Dreaming of Warmer Weather? The Best Beach in Illinois is...

We are in the midst of a massive winter storm so there is no better time than right now to dream of sand between your toes, but where is the best place to do that in the Land of Lincoln?

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According to tripsavy.com Oak Street Beach in Chicago is the best beach in the state of Illinois, and to be honest I completely agree with this pick. Oak Street Beach (pictured in the photo at the top of the article) is one of the coolest beaches in the country, in my opinion, it is right in the heart of downtown Chicago near the base of the John Handcock skyscraper, and it makes Chicago feel like Miami in the summertime. In the article from tripsavy.com they say...

"Chicagoans flock to Oak Street Beach, located on Lake Shore Drive at Oak Street, in the summer to play volleyball, people-watch at Oak Street Beach Cafe, and soak up the sun. The Chicago skyline views are incredible from this location, making the beach a perfect spot for taking photographs."

To see the complete list of best beaches in every state click here!

I will add that Chicago has a ton of amazing beaches (read about them all here) but check out the view of North Avenue Beach in this photo below.

Photo by Walter Martin on Unsplash

I know that Chicago is a giant city and can be overwhelming (especially in the cold winter like we are dealing with now) BUT this is just a reminder that if you aren't planning on taking the train from Quincy to Chicago for a long weekend of shopping and beach time this summer then you better start planning!

LOOK: Here are the 50 best beach towns in America

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.