Kayak Starved Rock Campground

Keen hikers make a beeline for Starved Rock State Park (five minutes’ drive), with its network of forested trails leading to pretty waterfalls, dramatic canyons and spectacular views. Keep your eyes peeled for deer, squirrels and other wildlife. Trail maps are available from the visitor center. The wetlands around Senachwine Lake (45 minutes) are home to the Sue and Wes Dixon Waterfowl Refuge, where you may spot several species of ducks, plus white pelicans and American coots. There’s plenty more to do besides birdwatching here, including fishing, hiking and picnicking. Among the world-class institutions that make up the Museum Campus in Chicago (one and a half hours) are the Field Museum of Natural History, the vast Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium. Millennium Park, on the shore of Lake Michigan, is home to a vast ice-skating circuit and the bean-shaped Cloud Gate sculpture.