Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
to Labor Day. Only the bravest souls venture into the water before July, when
the temperature creeps up enough to make swimming an attractive proposition.
Please take note that the entire lakefront is not beach, and don't go doing any-
thing stupid such as diving off the rocks.
BIKING
Biking is a great way to see the city, particularly along the lakefront bike path
that extends for more than 18 miles. The stretch between Navy Pier and North
Avenue Beach gets extremely crowded in the summer (you're jostling for space
with in-line skaters, joggers, and dawdling pedestrians). If you're looking to pick
up some speed, I recommend biking south—once you're past the Museum
Campus, the trail is relatively wide open, and you can zip all the way to Hyde
Park. If you want a more leisurely tour with good people-watching potential,
head north (through the crowds) and be patient—once you pass Belmont Har-
bor, the traffic lets up somewhat. Ride all the way to Hollywood Beach (where
the lakefront trail ends) for a good, but not exhausting, workout.
To rent bikes, try
Bike & Roll,
which has locations at Navy Pier (
&
312/
595-9600
) and North Avenue Beach (
&
773/327-2706
). Open from 8am to
8pm May through October (weather permitting), Bike & Roll stocks mountain
and touring bikes, kids' bikes, strollers, and—most fun of all—quadcycles, which
are four-wheeled contraptions equipped with a steering wheel and canopy that can
accommodate four or five people. Rates for bikes are $9.75 an hour, $39 a day,
with helmets, pads, and locks included. Quadcycles rent for $20 per hour.
Both the park district (
&
312/742-PLAY
) and the
Chicagoland Bicycle
Federation
(
&
312/42-PEDAL;
www.chibikefed.org) offer free maps that
detail popular biking routes. The latter, which is the preeminent organization
for cyclists in Chicago, also sells a much larger, more extensive map for $6.95
that shows routes within a seven-county area. They sponsor a number of bike
rides throughout the year, including the highly enjoyable
Boulevard Lakefront
Tour,
held in mid-September, which follows the historic circle of boulevards
that had their genesis in the Chicago Plan of 1909. It starts in Hyde Park at the
University of Chicago campus.
A word of caution:
Never head anywhere on the city's streets without first
strapping on a helmet. Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley is an avid cyclist him-
self and has tirelessly promoted the addition of designated bike lanes along many
main thoroughfares. But, that said, most cabbies and drivers tend to ignore
them. Bike with extreme caution on city streets (you can get a ticket for biking
on the sidewalk) and stick to the lakefront path if you're not an expert rider.
Locking your bike anywhere you go is a no-brainer.
GOLFING
For a major metropolis, Chicago has an impressive number of golf options
within the city limits (not to mention many plush and pricey suburban courses).
To warm up your swing, head to the
Diversey Driving Range,
141 W. Diversey
Pkwy. (
&
312/742-7929
), in Lincoln Park just north of Diversey Harbor. This
two-level range attracts all levels—from show-off heavy hitters to beginners—
and is very popular on weekends with young singles who live in the surround-
ing apartment buildings. The price is right ($10.50 for a bucket of 50 balls), and
the setting is pretty much perfect.
The Chicago Park District runs six golf courses in the city; one of the most
popular is the 9-hole
Sydney Marovitz Course
(3600 N. Lake Shore Dr., at
Waveland Ave.); many Chicagoans refer to it simply as Waveland. Thanks to its
