07.19.17

Daily Herald

Midwest travel: Sky High Silent Yoga takes over Skydeck Chicago

By Jacky Runice

Chicago

Upward facing dogs

Yoga followed by beer sampling is nothing new. Combine those on the 99th floor of Willis Tower at Skydeck Chicago, and your mountain pose takes on a whole new tenor. Yoga Six guides a Sky High Silent Yoga class, ideal for all levels: Slip on the provided headphones to receive instructions during the class while listening to background music set by a DJ. Immediately following the class, get to the 103rd floor for a beer tasting and stunning views of Chicago and four states from The Ledge, which is 1,353 feet up in the air. 7 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, July 13, in the Willis Tower, 233 S. Wacker Drive, Chicago. Tickets cost $45 and include a one-hour yoga class, headphones, beer tasting and access to Skydeck Chicago and The Ledge. Bring your own mat. Tickets are available for purchase at theskydeck.com/plan-a-visit/upcoming-events/.

Far East on the South Side

Get immersed in Chinese culture at Chicago’s 38th annual Chinatown Summer Fair. The neighborhood festival features a colorful Lion Dance procession plus Asian cultural entertainment from music to dance. Try one of Chinatown’s many restaurants and browse the unique gift shops, Chinese arts and crafts exhibits, the children’s area and street vendors selling a variety of merchandise during this daylong family event. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, July 16, on Wentworth Avenue from Cermak Road to 24th Place, Chicago. (773) 868-3010 or chicagochinatown.org/event/38th-annual-chinatown-summer-fair/.

Peek a Blu

Treat the youngsters to a big city Kids Kamping Package at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel. The package includes accommodations for two adults and two kids; breakfast for two adults and a special kids’ breakfast for two kids each morning in Filini Restaurant; a kids’ tent to sleep in in-room and to take home; a toy and coloring book upon arrival; special chocolate amenity for the kids on the day of arrival as well as a s’mores kit; and valet parking for one car per night. Get to the third-floor terrace for s’mores over the fire pit; take a short walk to Lakeshore East Park to explore its special kids’ area; and enjoy the countless summer activities in Chicago. Book through Dec. 31, 2017, at Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, 221 N. Columbus Drive, Chicago. Book at (312) 565-5BLU or radissonblu.com/en/aquahotel-chicago/hotel-deals/kids-kamping-package.

Midwest

Northwestern exposure

A visit to Galena/Jo Daviess County is always appealing, especially when artists from three states fill the Northwest Illinois Art Festival with ceramics, clay, porcelain, jewelry, photography, glass, metal, acrylics and oils, wood, printmaking, fiber/textiles, leather, mixed media, lawn art, paper and graphics. Stop in the classroom tents for plein air painting, barn quilt painting and an artworks studio. This year, the festival also features the art of winemaking, brewing and distilling with Massbach Ridge Winery, Squeeze Beverage, Pecatonica Brewing and Galena Brewing Company. Food vendors keep your hunger and thirst in check and there will be jazz on Saturday from Highland Big Band, Migration, Mary J. Harris Swing and Groove Hotel. Sunday features an open mic Music in the Park and other performers. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, July 15, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 16, in Stockton Memorial Park, 600 N. Pearl St., Stockton, Illinois. Free. (815) 947-2878 or nwilartfest.com/.

Up the creek, with a paddle

Is this the summer you finally get up on a paddleboard or hone your moves on the clear blue water of Northern Michigan? After an introductory lesson on paddleboarding, cruise along Lake Leelanau on a Leland Paddleboard Tour guided along the lake’s most scenic stretch, ending upriver in the quaint fishing village of Leland. There you’ll enjoy a picnic-style lunch overlooking the river and have time to explore Leland’s boutique shops and its historic district, Fishtown. Pictures from along the tour are included, but you can bring a waterproof camera along for the ride, too. 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Friday, now through Sept. 10. The cost is $85 per person and includes paddleboard and life-jacket rental, gourmet picnic lunch (special dietary needs can be met), and shuttle service to and from Suttons Bay and Leland, Michigan. Reservations are required by calling Grand Traverse Bikes Tours at (231) 421-6815 or get details at grandtraversebiketours.com/leland-paddleboard-tour.html.

All mine

What kid hasn’t wished to have a whole water park to him or herself? Lake Geneva’s Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark has launched an all-access water park experience that includes a one-night stay in a suite, four water park passes for a one-bedroom suite (six passes for a two-bedroom suite), one hour of private water park time along with a personal lifeguard for your family (either pre-opening or after closing), a reserved table for one day at the water park, and a $50 dining credit at Hungry Moose Food Court or Smokey’s Bar-B-Que House. The property’s 50,000-square foot indoor/outdoor water park Moose Mountain Falls has pools, slides, lazy river, hot tubs and a new musically inspired water slide Avalanche Falls. Just outside the waterpark’s patio lies a new nine-hole mini golf course. Get comfy in an expansive guest suite equipped with whirlpool baths, private balconies, and a spacious living room and kitchen. Venture across the resort grounds to visit Grand Geneva Resort for golf, hiking trails, rock climbing walls and biking excursions. Valid until Dec. 30, 2017, at Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Package is subject to availability. The starting rate for the all-access water park experience is $559. Learn more and book at timberridgelodge.com.