Spring has hopefully arrived in Lake County. A week ago this past Sunday was a great day to be out and about in the county experiencing our natural beauty as we had our first 80 degree day. Now we know that it won’t last but it was beautiful none the less. April is one of those months where the weather fluctuates daily and it could be 80 or 40 and rain, but definitely spring has arrived! Area attractions are getting ready to open for the season and runners are out exploring the Forest Preserve trails.

This weekend is the Easter Holiday and many communities and park districts are having Easter egg hunts and events this weekend. One of the big hunts in the area is the 20^th Annual Easter Egg hunt happening this Saturday in Downtown Antioch. The Easter Bunny is visiting Gurnee Mills Mall and Westfield Hawthorn through April 23^rd, so while mom does some shopping, dad can take the kids to visit the bunny. Be sure to view our calendar of events for a list of all Easter events and brunches http://www.lakecounty.org/events.cfm. We also have some area fish fry’s listed for your convenience.

One of my favorite places in Lake County to grab a beer and burger is Mickey Finns Brewery and Pub in beautiful Downtown Libertyville. I especially enjoy stopping by on warm spring / summer days when you can sit out in the beer garden and take in the beautiful sights of Cook Park. I recently had the opportunity to view how Mickey Finns brews their own beer and makes their famous Mickey Burger (which is one of my favorite dishes). It is a very interesting process and you can view it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjGEzdjZZVw. Maybe I will see you at Finns next time I am in enjoying my burger and beer!

If you or your wife is a chocolate lover, you won’t want to miss the 12^th Annual Long Grove Chocolate Fest happening April 29 – May 1 in Historic Long Grove Village. I have been to this event several times and they truly have everything chocolate. My wife was in heaven! They have live entertainment happening, food booths, chocolate demonstrations and workshops, wine pairings, and plenty of children’s activities. This is one event that I think everyone should take the family too and stroll the cobble stone paths of Long Grove. You can view my experience at Chocolate Fest in my Lake County Cool Places video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzBcs9Fe0n0

Be sure to check our website http://www.lakecounty.org for a list of events, great hotel packages and print out coupons to area restaurants and attractions. You can also “Like” us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/visitlakecounty and view our Cool Places webisodes on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/visitlakecounty. Hope to see you out and exploring our great county!

- Anthony

[+/-] click to show/hide this post