Spare the gas, not the fun: check out 25 fun things to do close to Morris

People like to get up and go in summer – but those $5.50-a-gallon gasoline blues make almost everyone ponder repeating staycations of 2020.

[ Baran-Unland: Tips for a great summer staycation during COVID-19 ]

Canceling that extensive road trip, however, doesn’t mean spending summer days on the front porch wistfully watching the world go by. Or hiding in the basement.

Cheap is fun. And here are 25 fun but cheap ways to celebrate summer in Grundy and Will Counties ,all close to home in Morris.

1) Brown Bag Fridays: Enjoy live entertainment on the Grundy County courthouse lawn on select Friday’s during the summer. Visit www.grundybank.com.

2) The Book Market, 2365 Plainfield Road, Crest Hill: A treasure trove of new, used and rare books, perfect for rainy day exploring. Visit bookmarketjoliet.com.

Janet Staley, owner of The Book Market in Crest Hill, said romance sells well at her store, but interest is waning in the Harlequin-type romance books. Paranormal and romances that also combine mysteries are more popular, she said. (Eric Ginnard)

3) Have a coffee with a friend at an independent cafe: Perhaps Alpine Coffee Bar , 312 Liberty St. in Morris or Brewed Awakenings at 1359 N Division St in Morris. Check out their menus of coffee, tea and food at alpinecoffeebar.com and brewedawakenings.com

4) Your local public library: Besides the obvious (free books), libraries also offer lots of free events for all ages. The Morris Public Library offers a summer adventure program, children have the opportunity participate in a variety of activities and a chance to win prizes. For additional information and more events visit morrislibrary.com

5) Get some vinyl. Enjoy the old hits from your youth. Or – if you’re young – listen to recorded music the old-fashioned way. If you’re really young, ask your parents what a record player is. Options: Black Vinyl Cafe (also serves coffee and craft beer), 16108 S. Route 59, Plainfield; and Audiophil’s Records (sell and buy vinyl records), 17 E. Van Buren St. Joliet. Visit blackdogvinylcafe.com and audiophilsrecords.com.

Audiophil’s Records is located at 17 E. Van Buren St. Joliet.

6) Arroyo Trails, A Discovery Woodlands, a 78-acre nature park development in Channahon. They have fitness stations, pollinator garden, winding creek and playground. Visit peopleforchannahonparks.org.

7) Explore any one of the trails in Goose Lake Prairie State Park in Grundy County. Go see them; after all, you own them. Read about each trail at https://www.gooselakeprairie.org/glpsna_hikingtrails.htm, pick one and spend time in the great outdoors.

8) And speaking of wild life, you can watch wildlife – From birds to butterflies to small mammals, the Forest Preserve District of Will County has observation decks at several locations. Find them at reconnectwithnature.org/activities/wildlife-viewing.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Lake Renwick Heron Rookery Visitor Center "offers seasonal bird viewing opportunities for the public," according to the district's website.

9) Plainfield Story Walk: Take a stroll with the kids and read a story together, pages are placed in holders along the path. Visit papl.info/storywalk.

10) Jody’s Hot Dogs: A 1950s diner atmosphere at 326 Republic Ave. in Joliet and an extensive menu at jodyshotdogs.com. Need more restaurant choices? Visit the Joliet Area Bar & Restaurant Guide on Facebook.

Stepping through the door of Jody's Hot Dogs in Joliet felt like entering the set of a remake of "Happy Days."

11) Give space a chance. Step inside a Lunar Lander Simulator at the Joliet Area Historical Museum, 204 N. Ottawa St. Joliet, and then check out the museum’s other exhibits, too. Visit jolietmuseum.org.

12) See the Old Joliet Prison firsthand with your choice of five different tours. Visit jolietmuseum.org/schedule-tour.

13) Enjoy art from local and Illinois artists at the Exibit Fine Art Center & Gallery (https://www.theexibit.org/) , Gallery Seven in Lockport (galleryseven.net) and The Strange and Unusual Gallery in Joliet (strangeandunusual.hopestreetwoodworks.com).

