Poopy’s Pub n’ Grub, Savanna IL: Popular Even with Non-bikers

Connie Food & Drink, Illinois February 20, 2014March 20, 2014Great River Road, Illoinois attractions, Poopy's, restaurants in Illinois 0 Comment

It’s billed as the biggest biker destination in Illinois. And it’s no wonder, with its location along the Great River Road, a popular biker ride. Add to that lots of space, weekend entertainment, outdoor facilities, and generous servings of menu choices beyond ordinary pub grub, and you’ve got a recipe for success.

The inside is decorated with motorcycles and biker memorabilia, the atmosphere casual, very casual.

Step out the back door to get to the huge summertime entertainment venue.

And then there’s the menu, a bit tacky but all in fun, with menu items like the one-pound burger called The Big Poop. Portions are huge no matter what you order, the food fresh and tasty. Even my salad, with fresh greens, veggies, and chicken, was more than I could finish.

We were there for an early lunch and beat the crowd. It wasn’t long, though, before motorcycles started pulling into the parking lot, their riders coming in for a bite to eat and a beer. It isn’t unusual for Poopy’s to serve 800 to 1500 people in one day. By the time we left, the parking lot was filled with bikes.

And that’s just the back parking lot.

Poopy’s Pub n’ Grub is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Check their web site for exact hours and location.

Thank you for reading Midwest Wanderer. If you enjoyed this post and would like an e-mail notification when other posts are published, enter your e-mail address below and click Subscribe. Be sure to click the link when you get the e-mail asking you to confirm.

Other blog posts you may enjoy:

Haunted DeSoto House Hotel, Galena IL

Silver Moon Winery, Lanark IL: Wine Tasting and Food Pairing

Seven Eagles RV Resort and Campground: RV, Cabin or Motel

Heirloom Market & Café, Thomson IL: Fresh and Natural

Exploring Carroll County IL

Shawnee National Forest and Cave-in-Rock State Park: Southern Illinois Natural Beauty

Connie Attractions & Events, Illinois February 18, 2014March 22, 2014Cave-in-Rock State Park, Illinois attractions, Shawnee National Forest 0 Comment

Right now the ground is covered in a blanket of white, but it won’t be long before the first crocus of spring breaks through the Shawnee National Forest floor, the sun coaxing the little purple buds to open their petals into full bloom. Trees will leaf out, shrubs will flower, and birds will sing sweet music as they return to their summer homes. Although hiking the Shawnee National Forest in quiet winter solitude has its advantages, most people prefer to wait until the temperature rises to a comfortable level before leaving the warm comfort of home and come out to play.

I spent a couple of days in the Shawnee National Forest and adjacent Cave-in-Rock State Park last summer. As I sorted through photos of the trip, I was reminded of the natural beauty of the area, the huge rock formations in the Garden of the Gods, the flora and fauna of the woods, the rippling sound of the creeks and river. Enjoy the slideshow.

The Shawnee National Forest is located in Southern Illinois. For information on activities and accommodations, visit the Southernmost Illinois Tourism Bureau web site.

Other blog posts you may enjoy:

Stay in a Tree House in the Shawnee National Forest

Hiking Starved Rock State Park in the Winter

Bike or Hike through Railroad Tunnels in Sparta WI, the Bicycling Capital of America

Summers Riverview Mansion Bed and Breakfast, Metropolis IL: Elegant Comfort

Metropolis Illinois: Home of Superman

Zydeco’s, Mooresville IN: A Taste of New Orleans

Connie Food & Drink, Indiana February 15, 2014February 11, 2018Mooresville Indiana, Restaurants in Indiana, Zydeco's 2 Comments

Step over the threshold into Zydeco’s 5, and you’ll think you’ve been transported from Indiana to the New Orleans French Quarter. Everything in the restaurant–the décor, the drinks, and the food–screams New Orleans, Mardi Gras style. Read more

Tour the Lincoln Home for a Peek at President’s Private Life, Springfield Illinois

Connie Attractions & Events, Illinois February 12, 2014June 13, 2015abraham lincoln sites, Illinois attractions, Lincoln Home, Springfield Illiois 2 Comments

Abraham Lincoln lived in a log cabin at the start of his life and in the White House at the end of his life. Between the two extremes, he and his family lived in a typical home in Springfield, Illinois, for seventeen years, a home that started out a modest size and was expanded as the family grew and Lincoln’s law business flourished. Today you can tour the home, which includes several of the Lincolns’ possessions.

