There was a time when driving along Route 66 felt like a treasure hunt for the eyes. Each bend in the road might reveal a towering fiberglass giant, greeting travelers with a silent wave or a fixed grin. As a kid, I pressed my face to the car window, scanning the horizon for these whimsical […]
On our way home from our Indiana-Michigan road trip, we made a detour to Casey, Illinois. This small town is famous for its giant-sized attractions, known as the “World’s Largest” items. Armed with a map and a sense of adventure, we were ready to explore. It didn’t take long to realize that this charming town
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While many of our excursions are designed to showcase family-friendly travel destinations, sometimes we look for a different type of getaway. While searching for something unique, we discovered a place that would make a perfect escape for the two of us. Since we both enjoy many of the same things, we decided to spend some
Exploring a new destination is certainly a ton of fun, but can also work up quite an appetite. Fortunately, we found a medley of meals during our stay in St. Charles, Illinois. This Midwestern city has a broad selection of eateries, which provide about every cuisine option under the sun. You’ll find opportunities for a
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These days, St. Charles is often mistaken as just a suburb of Chicago. The reality of its beginnings is something far more interesting. To gain a better grasp of its history we spent a couple of days exploring the nooks and crannies of the city. With the Lincoln Highway running just to the south, it
They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. When you have a day packed full of exploring, it’s especially vital. Of course, we find that good food makes the meal that much more memorable. St. Charles, Illinois was proving to be a great walking destination, so we definitely needed to keep
Vacations offer a chance to broaden our horizons and expand our lives with new experiences. When we are in the planning phase for upcoming trips, we look for opportunities to include a wide spectrum of activities. Each destination serves up its unique flavor, by presenting a selection of attractions. An excursion to St. Charles, Illinois,
In 1926, Ford was inventing the 40-hour work week, while Author A.A. Milne introduced the world to Winnie-the-Pooh. Prohibition was at its peak and had been in place for over 5 years. Bootleggers had created an extensive network for the distribution of their products. Our lessons at past museums told us that there also existed
In every city we visit, we are able to uncover some amazing eats. Springfield, Illinois kicked it up a level by adding the historic aspect to many of our stops. Being the heart of the “Land of Lincoln”, as well as a Route 66 destination, made this city extra special. Our downtown stay gave us
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It’s always a thrill for us when we get to visit the capital city of a state. Even though they all have a dome, each is unique in its own way. Our trip to Springfield, Illinois gave us a chance to find history galore, in this twin domed Midwest city. So many historical paths cross
A visit to Springfield, Illinois is an opportunity to dive into the long history of this Midwestern region. With only three days to soak in as much as possible, we found ourselves bustling between stops. As we approached the end of our visit, we found ourselves facing our final day of exploration. With daylight burning,
When you travel to Springfield, Illinois, you will find yourself transported to the Land of Lincoln. While he may not have been born in Illinois, much of his formative years were spent in this Midwest state. I have to tell you that I have been fascinated with the life of the 16th President since my
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While we are not experts in architectural design, that doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate beautiful designs. Springfield’s Dana-Thomas House gave us a chance to see one of the homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Unlike many of the homes Wright built from scratch, this home was a redesign. That small detail will come in play
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One of the benefits of visiting state capital cities is the opportunity to tour the state museums. Most every city and town will have a historical stop that showcases the local history. It is the state museum that will fill out the details on the entire region. In Springfield, we discovered the Illinois State Museum
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We have had the opportunity to visit a lot of science museums. While some exhibits are commonplace at almost every museum, each one we visit seems to have a few unique displays that intrigue us. Our visit to the Museum of Science and Industry (MSI), in Chicago, blew us away with their sheer volume of
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A visit to Springfield, Illinois holds something for just about everyone in your travel crew. If you are a fan of road trips, then retracing the Mother Road (Route 66) will lead you straight through the heart of this Midwest city. Along the route, there are a variety of unique stops, like Cozy Dog Drive
Wherever we travel, Crystal and I will usually be on the lookout for ice cream. We are fortunate that both of us can agree on this creamy treat as a preferred dessert option. When we planned our latest Chicago visit, it was agreed to make our base camp on the outskirts of the metro. While
A visit to Springfield, Illinois puts travelers in the heart of the Land of Lincoln. During your visit, you will find that all throughout the city there are reminders of our 16th President of the United States. One of the premier stops is the Lincoln Home National Historic Site. There is no entrance fee for
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Each year hundreds of restaurants start and fail. It takes dedication and consistency to build a sustainable dining business. While some of the newcomers have unique menu offerings, we believe that tried and true eateries have developed a taste that appeals to a wide range of diners. Springfield, Illinois is home to a variety of
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When planning a visit to a new destination, we try to pack our schedule really full. This allows us to write tons of articles on each city, so that you will have more options when planning your own vacation. Even with a full slate of stops planned, we seem to still squeeze in one more
Visiting Springfield, Illinois would not be complete without paying respect at Lincoln’s Tomb. Having a chance to see the final resting place of our 16th president, was high on our list of must do activities. Since our visit to Springfield was focused on the downtown region of this Midwestern city, we decided to make this
Springfield, Illinois is a Midwestern city filled with historic houses. Being the hometown of the Abraham Lincoln family puts it squarely on the map of vacationers and history buffs alike. While some of the homes are available for tours, others can only be viewed from the outside. We found one that crossed the tourism-only line
A short stay in Chicago, Illinois offers travelers tons of options. Our trip was focused on the City Center area. We were hoping to enjoy the museums and shopping possibilities. From Kansas City, we were only looking at a 1 1/2 hour flight, so it’s a great destination. Our Temporary Home in Chicago We chose to forego a
The Field Museum is Chicago’s own museum of natural history. It happens to rank as one of the largest of its type in the world. With over 24 million specimens in its portfolio, anything less than all day is just a cursory look. The Natural World Our schedule only allowed for a short visit, so
There is a huge variation between cities in the Midwest. There are lots of small towns, which are based around the old town square format. As you move up to larger cities, you start to see more multi-story buildings. Then you have the Chicago skyscrapers. By the time you get to a city the size