We want to thank the St. Charles Business Alliance for hosting our visit. Rest assured all opinions are our own.

Chill Time

Intending to have the best experience possible, we made sure that there was plenty of time allotted for slowing down. This is easy to do, as the vibe of the city is relaxed. The downtown is laid out in a pattern that makes it very walkable. This is perfect for enhancing couple time in St. Charles. After parking our car, we headed to Mt. St. Mary Park, where we strolled through the public art. Situated along the shore of the Fox River, which bisects the downtown, the park offers some beautiful views. There is even a pedestrian bridge that aids in traversing both sides of the river.

Retail Therapy

It’s no secret that we love shopping. We even give bonus points for locally-owned boutique stores. There is plenty to keep a couple occupied between meals. Crystal was enjoying all of the cute clothes she found at the stores. I was happy to see her having so much fun. With so many choices, we had no problem finding some Christmas gifts for family and friends. It’s easy to imagine St. Charles being a good destination for a girlfriend’s weekend. Between salons, shops, and restaurants, this city has something for everyone.

Scary Treat

Some of you guys may be thinking that all of these boutiques aren’t your cup of tea. Don’t worry, they have some unique shops that appeal to us, as well. While strolling along Main Street, we happened upon Ghoulish Mortals. This macabre store is filled with frighteningly fascinating merchandise. As we perused their stock, we found memorabilia from just about every horror movie we have ever heard of or seen. It was the perfect stop to grab some unusual pieces for Halloween and gift giving.

Artistic Outing

Our couples time in St. Charles happened to overlap with their annual Fine Arts Festival. This is just one of many annual events that take place along the Fox River. It was nice to just stroll through the booths and check out the variety of pieces on display. Whether you are an art lover or just into people-watching, these types of events are a perfect fit. We’ve gotten into the habit of picking up small mementos from our journeys and locally made art is one of our favorite choices. Not looking to add to your collection? The art festival even has a section where visitors can take a turn showcasing their artistic talent. Crystal jumped in and added a special touch from us.

Floating the Fox River

The Fox River has a powerful presence in St. Charles. The peaceful water flow downstream bisects the city. At nearby Pottawatomie Park, travelers can mingle with locals as they explore the banks of the river. As we explored the park, we saw groups of people enjoying picnics and parties. The local miniature golf course was packed with participants enjoying the great outdoors. Spotting a paddlewheel riverboat sparked the idea to take a sightseeing cruise. This has been a favorite activity of visitors since the mid-1940s. While the boats have been replaced over the years, the relaxed pleasure of a riverboat cruise is still entertaining.

Hidden Delight

Even on vacation, we still try to stick to our regular dating schedule. After over 40 years, this has helped us keep the spark alive in our relationship. Not all dates are at the same level, as some are extra special. Our visit to Club Arcada certainly attained “extra special” status. This historic theater is still in operation but now has an added feature. After taking the elevator to the 3rd floor, we were snuck into their speakeasy. Talk about a fun way to make dinner extraordinary. We felt like we were stepping back into the Roaring Twenties, complete with all of the Hollywood star power from those days.

Couples Time in St. Charles

When we tell people that we are travel bloggers, we often hear the reply “Where can I get that job?” While the reality is that there is a lot of behind-the-scenes work and expense, it is still an amazing job. It is hard to label it a job, because we are always enjoying ourselves. Our couples time in St. Charles was another chance to meet new people and learn about a new destination. Immersing ourselves in the local scene helps us connect with the roots of the city and feel like we have had a cultural experience. St. Charles is an amazing destination choice for a couple’s escape, family vacation, or girlfriend’s outing. We’d love to hear some of your stories from visits to this “Gem on the Fox River”.

The post Couples Time In St. Charles appeared first on Our Changing Life.

We want to thank the St. Charles Business Alliance for hosting our visit. Rest assured all opinions are our own.

