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Renees Next Adventure Midwest Outdoors + Travel
📍 Chicagoland & nearby states

10/13/2026

Can you believe this is an easy day trip from Chicago?

🚗 Only about a 2.5-hour drive from Chicago, just outside of Milwaukee, Holy Hill makes the perfect day trip for a little history, breathtaking views, and a peaceful escape into nature.

✨ A little history: Holy Hill has been a place of prayer and pilgrimage since 1863. The beautiful basilica we see today was completed in 1931 and has become one of Wisconsin’s most iconic landmarks.

😍As you approach, look for the magnificent twin spires rising above the treetops, visible from miles away! It was breathtaking!

🍁 The fall foliage in this video is CURRENT as of October 11, 2026! If you’re hoping to catch the autumn colors, now is a beautiful time to visit. Check the scenic camera tower on their website, it is updated every five minutes.

🗼 Things to do at Holy Hill:
• Climb the 178 steps to the top of the scenic tower for incredible panoramic views. On a clear day, you can even see the Milwaukee skyline!
• Walk the peaceful, wooded path along the Stations of the Cross.
• Take in the gorgeous fall colors and explore the stunning basilica grounds.
• Hop on the Ice Age Trail for a hike.

🙏 Good to know:
• Holy Hill is free to visit; donations are welcome.
• Building hours are 6:00 am to 5:00 pm. The Holy Hill grounds close at 6:00 pm.
• Mass is held Mon-Sat 6 AM & 11 AM, Sat Vigil Mass 4:30 PM, Sunday 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM & 12:00 PM• The café is open Tues - Sun 7 AM - 4 PM• The gift store is open daily 9 AM - 4 PM

⚠️ Important: The scenic tower is only open through October 31, so plan your visit before the end of the month!

🍎 After exploring Holy Hill, stop by Pine Hill Orchard at the bottom of the hill for fresh apples, apple c***r, and delicious seasonal treats.

🍽️ Staying until dinner? Head to Fox & Hounds Restaurant & Tavern for a cozy dinner in a charming, rustic setting.

📍 1525 Carmel Road Hubertus, Wisconsin

✨ Save this itinerary for your next fall road trip!

10/10/2026

Details 👇

Fall Hike + Coffee Shop in the Chicago Suburbs, Part 3 🍂☕

‼️SAVE this post for a day very soon when the fall colors are poppin’ & SHARE this with the person you want to take with you!

🥾 The fall hike: Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve

🍂 Golden canopy, Salt Creek running alongside, and the historic Graue Mill nearby. There are about 6 miles of trails, mostly crushed gravel, so it’s an easy, scenic walk for almost anyone.

🐕 Dog friendly!

🌿 Don’t skip the free Nature Education Center. It’s full of exhibits, and the giant bug sculptures are a hit with kids and adults. Open daily 10am-4pm, mid-April through mid-November.

📍 3609 Spring Rd, Oak Brook, IL

🕐 Preserve open daily, 1 hour after sunrise to 1 hour after sunset

☕ The local coffee shop: Coffee For the Soul Oak Brook
Post-hike, CFS has Colombian coffee Latino pastries and all day breakfast + lunch and dinner items. It is less than a 10 minute drive from the forest preserve!

🎃 Season drinks include: pumpkin spice latte, iced banana chai latte, and apple cinnamon latte.

📍 2050 York Rd, Oak Brook, IL

🕐 Mon-Fri 7am-3pm | Sat-Sun 8am-4pm

🎥 Videos are a combination of peak foliage taken on 10/18/22 and current videos taken on 10/9/26 (a few leaves were starting to change color.)

Where should Part 4 take me? Drop your suggestions below 👇

10/01/2026

About a 3-hour drive from Chicago, the Dells makes an amazing fall weekend getaway — especially when the leaves are changing and the crowds are a little quieter. From sandstone canyons and scenic hikes to cozy supper clubs and pumpkin patches, there’s a whole different side of the Dells waiting to be explored.

Here are 8 things to add to your fall itinerary:

✨ Aquavia Lumina
📍 39 Hillman Rd, Lake Delton
🕐 Open nightly, year-round, beginning at dusk
Walk through a one-mile sandstone canyon transformed by lights, music, projections and special effects.

🥾 Devil’s Lake State Park
📍 S5975 Park Rd, Baraboo
With towering quartzite bluffs, a 360-acre lake and nearly 30 miles of trails, this is one of the best places to soak up Wisconsin’s fall colors.

🧙‍♀️ Dells Boat Tours®
📍 107 Broadway, Wisconsin Dells
🕐 Open until early November
Cruise through the Wisconsin River and stop at the famous Witches Gulch, a narrow sandstone passage carved by nature.

🍽️ Ishnala Supper Club
📍 S2011 Ishnala Rd, Lake Delton
🕐 Open daily, season ends 10/25
Nestled on the shore of Mirror Lake inside Mirror Lake State Park, Ishnala combines classic Wisconsin supper-club dining with an unforgettable fall setting.

🐴 Lost canyon
📍 720 Canyon Rd, Wisconsin Dells
🕐 Operates through late fall
Hop aboard a horse-drawn carriage for a leisurely ride through a mile of spectacular, cliff-walled canyon.

🍂 Mirror Lake State Park
📍 E10320 Fern Dell Rd, Baraboo
Take a peaceful hike through 2,200 acres of woods, wetlands and sandstone bluffs surrounding the incredibly calm Mirror Lake. Fall is prime time for hiking, photography and enjoying the reflections of the colorful trees on the water.

🎢 Wisconsin Dells Mountain Coaster
📍 111 County Rd A, Baraboo
🕐 Year-round
Race through the trees on an alpine coaster where you control your speed. Fall adds an extra dose of scenery as you twist and turn through the changing landscape.

🎃 Country Bumpkin Farm Market
📍 E9745 County Rd P, Wisconsin Dells
🕐 9 AM–6 PM daily
Pick out pumpkins, browse the farm market, grab some baked goods and enjoy the family-friendly activities.

Address

Grand Rapids, MI
49501, 49502, 49503, 49504, 49505, 49506, 49507, 49508, 49510, 49514, 49515, 495

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