You don’t need to book a cruise or a week at Club Med to give your kids a holiday adventure.
In fact, a memorable holiday weekend is just a short car ride away. Here are four family venues just perfect for jumpstarting your holiday season with activities for all ages—snow or no snow.
Starved Rock State Park, Utica, Ill.
Just a two-hour drive from Evanston, Starved Rock State Park combines history with sweeping views and stunning rock formations for an active, fun-filled weekend. The Starved Rock Lodge & Conference Center offers 69 comfortable hotel rooms and 13 cabins in the woods.
A massive, two-sided fireplace in the historic Great Hall, adjacent to the restaurant, is a great place to relax after an afternoon of hiking. The park offers a host of family activities throughout the month of December, including “Christmas with Frank,” featuring singer Peter Oprisko as Mr. Sinatra (December 16 and 17), Flutes by the Fire, holiday style (December 17), Breakfast with Santa (December 21), a Trolley Christmas Lights Tour (December 13-23) and more.
Eaglewood Resort and Spa, Itasca, Ill.
Less than 20 minutes from O’Hare, the Eaglewood Resort and Spa is a warm, prairie-style resort that’s perfect for a holiday weekend staycation. “Eaglewood is very family friendly,” says Julie Berry, the resort’s director of sales and marketing. “After check-in, head to the pool for a Dive-In movie, a Jacuzzi or steam. After drying off, the family can have some fun in the resort’s six-lane retro bowling alley, complete with a pool table and Internet juke box.”
On December 14, kids can enjoy Breakfast with Santa with a breakfast buffet and cookie decorating. Don’t forget fun for moms! A $300 spa gift card purchase includes a free overnight guest room. Visit their website for a full list of special offers.
The Grand Geneva Resort and Spa, Lake Geneva, Wis.
If you are looking for the complete package for fun, food and spa, the Grand Geneva Resort has pretty much everything for the holidays. In less than 1.5 hours, you are among 1,300 acres of scenic hills at a full-service, AAA Four Diamond resort.
During the holiday season, the resort offers an annual Christmas in the Country program with dozens of festive holiday activities, including: two new musicals, story time aboard the Polar Express, the Hall of Trees (a display of Christmas trees decorated by 40 United Way supported agencies of Walworth County), a gingerbread house display, brunch with Santa and festive holiday tea. For special holiday-rate packages and a full schedule, visit the resort website or call 800-558-3417.
Lake Lawn Resort, Delavan, Wis.
Located less than 30 minutes from Lake Geneva is the Lake Lawn Resort, a fun-filled family venue that received a 2013 Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor. With sweeping lawns, a great sports bar, an indoor pool, game room and a host of holiday activities, you probably won’t see your kids very much.
Thomas Hyslop, director of sales and marketing, says, “In addition to the holiday activities, the entire property will be decorated like a winter wonderland, and, weather permitting, we will have ice skating, snow shoeing and four fire pits, along with many family activities.” Some scheduled activities include a Nutcracker performance Saturday, Dec. 21 by The Dance Factory, Delavan’s local dance studio, special seasonal spa treatments at the Calladora Spa, and other scheduled activities.
