Illinois attractions

Robert Wadlow, World’s Tallest Man

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Robert Wadlow, World’s Tallest Man

At 8’11.1″, Robert Wadlow was the tallest man who ever lived, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.  At birth he weighed a normal eight pounds, but due to a pituitary gland disorder, he grew quickly.  By the time he was eight years old, he was over six feet tall.

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Who Says You Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks?

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Who Says You Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks?

2013 was a year of learning for me, a year full of firsts.  Fairly new to travel writing, having only begun to write regularly for Examiner.com in the fall of 2012, and having started my own Midwest Wanderer blog in May 2013, I went through the trials and tribulations that new technologies bring, and I’m still learning.  Heavens knows I’ve made more than my share of social media blunders and I’m certain there will be more.  But most of my firsts have been wonderful experiences in the exciting world of travel and travel writing.  Here are some of them:

Stepped out onto the Willis Tower Ledge, with just a piece of glass between my feet and the ground 1,353 feet below, facing my fear of heights

Willis_Tower_LedgeZip lined, underground no less, at the Louisville Mega Cavern, another challenge to my phobia

Mega_CavernWent horseback riding at the Natural Valley Ranch, actually my second time on horseback but the first time in a downpour

KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERAStayed in a bed and breakfast, the Summers Riverview Mansion

Summers_Riverview_outsideExperienced the paranormal (just a whiff of perfume, but it was unmistakable) on the Alton Hauntings Walking Tour

prison1Attended a polo match at the Oak Brook Polo Club

PoloParasailed on the Mississippi and Kayaked on the Rock River.  You’ll find out more about both this spring.

Besides all the firsts, I’ve discovered museums, theaters, shops, markets, parks, restaurants, wineries and more in small towns throughout the Midwest, many towns that I didn’t even know existed.  But best of all are the people I’ve met, from tourism bureau reps and fellow travel writers to shop owners, museum curators, other travelers, so many more I’ve crossed paths with, and especially you, my readers.

I’m looking forward to more new experiences in 2014 and to sharing them with you, to help you in your search of great places to wander.

Happy New Year and safe travels.
Connie Reed
Midwest Wanderer

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Hiking Starved Rock State Park in the Winter

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Hiking Starved Rock State Park in the Winter

I’ve been to Starved Rock State Park in Utica, Illinois, in every season, each season with a beauty of its own.  Spring brings the promise of warm summer days, life bursting forth again after dormancy, the bright green of new leaves on trees, tiny wildflowers poking through the ground, the scent of spring in the air.  In the summer, a canopy of shade cools, the sight and sound of rushing waterfalls mesmerize, and coneflower and black-eyed Susan add bursts of color to the green foliage.  In the fall, the most popular time to visit, leaves turn to shades of crimson and amber, leaves that have already fallen crunch under your feet with every step you take.  My favorite time of year to visit, though, is winter.

woods

A feeling of stillness envelopes the winter woods as you hike some of the 13 miles of snow blanketed trails, the shining sun warming the brisk air enough to keep you comfortable.

TrailClimb to the tops of sandstone bluffs to take in breathtaking views of canyons with waterfalls of solid ice, as still as if frozen in time, and the wide Illinois River that flows adjacent to the park, eagles soaring overhead, diving into the water to catch their next meal, roosting in nearby trees.

Eagle_in_flightThen hike down to the bottoms of the canyons—there are 18 of them within a four mile area—and walk on the frozen streams to see the waterfalls up close.

waterfallWhen you’re ready to warm up, head to the rustic Starved Rock Lodge, built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps and now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, where you can relax in front of the two-sided fireplace in the Great Hall.

FireplaceEnjoy a meal in the dining room, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Dining_roomOr choose to dine in the casual Back Door Lounge.

Back_Door_Lounge

I had the Chief Pontiac sandwich, shaved prime rib and smoked cheddar on Focaccia bread with barbecue cilantro sauce, served with homemade chips.  it tasted as good as the description sounded.

Sandwich

If you need something a little warmer to wear when you go back outside, pick up a colorful scarf, hat or sweater in the gift shop.

gift_shopBe sure to stop in the visitor center while you’re in the park, too, where you can get information on park activities and learn the history of the park, about the Native Americans who inhabited the area and explorers Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet.

dioramaYou can purchase a souvenir or snack at the Trailheads Concessions in the visitor center, too, like fresh fudge made right there.  The orange-chocolate flavor was delicious.

fudgeNo matter in which season you choose to visit Starved Rock State Park, you’ll find natural beauty in surroundings unlike any other park in Illinois.