14) Visit Sweet Tooth : A wonderful vintage-y spot filled with nostalgic candy and gourmet popcorn made daily located at 108 W Washington St. in Morris. The taste is great and the atmosphere is charming.

The shop is packed with an assortment of candies, with a variety of Jelly Beans, over 20 flavors of Petersen’s ice cream, chocolate, and gourmet popcorn. (Maribeth Wilson)

15) The Promenade in Bolingbrook: Discover this outdoor retail space with its “60 shops and 12 restaurants with indoor and outdoor seating,” according to its website. Visit shoppingpromenade.com.

16) Spot the bison (yes, real bison) at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in Wilmington, see the restoration projects or grow your own prairie garden with directions on the Midewin website. Visit fs.usda.gov/midewin.

Four bison lead the charge through a holding pin Friday, Oct. 23, as four handlers corral them into Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in Wilmington. Photo by Eric Ginnard - eginnard@shawmedia.com. (Eric Ginnard)

17) Gebhard Woods State Park: Visit the animals, enjoy hiking, fishing, and camping at 401 Ottawa Street in Morris. Call 815-942-0796.

18) Get off track for an hour at the Will County Model Railroad Association. 2175 Oneida St. in Joliet. The module layouts are fascinating and mesmerizing. Visit wcmrra.clubexpress.com for open-to-the-public hours.

19) Visit the Gemini Giant at the Launching Pad in Wilmington. You’ve never heard of the Gemini Giant? You’re missing out! Visit geminigiant.com.

The Gemini Giant, seen here Aug. 13, 2015, has stood over Route 66 in Wilmington since 1965. (Rich Saal)

20) Check out the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Area, which runs along the canal in downtown Morris.

21) Walk over a Joliet drawbridge. Pre-COVID-19, we’d do this on July 3 (Cass Street Bridge) for the fireworks show from the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park and Theatre in Joliet.

22) Delwood Park at Route 171 and Woods Drive in Lockport: This 150-acre park in Lockport is filled with hills, playgrounds and more. This was our kids’ favorite park when they were young. Visit lockportpark.org/location/dellwood-park.

23) Splurge on ice cream. We especially love Everest Custard & Bubble Tea Morris on 2417 Sycamore Drive. Other good venues include the Minooka Creamery, 111 McEvily Road in Minooka (minookacreamery.com). Frosty Tips at 700 W. Jefferson St. in Shorewood (visit Frosty Tips on Facebook) and Dari Delite at 718 Theodore St. in Joliet (dari-delite-il.hub.biz)

24) Find the poetry. Are the results of the “poetry project” from 2018 still beneath the underpass between the Gaylord and Norton buildings in Lockport? Go see for yourself.

Love has displayed the results of all these projects beneath the underpass between the Gaylord and Norton buildings – using wheat paste so the words will stand up to both the elements and the passing of time, Love said.

"I pay special attention to the edges so they don't peel off," Love said.
He chose that area because it's a community space that was attracting a lot of inappropriate graffiti, Love said. And he's all about "community words and reclaiming spaces."

"I'm not against graffiti," Love said. "But what people are submitting on the cares and at the workshops is beautiful. People really understand this community and their love for it. Visitors will see the beauty of it, too."

Love said he did a similar project in Gary last year, collecting over 1,000 lines of poetry. With a master's degree in history and Love himself being a poet. Love said he wanted to present Gary as something more than "blight, murder and Michael Jackson." — Sam Love displayed the results of all these poetry projects beneath the underpass between the Gaylord and Norton buildings – using wheat paste so the words will stand up to both the elements and the passing of time, Love said.

25) Take a penny walk. Make a stroll through your neighborhood an adventure with a flip of the coin. Heads: turn right. Tails: turn left. Coin on its side: straight ahead.

Spare the gas, not the fun: check out 25 fun things to do close to Morris

With gas prices soaring, here are some free or low-cost options that won’t cause pain at the pump.