Variety is the Spice of Life

When it comes to breakfast, we tend to look for meals packed with protein. This supplies us with some staying power to sustain us through a busy morning. That doesn’t mean we don’t mix in some sweeter bites. In fact, during a morning meal at Eat At Syrup, we had a chance to sample their Mini Waffle Flight. This picture-perfect plate of goodness seemed to disappear as quickly as it had materialized at our table. Each sweet bite seemed to be even better than the last. Tossing in an enormous five-egg omelet helped provide plenty of protein to hold us over until lunch.

Irish Comfort Food

After a delectable breakfast, we enjoyed a morning of exploring the urban art scene found throughout St. Charles. We combined some shopping at local boutiques, which worked wonders at burning off our morning feast. Soon we were feeling the twinge of hunger building, which signaled it was time for us to continue our medley of meals. Located right along the main drag through St. Charles is McNally’s Irish Pub. Popping inside, we found the space packed with locals. Wading into the fray, we found a tabletop for two. While Crystal munched on a Chicken Cobb Sandwich, I went straight for the Fish and Chips. I’m sure her sammie was delightful, but I was focused on the flaky cod hidden beneath their beer batter. Once again, we departed filled to the gills. Time for some more walking.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink

When we develop our itinerary for a new destination, it’s important for us to include plenty of historic stops. While these are often museums or founding family’s homes, sometimes it happens to be a restaurant. St. Charles provided us an opportunity to include a couple of historic settings to enjoy a medley of meals. Colonial Café has had a presence in the Fox River Valley since 1901. That’s a whole bunch of history. When we see an eatery with this much background, we know it is a local favorite. The Colonial Café has retained its ice cream beginnings but has also added plenty of great comfort food dishes. Heaping plates of enticing vittles include plates like Braised Beef Pot Roast. After chowing down on these tender chunks of beef, I found I had forgotten to leave room for any of their ice creams. Oh well, now we have an excuse for a return visit.

Hidden Pleasure

Preserving historic sites sometimes means modernizing. Club Arcada has been a St. Charles landmark since the 1930s. Changing times have seen the space utilized under other names. In 2017, Ron Onesti brought this majestic structure back to life under its original name. To top it off, he took part of the interior on a trip back in time. While the theater space has retained its original beauty, the uppermost floor has been transformed into a 1920s-style speakeasy. This type of food and fun was too much for us to pass up. It’s hard to say whether it was the delectable dishes or the amazing décor that most impressed us. This was another meal that left us fat and happy.

Medley of Meals

After looking back on the medley of meals we enjoyed in St. Charles, you can see why we seek out walkable destinations. It takes plenty of steps to burn the delicious calories we discover along our journeys. As with most cities, we found far too many eateries for us to sample them all. Our goal is to showcase a good cross-section and let you select the ones that pique your interest. St. Charles provided us with plenty of choices and we were extremely pleased with each one we savored. Which of these tasty treasures most intrigues you?

The post Medley Of Meals – St. Charles, Illinois Eateries appeared first on Our Changing Life.

We want to thank the St. Charles Business Alliance for hosting our visit. Rest assured all opinions are our own.

Learning Local History

In the 1830s, the Fox River Valley was recovering from the Black Hawk War. When the government opened the land for settlement, it didn’t take long for this valley to draw attention. By 1840, St. Charles was incorporated. Getting to the village required a three-day journey from Chicago, as the Fox River was not favorable for navigation by large boats. Without a railroad, it left the town isolated. This was finally rectified when the Chicago Great Western Railway created a direct connection. The increased accessibility led to business growth, marking St. Charles as a relaxation destination for Chicago dwellers.

Camp Life

Illinois was spared from any major battles during the Civil War. St. Charles lay in the midst of abolitionist territory and therefore supported the Union. A few months after war was declared, a training facility for a cavalry regiment was created in the young township. Initiated by Colonel John Farnsworth, the 8th Illinois Cavalry would see action in notable battles. Their presence was noted in Fredericksburg, Antietam, Mechanicsville, and Gettysburg. The group also had the honor of being honor guards for Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train. They escorted the fallen president to his final resting place in Springfield.

