Things to do / Travel Guide
Picture this, you who are lovers of the great American outdoors: a region on the one hand bordered by one of the Great Lakes, and on the other by great prairie land. Salmon, trout, and steelhead populate the one, while deer and coyote, and birds of all kinds, populate the other. Vast old-growth forests of pine, hemlock, elm, ash, hickory beech, and cottonwood are the norm. Where is this outdoors region, you might ask? None other than metro Chicago and southern Wisconsin. The cities of Chicago, America's Second City, and Milwaukee, Beer City and capital of the cheeseheads, were built on the vast swathes of prairie land in the American heartland, along the western coast of Lake Michigan. The region is a great one to explore, both on land and water, for the beauty of its environment and wildlife. Great added bonuses are the manifold opportunities of viewing Chicago's skyline from Lake Michigan.
Water Activities in Metro Chicago and Southern Wisconsin
On Lake Michigan you'll be able to fish on charters heading out away from the shore, or you can take advantage of the many piers from which to sink a line. In Chicago, Northerly Island grants leisurely opportunities for salmon fishing, while Racine, in southern Wisconsin, boasts the largest marina on any of the Great Lakes.
You're not limited to fishing on just Lake Michigan, however, as there are a number of other lakes in the region, as well as rivers. Within Chicago, you can fish on the Chicago River and Lincoln Park Lagoon for catfish, as well as rock and smallmouth bass. North of Chicago you've got the number of lakes surrounding Milwaukee, those surrounding Madison, and the Yahara River. These are all easily accessed by the angler, and contain the popular muskellunge, northern pike, and walleye. Down in Lake Geneva you can snag cisco fish as well as rock bass, white bass, and more muskellunge.
Many of these bodies of water, those moving and those not, are also navigable by kayak or canoe. This is your chance to leisurely explore the habitat, spying on birds like meadow links, sandpipers, and bobolinks on the prairies, and northern orioles and red-tailed hawks in the woodlands. Lake Mendota and Lake Monona frame Madison, one of the States' most livable cities, so there's a lot of potential for kayaking on these lakes. The great Lake Michigan allows kayakers to cruise her waters, so long as you make sure the weather agrees. You'll earn spectacular views of Chicago's mighty skyline, and visit the beautiful city parks - Lincoln Park, Grant Park, and Jackson Park - along the shore.
There are many fascinating diving locations on Lake Michigan, as well. The notoriously bad weather during winter wrecked many a ship, so there's plenty to explore during the region's sunny and warm-to-hot summers. Visit the watery graves of ships that sunk up to 150 years ago, as did the Sebastopol, or as late as the 1950s, as did the Prins Willem. And in Devil's Lake, you can explore massive boulders and fallen trees, and there is a multitude of fish to swim with as well.
Land-based Activities in Metro Chicago and Southern Wisconsin
Back on land, you'll have plenty to keep you busy as you hike in Indiana Sand Dunes National Park. The habitats include woodlands, marshes, and, of course, dunes, for scenic walks along the shore or farther inland. In southern Wisconsin, where once a glacier slowly flowed thousands of years ago, you can today explore dense forest and admire the great granite outcroppings. This is the Ice Age Trail, which meanders all over Wisconsin. It's a great place to bird watch and see graceful deer. A particularly scenic section of the trail begins at Lodi, near Madison.
You can also hop on a bike for some more scenic exploration that's guaranteed to get your heart rate up. Chicago itself boasts some truly awesome trails, such as the Lakefront Trail, which runs along the Lake Michigan lakefront from Millennium Park, Frank Gehry's offering to Chicago, to the charming and lesser-known Jackson Park, offering 20 miles of hot property and fantastic city views. Within these parks, as well as in plenty of others, you'll find some great road biking plus mountain biking. Chicagoland's parks are the Windy City's way of preserving nature within the confines of a sprawling metropolis. As such, some of these are truly wild areas, like Busse Woods Forest Preserve and the forest preserves lining the Chicago River near O'Hare International Airport.
Any golfer in metro Chicago and southern Wisconsin will be delighted at the region's golf prospects. Not only does Chicagoland offer a number of first-rate courses, but if you make the drive up to Sheboygan, a resort city north of Milwaukee, you'll encounter some of the nation's best. In particular, a game at Whistling Straits is a true treat, while Jack Nicklaus signed a scorecard or two at the Bull at Pinehurst Farms.
Metro Chicago and Southern Wisconsin from Above
Chicago is great to explore from the ground, but if you're looking for a new perspective, a hot-air balloon ride might be in order. How better to admire the Sears Tower - or the calm southern Wisconsin prairie - than steadily in a balloon? Then if you're up for a thrilling ride, go skydiving for more great views from above. You can't beat seeing the Chicago skyline from 14,500 feet in the air! Then from 14,000 feet, then 13,500 feet, etc., etc.
Isn't Chicago great? And Milwaukee and Madison? Among these great cities, packed with skyscrapers and millions of people, you can have a whole outdoors vacation mapped out for you. Enjoy yourself, collect views of lakefront stretches and the rolling prairie, and meet and greet the wildlife. And take some time out to eat an Italian beef sandwich or a bratwurst while you're at it.
Outdoor Recreation in Chicago, Illinois, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Dells, Madison
Outdoor-Sports-Recreation
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