Kelsey Schultz

An oasis in the heart of downtown Chicago. The fountain is beautiful and great. Five women make up the fountain, representing the five Great Lakes. We enjoyed our lunch, from Relish Chicago Hot Dogs, in the shade and cooled by the flowing water before heading to the Art Institute of Chicago.

There are plenty of place to sit and admire the fountain, surrounded by shade trees and colorful flowers.

Stopped in here on a Friday afternoon when passing through the city of Rockford, IL, quickly touring through a handful of destinations on the Peaches Fan Trail.

The Rockford Peaches frequented this bar during the season, so I wanted to enjoy a drink in the same space. Brad served us our drinks and was very friendly, telling us about his travels throughout his life. I asked if they had any peach drinks (to stay on theme) and he made one up on the spot- it was delicious! He mixed peach Jim Beam, Sprite, and lemonade, garnished with a lime. He asked us what they should call it- the Dottie.

The space was clean, drinks were affordable, and I hope to return during the lively hours one night when passing through Rockford again.

The Nature Center located within Indiana Dunes State Park is a great spot to begin your time within the park. It's located a short distance from the parking lot and is a central location to the 3-Dunes Challenge. The Nature Center has a collection of native wildlife samples, hiking challenge, a beautiful native plant garden out front, complete with clean restrooms and water bottle filling stations. Outside there are picnic benches and sidewalks leading to the dunes.

The Midway Village Museum is a must-see when exploring Rockford, IL. My husband and I had less than 30 minutes to walk through the museum on an early-July Friday afternoon. We paid $9 for each of our tickets and hustled through the museum to see as much of it as we could. The main attraction we visited was the exhibit on the AAGPBL. It was smaller than expected, but the artifacts were well worth seeing- trophies won by the Rockford Peaches, baseballs and their size change throughout the length of the league, uniforms, and souvenirs collected through the decades.

The museum is probably one of the best I've seen in a small town. There were so many exhibits and so much to be learned about the city of Rockford. We learned that the sock monkey originated here and also how significant of an industry-leader the city was back in its day. I hope to return one day and take our time walking through and learning about the rich history of Rockford.

The children's town was AWESOME! We could have spent much more time in there as well. If kids learn more effectively with engaging exhibits, so do adults.

The space was clean, staff professional and helpful, and they even have a full giftshop.

The Sheldon Concert Hall was a perfect location for listening to the St. Louis Brass Band. The ceiling height in the auditorium as well as the angle of the seats facing the stage really amplified the acoustics. Paired with beautiful sounds is glowing color from the stained glass high on the walls on both sides of the auditorium.

The ticket system was easy to navigate online before the show and there was a line to buy tickets upon entering the building. However, no one checked to see if I had my ticket. I wonder if many snuck into the show for free.