Pickle Capital

How do you become the pickle capital without producing any pickles? In the 1960s, St. Charles became home to Pickle Packers International. This promotional group touted the benefits of pickles around the world. Some of the promotions included pickle phones, greeting cards, and purses. While the organization would eventually relocate to Washington, the title of Pickle Capital stayed with St. Charles. It was even used as the subject of a question on Jeopardy.

Familiar Name

While the St. Charles History Museum is smaller than some others we’ve visited, it is jam-packed with plenty of artifacts. As we continued to explore, we came across a display about one of the town’s most notable landmarks. Hotel Baker sits just down the road and across the Fox River. While the streetcar no longer runs along Main Street, we could imagine visitors hopping aboard to traverse this urban playground. What a fun way to navigate the rolling hills of Eastern Illinois.

Historic Lodging

With a grasp of St. Charles’s history under our belts, we headed off for our next stop. Our lodging during our visit had been arranged at Hotel Baker and we were anxious to see it with our own eyes. It was a short walk across the river to the front door of this historic hotel. Built in 1928, it was the home of Colonel Baker but also a stop for weary travelers. The site had previously been used by a mill, which was destroyed by fire. When the hotel opened its doors, it was filled with some unusual features. It had its own hydroelectric facility that supplied inexpensive power. This helped run a lighted dance floor, and a radio station in what would become the penthouse suite, in later years.

Checking In

To prove that it was a world-class luxury hotel, they also included a 9-hole miniature golf course and a fishing pond. Travelers were treated to one of the most elaborate parking facilities. This included a Hudson car dealership with a service bay, car wash, and gas station. Inside the hotel, guests would find that each room was decorated in its own style, so no two stays would be the same. All of these features would set a visitor back $2.50 per night. That sounds to us like quite a deal, even for 1930. We were fortunate to get a room with a view overlooking the Fox River.

Urban Playground

These days, Hotel Baker is highly regarded as a wedding destination. The historic vibe, along with amazing architecture, is the perfect backdrop for exchanging vows. In fact, during our two-night stay, we saw three ceremonies take place. It is kind of fun staying in a 53-room luxury hotel and being the only ones not in the wedding group. You can imagine it drew some surprised glances. Our exploration in St. Charles was showing us many sides of this urban playground. While many will visit for the relaxed, upscale vibe, there is also plenty of history to discover. It’s a good thing we planned three days, but even that would only scratch the surface. Have you ever visited St. Charles, Illinois?

The post Urban Playground – St. Charles, Illinois appeared first on Our Changing Life.

We want to thank the St. Charles Business Alliance for hosting our visit. Rest assured all opinions are our own. 

Eat At Syrup

We were well into our visit in this Chicago suburb and had already created some lasting memories. I don’t know how many of your travel stories revolve around food, but we find many eateries that are especially noteworthy. Eat At Syrup had popped up on our radar during our planning phase and we were anxious to sample their upscale farmhouse breakfast. From the solid gathering that had already assembled, we could see that this place was extremely popular with the locals. That is a positive sight for us and bespeaks of some great eats to come. Just the aroma in the restaurant was enough to get my hunger kicked into high gear.

How Many Eggs?

Let’s just put it out there, the omelets at Eat At Syrup are a mountain of food. When we were haggling over what to order, it was decided to present a couple of mainstream choices. I left Crystal to select the sweet side, while I went hog wild with the savory choice. Seeing the Santa Fe Omelet was enough for me to stop perusing the menu. This gargantuan creation boasts five eggs. (Yes, I said FIVE.) Toss in hickory smoked bacon, avocado, cheddar cheese, and Ranchero salsa for extra punch. Of course, they had to drizzle it with a crema sauce and sprinkle on some chives. This massive meal had so many great flavors combining to keep bringing us back for more.

