Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
229
you're a serious lap swimmer , y ou'll find company along the wall beginning at O hio
Street Beach, located slightly northwest of Navy Pier. The Chicago Triathlon Club marks
a course here each summer with a buoy at both the
1
/
4
- and
1
/
2
-mile marks. This popular
swimming route follows the shoreline in a straight line. The water is fairly shallo w. For
more information, call the park district's beach and pool office (
&
312/742-PLAY
[742-
7529]).
The Chicago Park District manages 31 beaches along 24 miles of lakefront. Amenities
vary, but most have a comfort station or a beach house and food vendors selling hot dogs,
burgers, and soda. The two beaches I can recommend without hesitation are
Oak Street
Beach
and
North Avenue Beach.
Both also feature a broader menu for dining: The Oak
Street Beachstro (p. 216) serves gourmet salads, beef tenderloin, grilled salmon, and Key
lime pie; the restaurant in the beach house at N orth Avenue Beach serves Jamaican jerk
chicken and specialty ice cream.
For more information, call the par k district's beach and pool office at
&
312/747-
0832.
TENNIS
The best—and cheapest—tennis in the city is found at
Waveland Courts,
located on
Lake Shore Drive at Addison. For about $5 per hour, you can play on these public courts.
It's first-come, first-served, so get there early—the park is open from 6am to 11pm. Pay
before you play at the trailer close to the A ddison entrance. Tennis buffs report that the
availability of cour ts is pretty good in the morning. League play takes place in the ev e-
nings, and it's difficult to get a court. Any nontennis players in your family can play golf,
which is also available here.
If it's lessons you're seeking, head for
McFetridge Sports Complex,
3845 N. Califor-
nia Ave. (
&
773/478-2609
). Students here report that the tennis pros are great, lessons
are good, and the price is right. Court fees are $17 per hour during the day, and $26 per
hour in the evening. You'll have no problem booking an indoor court in the summer, but
in the winter make sure to book ahead.
8
5
INDOOR PLAYGROUNDS
The only city-run indoor playground is free, highly recommended, and located in
Gar-
field Park Conservatory;
see p. 199 for a full description.
The national chain
Gymboree
offers a series of classes for kids fr om newborn to age
4 in a playscape with slides, inflatable logs, colorful mats, and all kinds of things to jump
on and crawl inside. A Gymboree teacher leads the way with activities and songs.Visitors
can call ahead to request space in one of the classes; most local par ents sign up for a full
series. In Chicago, one location is at 3158 N. Lincoln A ve. (
&
773/296-4550;
www.
gymboree.com). You'll also find branches in suburban Wilmette, Skokie, Northbrook,
and Wheaton.
Odyssey Fun World
(www.odysseyfunworld.com), in w est suburban Naperville and
Tinley Park, features 250 video games and rides, plus a Little Tykes playground, a four-
level soft playland (for kids 12 and under), a r oller coaster simulator , a cafe, a r ock-
climbing-wall thrill ride, paintball, and some outdoor attractions, including 36 holes of
adventure golf , go-car t tracks, and batting cages. Each activity has a fee, and games
