• In honor of Jimmy Buffet’s concerts at Toyota Park (July 24, 26), Lizzy McNeill’s Irish Pub is holding a Luau on the Chicago River. This Hawaiian-themed barbecue will be held outside the bar and includes live music, games, beer samples, and a cruise raffle. Food and drink sales benefit the Special Olympics and Misericordia. (July 25-27)

• You can compete in a Neil Diamond look-alike contest at the Neil Diamond Extravaganza, hosted by Mahoney’s Pub & Grille, for a chance to win concert tickets. Camp out with other fans all night long, then wake up to brunch before heading to the concert at the United Center. (July 25)

• In honor of the American Cheese Society’s 25^th Anniversary Conference, Pastoral will be hosting John Loomis from Zingerman’s Creamery of Ann Arbor, Michigan. (July 25)

• The fifth annual Wicker Park Fest features live indie music, local cuisine, and more than 70 arts and crafts vendors. (July 26-27)

• Covering six blocks, the 25^th annual Taste of Lincoln Avenue features more than 40 music acts on five stages, a wine garden, and plenty of food, beer, and arts and crafts. (July 26-27)

• More than 30 illuminated and decorated boats will participate in the 51^st annual Venetian Night, which attracts more than half a million spectators every year. Watch along the lakefront anywhere between Roosevelt Road and Monroe Drive. (Get there early.) (July 26)

• The Disability Pride Parade celebrates the strength of people with disabilities and their families. It begins at Plymouth Court and Van Buren Street and ends at Daley Plaza. Post-parade festivities include speakers, performers, and live music. (July 26)

• Sample more than 1200 cheeses at the Festival of Cheese in the Hilton Chicago. The event includes a marketplace with food, wines, and beers to complement the tasting. (July 26)

• Professional cyclists compete in the inaugural Chicago Criterium. This race consists of several laps on a closed circuit loop that is approximately 1.1 miles (1.8 km) in length. Spectators can watch on jumbotrons in the park or from several route locations including the start/finish line at Buckingham Fountain. (course map PDF) (July 27)

Photo credit: Konrad Mostert (c/o SXC), sierraromeo (c/o Flickr), clambert (c/o SXC)

Post from: The Chicago Traveler

• Chicago: Wrigley Field. The atmosphere, neighborhood, and fans put this stadium in a league of its own. It’s not just a ballpark; it’s an experience.

• Chicagoland: The Baha’I House of Worship. This unforgettable sight is beautiful both inside and out. Its intricate construction took nearly 30 years to complete.

• Northern: Starved Rock State Park. Visitors can witness firsthand the results of Mother Nature’s power: 18 canyons framed by majestic sandstone bluffs.

• Central: Allerton Park and Retreat Center. This is one of the few “old country” estates left in the Midwest and the lush gardens show that the plains can be anything but… plain.

• Western: Black Hawk State Historic Site. With a variety of activities and nature areas, this park is an ideal for families and history buffs.

• Southern: Rend Lake. This true wonder is a year-round haven for outdoor fun, accommodating swimmers, water-skiers, fishermen, boaters, sunbathers, golfers, shoppers, hunters, birdwatchers, etc.

• Southwest: Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway. This area is one of the best and most beautiful scenic venues in the entire Midwest.

So get out there and start exploring!

Photo credit: maura, elrentaplats, jpmatth, sirbranderson, edcrowle, Drawings of Light – Paul

Post from: The Chicago Traveler

Despite what many Chicagoans would like to believe, there is more to Illinois than just the Windy City. Rend Lake is one of Southern Illinois’ foremost vacation spots, offering an incredible array of outdoor activities. Visitors can enjoy golfing, hunting, fishing, boating, waterskiing, horseback riding, hiking, biking, swimming or just relaxing on the beach.

Rend Lake is actually an artificial lake, a reservoir created by the Illinois Department of Conservation, the Rend Lake Conservancy District, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Construction began in 1965, but the lake was not completed and filled until March 1973. It contains 18,900 acres (76 km²) of water, providing a dependable domestic water supply to over 60 communities.

• The Rend Lake Golf Course is one of the best in the Midwest, rated as the number one public golf facility in the Gateway PGA. The 27-hole complex can be enjoyed by all levels of experience and features a large, lighted driving range. The full-service Pro Shop carries the latest in apparel and equipment. Professionals offer individual or group lessons.

• Hunting enthusiasts and wildlife viewers are drawn to the area’s ducks, geese, deer, turkeys, and other game. Hunting information, regulations, zone maps, seasons, and other information are explained in a free booklet available at local bait shops and license vendors. (A hunter fact sheet is available [click here] from the Department of Natural Resources.)

• Four of Illinois’ fishing records have been caught at Rend Lake. Eager fishers can find bass, crappies, catfish, muskies, bluegills, and sunfish worth bragging about.

• Two main areas in the Rend Lake region are perfect for horseback riding: Rend Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area and Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park. Each provides over 7 miles (11 km) of level terrain and plenty of picturesque scenery. The latter also has horses available for rent.

• Eight different hiking and nature trails give wildlife voyeurs unique opportunities to see birds, aquatic creatures, and furry woodland animals. The Blackberry Nature Trail is a nice, leisurely stroll all year round while the Ryder’s Bottom is perfect for the more adventurous hiker, with no established trails along the route.

Also nearby is the Southern Illinois Art & Artisans Center, where the works of more than 850 Illinois artists are displayed and sold. Windows Restaurant at the Rend Lake Resort and Conference Center offers a wide range of cuisines all with a waterfront view. Finally, the lake is only five minutes away from Benton, where you can find all your small-town conveniences, including restaurants, hotels, and movie theatres.

With so many activities and attractions, Rend Lake can always offer something new and fun for even its most frequent visitors.

Photo credit (via Flickr and SXC): edcrowle, Steve Woods, Wojtek Piekutoszczak, greefus groinks, rampics, choban214, frackers23, granola eater

Rend Lake: Whittington, IL; 618-439-7430
http://www.rendlake.com/
http://www.rendlake.org/

Post from: The Chicago Traveler