Weekend Getaways Near Chicago
When you need a break from the big city, you don't have to go far. These escapes—including Amish Country, Indiana; Galena, Illinois; and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin—are within a one- to three-hour drive and offer a variety of activities that will recharge your life.
Bloomington-Normal, Illinois: 130 miles southwest of Chicago
For theater-lovers, summertime means outdoor Shakespeare. But in downstate Illinois, that takes on a fresh new form. Want improv Shakespeare? Sing-along Shakespeare? Or just a performance of his classics (including A Comedy of Errors this year)? Starting in May, and running through mid-August, the Illinois Shakespeare Festival in Bloomington-Normal reveals its ode to the Bard. Other draws to the area: Bloomington’s restored 1800s buildings house farm-to-table restaurants, shops and live-music venues. Inside the three-story courthouse, a museum highlights the area’s historical treasures.
See Midwest Living's story about a summer getaway to Bloomington-Normal.
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