314 S Milwaukee Ave
Libertyville, IL, 60048
(847) 918-9999

Cigars & More in Libertyville, Illinois is very centrally located for easy access from all of Lake County. They are located on the East side of Route 21/Milwaukee Ave 3 blocks South of Route 176. They have quite a few parking spots that are just in front of the shop.

I’ve been shopping at Cigars & More since they opened in 1998, even before I was regularly living in the Gurnee area. They’ve expanded their selection of cigars to totalling over 30,000, and have a wide selection of Davidoff brand cigars. They also carry an extensive selection of cigars from Ashton, Bolivar, Arturo Fuente, Macanudo and Romeo Y Julieta, as well as many more lesser known (but high quality) brands. Their walk-in humidor is gigantic with perfect temperature and humidity. I have never bought a cigar there that wasn’t perfect to smoke the day I bought it — winter or summer.

For cigarette afficiandos (such as myself) they also carry the entire line of Nat Sherman cigarettes and are very price competitive. With all cigarettes and cigars they offer a 5% discount when you purchase the box or case. For regular shoppers, their preferred customer club card is great because it keeps track of what you’ve bought, helping you recall what you liked (and didn’t). They also will share your favorites with friends and family who want to get a gift for you.

Their special order policy is great — I recently ordered some cigarettes and they had them for me in just a few days. Their service is bar none and they’ll go out of their way to make sure you’re happy — a definite luxury for me considering the snottiness of most tobacconists.

The real surprise is their lounge area — a flat panel TV, comfortable seating, and smoking is accepted! They have some executive recliners, and also have wireless Internet access for those who want to catch the latest news and stock tips or bang away at the keyboard on a slow afternoon. There are always regulars there ready to chat about every topic under the sun, and smoking afficionados of all legal ages are welcome to partake of the lounge. They offer complimentary coffee and inexpensive soda, and regulars with their preferred club card are offered free cigar days a few times a month.

If you’re looking to buy a gift for yourself or a smoker in your life, they have a wide selection of lighters, humidors and accessories in every price range, from the inexpensive to the outrageous.

For added entertainment they’re always inviting the larger cigar companies to visit their store (with lots of giveaways and deals that come along with it). I have never received a bad recommendation from them (based on my favorite cigars), and I’ve always been so happy with the deals that I haven’t ordered a cigar or cigarette online in years. I am extremely happy that they’re just 15 minutes from my home and conveniently minutes off the highway so I can hit them on the drive home.

If you’re a smoking afficionado and haven’t visited Cigars & More in Libertyville, I recommend taking a trip this week. They’re open 7 days a week! Give Ken or Julie a call and let them know that you heard about them from Lake County Luxury and you’re sure to be treated with the utmost attention and service. Here’s the perfect tobacconist, right in your backyard.

540 Peterson Road
Libertyville, Illinois
(847) 680-0680

How much difference can there be between one car wash and another? For most folks, a car wash is a car wash — a way to just get the most basic dust off your vehicle so it doesn’t look too dirty. I’ve always had another opinion of it though, as the outside of your car can have a big effect on how you yourself feel. A clean car on a sunny day can really put a smile on your face. The opposite is also true — when my car is grimy and dirty, it is a big stress just for me to look at.

For years and years I had a great yearly pass to one of the best car washes in Chicagoland: Edens Car Wash in Chicago. Unfortunately, they went out of business almost 8 years ago, and for a few years I drove from car wash to car wash, looking for the best place to go for a reasonable price. Lucky for me one of the better car wash companies happens to be just down the street in Libertyville, Illinois.

Libertyville Car Spa is just that — a spa instead of just a wash. They seem to employ two to three times as many car wash employees who have a great attention to detail. Most $6 gas station car washes don’t run enough water onto your car, which increases the chance of scratches. They also don’t flush the car well after soaping, which leaves a residue that makes it get dirty faster. The worst part about gas station car washes is the drying — streaks and spots and water marks. Just ugly.

Libertyville Car Spa’s most basic wash is under $10 (cheaper if you find a coupon!). It includes a basic interior vacuum, interior window cleaning, wiping of your dashboard and center console, and of course an exterior wash and hand dry. For a few dollars more, I find this most basic wash outlasts the gas station car wash almost 2-3 times longer, and the car looks nicer even through a light rain. The cars that I have kept washed at least twice a month have kept their paint jobs intact, and I believe fully that I received all my car wash expenses back in retained value when it came to sell them.

The setup at Libertyville Car Spa is well done — enough area for 30 or so cars to get in line, a great little “watch window” so you can see your car get pummelled by gallons and gallons of gas and cleansers, and a nice lobby with a good display of all the little car needs you might have (air fresheners, accessories, fuses, storage devices, etc). I prefer to go early in the day to get my car sparkling for the day. The morning is also the best time to go with the shortest lines (about a 5 minute wait to get your car into the wash). The afternoon on a warm day is the worst time to go, but the extra 10 minute wait is well worth it as they hire even more workers than usual during the rushes.

Libertyville Car Spa’s basic washes run between $10 and $20 depending on the services (you get a lot of services in the $20 package, including mats washed, fragrance, tire shine and paint protectants). The offer custom washes, too, starting at $35 and going all the way up to $155 which includes a buffing shine that makes your paint look and feel like glass. If you really want to keep the value of your car up, getting a major detail twice a year is a great way to keep the car looking great for years. The Zymol wax job made my car look better than new — and also reduced the need to wash it as often as I previously had to as the elements didn’t stick as bad.

Libertyville Car Spa comes close to my old and long gone favorite in Chicago, but their closeness to my home and their attention to detail make them one of the most popular car washes in Lake County. Their excellent service and years of knowing their customer allowed them to open two more car washes, one in Lake Forest and one in Kenosha, WI. I’ll review these in coming weeks to see if the spin-offs compare to the original.