Stay in a Tree House in the Shawnee National Forest

Connie Illinois October 1, 2013April 2, 2018cabin rentals in illinois, cabins in illoinois, Cabins in southern Illinois, forest log cabins, illinois cabin rentals, log cabins for rent, log cabins to rent, resorts in illinois, Shawnee National Forest, Shawnee National Forest cabins, southern illinois cabins, stay in a treehouse, timber cabins, timber ridge cabins, timber ridge outpost, timber ridge outpost and cabins, Timnber Ridge, Tree houses, tree houses for rent, treehouse cabins, treehouse camping, treehouse rentals, treehouse resorts, treehouse vacations 4 Comments

When I was a kid, the neighborhood boys built a tree house in an old cottonwood that stood in an empty lot down the street. The stairs were short lengths of 2x4s nailed to the tree trunk. From the ground the tree house didn’t look like much, a crude structure of scrap plywood constructed in the way 12-year-old boys with no carpentry experience would build it. I never saw the inside because girls weren’t allowed. Read more

It’s Apple Picking Time at Royal Oak Farm Orchard, Harvard IL

Connie Attractions & Events, Food & Drink, Illinois September 19, 2013September 19, 2013apple picking illinois, Illinois attractions, Orchards in Illinois, Royal Oak Farm Orchard 0 Comment

Apple pie, apple strudel, apple turnover, applesauce, apple butter, apple cider, or a big bite into a crisp, freshly picked apple. Sweet, tart, or somewhere in between. However you like your apples, Royal Oak Farm Orchard has them for you to bake, cook, or eat as-is. Wow, do they have the apples, 15,000 trees and 29 varieties.

For three months every year, from mid-August to late October, Royal Oak Farm Orchard, the largest orchard in northern Illinois, is open six days a week (closed Sundays) for you to pick apples. Raspberries are available in late summer and early fall, and you can pick your Halloween pumpkins from the pumpkin patch, too.

Royal Oak has a great cafeteria-style restaurant that serves sandwiches like pulled pork or Italian beef, entrees like their famous chicken pot pie, salads, soups, and delicious desserts like fresh-baked pies and apple slices.Besides apple picking, lots of activities are available, too. You can listen to music, sometimes live, as the kids play on the playground or visit the petting zoo.

Ride with the kids on the Royal Oak Express, a trackless train ride, or the carousel.

On the hay wagon tour of the orchard, you’ll learn the orchard’s history, see the present and hear about the future, like the apple tree maze that was planted and will be available for use in 2015. The trees are planted close together to form European-styled hedge maze.

Be sure to stop in to the Country Store, where you can purchase fall decor items, jams, jellies and syrups, and baked treats like fruit pies, turnovers, strudel, and their popular apple cider donuts.

If you don’t care to pick your own apples, you can buy them pre-picked in the Apple Barn, along with lots of other fresh, colorful fall fruits, vegetables, pumpkins, and gourds.

Royal Oak Farm Orchard is located at 15908 Hebron Road in Harvard, Illinois. Admission is free, but there is a small fee for the train, carousel and orchard tour. They are open in 2013 through November 16. Check the web site for exact hours and u-pick schedule.

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Richardson Adventure Farm: World’s Largest Corn Maze and a Whole Lot More

Connie Attractions & Events, Illinois September 17, 2013September 17, 2013corn maze Illinois, Illinois attractions, Richardson Adventure Farm, World's largest corn maze 0 Comment

The corn maze laid out in a complex pattern commemorating the 50^th anniversary of The Beatles’ First Album is the world’s largest. Yet, it isn’t technically a maze because it isn’t full of dead ends. It’s more of a labyrinth that includes four games, ranging from a simple one that young kids can complete to the challenging full 10.7 miles of trails with 24 checkpoints. You can do it at night, too, to add to the adventure. As amazing as the maze is, it’s only part of the fun at Richardson Adventure Farm, packed with activities for every age.

You can climb this 50 foot tower…

…and see the corn maze below.