Café Moxo Soup and Pot Pie Popular with Lunch Crowd, Springfield IL

Connie Food & Drink, Illinois February 10, 2014March 20, 2014Cafe Moxo, Springfield IL, Springfield IL restaurants 0 Comment

I was told that Café Moxo in downtown Springfield was a popular lunch spot and is known for soups and pot pie, appealing on a chilly day. Its popularity was substantiated when we went in for lunch on a Saturday, when most state workers are not downtown, and it was full of diners.

Café Moxo offers counter service, and although several customers were in line ahead of us, the line moved quickly, too quickly in fact, for me. Deciding what I wanted wasn’t easy because besides soup and pot pie, the menu includes flatbread pizzas, salads, and twenty different quirky named sandwiches, many with unusual but delicious sounding ingredient combinations, like the Goudas it Gets with turkey, cucumbers, spring mix, tomato, Gouda and dill crema on a baguette. Add combos to the list of possibilities (salad or soup and a half sandwich with drink and cookie) and the decision is not an easy one to make.

In the end we went with the popular chicken pot pie and chicken noodle soup. The soup had the thickest noodles I have ever tasted, handmade in the restaurant, I was told. And the flaky, herb-seasoned crust on the large portioned pot pie opened to steaming cream sauce chock full of thick chicken chunks and vegetables.

Open for breakfast, too, Café Moxo serves, among other items, made-to-order breakfast sandwiches with your choice of meats, cheeses and breads, as well as a full menu of specialty coffee and café drinks.

Café Moxo, located at 411 E Adams, Springfield, Illinois, is open Monday through Saturday, 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Check the web site to view the full menu.

Other posts you may enjoy:

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, Sprngfield IL: Museum Meets Disney

American Harvest Eatery: Best Chef in Springfield

Frank Lloyd Wright Dana-Thomas House, Springfield IL: 12000 Square Feet of Phenomenal

Weathering this Midwest Winter

Connie Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin February 7, 2014March 20, 2014Illinois tourism, Indiana tourism, Iowa tourism, Kansas tourism, Kentucky tourism, Michigan tourism, Midwest Travel, Minnesota Tourism, Missouri tourism, Nebraska tourism, North Dakota tourism, Ohio tourism, South Dakota tourism, Wisconsin tourism 1 Comment

“I’m tired of this winter.” I’ve heard it over and over again for the past month. And I agree. It seems that every day, at least here in the Chicago area, we’ve been getting either more snow, making roads dangerous to navigate, or single-digit to sub-zero temperatures, so we can’t go out and enjoy snow activities. Of course, the obvious remedy is to go somewhere warm, and if you can do that, great. But for many, a vacation to a warm climate is impractical or even impossible. Besides, a week later, you’ll be back home in the snow and cold again. So aside from hibernating and counting the days until spring, here are a couple of ways to counter the cabin fever that has hit the Midwest hard:

Go to indoor events and attractions. On the days that are cold but the roads okay to drive on, go to a local museum that you haven’t been to in a long time. (Call first to make sure they haven’t closed due to the cold.) Or go to one of the many travel, RV, boat, auto, or home shows going on in cities all over the Midwest. You’ll find links to information on lots of them on the Midwest Festivals & Fairs page.

Plan your summer travel. Now is the time to plan your summer getaways. Get them on the calendar before your calendar fills up with other obligations. If you’re planning to go to a popular seasonal destination, you should make your accommodation reservations as soon as possible, too, for the best selection. Need help in deciding where to go? Turn to the convention and visitors bureaus of the states you are thinking about. On the Internet, search “[state name] tourism” to find the state’s official tourism site, which will have listings of attractions, accommodations, dining options, and events. You can order free hard copy travel guides for the states or regions you are considering for your getaways, too. I personally like to peruse the hard copy guides from the cozy comfort of a sofa and then use the Internet to get further details on places that interest me. To get you started, I’ve included links below to order tourism guides for the Midwest states.

Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Nebraska
North Dakota
Ohio
South Dakota
Wisconsin

Just thinking about and planning your summer getaways will do wonders to counter the winter doldrums. Do you have other suggestions for cabin fever remedies? Answer in the Comments box below.

Thank you for reading Midwest Wanderer. If you enjoyed this post, enter your e-mail address below and click Subscribe. Be sure to click the link when you get the e-mail asking you to confirm.

Other attractions you may enjoy this winter:

Peoria Riverfront Museum: Interactive Exhibits, Planetarium and Giant Screen Theater

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, Springfield IL: Museum Meets Disney

Frank Lloyd Wright Dana-Thomas House: 12,000 Square Feet of Phenomenal

Visit Jelly Belly, Pleasant Prairie WI: Take the Tour, Taste the Candy

Tour Stone Hill Winery, Hermann, MO: Most Historic and Awarded Winery in the State