1 Des Plaines River Trail Starts in Des Plaines The 31-mile Lake County portion of this route extends nearly to the Wisconsin border. A gravel path meanders through oak forests, prairies, and wetlands. Wildlife abounds — deer, chipmunks, turtles, butterflies, and snakes. Hungry? Hit the Shanty in Wadsworth, a 50-year-old institution whose whiskey shrimp and tequila salmon … Read more
Photo: Courtesy of Crate & Barrel 1 Crate & Barrel Outlet Store Naperville Weird one-offs, like lamps in offbeat colors that didn’t quite work out, and slightly imperfect floor samples, like a credenza missing one easily replaceable handle, sell for half price. Illustration: Jens Magnusson 2 Eileen Fisher Company Store Schaumburg That effortlessly drapey, Nancy … Read more
Winnetka —Any city shopper who thinks the North Shore is a schlep should consider this: Kelly Golden, owner of the luxury boutique Neapolitan Collection, travels to Europe with her team about eight times a year. “And then we’re in New York pretty much every month,” she adds. During their trips, the buyers scope runways and … Read more
Mistwood Golf Club Photo: Brian Walters/Courtesy of Mistwood Golf Club 1 Cantigny Golf Wheaton One of the best public offerings in the Midwest, it features 27 holes over three courses set in the dense woods of Cantigny Park (see “The Everyone Guide to Cantigny Park”). Tired of lugging your clubs after your train ride? This … Read more
Maywood —Five great finds uncovered while digging through 35,000 square feet of salvaged architectural treasures. Plastic lockers from a public pool in Oak Park, circa 1980, $350 Photos: Lucy Hewett Oak veneer and steel drafting stool, late 1940s, $95 Sears, Roebuck & Co. electric fireplace, mid-1970s, $250 Brass chandelier from an Oak … Read more
Wheaton —How to spend an afternoon at the 500-acre estate if you’re bringing your … Army veteran grandpa The First Division Museum (admission is included in the park entrance fee: $5 per carload on weekdays, $10 on weekends) traces U.S. military history through the artifacts and artillery of a single infantry division. Most impressive: the … Read more
From left: Grayslake and Wheaton Photos: Tim Zurko Grayslake Illinois Antique & Vintage Flea Market Kane County Flea Market (St. Charles) Wheaton Antique Market Wolff’s Flea Market (Rosemont) Best For Outfitting a rustic North Woods cabin Chip and Joanna Gainesifying your home Bedazzling a rumpus room in kitsch Literally anything, from vintage tools to … Read more
Squint and you’ll think you’re in Paris, not a suburban alley.
Naperville —Before master roaster Chris Chacko opened Sparrow Coffee’s sole café and retail outlet — in Naperville, no less — the only way you could taste the vaunted brews of this West Town–based roastery was to dine at one of the 300 or so high-end restaurants around the country he deigned to sell to. (Chicago profiled Chacko in 2017. … Read more
Starting in Hoffman Estates and working your way to Des Plaines, you can travel the world. Here are 10 highlights.
