Driving to Chicago, looking for things to do and a beach

[Anonymous]

The city beaches are great (Ohio St, Oak St, North Beach) and all easily accessible on foot or by rental bike from all the downtown hotels and attractions. They have lifeguards, chairs to rent, volleyball, swimmable water, stand up paddles to rent, etc. North Beach in particular has a vacation atmosphere where you can get frosty tropical drinks and sit on a nice patio/lounge area and look out at beautiful water. You will forget any preconceived notions about what a lake looks like. It can feel like the Caribbean. Fun people watching along the lakeshore walking/biking path.

[Anonymous]

Post this on the metropolitan Chicago forum

[Anonymous]

Once in Chicago I recommend the architecture boat cruise. It sounds boring but it's not and kids love it too. That's in addition to the obvious stuff like going to the top of the Sears Tower (I'm old school), Field Museum, art museum, planetarium type stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here.
I should add that I have seen many posts about things to do in Chicago with kids (thanks DCUM!) but I am looking for extending this stay with travel around Chicago (Grand Rapids? Detroit?). I am full unfamiliar with this part of the country and would like to visit any cool places while we're out there (with a car).
This is early August.

NP but I also saw the posts about Chicago with kids and we went a few weeks ago and had a great time! Thanks DCUM and hope you enjoy OP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here.
I should add that I have seen many posts about things to do in Chicago with kids (thanks DCUM!) but I am looking for extending this stay with travel around Chicago (Grand Rapids? Detroit?). I am full unfamiliar with this part of the country and would like to visit any cool places while we're out there (with a car).
This is early August.

PP. You mentioned Grand Rapids. There's a decent regional art museum there.

Other possibilities for stops in Michigan:

Meijer Gardens (huge botanical garden), Saugatuck (on the lake), and Holland, MI (some corny and some averagely-interesting attractions related to Western Michigan's Dutch-American heritage).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is a beautiful campground/park right on Lake Erie in Geneva-on-the-Lake, OH. I have stayed there twice and it’s stunning.

Tons of beautiful beaches in Chicago area. I live in Evanston and the Evanston beaches are beautiful as is Gillson Park in Wilmette.

The Wilmette beach is really lovely for a Chicago-area beach. Be prepared to pay, though. It's expensive. You can save a bit by parking a few blocks from the beach on a residential street. The City of Chicago beaches are free, but I haven't been to one as nice as Wilmette.

If you do make it to Wilmette, the Bahai Temple is gorgeous and you don't have to be Bahai or religious to visit. The gardens alone are worth a stop. You shouldn't wear beachwear there, though. And Homers for ice cream is a fun, old-school treat. And downtown Wilmette has seen a resurgence in recent years, with a handful of restaurants.

[Anonymous]

We went to a “beach” at whatever lake is near Cleveland and it was not pleasant. A huge long walk from the parking area across rocky “sand” and also long hikes to the bathroom. I have no idea why anyone would do this deliberately. (We were visiting my husband’s family and it was their idea.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a beautiful campground/park right on Lake Erie in Geneva-on-the-Lake, OH. I have stayed there twice and it’s stunning.

Tons of beautiful beaches in Chicago area. I live in Evanston and the Evanston beaches are beautiful as is Gillson Park in Wilmette.

The Wilmette beach is really lovely for a Chicago-area beach. Be prepared to pay, though. It's expensive. You can save a bit by parking a few blocks from the beach on a residential street. The City of Chicago beaches are free, but I haven't been to one as nice as Wilmette.

If you do make it to Wilmette, the Bahai Temple is gorgeous and you don't have to be Bahai or religious to visit. The gardens alone are worth a stop. You shouldn't wear beachwear there, though. And Homers for ice cream is a fun, old-school treat. And downtown Wilmette has seen a resurgence in recent years, with a handful of restaurants.

If you go up to Wilmette, take a 5-min detour to the Home Alone house in Winnetka. It’s a fun thing to do for kids (and adults).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is a beautiful campground/park right on Lake Erie in Geneva-on-the-Lake, OH. I have stayed there twice and it’s stunning.

Tons of beautiful beaches in Chicago area. I live in Evanston and the Evanston beaches are beautiful as is Gillson Park in Wilmette.

Yea for sure the North Shore beaches. And the dog beach in Evanston.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We went to a “beach” at whatever lake is near Cleveland and it was not pleasant. A huge long walk from the parking area across rocky “sand” and also long hikes to the bathroom. I have no idea why anyone would do this deliberately. (We were visiting my husband’s family and it was their idea.)

Ha yeah going to Lake Erie anywhere near Cleveland is not a good idea. There are some nice spots between Cleveland and Toledo.