The Best Place to See Chicago Fireworks Is a Beach in Michigan?

There could be few summer pleasures better than seeing an epic fireworks display in downtown Chicago over Lake Michigan?

But to have a great view you either have to a) own a condo on the Gold Coast or b) fight hideous traffic. That Gold Coast lakeview condo isn't going to happen for you or I in this lifetime. And it will feel like a lifetime and a half to get out of town after a summer fireworks show. So is the best solution to see a Chicago 4th of July display actually across the lake in Michigan?

That's the suggestion that came up recently on the Abandoned, Old and Interesting Places in Michigan Facebook group. A photo of a fata morgana view downtown Chicago's skyline visible from the shore of Warren Dunes between Sawyer and Bridgeman, Michigan brought out a very interesting comment:

Good spot to view the Chicago fireworks!

We never would have thought about this. At roughly 50 miles due east, Warren Dunes might just be a secret spot to outwit Chicago traffic. Look at this straight shot from Navy Pier (site of the city's 4th of July fireworks shows) to Warren Dunes.

Google Maps

If this works, you'd have insights Chicago-based blogs wouldn't have. This piece from Curbed lists the best places for seeing Navy Pier fireworks, and there's nothing around the lake south of 31st Street Beach.

Added bonus: as anyone who has spent a 4th of July evening along the lake, you know that you'll see fireworks shows up and down the shoreline from private displays to municipals shows.

If you're ready to live that beachfront life, here are suggestions for the best beach towns in America:

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.