Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for illinois
Life in a Glass Box
By Linda Tancs
Located on a 62-acre secured private estate in Plano, Illinois, Farnsworth House is an illustration of life in a glass box. Boasting continuous glass walls, the International Style-house was designed in 1945 by illustrious architect Mies van der Rohe for Dr. Edith Farnsworth. Her country retreat along the Fox River was intended to complement and reflect its natural surroundings. The view is particularly striking in the evening, which is why moonlight tours are back by popular demand. Running at the full moon from May to October, the tours begin at dusk and return after dark. The property is otherwise open from April to November. Buy tickets in advance to guarantee access.
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A Grand Mansion in the Illinois Valley
By Linda Tancs
The stately Hegeler Carus Mansion in La Salle, Illinois, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is also a National Historic Landmark. Virtually unaltered since its completion in the late 1800s, the mansion is made of solid brick covered with a type of stucco that has been smoothed and tooled to resemble massive stone blocks. Because zinc (which does not rust) was readily available from the nearby Matthiessen & Hegeler Zinc Company, the metal is used throughout the mansion, including on its flat roof, gutters and downspouts. Designed by the architect of Chicago’s famous Water Tower, the residence features a horse shoe staircase and an elegant wrap-around porch that graces three sides of the home, a full story above ground. In addition to being the Hegeler family homestead, the grand estate also became home to Open Court Publishing Company, launched in 1887 by Edward Hegeler to provide a forum for the discussion of philosophy, science and religion and to make philosophical classics widely available by making them affordable.
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A Contrast in Illinois
By Linda Tancs
Unlike most of Illinois, the southern tip between the Ohio and Mississippi rivers boasts rolling hills and rugged cliffs teeming with plant and animal life, the likes of which can only mean one thing—you’ve reached a forest. Indeed, this is the site of Shawnee National Forest, the only national forest in the state. Comprising nearly 287,000 acres, one of its best kept secrets is likely High Knob. Just steps away from the parking area, its mountain views rival that of the Smokies. A picnic area provides daytime parking and a trailhead for the five miles of interconnecting trails below the Knob.
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The Art of Bean in Chicago
By Linda Tancs
To bean or not to bean—that is the question for visitors to Chicago, Illinois. That is to say, will you visit The Bean? Officially known as Cloud Gate (because 80 percent of its surface reflects the sky), it’s an interactive sculpture (shaped like a bean, of course) gracing the promenade at Millennium Park. Its stainless steel skin captures the environment around it, a mirror to the soul of The Windy City. And a fun house mirror for those gawking at it. The monument is 33 feet high, 42 feet wide and 66 feet long. Its reflection is kept pristine by washing it twice a year with 40 gallons of liquid detergent.
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Abe Lincoln Never Slept There
By Linda Tancs
The third oldest continuously occupied governor’s mansion in the nation, the executive mansion in Springfield, Illinois is a gem of Italianate architecture. It’s also rich with native son Abe Lincoln’s artifacts. For starters there’s the “smiling bust” of Lincoln, one he actually posed for. And then there’s the Lincoln table, a priceless work of art created in 1864 from more than 20,000 inlaid wood pieces. From the dizzying elliptical stairway leading upstairs you’ll find the Lincoln bedroom, comprising bedroom furniture given to the Lincolns for their use upon their anticipated return from the White House. Sadly, that was not to be. Although entertained at the mansion, Lincoln actually never slept there. Likewise, he never slept in the Lincoln bedroom at that other executive mansion—the White House.
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Leaning Tower of Niles
By Linda Tancs
Wondering what to do on a long layover at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport? The Leaning Tower of Niles is always an option. Just 15 minutes away from the airport, Pisa’s half-sized replica was built some 600 years after the original by a local businessman. Unlike the original, it’s anchored in concrete to hold its characteristic tilt. After your visit, grab a bite to eat at the world’s first franchised McDonald’s about 10 minutes away. Who says layovers have to be boring?
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America’s Lost City
By Linda Tancs
Collinsville, Illinois, home of the world’s largest catsup bottle, is arguably the most unlikeliest of sites for a lost civilization. But that’s where you’ll find Cahokia Mounds, the most sophisticated prehistoric native civilization north of Mexico, larger than London, England was in 1250. Named for the Cahokia subtribe of the Illiniwek who moved into the area in the 1600s, the city of Cahokia was inhabited from about 700 to 1400. The ancient citizenry built over 120 mounds, the largest of which is Monks Mound (rivaling Giza in Egypt), the largest prehistoric earthwork in the Americas. A National Historic Landmark and one of only 21 World Heritage Sites within the United States, this ancient meeting place is just 15 minutes east of St. Louis, Missouri.
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The Chicago River Experience
By Linda Tancs
The Willis Tower in Chicago occupies an enviable position in the city’s skyline, offering sweeping views of such landmarks as 900 North Michigan, Park Tower, John Hancock Center, Trump Tower and the Aon Center. But just a 90-minute boat ride along the Chicago River to Lake Michigan offers an even more comprehensive view of the city’s assets. Just as much a center point as the transit system famously known as the “L,” the river offers unparalleled views of Chicago’s architecture and skyline. Operating since 1935, Wendella’s combination river and lake boat tour departs from the Wendella Dock at The Wrigley Building and includes a trip through the Chicago Lock.
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Lincoln’s Logs
By Linda Tancs
The 42nd Annual Abraham Lincoln National Railsplitting Festival will take place in Lincoln, Illionois from 14 to 16 September. The event kicks off on Friday with a Civil War Ball from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Lincoln Park District Rec Center. For those who want to see how logs are split into beautiful rails, don’t miss the fierce competition on Saturday and Sunday at the Logan County Fairgrounds. Log splitting for rail fences was a way of life on the American frontier, and President Abraham Lincoln was a rail splitter in his youth. That activity led to his nickname, Rail Splitter, coined by the Republican Party to enhance his candidacy for President in 1860.
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Chicago’s Front Yard Food Fest
By Linda Tancs
Chicago’s Grant Park, at Michigan Avenue and Congress Drive, is dubbed Chicago’s “front yard.” Maybe that’s because it’s large and centrally located, the perfect venue for a foodie fest attracting more than 2 million visitors each year. The second largest tourist attraction in Illinois, the ten-day free event offers the usual fare (no pun intended) of top chops from Chicagoland’s best eateries, arts and crafts, music, chef demonstrations and lots of family fun in keeping with the current theme, America’s City Picnic. Visit anytime between 24 June and 3 July.
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