Renaissance Poore

August 10, 2011 10:16 AM

My g/f and I, based in Chicago and working in Evanston, were going to go to the Bristol Renaissance Faire today because I have the day off and she's done with work in an hour. Turns out the Faire, obviously, isn't open on Wednesdays. What else to do between Evanston and Bristol?

We've seen the Baha'i Temple. I'm not too excited about the beach. We have to be back to Chicago by 7ish. We would go to the Bristol Ren Faire because we have actor friends who work there, but the thing we do today doesn't necessarily have to be joust- or turkey-leg-related. Ideas?

posted by HeroZero to Travel & Transportation around Chicago, IL (6 answers total)

Response by poster: I did see this post about Madison-Milwaukee-Chicago attractions. Looking for stuff North of Chicago, but no more than halfway to Milwaukee
posted by HeroZero at 10:29 AM on August 10, 2011

The Russel Military Museum is more of a junkyard than a museum but it's cheap and a good way to kill an hour, especially if you are into fighter jets and tanks. I'd definitely recommend stopping by if you were going to be in Bristol anyway, but it's probably not worth diving up from Evanston for the museum alone.
posted by indyz at 10:37 AM on August 10, 2011

It's a beautiful day to visit the Botanic Garden. There is also always Great America if you're into that sort of thing. Highland Park, Glencoe, and Lake Forest all have interesting little downtown areas that can be fun to poke around and maybe enjoy a drink at an outside table. The Grayslake Farmer's Market (with booths offering gifts, baked goods, and all manner of protein sources in addition to the more traditional produce) runs from 3pm to 7pm, right in downtown.
posted by DrGail at 10:44 AM on August 10, 2011

There's always the outlet malls in Pleasant Prairie.

I guess you could swing west and hit the auto museum in Volo. Antioch is a nice little town to go antiquing in. Other than that, I'm kind of stumped.
posted by desjardins at 11:36 AM on August 10, 2011

Oh, you could go to the Seven Mile Fair flea market, but that's pretty well on your way to Milwaukee. Much closer to Bristol is the Mars Cheese Castle.
posted by desjardins at 11:40 AM on August 10, 2011

The Jelly Belly distribution plant is in Kenosha. It's fun - there's a cutesy little tour and there are free jelly beans at the end. They sell misfit beans in the gift shop - Belly Flops. My friends from home always ask to be taken when they visit me in Evanston.
posted by honeybee413 at 12:14 PM on August 10, 2011 [1 favorite]