Sandy Adams enjoys time with her grandson Charlie Schutte, 6, on the Tilt-A-Whirl in 2011 at Plainfield Fest. | Sun-Times Media File
A tethered balloon, piloted by Pat Harwell of Shreveport, La., rises as other balloons inflate below at the Eyes to the Skies festival in Lisle. | Sun-Times Media File
Leslie Bertram taps a tree for sap while giving a tour at Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center during the sugar-maple season at the woods. | Sun-Times Media File
Mandy, a 3-year-old Siberian husky belonging to Theresa Przybylski of the Siberian Husky Club of Chicago, sits patiently before a dog sled demonstration at the Morton Arboretum's Husky Heroes event in 2011. | Sun-Times Media file
The annual Festival of the Gnomes frolics into Joliet. This family tradition features a 90-minute live, indoor show. | File photo
Wine on the Fox in Oswego. | File photo
The Mayans were wrong, the apocalypse has been thwarted (for now), and suddenly 2013 looks wide open. So, what to do now? Fortunately, we’ve got a few suggestions for you. Grab your calendar — or the new iPhone you got for Christmas — and start …