Starved Rock State Park, less than 100 miles from Chicago, is a popular day trip for Illinoisans, but you may want to make a weekend of it.  Stay in one of Starved Rock Lodge’s 69 guest rooms or in a cabin, some of which have fireplaces.  (Saturday night stays require a two night booking.)  Check the Starved Rock Lodge and Conference Center web site for details.

Thank you for reading Midwest Wanderer.  If you enjoyed this post, click on the Subscribe2 button to the left to be notified whenever another post is published.  (Be sure to click the link when you get the e-mail asking you to confirm.)  Visit the Midwest Wanderer Facebook Page, and check out my Examiner.com page, too, where I’ve had over 80 articles published.

 

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

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

The year was 1902.  Susan Dana had inherited $3 million and wanted to renovate the Renaissance Italianate home she grew up in.  She heard of an up-and-coming architect named Frank Lloyd Wright and hired him to “renovate” the house.  What she ended up with two years later was one room left from the original structure within 12,000 square feet of a brand new Frank Lloyd Wright prairie style home, a home with elements unheard of at the time, a home that everyone wanted to be entertained in.  Today the home is owned by the State of Illinois, open to the public for tours, and guests are still awestruck by the architectural genius of this mansion.

Wright’s signature traits are all over the house:  horizontal lines; a lot of open space and windows, inviting nature into the home and the home into nature; and art glass everywhere—in doors, windows, light fixtures, even in ceiling panels.  The one Wright trait that is missing is an entry door hidden from plain view.  Susan Dana loved to entertain, and she insisted on a grand entrance for guests.  And grand it is.

Entrance

As you walk through the home, from one area to another, you’ll feel the various moods that Wright meant to evoke.  A low ceiling on one side of a room creates a comfortable alcove.  Move over a few feet, to where the ceiling is much higher, and you’ll feel the space open, a perfect party space.  A long dining table, when expanded to its full length could seat up to 40.  A little beyond, a small table in a nook could be curtained off for an intimate family meal.

Landings between levels become balconies, perfect spots from which musicians could entertain.  It seems everywhere you turn there are more architectural surprises, including three barrel vaulted ceilings and an extensive use of butterflies, a favorite of Ms. Dana.  The butterflies aren’t obvious, but you can detect them in some of the art glass and in the shape of the lamps.  Surprises even extend to the lower-level library, where Ms. Dana often entertained children on Saturday mornings.  A guest touring the home once said that as a child he had his first ice cream cone here and pointed out the spot of a secret cooler that kept the ice cream cold.  The lower level includes a duck pin bowling lane and a billiards room, too.

No photographs are allowed to be taken inside, so you’ll have to take the tour yourself to see the house, the Wright-designed furniture and original sculptures.  No doubt, you’ll be awestruck, too, as you walk through the Dana-Thomas House’s 12,000 square feet of phenomenal.

The Dana-Thomas House is located at 301 E. Lawrence Avenue in Springfield, Illinois.  Tours are conducted Wednesdays through Sundays.  Visit the web site for further details.

Enjoy this post?  Click the Subscribe2 button to the left to be notified whenever another post is published on MidwestWanderer.com.  (Be sure to click the link when you get the e-mail asking you to confirm.)  Visit the Midwest Wanderer Facebook Page, and check out my Examiner.com page, too, where I’ve had over 75 articles published.

Other posts and articles you may enjoy:

Fabyan Forest Preserve: Frank Lloyd Wright, Japanese garden and windmill

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Haunted DeSoto House Hotel, Galena IL

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

Connie Attractions & Events, Food & Drink, Illinois , , , 0 Comment
It’s Apple Picking Time at Royal Oak Farm Orchard, Harvard IL

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.

pumpkins

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.Chicken-pot-piePieBesides 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.

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

train_2

carousel2On 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.

hay_wagonPondapple_tree_hedgeBe 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.

gift_shopjellyturnoversIf 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.

produceRoyal 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.

Enjoy this post?  Click the Subscribe2 button to the left to be notified whenever I publish another post on MidwestWanderer.com.  (Be sure to click the link when you get the e-mail asking you to confirm.)  Visit the Midwest Wanderer Facebook Page, and check out my Examiner.com page, too, where I’ve had over 70 articles published.