A sandy stretch at Montrose Beach

Beaches might not come to mind when you think of Chicago but the Windy City boasts quite a few.  My favorite is a pretty stretch called Montrose Beach.  Now I admit it, I’m quite spoiled when it comes to beaches.  Generally, my idea of a beach involves pristine, pearly sands and sun-dappled turquoise water.  Chicago beaches contain none of that.  But when I’m in the city and in the mood to be on the Lake Michigan shore, nothing beats Montrose Beach’s lively scene.

Lake Michigan water is typically murky and I usually don’t venture out into the Chicago side of Lake Michigan because the toxic levels rival only Chernoblyl.  But for sunbathing and sunny snacking,  Montrose Beach is the place.  The range of food offered at this beach is alone worth a trip.  There are carts filled with paletas or creamy popsicles in tropical flavors like my favorite, coconut.  There are sno cones, fruit bowls,  corn on the cob, billowy puffs of cotton candy and churros.  And if you long for something hardier,  there’s an ingenious portable taco stand serving up sizzling steak tacos.  To work off all that nibbling, endless games of soccer and volleyball take place in the sand and there’s even a wildflower preserve across the street from the beach. For people-watching and lounging in the sun, Montrose Beach is my reliable sandy spot.

Photo courtesy of Rosalind Cummings-Yeates