{"id":808,"date":"2023-04-06T09:09:23","date_gmt":"2023-04-06T14:09:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/repbradstephens.com\/?p=808"},"modified":"2023-04-07T09:10:25","modified_gmt":"2023-04-07T14:10:25","slug":"enjoy-illinois-for-spring-break","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/repbradstephens.com\/enjoy-illinois-for-spring-break\/","title":{"rendered":"Enjoy Illinois for Spring Break"},"content":{"rendered":"
From waterparks to waterfalls, there are plenty of ways to embrace spring break in Illinois.<\/a><\/h6>\n

Illinois offers so many ways to have a fun spring break. From city staycations to road trips to outdoor adventures, all you have to do is pick a destination and go. Get inspired with some of these ideas below.<\/p>\n

Road Trips<\/h6>\n

With mile after mile of open road, Illinois is the perfect state to\u00a0explore on a road trip<\/a>. Take the kids to splash around at the\u00a0Great Wolf Lodge\u00a0in Gurnee. Get a taste of Americana on the Mother Road,\u00a0Route 66. Journey through the scenic\u00a0Great River Road, or discover some\u00a0quirky roadside attractions.<\/p>\n

Or find your zen at\u00a0Stonedrift Spa\u00a0at Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa in Galena, only three hours from Chicago. While you\u2019re out there, stay at the\u00a0Irish Cottage Boutique Hotel, which is Irish owned and features\u00a0Frank O\u2019Dowd\u2019s Irish Pub and Grill\u00a0with authentic cuisine.\u00a0<\/em>And don\u2019t forget to sip award-winning wines at\u00a0Galena Cellars\u00a0or participate in a guided tour and wine tasting.<\/p>\n

This is just a sampling of what Illinois has to offer. We have more than 100 itineraries to choose from, with all sorts of attractions, dining and hotels along the way. All you have to do is pick one, pack up your crew and\u00a0hit the road.<\/p>\n

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Photo from Enjoy Illinois<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Escape (or Staycate) to the City<\/h6>\n

Throughout Chicago, warmer spring weather breathes new life into the city\u2019s already incredible attractions. Museums like the\u00a0Art Institute of Chicago,\u00a0the\u00a0Shedd Aquarium\u00a0and\u00a0The Field Museum\u00a0offer world-class cultural experiences, including the\u00a0Native Truth: Our Voices, Our Stories<\/em>\u00a0exhibition now open at the museum.\u00a0The\u00a0Museum of Science and Industry\u00a0also offers an up-close look at extraordinary wonders with exhibits like the\u00a0U-505 Submarine,\u00a0United\u2019s Boeing 727 Airplane, the\u00a0Henry Crown Space Center\u00a0and\u00a0Colleen Moore\u2019s Fairy Castle.<\/p>\n

Stroll down Chicago\u2019s famous\u00a0Magnificent Mile\u00a0to spend the day getting lost in kid-friendly stores such as\u00a0American Girl Place\u00a0and\u00a0The LEGO Store.\u00a0More fun awaits at historic\u00a0Navy Pier, the iconic lakefront destination where the family can see Chicago from new heights on the Centennial Wheel, which offers incredible 360-degree views of the lake and skyline.<\/p>\n

Everyone in the family will also love exploring outdoor attractions like the\u00a0Lincoln Park Zoo\u00a0and\u00a0Maggie Daley Park, or getting an up-close look at Chicago\u2019s legendary architecture with\u00a0Wendella\u2019s Signature Lake & River Tour\u00a0or\u00a0Chicago\u2019s First Lady Cruises. There are so many options to dine and play, making Chicago the perfect place for a spring break staycation.<\/p>\n

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Photo from Enjoy Illinois<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
Pal Around with Presidents<\/h6>\n

Give your spring break a fun historical spin with a trip to Springfield, where you can step back in time and walk in the footsteps of our 16th president. Don\u2019t forget to visit\u00a0Lincoln Tomb\u00a0and rub his nose for good luck! There\u2019s so much more for the family to do in Springfield, from\u00a0interactive museums\u00a0to\u00a0iconic dining spots.\u00a0Kids will love spending the day learning while having fun at Springfield\u2019s\u00a0Kidzeum of Health and Science, dedicated to teaching children the importance of healthy habits, helping their communities and making smart decisions to help the environment.<\/p>\n

Or, you pack up the family and take the history lesson on the road with\u00a0our\u00a0presidential road trip itinerary<\/a>\u00a0that starts in Springfield and journeys through Dixon, Galena and Chicago.<\/p>\n

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Garden of the Gods \u2013 Photo from Enjoy Illinois<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Explore The Wild Side of Illinois<\/h6>\n

The outdoors of Illinois offer endless opportunities for adventures this spring. Go rappelling or horseback riding through\u00a0Giant City State Park, or kick it up a notch by ziplining through the\u00a0Shawnee Bluffs Canopy. Illinois has miles of scenic hiking trails \u2014 over 400 miles in\u00a0Shawnee National Forest,\u00a0home to\u00a0Garden of the Gods. More trails await at\u00a0Starved Rock State Park\u00a0along with scenic waterfalls and incredible local natural beauty.<\/p>\n

A mid-week getaway is the perfect time to explore\u00a0Matthiessen State Park\u00a0in Oglesby, where you can discover hiking paths that wind through tall trees, wildflower meadows, and even past waterfalls for the kids to spot. Stop at the overlooks along the Illinois River, and don\u2019t forget to remind the kids to look up\u2014you might see a bald eagle flying overhead. Stay at\u00a0Grizzly Jack\u2019s Grand Bear Resort\u00a0in Utica offering an indoor water park for kids to play while you unwind.<\/p>\n

Or see the wildlife from around the world in our own backyard at the\u00a0Brookfield Zoo. For some kid-friendly climbing, try the rope courses and climbing walls at the exciting\u00a0Forge at the Lemont Quarries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From waterparks to waterfalls, there are plenty of ways to embrace spring break in Illinois. Illinois offers so many ways to have a fun spring break. From city staycations to road trips to outdoor adventures, all you have to do is pick a destination and go. Get inspired with some of these ideas below. Road […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":809,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/repbradstephens.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/808"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/repbradstephens.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/repbradstephens.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/repbradstephens.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/repbradstephens.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=808"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/repbradstephens.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/808\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":810,"href":"https:\/\/repbradstephens.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/808\/revisions\/810"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/repbradstephens.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/repbradstephens.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/repbradstephens.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/repbradstephens.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}