JT Shrimp: Raising Shrimp Naturally in Indiana

JT Shrimp: Raising Shrimp Naturally in Indiana

Indiana, like most Midwest states, is big in agriculture. Soybeans, corn and cattle are common. But shrimp? Shrimp are salt water creatures. Indiana doesn’t have salt water. To my surprise, I found out there are a few shrimp farms in Indiana, including JT Shrimp in Wheatfield, where co-owner Scott Tysen gave us a tour. Read more

Kingsley Inn: A Night of Elegant Comfort

Kingsley Inn: A Night of Elegant Comfort

Small inns and bed & breakfasts are fast becoming my favorite type of accommodation. Often decorated with antiques and a Victorian flair, I feel like I’m being pampered in elegance in a B&B. I prefer a larger accommodation, though, rather than one with just three or four guestrooms. I don’t feel so awkward, like I’m intruding on someone’s private life. I’m also a stickler for a private bath. The Kingsley Inn in Fort Madison, Iowa, combines the best of an inn and a B&B. The Kingsley Inn is run like a B&B but has eighteen guestrooms, all beautifully decorated and all with private baths. Read more

Pease’s Candy: Five Generations of Sweet Confection

Pease’s Candy: Five Generations of Sweet Confection

Pease’s Candy has been a staple in Springfield, Illinois, since 1930. The chocolate company still uses many of the same recipes for their confections that they’ve used for a hundred years. Folks who live in the Springfield area are bound to be familiar with the pink box filled chocolate goodness, but you don’t even have to visit Springfield to enjoy this local tradition. Read more

Nottawa Stone School: A One-Room Schoolhouse

Nottawa Stone School: A One-Room Schoolhouse

Imagine being a school teacher and having to teach five grades or more at one time. One-room schoolhouses were common in rural areas of the United States all the way into the 1960s, some even later. Earlier this year we visited the Nottawa Stone School in Nottawa, Michigan, a one-room schoolhouse that served grades one through five, which has been restored for historical purposes. Read more

MB Financial Park at Rosemont: It’s All about Dining and Entertainment

MB Financial Park at Rosemont: It’s All about Dining and Entertainment

There’s a party atmosphere every night at the MB Financial Park at Rosemont, Illinois. Make that all day and all night, with a dozen venues in a single complex that offer everything from bowling to upscale dining. And in the outdoor common area, you can attend concerts or Zumba classes in the summer, ice skate in the winter. Read more