Enjoy getting lost at Richardson Adventure Farm & Corn Maze in Spring Grove. Five mazes together make up the World’s Largest Corn Maze which this year features a tribute to 100 years of Boy Scouts. Once you find your way out of the maze, you can view the landscape from a 50ft tower and take a 700ft zipline ride. New this year at the farm is Orbiting, also known as zorbing, where two people get into a giant ball and roll down a ramp for about half a mile. This is definitely a lot of fun and you can check out my experience in this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isJubEUiWTk. The adventure farm also has a children’s area, wagon rides, campfires and a paintball area.

The Lambs Farm Haunted Harvest is a spooky celebration full of fun and adventure for the entire family and features the unique Train of Terror. The farmyard has been transformed into delightfully frightening activities including the Creature Walk, Enchanted Carousel and Graveyard Golf. Please note, this event is only open on Saturday nights. Didier Farms’ Pumpkin Fest is also a great family event, as you can take a hayride to the pumpkin patch to pick that perfect pumpkin. Also enjoy a petting zoo, corn maze, farm stand and apple & pumpkin donuts made daily. The Legendary Dungeon of Doom Haunted House in Zion is one of the longest running, best and largest haunted attractions in the Chicagoland area. From the moment you get out of your car, you will feel the energy from the outdoor characters to the surroundings offered by the unbelievably scary building, which is 15,000 square feet and two floors of the best fear driven madness.

The biggest and most well known fall event is Six Flags Fright Fest. The park has been transformed from theme park to scream park with plenty of spooky activities for the entire family. New this year is the SAW Live haunted house, and if you got chills watching the movies, you will definitely get chills experiencing this haunted house. The hypnotist returns for another season as does the Mausoleum of Terror and plenty of spooky activities including hair-raising shows, electrifying street entertainment and terrifying rides. I had a great time experiencing Fright Fest and I hope you do too. Before you go to Six Flags be sure to view the 2010 Fright Fest Video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5x2LyEwfGg.

As you can see, there are plenty of cool places in Lake County to keep you and your family busy the next two weekends. Browse through our calendar of events and coupons at http://www.lakecounty.org to stay up-to-date on all the happenings in Lake County, and “Like” us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/visitlakecounty.

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Did you know you do not have to go all the way to Egypt to experience the wonder and mystery of an Egyptian pyramid? As a matter of fact, there is one you can tour in northern Illinois near the town of Wadsworth, Illinois, in Lake County. The gold pyramid house was built in 1977 by Jim and Linda Onan, and they have used it as the home where they raised their children, as well as, periodically opening it up to the (very curious) public for tours. They were inspired to build the pyramid home after reading a University of Wisconsin study, suggesting that pyramids generate energy. In addition, Mr. Onan had a long-standing interest in all things Egyptology, such that when combined with his skills as a builder, and access to capitol, he is said to have built the largest 24 karat gold plated object in the world! This photo collage shows that water forms a moat that encircles the entire structure. The moat is 20 feet deep and spring-lake fed. Therefore, the pyramid could be said to be on an island, and you have to pass over a causeway to get into the home. The middle photos of the collage show the 80 stone sphinxes that line the driveway, as well as the "three-pyramid" garage (right center photo). Since Mr. Onan is said to have made his "fortune" by building garages, it is not surprising that HIS garage was built to hold FOUR automobiles. The collage also shows the 64 foot-tall and 200-ton statue of Ramesses II, near the entrance to the property. There is a tall, security fence, with large gates, that surrounds the property. So even if it is not open for tours on the day that you drive by, one can still take photos of the pyramid through that bars of the security fence.

In this photo collage, Linda Onan is showing our group, their family photos of the the children that were raised in the pyramid house. Don't you know that was a hoot for those kids, when explaining to their friends where they lived??!! Jim Onan is shown in these photos as he walks about the property, visits with guests, and unlocks the door to the recreated burial tomb of King Tutankhamen that is on the property. I was able to tour the simulated tomb, with someone who had actually been to REAL burial tombs in Egypt, and she said this recreation was as authentic-looking as the real thing.

The top left photo of this collage shows the "theater" where Onan greets entering tour groups. This area was originally meant to house a swimming pool, until water table problems interfered with that idea. Although there were signs posted inside saying "No Photography", Mr. Onan gave our group permission to take photographs of their living area. It was furnished much as any nice home might be, with the addition of NUMEROUS accessories/designs that would be called "Egyptian". The walls are hand-painted with hieroglyphs, as was the large window looking out towards the moat (upper right photo).

The property also contains a gift shop (middle right photo shows the interior, and the lower photo shows the exterior of the gift shop). When I was looking at the sarcophagus inside the recreated tomb of King Tut, I was reminded of the significance of the EMPTY tomb of Jesus Christ in Israel. The Bible verse in the gospels (Luke 24:34), relays the good news for Christ-followers, that "He is risen---He is risen, indeed!" If you would like to learn more about the Gold Pyramid House, and perhaps plan to go there for a tour, visit their website at http://www.goldpyramid.com/. For additional activities in the surrounding area, visit http://www.lakecounty.org/ You will be surprised to see how many treasures (Egyptian and otherwise) this scenic county has to offer! It is there you will find----miles of smiles! Tricia

This blog was provided by Tricia. You can view her other blogs at http://www.ExpeditionsByTricia.blogspot.com

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Appropriately located at 545 N. Milwaukee Ave. in downtown Libertyville, Il 60048, is 545 North Bar & Grill. Don't let the name fool you. 545 North is anything but your typical bar and grill. Offering a menu of international flavors with Chef Patrick Joyce's unique twist, 545 North is a modern bistro in the heart of main street Libertyville.

545 North is typical to most businesses and restaurants in downtown Libertyville in it's long and narrow space. When you enter the main entrance on the side, you find the space opens up in the front where the bar is located. Tables and the bar in the front have plenty of light and a view overlooking downtown Libertyville and Milwaukee Ave. Head toward to rear of the restaurant, you find an outdoor oasis, complete with a fireplace.



Both a lunch and dinner menu are available at 545 North. So, be sure to visit for lunch and then return to experience the atmosphere at night.

For a more casual dining experience, just across the street are Main Street Smokehouse and Morgan's Bar & Grill.

As always, we welcome your comments, thoughts and suggestions on what makes Lake County such a great place to live, work and play!

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Sometimes you get burned out on a place from eating there so often, and then wonder why you haven't been there in so long. That's what happened to us with Green Basil, a Thai restaurant in Vernon Hills. Green Basil sits in the middle of the Rivertree Plaza, between TJ Maxx and Office Depot. While the typical strip mall storefront doesn't do much to draw you in, once you enter the doors, you'll find a clean, friendly environment where after one visit, the owners and staff will remember you.

While we haven't tried everything on the menu, I can suggest some of our favorites and you can see what others have to say about Green Basil on Yelp. Our personal favorites include: Basil Rolls, Seafood Rangoon, Drunken Noodles, and Filet Panang. You can view the entire Green Basil menu online.

So next time you're looking for a Thai restaurant in the Vernon Hills area, visit Green Basil and then share your thoughts on the food, service and ambiance. And since Green Basil is open 7 days a week, we have no excuses not to get back there again this week ourselves!

For a sweet treat, just down the mall from Green Basil is Eloise Chicago, where you can have a espresso and cinnamon roll.

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