Things to Do in Park Ridge

In a shop lined with more than 100 bikes models from all around the world, Upgrade Cycle Works' pro mechanics channel their love of cycling whether they are aligning the frame on an old single speed or fitting guests for a brand new road bike. During the fit process, staffers employ the same computerized system used at the Olympic training center as opposed to tracing your body outline on a large piece of construction paper. Next, they’ll help guests choose from bike brands such as Felt, Masi, and Raleigh, and an in-store selection of rides that includes road bikes, single speeds, and hybrids.

In Upgrade's workshop, pro mechanics perform comprehensive tune-ups and repairs, revitalize faded paint jobs, replace punctured wheels, and align frames. The staff also hosts repair clinics to teach cyclists how to fix flat tires and adjust brakes.

Inspired by a love of fitness and a passion for travel and tourism kindled within him by his late father, Jeremy Lewno founded Bobby's Bike Hike to create an interactive Chicago biking experience. He named the company after his dad, Bob, an Arkansas bus-tour operator who taught him to focus on service quality over quantity. That advice has clearly paid off, as the business's guided tours have earned it some of the highest possible ratings on TripAdvisor and the title of Best Organized Bike Ride from the Chicago Reader in 2010.

During the tours, which include rented bicycles, guides lead groups of about 20 riders past Chicago icons in Millennium Park and on the Museum Campus, or direct them to samples of pizza, hot dogs, cupcakes, and beer in and around Wrigleyville. The crew has designed a Tike Hike tour for kids 10 and younger, a historic Hyde Park tour that pedals past the home of President Barack Obama, and a mansion-studded lakefront tour, during which riders may glimpse Oprah waving or handing out complimentary helicopters at her main residence. Patrons can also rent Schwinn mountain bikes, cruisers, and tandem bikes to explore the city on their own.

One day, customers learn how to steer a small keelboat or plunge into deep waters wearing scuba gear. The next, they soar through the trees on a zipline cable or drop through clear blue skies over Southern California mountains strapped to a skydiving instructor. Action Sports Adventures connects these thrill seekers to more than 35 types of extreme-sports and fitness classes at Los Angeles–based sports schools and facilities, which allows them to join in a range of adrenaline-pumping activities without having to marry a Hollywood stuntman. Instructors teach gliding-flight technique in paragliding classes and powered flight in private planes. They lead customers across local waves in seven categories of watersports, such as kiteboarding, wakeboarding, and surfing. In the mountains, they lead mountain-biking wilderness tours and help climbers tackle cliffs in lead-rope climbing excursions.

Staffers from Action Sports Adventures also connect customers with outdoor organized sports such as golf, horseback riding, and tennis, or help get them access to wooded fields and parks to play paintball or ride BMX bikes. For customers who focus on fitness, they provide classes and sessions in nine indoor fitness categories such as MMA, kickboxing, yoga, and gymnastics.

Founded in 1982 with the mission of spreading an understanding of war's impact on the lives of soldiers, the National Veterans Art Museum showcases more than 2,000 works of art created by more than 255 veterans. The museum's oeuvre, which comprises paintings, photography, sculpture, and music, focuses on Vietnam but includes artwork inspired by all of America's wars. In addition to keep a permanent collection, the museum hosts rotating temporary exhibits that honor and remember veterans and keep the subject matter fresh. Visitors and members enjoy an active social calendar, stocked with events that feature live music and plays performed entirely with the NATO phonetic alphabet.

Aboard Seabreeze Charter's 36-foot cruising yacht, passengers slice through Lake Michigan's waves, steered by the steady hand of United States Coast Guard-certified captain Lorenzo Carrer. A native of Italy, Carrer has sailed in the Mediterranean and traced passages through the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic Coast. Also decorated with various racing awards, Carrer now helms the yacht during chartered trips, and graciously hands over the wheel when instructing new sailors in the waters near Navy Pier. The vessel itself features two private cabins and a radio with an iPod connector, on which patrons can play classic maritime ballads about the difficulty of untying boating knots. In addition, an on-board life raft and a digital emergency call feature guard the boat against potential mishaps.