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≤≤ Access the full July/August issue here |
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 What's It Like To...
Win an Olympic Gold Medal
& Dance with the Stars • Walk in Space • Have a New York Times
Best-seller • Work at the White House • Perform Brain Surgery • Freefall from a Plane
By Jay Copp
We do life. We get up, go to work and repeat the cycle ad nauseam. But some of us dance with stars, walk among the stars (the ones that twinkle in the night sky) and become literary stars atop best-sellers lists. What’s it like to compete in the Olympics, jump out of planes or walk the corridors of power in Washington during a national emergency? What is it like to leap out of the ordinary and experience the extraordinary?
(For full story, see the July/August issue) |
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 Landmark Status
Historic and architecturally significant buildings
serve as everyday
reminders of our past
By Christopher Cudworth
It doesn’t take a long trip or major preparation to get a taste of history in the western suburbs. Many sites and buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places pepper the suburban landscape. And thanks to the dedication and creativity of people who love these local landmarks, a visit to many historical sites comes wrapped in educational fun for the whole family.
(For full story, see the July/August issue) |
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 Making the Grade
Despite a challenging economic environment, area colleges and
universities prosper by pursuing their respective missions
By Chuck Cozette
They are the standard bearers of higher education for the region, helping train the next generation of teachers, nurses, and local business and community
leaders. But the area’s colleges and universities are far more than that. They are also major employers, economic development engines and beacons of culture for the region. Indeed,
area academic institutions are arguably among the most integral threads in the fabric of the greater west suburban community.
With that in mind — and with a struggling economy that is making higher education an ever more important priority — we thought it an opportune time to get an end-of-the-school-year status report from the leaders of the
region’s colleges and universities. No, not a report card, but rather an overview of the
state of their specific institutions and of
higher education in general.
So we went out and talked individually to each of the college and university presidents
pictured above — a group as distinctive and
diverse as the institutions they lead.
(For full story, see the July/August issue. For information on local colleges and universities, click here.) |
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 Outdoor Kitchens
New amenities have
taken summer grilling
to a whole new level
By Lisa Sloan
The word “cookout” takes on a whole new meaning when you consider the latest trend to hit the backyard. Taking the place of the traditional cart grill is an outdoor kitchen that can have all the amenities of its indoor counterpart,
allowing you to share a unique dining
experience with your friends and family.
Time was, the phrase “outdoor kitchen” simply meant any built-in grilling setup, but as Russ Faulk, vice-president of product
development for Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet, a builder of outdoor kitchen equipment headquartered in Chicago, says, “It has definitely evolved to be a more fully functional cooking space centered around the grill.”
(For full story, see the July/August issue) |
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 Creating Landscapes Where Families Grow
By Sara Pearsaul Vice
Ask landscape architects about residential garden design and you’re likely to hear about the
technical aspects they must address, such as the functions of the design, plant selections for sun and shade, hardscape installation, drainage problems and maintenance. Ask homeowners about their gardens and chances are they’ll tell you how their kids have enjoyed growing up there and how such lovely
landscapes have enhanced their family life. This summer, we peek behind the garden gates of four homes in the western suburbs where landscape designers have created beautiful, comfortable spaces that
welcome family, friends and neighbors to enjoy the great outdoors together.
(For full story, see the July/August issue) |
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 Distant Memories
By gradually robbing
aging seniors of their mental acuity, Alzheimer’s can take
a heavy toll. But new treatments are making the disease much
more manageable.
By Denise Linke
There’s no getting around it. Alzheimer’s can be a daunting disease,
often taking a significant emotional and
psychological toll on family and caregivers as it gradually robs aging loved ones of their once vibrant personality.
But groundbreaking medical research
offers new hope for improved treatments for Alzheimer’s disease — maybe even a cure in the next decade. Meanwhile, changes in
the way nursing homes care for dementia patients are helping them retain their ability to enjoy life to the very end.
(For full story, see the July/August issue) |
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 Lisle Town Focus
Growth of all kinds is evident in this “Arboretum Village”
By Lynn Petrak
If communities were colors, Lisle certainly would be green.
On a typical weekday morning, Main Street merchants emerge from their newly-renovated façades with watering cans in hand, tending to blooms in baskets and planters in front of their businesses, stepping along brick pathways etched with decorative leaf patterns. Nearby, a popular hot dog vendor starts setting up his cart on a large expanse of lush lawn in the center of town, while children stick their toes into a fountain as charming as it is refreshing. On the weekend, hundreds of visitors will descend on the nature-themed downtown in search of the perfect locally-grown, late-summer tomato, ripe berries, crusty loaf of fresh-baked bread or original artwork at the weekly Lisle French Market.
(For full story, see the July/August issue) |
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 Q&A
With actor and former Carol Stream resident Eric Petersen
By Brittany Ashcroft
Eric Petersen has a very busy summer ahead of him. The actor and former Carol Stream resident is coming back home to Chicago as everyone’s favorite ogre in the national tour of Shrek the Musical. Petersen made his Broadway debut in this same role.
In addition to transforming himself into a giant green ogre — which takes nearly two hours of make-up — Petersen and his wife, Lisa Marie, are expecting their first child, a daughter, this month.
But Petersen isn’t nervous (one can immediately hear the excitement in his voice) as those around him ask him how he’ll manage it all. Instead, he’s looking at the musical’s national tour and pending fatherhood as “two exciting births of new things,” citing lots of help from family and friends.
