune into a radio station that is playing fun Christmas music. You enter through huge lit up arches that start out the 12 Days of Christmas (there is a countdown). There is also a challenge given at the beginning of the show – to count how many snowmen you see throughout the ride. I can say we were way off (we missed a lot of them apparently)! It was so great this year to see the light show through our daughter Reese’s eyes. She was so excited about everything she saw which made it that much more fun for my husband and I.

One of our favorite parts as we drove through were all of the Disney characters. Those are a big deal in our house these days so seeing Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and all of the other characters from the movies we love was very exciting. Every tree is lit up and there are shapes of animals, elves, presents and candy canes everywhere. There were some really creative things too, like a horse drawn carriage with lights that made it look like it was moving and a ferris wheel. Another spot we loved was Santa’s workshop set-up with Santa and the Elves all around it as well as the reindeer.

Well I can definitely say that if inspiration for the lights on our house is what we were looking for, we got what we came for. We had a great time and it truly put us into the holiday spirit. While our house doesn’t look anywhere close to what we saw, we did get in the spirit and got all of our decorations and lights out.

Ho! Ho! Ho! It's Santa Time at Gurnee Mills!

noreply@blogger.com (Michele DeGoey) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:33:00 +0000

HO HO HO……It’s Santa at Gurnee Mills!

It’s that time of year again….our annual visit to see Santa! We have always visited the Santa at Gurnee Mills, they do a nice job with Santa’s village and Santa himself. This year did not disappoint!

We arrived at the mall on Friday afternoon. We parked near Entry B and walked to the Information Booth to ask were we could find Santa. Jessie at the Info Booth was very friendly and told us that we could visit Santa near the Food Court behind the carousel. As we made our way to Santa’s Village we were approached several times by people handing out Hershey’s Bliss chocolates. The chocolates were so good that we walked around a bit and ate more chocolate before we actually went to see Santa! I also noticed that Gurnee Mills will be open at midnight on Thanksgiving – what a great time to do some holiday shopping while the kids are in bed!

We found Santa! As we walked up to Santa’s village we were greeted right away by Santa’s helper. My kids ran up to Santa holding their gift lists, they were very excited! Santa was very welcoming and got out of his chair to greet us with a big smile. He looked at their lists and asked questions about their list and if they were good throughout the year. Santa’s helper told me we could get a professional picture if we wanted, take our own pictures or just visit with Santa. The photographer told me the price of the pictures and I took a flyer listing the different packages available. I chose the $24.99 package that included one 5x7 and four 3.5x5’s. The photographer took several pictures of the kids with Santa and we chose the best one. She printed the pictures right away, only took a few minutes. During the short waiting time, the kids talked with Santa some more.Then it was time to go, there were other children waiting to see Santa as well. The kids promised to leave some cookies and milk for Santa on Christmas Eve. We really had a nice visit this year and look forward to next year.

Children's Imaginations Take Over At the Round Lake Park District Children's Neighborhood Museum

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole Mertens) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:26:00 +0000

Kids love to play and use their imagination. Pretending they are adults, driving cars, taking care of babies, cooking and more. The Round Lake Park District Children’s Neighborhood Museum is the perfect spot to bring your kids to let their imaginations take over.

Admission is only $5.00/child (no charge for adults) – and there are certain days and times when admission is free. The museum is in the Round Lake Park District building. It is set-up as a town with a lot to do. The town has many different spots to stop at including a grocery store, a fire station, a gas station with cars, a gym with tot-sized workout equipment , a construction site and much more. There is also a great area for toddlers where soft mats are set-up for tumbling.
Our first stop was the pizza stand. My daughter Reese pretended she was making pizza for us and serving us, this followed up with a visit to the grocery store. There were a couple play cash registers and shopping carts to make the experience realistic for the kids. Next Reese drove one of the cars to the gas station where she filled up her tank and washed her windshield.

The spot we spent the most time was in the workout area. There is a mini stationary bike, treadmill and workout bench set-up. Reese loved pretending in this area. There was also a big tree house with a slide in this area as well. Throughout the different areas in the museum were posters hung informing the kids about what the area was about. For example, in the grocery store there was a poster explaining what a farmer does and how they grow food that we buy and by the big fire truck there was a poster explaining what a fireman does.

One area we didn’t spend any time at but definitely plan to on our next visit was the stage. While we were there, we saw several kids using the dress-up clothes there and putting on little plays – so fun for the kids!

Before we left, we heard that there is also the Prairie Grass Nature Museum at the Round Lake Park District, it is in the building across the street so we decided to check that out before leaving. The Nature Museum has a mock trail that brings you on a walk through nature where the kids can see wildlife and learn about it as well. There were real snakes, rabbits and guinea pigs. There were also some stations set-up where the kids had the opportunity to color nature pages and do other fun activities.

Both museums were entertaining and a lot of fun for kids. It is a great spot to hit as the weather gets colder to get you out of the house and keep the kids amused and using their imagination. We will definitely be back there this winter.

