The Palms Grill Cafe, Atlanta IL: Route 66 Diner Restored to its 1934 Look

Connie Food & Drink, Illinois January 7, 2015February 2, 2024old route 66, Palms Grill Cafe, Palms Grill Cafe Atlanta IL, Route 66 attractions, Route 66 Restaurants, The Palms Grill Cafe, U.S. Route 66 6 Comments

People from all over the world come to the United States each year to drive Historic Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica. Although many sights once along the Mother Road no longer exist, including much of the pavement itself, several businesses are making a comeback, either in their original states or as museums. One such business is The Palms Grill Café in Atlanta, Illinois. The diner has been fully restored to look as it did when it opened in 1934. The diner, including home-style entrees and fresh-baked pies, creates an authentic Route 66 dining experience. Read more

Travel and Adventure Show Coming to Chicago January 17-18, 2015

Connie Attractions & Events, Illinois January 3, 2015November 22, 2015Chicago Travel and Adventure Show, Chicago Travel Show 0 Comment

With the holidays now behind us, it’s time to plan the new year, including vacations. If you’re looking for ideas on where to go this year, the Chicago Travel & Adventure Show in Rosemont, Illinois, coming up January 17-18, is a great place to do research. Get inspiration as you browse the exhibit floor, attend seminars and workshops featuring celebrity speakers, see demonstrations and taste samples of international cuisine cooking, and watch entertainers perform dances from distant lands.

The Exhibits
Whether you’re looking for a quick getaway to a Midwest destination or an adventure like an African safari or a trek in Nepal, you’ll find plenty of information among the show’s 300+ exhibitors. Gather brochures and chat with destination tourism bureaus, tour operators and resort representatives. Meet Alaskan sled dogs, ride a camel or try out deep-sea diving in the Dive Industry Association’s not-so-deep dive pool.

Discover new travel gadgets like Pick-Pocket Proof Pants^TM and the NapAnywhere, which allows you to sleep sitting up. I’m anxious to see the Pocket Poppet Cardigan, a women’s sweater that stows in a small pouch when not in use.

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Seminars and Workshops Featuring Celebrities
In the Travel Channel Theater hear inspiring travel stories, learn invaluable tips, and have your picture taken with travel celebrities, including the Travel Channel’s Samantha Brown; “Travel Detective” Peter Greenberg; Pauline Frommer, Editorial Director of the Frommer’s Guides; and Patricia Schultz, author of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. Cheryl Strayed, New York Times best-selling author of Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail will discuss her 1,100-mile hike along the Pacific Coast Trail, a story recently adapted into a movie.

More Entertainment and Information
Grab a front-row seat at the Taste of Travel Stage where top chefs will hold live cooking demonstrations. You may even get to sample the dishes. Over 20 exotic cultural performances will take place on the Global Beats Stage throughout the weekend. At the Destination Theater get in-depth information on specific popular travel destinations, and at the Savvy Traveler Stage learn how-to tips on smart travel using the latest products and technology.

If you attend:

Do some research beforehand. Check the keynote speakers schedule to determine which you want to see and set an alarm on your cell phone as a reminder. Browse the list of exhibitors to be sure you don’t miss booths you may be interested in.
Seats for seminars featuring celebrities fill up quickly. If you want to sit up front, get there early.
Wear comfortable shoes. You’ll be walking a lot.
Dress in layers, as it can get rather warm in the convention center. Take advantage of the coat check.
Don’t carry a lot with you, as you’ll be picking up lots of brochures, which can get heavy.

The Chicago Travel & Adventure Show is held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, located at 5555 N River Road in Rosemont, Illinois, January 17-18, 2015. The show opens to the public on Saturday at 10 a.m. and runs to 5 p.m. Sunday hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit the web site to purchase tickets at a discounted rate of $11 for a single day or $17 for two days (use promo code CHPR). On-site the tickets are $16 (single day) $25 (two days). Children 16 and under enter free.

