Tag Archives: Illinois Road Trips

Buffalo Rock State Park

On my last day of the Utica excursion I decided to give Buffalo State park another chance. I had visited it years before, excited about the earth sculptures, only to get hot in the harsh sun of the prairie landscape. To let a speeding truck pass me I pulled into the Illinois & Michigan Canal […]

A Mini-Hike at Starved Rock

I planned on walking the majority of the Starved Rock Trail on day two of my Utica excursion, but the majority was closed due to fallen trees and storm damage in mid-July. Even the Starved Rock Lodge had a tree fall in per one resident. Basically the entire stretch of the park trail was closed, […]

Bumbling Along Matthiessen State Park Trails

In mid-July I took an excursion to Utica to clear my head and ground myself in nature. My favorite park in the Starved Rock Area is Matthiessen State Park. For a while it was a well-kept secret, with most tourists favoring Starved Rock Park. Unfortunately (for me) it has gotten more popular over the years, […]

Exploring Utica

Last week I took a road trip to Utica to satisfy my July travel itch. It is just 2 and a half hours from home, an easy drive actually when you skip rush hour. I had visited the Starved Rock area a few times, and gradually upgraded my stays from a KOA cabin with plastic […]

Overcast Waterfall Glen

Last week I defied the weather forecasts and drove up to Lemont determined to revisit Waterfall Glen. Fortunately the rain subsided on the way there and the predicted Thunderstorms passed us by. (Warning: slugs and millipedes in this post-if you don’t like them, don’t scroll down) The droplets were gorgeous. Nature always has a way […]

Close encounters with an Atlas Moth

Just before Memorial Day weekend the Chicago Botanic Garden announced the arrival of an Atlas Moth in their Butterflies & Blooms exhibit. I eagerly drove up that Saturday, but many in Chicagoland had the same idea, and I didn’t feel like wasting fuel in a long line of cars. Instead, I returned last week and […]

American History Re-learned

Last Summer I randomly discovered the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian here in Evanston, and made a mental note to visit it. So when we were looking for places to host NEW events, I decided to give our cultural knowledge a boost and book our Meet & Munch there. The museum was founded in […]

Ambling Caldwell Woods

“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. […]

Introducing NEW to Lemont

Last week the Network of Entrepreneurial Women had a blast at Aurora Rose Boutique in Lemont. I was excited to showcase this shop to our members, since I knew it would be a good fit. We got to sample delicious goodies from Tastefully Simple, had chocolate Martinis provided by Dove Chocolates, and sampled the new […]

A Crisp Day at Lowden State Park

My last day in Oregon (Illinois) was a chilly one. I was tempted to snooze in the cabin but had to check out by 11:30, so I enjoyed a pancake breakfast and then had the hostess nudge me toward Lowden State Park rather than Castle Rock for my next hike. I said goodbye to the […]

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