Dec 17, 2009 8:13 - By: Rosalind Cummings-Yeates
Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier
The weather outside might be frightful but Navy Pier supplies indoor winter fun with the Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier. A Chicago holiday tradition for 10 years, the festival runs daily through January 3rd and supplies a snow-covered, action-filled day for the whole family. A diverse range of activities include a rope obstacle course, inflatable games and create-a-cookie. Amusement rides guarantee excitement with favorites like the 50-foot indoor Ferris wheel, the Winter Wind Glider and the Reindeer Express Train.
Dec 08, 2009 9:58 - By: Rosalind Cummings-Yeates
Girls sing during the Andersonville St. Lucia Festival of Lights
Skip the glitz of the Magnificent Mile and head to Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood for the quaint, culturally rich yuletide excursion of the St. Lucia Festival of Lights. You’ll hear greetings of en riktig god jul (a very merry christmas) echo the area’s deep Swedish roots, of which the St. Lucia festival is the most dramatic. December 13 marks St. Lucia Day, the most significant celebration of the Swedish holiday season. Traditionally, Swedish Christmas officially begins on Sankta Lucia, the shortest day of the year. The eldest daughter of the household, dressed in a white robe with crimson sash and a crown of lighted candles, sings the Santa Lucia song and carries a tray of coffee and special saffron buns. The entire Andersonville neighborhood turns out to watch the glittering procession of white clad girls carrying candles through the darkened streets. Read More »
Dec 01, 2009 7:49 - By: Rosalind Cummings-Yeates
Ice skating at Millennium Park
A dip in temperatures means that Chicago weather is moving back to its natural state but it also means that it’s the season for ice skating in Millennium Park. A Chicago tradition for 9 years, skaters can spin around the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink until March 14, weather permitting and it always does. Glide around the 200 feet long and 80 feet wide rink with the glistening Cloudgate “Bean” sculpture as the backdrop. Skate rental is $10 if you don’t bring your own. I defintitely recommend bringing a scarf, hat, mittens and thick socks to shield your skin against the notorious Chicago wind. Read More »
Nov 24, 2009 10:34 - By: Rosalind Cummings-Yeates
The 45-foot rotunda tree in the Christmas Around the World exhibit
Experience the holiday traditions of over 50 different countries at the annual “Christmas Around The World and Holidays of Light” exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry. A Chicago tradition for 68 years, the glittering exhibit showcases trees decorated to reflect the holiday traditions from around the world through January 3. Anchored by a towering 45-foot tree in the Rotunda, the display also features intermittent snow showers. This year’s theme focuses on the holiday history of the White House, with White House-themed ornaments adorning the Rotunda tree and holiday cards signed by presidents and first ladies. Read More »
Nov 19, 2009 10:40 - By: Rosalind Cummings-Yeates
Iron Maiden torture chamber at Ripley's Believe It or Not!
I loved the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! cartoon as a kid. Learning about Robert Ripley’s weird and wacky discoveries around the world was always intriguing. So there was no way I’d pass up the strip of Ripley’s attractions on Ocean Blvd in Myrtle Beach. I grabbed my reluctant 12-year-old and headed to the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum. I wouldn’t recommend it for children under 10 because the museum is filled with creepy and eerie artifacts. Once you walk past the photos of the 8″11 tallest man of all time and the Egyptian barge made from toothpicks, the offerings grow scarier. There’s a whole wall devoted to medieval torture devices and a gruesome “Iron Maiden”, a wooden, female -shaped, cabinet equipped with 13 spikes to pierce the eyes, throat and heart of religious heretics. Read More »
Oct 22, 2009 9:40 - By: Rosalind Cummings-Yeates
County Line Orchard
Grab some fall family fun with a day of apple picking at County Line Orchard in Hobart, Indiana. Apple picking is a Midwest fall tradition, with orchards offering sweet delights in Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana. For Chicago families like mine, County Line Orchard in charming Hobart, Indiana, supplies the closest orchard, at about a 40 minute drive from the city. What I love most about County Line is that it’s located in a small farming community that draws families from both Indiana and Illinois. Pick up trucks, corn fields and livestock surround the area for a quick country escape for city slickers.
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Oct 14, 2009 10:04 - By: Rosalind Cummings-Yeates
Sculpture of Roman Goddess Diana surrounded by a pond
Revel in nature’s fall colors at Brookgreen Gardens Harvest Home Festival on October 24-25. Enter the scarecrow building contest, try pumpkin painting or opt for hay rides, basket-weaving and pottery demonstrations while listening to live bluegrass music. With the lush Brookgreen Gardens as the setting, your fall vacation will be filled with beauty. Covered with palmetto trees, hydrangeas and expansive lawns, Brookgreen Gardens resembles a swampy Garden of Eden.
Nestled between Myrtle Beach and Pawley’s Island, the 9,200-acre outdoor museum and National Historic Landmark boasts sculptures, gardens, fountains, marshes, swamps, an aviary and a zoo. This place is so massive that admission tickets are good for seven consecutive days. I recommend devoting a day to the Harvest Home Festivalactivities and another for the sculpture garden and lowcountry zoo. Read More »
