Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
EXPLORING EVANSTON
Despite being frequented by Chicagoans, Evanston, the city's oldest
suburb, retains an identity all its own. A unique hybrid of sensibili-
ties, it manages to combine the tranquillity of suburban life with a
highly cultured, urban charm. It's great fun to wander amid the
shops and cafes in its downtown area or along funky Dempster Street
at its southern end. The beautiful lakefront campus of
Northwest-
ern University
(
&
847/491-3741;
www.northwestern.edu) is here,
and many of its buildings—such as Alice Millar Chapel, with its sub-
lime stained-glass facade, and the Mary and Leigh Block Gallery, a
fine-arts haven that offers a top-notch collection and intriguing tem-
porary exhibitions—are well worth several hours of exploration.
For a bit of serenity, head to
Grosse Point Lighthouse and
Maritime Museum,
2601 Sheridan Rd. (
&
847/328-6961;
www.
grossepointlighthouse.net), a historic lighthouse built in 1873, when
Lake Michigan still teemed with cargo-laden ships. Tours of the
lighthouse, situated in a nature center, take place on weekends from
June to September at 2, 3, and 4pm ($6 adults, $3 children 8-12;
children under 8 not admitted for safety reasons). The adjacent
Lighthouse Beach is a favorite spot for local families during the sum-
mer. If you're here between Memorial Day and Labor Day, you'll
have to pay to frolic on the sand ($7 adults, $5 children 1-11), but
it's a great place for a (free) stroll on a sunny spring or fall day.
OTHER AREA ATTRACTIONS
Chicago Botanic Garden
Despite its name, the world-
class Chicago Botanic Garden is 25 miles north of the city in the
suburb of Glencoe. This 385-acre living preserve includes eight large
lagoons and a variety of distinct botanical environments including
the Illinois prairie, an English walled garden, and a three-island
Japanese garden. Also on the grounds are a large fruit-and-vegetable
garden, an “enabling garden” (which shows how gardening can be
adapted for people with disabilities), and a 100-acre old-growth oak
woodland. If you're here in the summer, don't miss the extensive rose
gardens (just follow the bridal parties who flock here to get their pic-
tures taken). Carillon concerts take place at 7pm Monday evenings
from late June through August; tours of the carillon are offered
beforehand. Allow 3 hours.
1000 Lake-Cook Rd. (just east of Edens Expwy./I-94), Glencoe.
&
847/835-5440.
www.chicago-botanic.org. Free admission. Daily 8am-sunset. Tram tours Apr-Oct.
Closed Dec 25. From Chicago, take Sheridan Rd. north along Lake Michigan or the
Edens Expwy. (I-94) to Lake-Cook Rd. Parking $15/day.
Value
