Let’s go to the beach - the Waukegan Municipal Beach for landscape and birding opportunities. Many species of birds can be there this time of year, including gull species, ducks, geese, and swans, plus other land birds. We need to leave town at 4:00 am to try and get there for sunrise over Lake Michigan. We can stop briefly a Speedway just before the beach. There are bathrooms at the beach, but we don’t know if they are open in winter. See links below for more specific information about the site.
4:00 am: Leave QuikTrip at Neil and I74
7:00 am: Arrive at Waukegan beach
7:11 am: sunrise
Explore until time to go home! If time, we can even explore Illinois Beach Nature Preserve just to the north
General Waukegan beach information
https://www.visitlakecounty.org/WaukeganMunicipalBeach
https://www.waukeganil.gov/266/Waukegan-Beach
Self Guided hike we will generally follow
https://www.waukeganil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/4670/Sharing-Our-Shore-Waukegan-Self-Guided-Walk
Google map suggested routing.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/rMNWNtt24JrdWFcT6
RSVP to Steve Heater, Outing Coordinator-Champaign County Camera Club at cccc-champaign-county-camera-club.googlegroups.com