Hairspray rocks at the Marriott Theatre! by: Jayne Nordstrom

noreply@blogger.com (Lake County CVB) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:00:00 +0000

This is the best show I’ve seen at the Marriott Theatre besides Les Miz! I had only seen the more recent film version on TV and now wondered why I had waited so long to see it live. I laughed. I cried during “I Know Where I’ve Been” and honestly, I could hardly sit still in my seat – the music was so much fun and the dancing was inspiring. I was kind of wishing it was a sing-a-long version and we’d all get up and dance and sing like Mamma Mia. Songs such as “Welcome to the 60’s” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat” are so much fun; hubby, Steve really liked it too!
We were discussing on the way back to the car that it wasn’t that long ago (in my lifetime) that issues such as integration were a struggle in our nation. This show offers great discussion afterwards besides the tunes continuing to run through your head. Ross Lehman was great as Edna Turnblad and it was fun to hear the young girls behind me at intermission talking about that they figured out he was a man. Ross will be playing Tevye in Marriott Theatre’s upcoming Fiddler on the Roof in February 2010. It was cool to see some favorite performers such as Bernie Yvon (he was the Pharaoh in Joseph…) playing Corny Collins and he will be Harold Hill in Marriott Theatre’s upcoming The Music Man at the end of next season. I like that I’m watching some of these actors every few months.

Every year when our renewal comes up for our Marriott Theatre subscription, we wonder if we should budget for it again. However, it’s a great value basically getting one ticket free with each subscription for the year. It’s close to home, no cost for parking and we see awesome (and sometimes familiar) talent. And I get 20% off in the gift shop and it’s an awesome gift shop!

APPLE PICKIN’ AT APPLE HOLLER ORCHARD BY: DEBBIE KALINOWSKI

noreply@blogger.com (Lake County CVB) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:04:00 +0000

Something I look forward to every fall is going to pick apples with the whole family. We get to Apple Holler at 9:00 a.m. and some of the grandkids that are there are already playing out in front of the orchards for awhile while we wait for the others to arrive. They really enjoy climbing on the hay, going thru the hay tunnels, and going thru the crazy corn maze. They play non-stop until the entire family arrives and we all take pictures around the pumpkins and in front of a poster that measures how much they have grown within the year. Then we go past the country store & gift shop, at least the rest of the family does, Grandma has to take a peek in it to see what items they have. I love to look at all of the fall decorations and items they have because I love fall!Before we head into the orchards we stop to see the farm animals and also watch the antics of the goats crossing a suspended bridge. We pass a lot of beautiful flowers, scarecrows, and a popcorn and apple cider stand. Apple Holler also has wagons for rent but you can bring your own and believe me you will want one because the bag of apples weighs about 25 pounds. There are 30 varieties of apples and picking is August thru early November. But it is best to check the website or call ahead to see which apples are ready for picking when you are planning your outing.
As the family proceeds into the orchard we follow the signs to look for our favorite apples. On the way we try many other kinds. It seems like every year I discover a new favorite apple this way. The grandkids help by putting the apples into the bags. It is great to see the grandkid's get so excited about apples and not fast food or candy.

In the middle of the orchard there is a resting/play area that we all gather around. The kids all run up and down the circle of haystacks and the adults sit and chat awhile. We all wave to the people that are going by in a hayride. Every year we ask someone walking by to take a family picture of the group of us. As we go back on our way to the exit we make sure that our bags are completely filled and after checking out we buy some freshly made kettle popcorn. We take a couple more pictures around the fall decorations before we leave.

Everything about this day is always so perfect that I wonder why I haven’t gone to a breakfast or a dinner play that they have here at Apple Holler. The restaurant this morning was very busy and smelled very good! Next year I am coming earlier to have breakfast here. It is amazing all the different activities they have here at Apple Holler and not just apple picking. You can check this out by going on their website.The hours are: 10:00-6:00 Saturday & Sunday 10:00-4:00 Monday thru Friday.
The address and phone number: 5006 S. Sylvania Ave. Sturtevant, WI
1-800-238-3629

A bag of apples(2 couples to a bag) $40.00
Parking if you don’t park on the street for free: $5.00
Going out for lunch after: $30.00
Family Memories Priceless

Highwood – I Have Been Welcomed by the Precious Gem!

noreply@blogger.com (Judi Tschappat) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:53:00 +0000

If you wander onto Highwood’s website (http://celebratehighwood.com/), it talks about it being “…the North Shore’s precious gem” or “offering all the comforts of home”. I was interested.

I saw on the website that Highwood was going to hold its Prelude to the Great Highwood Pumpkin Festival on October 21, 3-8p at City Hall. It was the city’s “practice run” for The World Record Attempt in 2010. I packed up my little “Cinderella” (kids dressed up) and headed east.

The “Great Wall of Pumpkins”; can you picture scaffolding holding 1,000 pumpkins, and a guy standing in a “cherry picker”, 32 feet in the air, lighting each one of them? Each pumpkin was carved by children, adults and seniors in the area for the festival. Again…there were 1,000. Next year’s goal is 32,000!! That will be amazing!

There was the farmer’s market, (that has been held every Wednesday since June), local vendors, live music, trick-or-treating all around the downtown and even a hayride. We had a blast!

While I was there, I got the opportunity to talk to some of the residents of Highwood. It was an opportunity to find out what to try the next time I come back (which will be on my date night, this next weekend)!

You really HAVE to go to the website. There are coupons and descriptions for each of the merchants in the area. You’ll find a large assortment of dining opportunities. I don’t know where to start! Do I try a place called Froggie’s or Buffo’s or Bridie McKenna’s? Do I want steaks, shrimp, Indian or pizza? The options are endless.

I really enjoyed strolling down the streets of Highwood, even though it was after dark, peering in the windows of the local shops. The festival was all a buzz in the background and Maggie and I got our own “prelude” to what we will experience again. Can’t wait to go back!