Or stop at the 30 foot level and zip line down the 700 foot line.

There’s a little zip for the kids, too.

And a mini rope maze with a timer for competition.

The kids can slide through a tube…

…or jump on the jumping pillow. I was tempted myself.

You can orb, roll down the hill while strapped in this giant ball if you dare.

Take in a show of the singing chickens.

Or visit the petting zoo, where bunnies have their own village and goats cross a bridge to get from one pen to the other.

You have to see the fun pig races.

See a pig race here:

And you can pick a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch, too.

The main attraction, of course, is the giant corn maze, but there is plenty to keep you busy the entire day, or even into the evening, when the campfires begin and the farm takes on a totally different persona.

Richardson Adventure Farm is located at 9405 Richardson Road in Spring Grove, Illinois. One admission includes the corn maze and many activities. There is an extra fee for some activities. Check the Richardson Adventure Farm web site for details.

Do you have a favorite corn maze? Post in the comments below.

(Some photography and the video by V.C. Reed, Jr.)

Pontiac Oakland Museum, Pontiac Illinois: Auto Nostalgia along Route 66

Connie Attractions & Events, Illinois September 10, 2013June 2, 2022Illinois attractions, Pontiac Illinois, Pontiac Museum, Route 66, Route 66 Museum 0 Comment

What do you do with a collection of 20 restored Pontiacs and Oaklands and more memorabilia than you have room to store? Open a museum, of course. And what better place to open the Pontiac Oakland Museum than Pontiac, Illinois, a popular stop along the historic Route 66? That’s exactly what Tim Dye did when he and his wife Penny pulled up roots from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and moved their collection to Illinois.

Livingston County War Museum on Route 66 Honors Veterans

Connie Attractions & Events, Illinois September 1, 2013Illinois attractions, Livingston County War Museum, Pontiac Illinois, Route 66 0 Comment

Most of the museums in Pontiac, Illinois, a Route 66 town, relate to Mother Road nostalgia, a fond memory of the past. The Livingston County War Museum, though, stirs different emotions, a mix of patriotism, sadness, and awe, because this museum focuses on the people side of war.

You’ll see some war memorabilia, like this AT-4, produced near Wilmington, Illinois, another Route 66 town, in the early 1990s.

But most of the museum is made up of stories, stories from veterans from every branch of the armed services. Mannequins throughout the museum wear uniforms donated by veterans or families of veterans. Those who were killed in action are denoted with a gold star.

The veteran’s story is attached to the uniform, and sometimes other personal memorabilia is displayed, too, like this display about Bill Voorheis, who was shot by machine gun, and though severely wounded, lived through it because the bullet that would have killed him was deflected by a religious medal that he wore around his neck. His daughter wears that medal around her neck today.

The Livingston County War Museum was the idea of Del Estes (1917-2005), WWII veteran. Most of the volunteers who staff the museum are volunteer veterans whose uniforms are displayed, like museum president Jack Murphy.

Ask volunteer Bill Hall to tell you the story of how a crab saved his life.

You can hear additional information about some of the displays through a self-guided cell phone tour.

The Livingston County War Museum is located at 321 N Main Street in Pontiac, Illinois, adjacent to the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum. Admission is free; donations accepted.

Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket: A Route 66 Icon

Connie Food & Drink, Illinois August 15, 2013July 7, 2017Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket, Route 66, Route 66 Restaurants 0 Comment

Family road trips were in their heyday. Route 66, the 2,448 mile two-lane Mother Road connecting Chicago with Los Angeles, was completely paved by 1938, making cross country travel a popular family vacation. Stops at kitschy roadside attractions, small motels and family friendly diners were as much a part of the adventure as the destination. One of those diners was the Chicken Basket in Willowbrook, Illinois. The restaurant is still in existence today as Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket. One taste of the fried chicken, crisp on the outsider, tender, juicy and flavorful on the inside and you’ll know how Dell Rhea’s has survived the rerouting of Route 66, the subsequent decommissioning of the road, and difficult economies. Read more