I've been excited to keep my son pretty busy with fun things to do this summer. We've been to the local splash parks, horseback riding, go-karting, fishing, and more.
I wanted to share the local hot spots we go to with you. *Be sure to add to this list if there are places you frequent that we should check out!
1.) Yorkville's Riverfront. We love it there. Visit the island- walk along the river. Go fishing. Skip rocks. Hunt for turtles (we've found quite a few.)Then go to River City Roasters for an ice coffee or Foxy's for icecream. If you are looking for local dining, hit Casa Santiago and sit outside next to their fish pond.
2.) Raging Waves Water Park in Yorkville. This is a no-brainer. TO SCORE FREE TICKETS, friend their facebook page. They post quiz questions. Be the first to answer and you get 2 free Adult all day admission passes. FREE. https://www.facebook.com/ragingwaves?fref=ts
3.) Klatt Park in Plano, IL. It's the only park I know of that has a merry-go-round. Cool Stream next to it for wading on a hot day. (New sign says no swimming. We've swam there before.) Nice place to pack a picnic and spend a few hours. https://maps.google.com/maps?daddr=Plano,+IL+60545&gl=us&panel=1&fb=1&dirflg=d&geocode=0,41.666253,-88.525409&cid=0,0,2716156787351489978&hq=klatt+park&hnear=0x880ec15d8e305abd:0x16c34955efda9892,Plano,+IL&t=m&z=16
4.) Prairie Point Community Park in Oswego. Big hill to climb. Nice picnic area. HUGE splash pad. (FREE water fun for kids on a hot summer day.) https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Prairie+Point+Community+Park,+Plainfield+Road,+Oswego,+IL&hl=en&sll=41.691117,-88.273773&sspn=0.209201,0.445976&oq=prairie+point+&gl=us&hq=Prairie+Point+Community+Park,+Plainfield+Road,+Oswego,+IL&t=m&z=16
5.) Reimenschneider Park in Yorkville. We kindly refer to this one as Firemen Water Park. Smaller splash pad (again, free.) Not very busy ever. Nice little park. in Yorkville behind the post office. https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Prairie+Point+Community+Park,+Plainfield+Road,+Oswego,+IL&hl=en&ll=41.665026,-88.431616&spn=0.00327,0.006968&sll=41.691117,-88.273773&sspn=0.209201,0.445976&oq=prairie+point+&gl=us&hq=Prairie+Point+Community+Park,+Plainfield+Road,+Oswego,+IL&t=m&z=18&iwloc=11048802184291865361
6.) Horseback riding in Millbrook. THIS IS THE BEST PLACE EVER. www.millbrooktrailrides.com Millbrook, IL. Kids under 9 get rides led around the arena by an employee. Half hour for $20. My son LOVED this. It was a mini-lesson. It was amazing. Adults (ages 9 and up) can go on trail rides for an hour for $25. Or two hours for $40. VERY COOL. 12 minutes from Yorkville.
7.) Go down the rapids in Yorkville. Rent a 6 person raft or an individual tube to go down the rapids. I think a tube was $20. for 2 hours last Summer. The raft was about $60. Both are a ton of fun. genevakayak.com
8.) Sugar Grove Family Center in Sugar Grove. www.sugargrovefamilyfuncenter.comMy son is 6 and old enough to ride the go karts, bumper boats (both solo). In addition, there's mini golf, and a water wars game. For rainy days, visit their indoor arcade.
9.) C & M Canoe in Ottawa. cmcanoerental.com I am sure you can canoe closer to Yorkville, but perhaps not as scenic as this route. You can choose 8 or 11 miles. I think it's $50. for a canoe. You get in a bus and they drive you up stream. Then you canoe back to their place at your own pace. 11 miles takes us 5 hours at a leisurely pace. There's even a spot for cliff jumping.
10.) Phillips Park Zoo in Aurora. www.phillipsparkaurora.com FREE zoo. And they have a splash pad for hot days. The flowers are simply gorgeous. They have a beautiful sunken garden you can walk through.
11.) Harris Hill in Yorkville. This was the sighting of bigfoot. (Really. This was in the Kendall County Record, front page last June.) It's a great place year round. A huge hill for sledding or hiking. Lots of trails and a few ponds. Great for picnics. https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Harris+County+Forest+Preserve&hl=en&ll=41.615282,-88.457944&spn=0.01309,0.027874&cid=6385680469594895366&gl=US&t=m&z=16&iwloc=A
12.) Silver Springs in Yorkville. Walk around the ponds and visit the spring. On weekends, you can rent a paddleboat. They also have a sledding hill for winter. https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Silver+Springs+State+Park,+Yorkville,+IL&hl=en&ll=41.626093,-88.518133&spn=0.026176,0.055747&sll=41.630506,-88.521255&sspn=0.001636,0.003484&oq=silver+springs&gl=us&hq=Silver+Springs+State+Park,+Yorkville,+IL&t=m&z=15&iwloc=7059876392860748603
13.) A place I have not yet taken my son to, but I have been to: HI TIDE Camp ground in Leland, IL. www.hitidecampground.comI was sold when I saw the pics on their website of a trampoline on the pond. They also have a pool and campsites. Nice beach. From what I read on their website, $6. a person gets you a day pass to play.
14.) Hoover Center, Yorkville. There are great paths for long walks and a nice lookout over the fox river. Cool cabins to rent. Wide open spaces to explore and play. https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Hoover+Forest+Preserve&hl=en&cid=17046460414219577754&gl=US&t=m&z=16&iwloc=A
I hope to add to this list and if you have places to suggest, please add them. There's still a lot of summer left to enjoy. I hope you can visit these places that we love.