Other Posts that May Interest You:

Here ‘n There in the Midwest: A Look Ahead to 2015

Top 2014 Midwest Wanderer Travel Experiences

Thank you for reading Midwest Wanderer. Don’t miss a post. Enter your e-mail address below and click Subscribe to be notified whenever I publish another post. Subscription is FREE. After subscribing, be sure to click the link when you get the e-mail asking you to confirm. – Connie

White Fence Farm, Romeoville IL: Popular Chicken Restaurant on Route 66

Connie Food & Drink, Illinois December 30, 2014December 2, 2015Illinois restaurants, Restaurants in Romeoville Illinois, Restaurants on Route 66, Romeoville Illinois, Route 66 Restaurants, White Fence Farm 0 Comment

White Fence Farm has been serving diners since before Route 66 existed. Their famous chicken didn’t appear on the menu, however, until the mid-1950s, and over the past six decades, that’s what they’ve become known for: chicken that’s crispy on the outside, succulent on the inside. Not only has White Fence Farm grown in popularity, but the restaurant area itself has ballooned over the years, to twelve dining rooms and a seating capacity of over 1,000, plus a small museum. Read more

Top 2014 Midwest Wanderer Travel Experiences

Connie Attractions & Events, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, South Dakota December 27, 2014April 2, 2018Art Party Studio, Bowers Harbor Inn Travers City, Buffalo Roundup, Chicago Helicopter Experience, DeSoto House Hotel, Grand Traverse Commons, Henry Doorly Zoo, Historic Park Inn, Kenosha Dragon Boat Festival, Midwest Travel, Midwest Wanderer, Mission Point Lighthouse, Pontiac Oakland Museum, Poopy's Pub n' Grub, Suzie Q Cafe, Traverse City, Village at Grand Traverse Commons 0 Comment

As another year comes to a close, we reflect on all that we’ve accomplished over the past twelve months and plan new goals for the coming year. For me, 2014 brought lots of opportunities to explore the Midwest, discovering more attractions, events and restaurants to share with you. It’s always amazing how much there is to do right here in the Midwest, from the Great Lakes to the Black Hills, from small towns to big cities. Today I’m sharing with you some of my personal “firsts” and also my top ten blog posts of the year, the ones most popular with you, my readers.

2014 New Experiences:

In March I discovered that anyone can paint—even no-artistic-talent me. At the Art Party Studio in Champaign, Illinois, bring your own wine, if you’d like, follow the step-by-step painting instructions, and every painting turns out well. If, on the slim chance it doesn’t, you can always blame it on the wine.

I tried my hand at glassblowing for the first time at The Glass Park in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Okay, so my turn lasted only a minute or so, since I was on a group tour and we just had a sampling. It would be fun to go back and create a “work of art” of my own.

I joined the Kenosha Area Convention & Visitors Bureau dragon boat team in the Kenosha Area Dragon Boat Festival in July. As hard as our team tried, we came in last place, but we had a great time.

Two new states were added to my list this year, Nebraska and South Dakota. I spent a couple of days exploring Omaha, including gardens, museums and shop. If you like zoos, you have to see Henry Doorly Zoo, my favorite zoo of all I’ve ever been to.

Besides the national monuments, national parks and so many other things western South Dakota has to offer, I took my first helicopter ride with the Black Hills Aerial Adventures, where I saw the Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse monuments at eye level and the Needles Highway from a bird’s eye view.

As great as everything else was in South Dakota, the highlight was the Buffalo Roundup in Custer State Park, where I bumped along in the back of a pickup truck right in the midst of the cowboys and cowgirls on horseback rounding up around 1,100 head of bison for their annual vaccines and pregnancy tests.

The year concluded with my second helicopter tour, this time in the evening with Chicago Helicopter Experience, along the Chicago lakeshore, with a great view of the Lincoln Park Zoo and Michigan Avenue Christmas lights.

Top 10 Posts of 2014

Haunted DeSoto House Hotel, Galena IL was published in 2013 but continued to be the most popular throughout 2014.
Ghost stories are apparently popular. Bowers Harbor Inn, Traverse City: Two Restaurants and a Ghost created quite a controversy among Traverse City locals, some believing the legend and others not.
I don’t know whether it’s because of the location on Route 66 or if people are interested in car museums, but the Number 3 most popular post was Pontiac Oakland Museum, Pontiac, Illinois: Auto Nostalgia along Route 66.
Frank Lloyd Wright architecture is always popular, so I’m not surprised that Historic Park Inn: Last Remaining Frank Lloyd Wright Hotel made the list.
Billed as the biggest biker destination in Illinois and along the Great River Road, Poopy’s Pub n’ Grub, Savanna IL; Popular Even with Non-bikers, came in at Number 5.
Downtown shops in towns in southwest Michigan resort towns are always fun to explore, and Traverse City foodie fans especially liked Traverse City Shops: A Culinary Delight.
Green County, Wisconsin, celebrated the 100^th anniversary of the Cheese Days in 2014. In June I attended a press preview of the big September event and wrote about it in Cheese Days 100^th Anniversary Preview, Monroe, Wisc. The event is held every two years, so plan ahead to attend in 2016.
Published just in time for Halloween, another Traverse City supposedly haunted location came in at Number 8, Tour a Former Asylum at the Village at Grand Traverse Commons, Traverse City.
Eating at a tiny ten-seat diner is fun, especially when the delicious food is served by a magician, like it is at the Suzie Q Café, Mason City Iowa: A Meal with a Dash of Magic.
Old lighthouses are fun to explore. The stories behind them are always fascinating. Another Traverse City attraction, Tour Mission Point Lighthouse, Traverse City, Michigan made the list at Number 10.

