Chicago has enough attractions to keep you occupied for weeks, but just beyond the city limits, you can also visit a national park, ride a motorcycle and sample some of the best wines in the world.
If you want to broaden your experience and get out of town, there are seven easy day trips that are no more than two hours away.
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Indiana Dunes National Park is located on the shores of Lake Michigan and feels like a world away from the big city. Hikers can go up the sand and through the woods.
The 3 Dune Challenge is a 1.5 mile ascent to the park's highest dunes. There are pockets within the national park in Indiana Dunes State Park. There are other ways to experience the scene.
South Shore Line commuter trains run from Chicago to Dune Park every day. It takes one to two hours to travel 50 miles by car.
It takes one hour and 30 minutes to travel.
Milwaukee makes a day trip from Chicago. There are hundreds of motorcycles at the Harley- Davidson Museum. Big bike love is due to the invention of Harleys. The Milwaukee Art Museum has a wing that soars open and shuts, as well as outsider art and Georgia O'Keeffe paintings.
During baseball season, Miller Park is the place to be for beer, brats, and the odd sixth-inning foot race. There are more bars per capita in Milwaukee than in any other US city. The local spirit is shown by the Champion's tavern.
The journey from Chicago to Milwaukee takes 90 minutes. Take I-94 for approximately two hours.
It takes 45 minutes to travel.
The architect lived in Oak Park for 20 years. Fans come from all over the world to tour his home and studio where he developed the famous Prairie style, as well as to gaWP at Unity Temple, which is considered to be the first modern-style building.
Oak Park has two famous sons, one of which is Ernest Hemingway. A few blocks from Wright's house, he was born. The museum gives a glimpse at Papa's formative years.
There is a simple way to get to Oak Park from Chicago. You can take the Green Line L train from downtown to Oak Park.
It takes one hour and 30 minutes to travel.
Chicagoans retreat for a taste of small-town life in the lakeside hamlets of Harbor Country. You can catch a wave at the public beach in New Buffalo, followed by a beer at the Beer Church.
Three Oaks is the bohemian farm-and-Arts village, where you can pick up animal feed by the town square's gazebo and then walk over to the galleries and design shops on elm street. There are many antique stores and delis in the area. Wineries around the communities offer tastings.
The easiest way to get to Harbor Country from Chicago is to take I-90 and I-94. You'll need your own wheels to get to the other towns because the times aren't convenient.
It takes 40 minutes to travel.
The town of Evanston is located to the north of Chicago and is home to many college students. The American Toby jug museum has the world's largest collection of character-shaped jugs, and the Baha'i House of Worship is an eye-catching temple surrounded by peaceful gardens.
It's free to rent a sailboat, kayak, or stand-up paddle board at the Northwestern University Sailing Center and you can get out on Lake Michigan. Hewn is one of the bakeries that pepper the downtown area.
There is a way to get to Evanston from Chicago. If you want to take the Red Line to Howard station, you have to take the Purple Line. The trip takes about 40 minutes and there are departures every 10 minutes.
It takes one hour and 30 minutes to travel.
In the late 1800s, old-money Chicagoans fled toGeneva Lake to escape the heat and cold of the city. Visitors of more modest means are welcome, even though the shoreline is sometimes called "the Hamptons of the Midwest."
The Lake Shore Path is the most obvious example of this, as it goes through all of the water's edge properties. A trip to the old fashioned Cheese Box is a must if you want to sample some Wisconsin-made goodness.
You need a car to go to the lake. LakeGeneva is the main town on the lake. To get to Wisconsin highway 50 west, take I-94. The trip is done by car.
It takes 25 minutes to travel.
Jerusalem and Washington, DC are the largest Holocaust museums in the world. The venue's haunting Nazi-era rail car and videos of survivors' stories from WWII are just some of the things it has to offer. Special exhibitions are very impressive.
The Illinois Holocaust Museum is located in Chicago. It takes 25 minutes to travel from Ogilvie to Davis Street. You can catch the bus at the Davis and Maple stop and then take the bus to the museum. It takes over an hour to get there.
The article was first published in September.
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