Rockford Main Street District Block Parties Rock

Connie Attractions & Events, Illinois May 24, 2015November 22, 2015Events in Downtown Rockford, Rockford, Rockford events, Rockford IL, Rockford Illinois, Rockford Main Street District 0 Comment

By day and most evenings, Downtown Rockford, Illinois, is home to family-friendly museums and community events. But every now and then the Rockford Main Street District throws a big nighttime party where the music rocks and adult beverages are the mainstay. Our visit to Rockford last summer happened to coincide with one of these events, the Two Block Party, so in the name of journalism, we were “forced” to cover it. Read more

Abraham Lincoln Funeral Reenactment Video

Connie Attractions & Events, Illinois May 6, 2015June 28, 20162015 lincoln funeral train events, Abraham Lincoln funeral reenactment, lincoln 150th anniversary, lincoln funderal train reenactment, lincoln funeral 2015, Lincoln funeral anniversary, lincoln funeral hearse, Lincoln funeral reenactment, lincoln springfield, Springfield Illinois, springfield illinois lincoln, springfield lincoln 6 Comments

On Saturday, May 2, 2015, exactly 150 years after Abraham Lincoln was laid to rest in Springfield, Illinois, his funeral was reenacted. Six years in planning, the monumental historic Abraham Lincoln funeral reenactment included a replica funeral train, replica coffin and replica horse-drawn hearse.

A funeral procession commenced at the very train station to which Lincoln’s body was brought in 1865. It ended on Saturday at the site of the Old Capitol, where Lincoln served early in his political career, before he was elected 16th President of the United States of America. Read more

Lincoln’s New Salem: Abe’s Pre-Springfield Years

Connie Attractions & Events, Illinois April 22, 2015June 28, 2016abraham lincoln early adulthood, abraham lincoln new salem, abraham lincoln store, Lincoln attractions in Illinois, lincoln museum springfield, lincoln museum springfield il, lincoln new salem, lincoln salem, Lincoln's New Salem, Lincoln's New Salem Petersburg, Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site, lincolns, new lincoln, new salem lincoln, salem abraham, salem il, salem illinois, Springfield IL attractions, springfield il tourism, Springfield Illinois attractions, springfield illinois tourism, the new lincoln, things to do in springfield, things to do in springfield illinois 8 Comments

From the time Abraham Lincoln left his family at the age of 22 until he went into law and politics, he ran two general stores, was a surveyor, a postmaster and a captain in the Black Hawk War. During this time, he lived in New Salem, about 20 miles north of Springfield, Illinois. Today you can visit the reconstructed New Salem and explore over 20 recreated log buildings in the area that Lincoln called home at the Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site. Read more

Funks Grove: Pure Maple Sirup on Route 66

Connie Attractions & Events, Illinois, Road Trips April 20, 2015June 28, 2016Funks Grove, funks grove il, funks grove illinois, funks grove maple syrup, Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirip, illinois route 66, Illiois Route 66, maple grove farms maple syrup, maple grove farms pure maple syrup, maple grove syrup, maple sirup. funks grove sirup, Rotue 66 attractions, Route 66, Route 66 Illinois, route 66 in illinois, sirup 5 Comments

Drop by drop sticky sweet sap falls into the metal bucket hanging on the spout inserted into the maple tree. On a good day a bucket fills in 10 to 12 hours. It takes 30 to 50 gallons of sap to make just one gallon of maple sirup, something the Funk family has been doing since the 1820s. They began selling it commercially in 1891, 35 years before Route 66 was commissioned. Located near the midpoint of Illinois’ portion of Route 66, you can visit the Funks Grove farm and pick up some sirup for yourself if your timing is right. Read more

Midway Village Museum: Sock Monkeys, Women’s Baseball and a Victorian Village

Connie Attractions & Events, Illinois April 14, 2015June 29, 2016Midway Village Museum, monkey sock doll, original sock monkey, original sock monkey doll, Rockford, Rockford attractions, Rockford IL, sock monkey history, sock monkey museum, sock monkey original, the original sock monkey, the sock monkey, things to do in Rockford, Victorian Village in Rockford 0 Comment

Sock monkeys got their start here. It was home to one of the best teams in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Its original name was Midway. These are some of the fascinating facts I learned about Rockford, Illinois, when I visited the Midway Village Museum. Read more

More to Giant Crosses than Visible from the Interstate

Connie Attractions & Events, Illinois, Texas April 3, 2015March 20, 2024Amarillo Cross, Cross at the Crossroads, Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, Effingham cross, Effingham Illinois, Giant Cross, Groom Texas 4 Comments

We passed the giant Cross at the Crossroads dozens of times over the years. Repeatedly, we commented that on one of our trips we should stop to check out the cross that soars into the sky just off the interstate where I-57 and I-70 intersect at Effingham, Illinois. We finally visited recently following our visit to another giant cross in Groom, Texas, the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.