I’m looking forward to sharing more fun and interesting attractions, events and restaurants in Midwest destinations throughout 2015. If you have suggestions on Midwest places to see and things to do, don’t hesitate to share them at info@midwestwanderer.com, and I’ll help spread the word.

Choose Wisely: Soup and Salad bar at Shrine Restaurant, Belleville, Illinois

Connie Food & Drink, Illinois December 21, 2014March 20, 2016lady of snows, lady of snows shrine, lady of the snow, lady of the snows shrine, National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, our lady of snow, our lady of snow shrine, our lady of snows, our lady of snows belleville, our lady of snows shrine, our lady of the snow, our lady of the snow shrine, our lady of the snows, our lady of the snows belleville, our lady of the snows shrine, shrine of our lady of snows, shrine of our lady of the snows, shrine restaurant, the national shrine of our lady of the snows, the shrine belleville, Waistline Watching Traveler 0 Comment

I once had a coworker who ate almost nothing besides soups and salads for lunch and dinner. Her breakfast was always a banana and yogurt. She never ate a donut or indulged in birthday cakes. I never once saw her eat a hamburger. Yet she always seemed to struggle somewhat with her weight. Then one day she discovered that the salad she’d occasionally order from Taco Bell had over 700 calories and more than 30 grams of fat! Read more

Lino’s Restaurant of Rockford: Old World Charm and Flavor

Connie Food & Drink, Illinois December 15, 2014Lino's, Lino's Italian Restaurant, Lino's Pizza, Restaurants in Rockford, Rockford, Rockford Illinois restaurants 0 Comment

Restaurants that serve food made from Mom’s recipes are the best. That’s what you get at Lino’s Restaurant in Rockford, Illinois: Italian cooking made the way the family’s ancestors did it in Italy. Served with friendly conversation in a setting reminiscent of Italy, I felt like family or a good friend being welcomed into a home.

Lino’s is a Rockford staple, open since 1972, with three major expansions since then. Each of the rooms in the restaurant is decorated after a slice of Italy, including a Leaning Tower of Pisa in one room. According to a couple of customers I spoke with, Lino’s is the go-to place for family celebrations. Some dine there weekly.

Each day of the week Lino’s offers a different dine-in special. Although I was tempted by the baked lasagna, which another customer raved about, I went with the Friday cod special, which you can get either deep fried or baked.

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True to Italian mom cooking, you don’t leave the table hungry. The meal includes pasta or a potato, a salad, fresh warm bread, beverage and ice cream. I chose Lino’s Special Salad, greens topped with egg, Italian sausage and tomato and tossed with house-made Italian dressing.

I also tried the minestrone soup, chock full of ditalini pasta and veggies and not overpowered with garlic.

Since I didn’t order an Italian entrée, I had mostaccioli as my side dish. Again, the rich tomato flavor was enhanced, not overpowered by garlic. (Can you tell I’m not a huge fan of garlic overuse?)

The fish was extraordinary. Both the deep-fried and the baked versions were tender and flaky, and the batter on the deep-fried was light. Lino’s doesn’t have a specific recipe for the batter, they just toss the ingredients together, the way you do when you’ve prepared a dish over and over again.

When it came time for dessert, one of the servers mentioned she likes the combination of spumoni and rainbow sherbet, so I asked if I could have it that way, a half scoop of each. They were happy to comply, and I found that it’s true, you get a sort of Creamsicle taste, but with a variance on the flavors.

I couldn’t possibly eat all of the food that was served to me, but that’s what take-home boxes are for. I understand that Lino’s has been awarded the Readers’ Choice Award by the local newspaper for favorite Italian restaurant multiple times, as well as the award for favorite pizza. On my next visit I’ll have to try the pizza.

Lino’s Restaurant is open for dinner seven days a week and offers both dine-in and carry-out service. Check the web site for hours and menu.

Disclosure: My visit to Lino’s was hosted by the Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and Lino’s. However, opinions expressed in this post are my own.