5. Chicago Botanic Garden

The Botanic Gardens are well worth the easy drive from downtown Chicago. Straight up the expressway, it was easy to find and well worth the $5 parking. While I'm not one to frequent places like this.. it was awesome. Even people not interesting in flowers and gardening (me) will enjoy the different gardens, waterfalls, and information. The variety and design of the Gardens was captivating. You could easily spend the entire day walking around the well groomed paths and admiring the flowers--the place is HUGE. This is a great break from the high energy hustle and bustle of a visit to Michigan Ave.