Plethora of Pancakes

As I said, Crystal was in charge of the sweet side and ordered up the Mini Waffle Flight. This tray of tempting delights allowed us to sample all of the great tastes in one meal. From left to right, each waffle brought its own unique flavor combination. We started with the Chocolate Chip Bacon, which combined sweet and savory all in one. The Bananza surprised us with its cinnamon filling that played well with the fresh bananas. The Maui combines lemon zested mascarpone with coconut and strawberries for a taste of the islands. By the time we made it to the Raspberry Mascarpone, we were finding ourselves in a sugary world of satisfaction.

Fuel for Exploring

We had barely scratched the surface of the St. Charles dining scene and were already immensely impressed. When looking for the perfect couple’s escape, we find that dining options have to be solid. With a distinctive meal at a local speakeasy already under our belt, we were finding this to be one of our best dining destinations. We still had plenty more exploring to do, which means there will be chances to add to our growing list of luscious eats. For now, it was time to walk off some of those calories, which aren’t supposed to count on vacation. How many of you consider dining to be one of the best parts of travel?

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Standing Tall

Each spring, when the flowers burst on the scene, visitors will find another artistic display. All around town, artwork can be discovered. Since we were staying in the heart of downtown, a stroll down to Mt. St. Mary Park was the perfect choice for an artful adventure. We were greeted by Mr. Eggwards, who reminded us of a dapper version of Humpty Dumpty. Fortunately, he appears to have a better sense of balance. Heading into the park, we discovered that a walking path weaves its way for more than a mile through this green space. Strategically located along the route, you will find a variety of sculptures designed to elicit discussion and smiles.

Familiar Vibes

While some of the art pieces leave plenty to interpretation, others tend to direct the viewer in a preconceived fashion. The stainless steel piece on the left is designed using a selection of geometric shapes. The way they are assembled led me to see some sort of futuristic robotic device. Since my mind was running toward the science fiction side, the statue on the right seemed to make a good complement. I spotted this sculpture from afar and was immediately reminded of some alien craft landing near the White House. Sure enough, closer inspection showed this piece to be titled “The Martians Are Coming”. It’s good to find that the artist has a keen sense of humor.

Clever Display

Walking through Mt. St. Mary Park, during late springtime, was a joy. We couldn’t have asked for nicer weather or a more beautiful setting. The Fox River was flowing by and provided a draw for an abundance of feathered friends. We were making our way toward the end of our chosen path when we spotted a lady sitting on a park bench. As we drew closer, we realized that she was one of the many sculptures on display. The piece reminded us of similar hyper-realistic art that we had seen at McNider Art Museum, in Mason City, Iowa. I wonder how often someone has attempted to start a conversation with her.

Fine Art Show

As we came out of the park, we spotted the annual St. Charles Fine Art Fair in full swing. A convenient bridge offered us access to cross the Fox River and make our way to the event. Each Memorial Day weekend, regional and national artists descend upon the city for this celebration. The late spring weather had brought a large turnout of artists, so we were anxious to check out the booths. With free admission and parking, it was obvious that we weren’t the only ones who had this thought. Being so close to Chicago, we were sure that many had made the short pilgrimage to enjoy the event for themselves.

Variety is Key

While we may not be art experts, we do know what we like. Our home office is filled with pieces that we have collected during our travels. St. Charles was a chance to add to this collection. I tend to lean toward the unusual, while Crystal likes pieces more recognizable. Seeing a variety of handmade jewelry, I knew that she would be drawn to those booths. While she explored the offerings, I checked out some of the more bizarre creations. We discovered that they had something for just about every taste imaginable and all of it was handcrafted by true artists.

Getting the Public Involved

The creators behind this annual event wanted to find an interesting way to engage with visitors. A section was partitioned off to hold a variety of children’s activities. This year they chose to include a car that people could decorate with paint or chalk. This ended up being so popular, that within a few hours of the opening of the festival, the vehicle was almost completely covered. We found a small piece to leave our own artistic mark, before heading back to the show. As we strolled through the booths, we were entertained by live music, selfie stations, and tons of people watching. What a great way to enjoy a holiday weekend.