Shrek the Musical runs July 13 through September 5 at Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre.
(For the full interview, see our July/August issue or download a pdf here.) |
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 Guide to Summer Fun
Best fests, great beaches, waterparks and other seasonal events
& activities
Download our festivals and fairs guide here (pdf) or search for more summer events here.
MORTON ARBORETUM
Get in tune with nature at Lisle’s Morton Arboretum (www.mortonarb.org). Spread across 1,700 acres, the Arboretum is home to collections of more than 4,000 kinds of trees, shrubs and other plants. Let the little ones explore the 5-acre Children’s Garden or the one-acre Maze Garden.
The Arboretum also plays host to a
myriad of activities throughout the summer, from classes and shows to cultural events. Make a special trip to enjoy a Theatre-Hike, where the audience and actors walk from scene to scene amidst the grounds. Shows run Saturdays and Sundays from July through October and feature such selections as Robin Hood (in July), Peter Pan (in August) and Our Town (in September).
Another worthy outing is the “In Tune with Trees” concert series with shows on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from June 18 through August 8. Performers include Blues Traveler (June 18), Art Garfunkel (June 19), Indigo Girls (July 24), Lee Ann Womack (August 7), among others.
If unique art is an interest, be sure to check out the recently opened “Steelroots” outdoor art installation. Artist Steve
Tobin’s unique sculptures are inspired by nature and tree roots and are set against the
Arboretum’s Conifer Collection.
CANTIGNY
Tucked away amidst the hustle and bustle in the heart of DuPage County, Cantigny (www.cantigny.org) is a 500-acre park
featuring expansive gardens, an award-winning golf course and two museums – the Robert R. McCormick Museum and the First Division Museum.
Perfect for a summer stroll are Cantigny’s 29 acres of 22 individual gardens, from
formal and rose gardens to an Idea Garden for the aspiring at-home gardener.
Get a taste of history at either (or both) of Cantigny’s museums. The Robert R.
McCormick Museum shows how the former Chicago Tribune publisher and his family lived from 1936 to 1955. The First Division Museum showcases American history from the viewpoint of the First Infantry Division, complete with a Tank Park outside for kids to climb and explore.
Cantigny is not short on special events and other things to do either. Check out its outdoor concerts series on Sundays at 3 p.m. In addition, actor Gary Sinise stops by with his Lt. Dan Band on Saturday, July 17 for a special “Rockin’ for the Troops”
concert presented by Operation Support Our Troops-Illinois.
ZOOS
Take a walk on the wild side at
Brookfield Zoo (www.brookfieldzoo.org). The internationally recognized, 76-year-old zoo is known for Tropic World, its indoor immersion rain forest exhibit — the first of its kind in the world. The zoo also opens its new Great Bear Wilderness permanent exhibit on May 8, which is home to polar bears, bison, bald eagles and more (see “Into the Wild,” page 15).
Brookfield isn’t the only zoo in town. Wheaton Park District’s 5-acre Cosley Zoo (www.cosleyzoo.org) showcases domestic farm animals and native Illinois wildlife, from
white-tailed deer and red foxes to box turtles and night herons.
Also be sure to check out Aurora’s Phillips
Park Zoo (www.phillipsparkaurora.com). Open year-round, the 95-year-old zoo features
alligators, cougars, wolves and much more.
LIVING HISTORY MUSEUMS
Take a step back in time at some of the western suburbs’ living history museums. Naper Settlement (www.napersettlement.org) uses Naperville’s own history in the portrayal of a 19th century community complete with authentically costumed interpreters. Visit a blacksmith shop, post office, firehouse and more. The museum also hosts special events like “Settlement Sundays” from June 13 to August 29 with ice cream sundaes and hands-on activities, and the “Naperville Summer Nights” events on July 18, July 25 and August 1 featuring a combination of concerts and
movies shown outdoors.
Also worth a visit is Aurora’s Blackberry Farm (www.foxvalleyparkdistrict.org). This 54-acre living history museum showcases 19th century life with five different museums. The Farm also is an arboretum with 200
varieties of trees, floral displays and agricultural gardens. The Farm’s special summerevents include an antique car and tractor show on July 11, a model train show on July 24 & 25 and a vintage baseball game on July 25.
CRUISE NIGHTS
It’s not summer in the suburbs without
a classic car cruise night. Hosted by numerous western suburbs on various nights of the week, each car night usually features a
different “theme,” from convertibles and
corvettes to imports and Model Ts, along with live entertainment.
Cruise over to Elmhurst City Centre on Wednesday nights from May 5 through Labor Day, downtown Downers Grove on Fridays from May 21 through August 27, downtown Lombard from June 6 through September 12, the Promenade Bolingbrook on Wednesdays from May 19 through
September 29 and Burr Ridge Village Center on Saturday, June 19. Other suburbs also host cruise and car nights, so check local
calendars for more information.
HEAD FOR THE CITY
Chicago is home to a plethora of summer
events. Worthy of the trip downtown
(construction and all) are the Chicago Blues Festival, June 11-13 in Grant Park; Taste of Chicago June 25-July 4 along Michigan
Avenue and Congress; the Chicago Air and Water Show August 14 & 15 along the lakefront; and the Chicago Jazz Festival September 4 & 5 in Grant Park. For more Chicago events, visit www.explorechicago.org.
(For the full guide, see our May/June issue) |
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