When you begin breakfast with an appetizer of big, fluffy fresh-made cinnamon rolls dripping with sweet white icing and gooey-sweet caramel pecan rolls, you think you hit the highlight of the meal, but the delectable tastes don’t end with Ronnie’s World Famous Rolls at Ruby’s Restaurant in Decorah, Iowa. Read more
The World War II era Quonset hut doesn’t look like much from the outside, but step over the threshold at Charlie Parker’s Diner, and you take a giant step back to the rockin’ boppin’ 1950s. Every seat was taken at the glass-block lunch counter on the Saturday we visited and nearly every red vinyl chair around white Formica-and-chrome tables was filled. Off the beaten path in Springfield, Illinois, we didn’t know about it until we joined Alicia Erickson of the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau there for lunch. Read more
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
You’d be hard pressed to find a fair in the United States that doesn’t sell corn dogs. State fairs, county fairs, and local carnivals always include at least one vendor selling the hotdogs enrobed in cornmeal batter, deep fried to golden perfection and served on a stick. But did you know that corn dogs weren’t always served on a stick? Nor were they fried. Rather, they were baked and took quite a while to prepare. Ed Waldmire, Jr., who may have invented the corn dog, first served them at the Cozy Dog Drive-In over sixty years ago. Today, tourists continue to stop at Cozy Dog in Springfield, Illinois, for a taste of nostalgic Americana as they travel Route 66 .
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Traveling to South Dakota to visit Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and all the natural beauty in the Black Hills and Badlands, you’ll most likely fly into or drive through Rapid City. The walkable downtown area of Rapid City itself is worth a visit, whether you spend a day at the beginning of your trip or take a break from Mother Nature mid-trip. Read more
A salad of crisp mixed lettuces tossed with golden and red beets, all locally grown. A diner so small it has room only for a counter and a few tables. A Celtic public house where fish and chips are served wrapped in newspaper. Sunday brunch in a mansion. South Bend and neighboring Mishawaka don’t lack for dining options. With more than 400 restaurants in the area, you have plenty to choose from whether you’re looking a simple, casual diner or a more upscale fine dining establishment. Here are several South Bend restaurants that we tried during our three-day visit to the area. Read more