Art-Filled Escape in St. Charles

The decision to visit St. Charles, Illinois ended up being a relaxing adventure. This art-filled escape is a perfect way for families to enjoy some low-cost entertainment, in a fun venue. With all of this being located close to the downtown St. Charles corridor, you can park and navigate it all on foot. This allows for a closer examination of the art and causes visitors to adopt a casual pace of exploration. In the end, you will find the inviting nature of this Midwest city will make your visit an experience to remember. Now, which type of artwork would you want to take home?

The post An Art Filled Escape In St. Charles, Illinois appeared first on Our Changing Life.

We want to thank the St. Charles Business Alliance for hosting our visit. Rest assured all opinions are our own. 

Our Time Machine

This unique dining opportunity is located inside the Arcada Theater, which opened in 1926. The owners must have had a lot of faith in their vision. This 1000-seat venue was built in a town of 5000. Just a stone’s throw from the Fox River, Club Arcada has seen a tremendous cavalcade of stars grace the stage. Vaudeville acts were all the rage, and performances by greats like George Burns and Gracie Allen were popular. Musical performers, at the Arcada Theater, included styles from John Phillip Sousa to Kenny Rogers or Three Dog Night. With Chicago less than an hour away, St. Charles was a popular getaway for city dwellers.

Surprise Entrance

We told the doorman that we had arrived for our date with history. He motioned us to a nearby elevator and explained the evening’s password. After a short ride, we were deposited into a room obviously designed to weed out the constables. Once we told the hostess the password, she revealed access to the speakeasy. With a wave of her hand, we were directed into the main dining room. Here we noticed a smaller stage set in a corner of the room that reminded us this place began as a musical venue.

The Main Event

The speakeasy is actually broken into a series of rooms. Some smaller spots are carved out along the perimeter and are sometimes used for VIPs. The main dining room is brightly decorated and shined with the glitz and glamor of the Roaring Twenties. Looking around the room, we noticed all of the staff kept in character of the times by dressing in period garments. This certainly added to the total ambiance of the setting.

Stepping Back in Time

After putting in our drink order, it was time to do a little investigating. The main dining room is named after the dancing duo, Fred & Ginger. Tucked away in a corner, I discovered the romantic Jean Harlow Room. One space that I found particularly appealing is the Charlie Chaplin room. It is filled with photographic equipment, as well as continuous running Chaplin films. I could have lingered here all evening.

Medley of Tastes

By the time I returned to the table, our drinks had arrived. Rum and Gin were popular liquors during the Twenties and held prominent positions on the drink menu. The ones we ordered were delightful, refreshing, and endangered. Our meals followed quickly behind our drink order. Crystal had read my mind and ordered the Charlie Chaplin Chicken. The lemon-garlic sauce had a delightful flavor that begged for more bites. My Mini Sammie Flight featured pot roast, Homemade meatball, and BBQ pork sliders. We were barely halfway through the meal when we knew we would have to ration space for dessert.

Sweet Ending

You can’t have a complete date with history without including some indulgence. After perusing the dessert menu for a bit, we decided to take one each of the New York Cheesecake and Chocolate Indulgence. When the plates arrived, we began wondering what we had done. It was decided to use the divide and conquer method to navigate these huge slices of richness. After a few bites, our pace had slowed to a crawl. While the food was all delicious, it was far more than we were prepared for. Even with fullness taking the lead, it was hard to put down the forks.

Our Date with History

As we said our final farewells to the Roaring Twenties, we found ourselves retracing our steps to the entrance of the Arcada Theater. Our date with history had transported us to a time long ago. From the music to the images and costumes, we found the experience to be quite immersive. We saw some of our fellow diners join in the fun by getting decked out in their own Twenties garb. This is the type of destination that goes beyond dinner and into the realm of entertainment. Have you ever been to a speakeasy?

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