Thunder Bay Falls is a must see on your way into or out of Galena! It's only about a 10 min drive…read moreout of the way for a majestic view of the waterfall. Depending on how much rain there's been will determine how full the waterfall is- the 1st time I came here, there was a trickle of water. This time (a full year later) was a full fledged roaring waterfall! This is a quick stop- it's just the waterfall! There's a gravel parking lot (usually the other cars are a dead giveaway). There are several viewing areas with selfie stations for you to prop up your phone! The wildflowers are beauty here too. If you brought a fishing pole, go for it! There are signs (and reviews) that clearly state you have to be a member or a guest of something in order to be here... we've never seen anyone enforcing the rules here. It's too much of a treasure to keep people away.

I meannnn... the waterfall was dry when we went so that was a bummer. Not much of a trail to walk…read morearound either. It's nice to visit but definitely probably better to go in the spring or summer when the water fall is actively running. There are a few posts that provide information about why Thunder Bay falls is important to the area. Still pretty cool to check out and get some fresh air.

Peaceful, contemplative spot to visit. Sinnissippi Site, Sinnissippi Park, Sterling, Illinois. U.S…read more National Register of Historic Places. The site contains several Hopewellian Indian Mounds built between 500 BC and 500 AD. There are several nice trails, playground, shelters with grills, and open spaces as well.

Located only about a mile away from Anderson Japanese Gardens, The Rockmen Guardians are a very…read moreunique but hard to find set of sculptures. Locations on different websites are a bit misleading, some directing you far away from the actual sculptures which are southwest of the Nicholas Conservatory along the Rick Rive Rec Bike Path. It's not too far from the Boys & Girls Club of Rockford, and you can park somewhat close to them but will still need to walk a bit. This is worth the adventure of discovering the spot though, as I'm not sure anything similar exists nearby. For me, as a big video game fan, these really gave me the feeling of being surrounded by giant stone warriors - except that you can take a picture with them. With the river in the background, you can get lots of beautiful pictures with them as a quartet, though you also want some closeups to get some of the finer details. Throughout the armor, there's definitely a mix of different colors and textures and these stand with a variety of different interesting poses. Overall worth a stop if you're in the Rockford area, but also worth a special trip to visit Rockford for other fun tourist opportunities as well, particularly during the warmer weather months.

The Rockmen Guardians statues is a fun thing to stop and see if you're in Rockford. Located along…read morethe Rock River, these statues are on the side of the Rock River Recreation Path. If you're going by car, the nearest street address is that of the Rockford Boys and Girls Club (1040 N 2nd St #1). Once you get there these 10 foot statues are impressive to see. This is a great photo opportunity. I highly recommend The Rockmen Guardians!

County Park, about 8 miles west of Beloit…read more Small, historical park, with playground, hiking paths, waterfall, dam, mill. Great place for romantic photos or introducing young kids to nature and hiking.

Very scenic park. During 2020 most of the facilities were closed because of the Covid pandemic…read more Very well kept grounds and buildings. Plenty of old agricultural equipment and milling gear around. The park looked GREAT during my October 2020 visit.

I learned so much today! The mansion history was very interesting and the history about Ottawa was…read morefascinating too. The tour was ten dollars and was well worth it. I was told Christmas is a really great time to visit. I didn't even know about this mansion until a few days ago. I searched for other things around Starved Rock and foind the mansion. It was the best part of the day.

Beautiful turn of the century home. The docent was very knowledgeable (maybe a bit too…read moreknowledgeable). She shared the history of the home, it's pervious uses and work being done to restore it to the time of the Reddick family's occupancy. We stopped as an activity during a road trip but had to leave a before the end of the tour to get back on the road. The home had beautiful plaster detail, original wood work, windows, doors, and fireplaces. Definitely worth visiting to appreciate the architecture of days gone by.

It's quirky, creative, a bit creepy, and oddly moving. Worth a detour through scenic backroads…read more A visit to nearby Norway, Illinois is also worth your while. Never seem to get there in-season to see the museum, but the general store does sell some lovely Scandahoovian kitsch, and about the widest selection of locally sourced preserves as I've seen.

The Agricultural Crash Monument is a hysterical historical site!…read more You'll find it along Route 71 a few miles south of the village of Norway, IL. It's a local monument that dramatically illustrates the fatal crash of American agriculture in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Be prepared! When you're zipping along Rte 71 and come upon the monument, your first thought will be, "QUICK! CALL 9-1-1!"

This ionic landmark is located just off of interstate 80. I passed a sign on the interstate that…read morehighlighted the bridge as an attraction in Princeton, as I was traveling from Indiana to Iowa. Since I needed to get gas anyways, stopping at this exit was quick and easy, it also had several gas stations and fast food options. The bridge is less than a mile off of the exit Beside the bridge is a small parking area where you can park to get out and take photos. There is also some information on the bridge. It's a one-lane bridge so you have to be careful and on the lookout that another car is not crossing from the opposite direction. It's a beautiful landmark and full of history. A great little roadside stop!

It's a lovely place with great old building and lovely history. I recommend you to visit this place.read more

It is amazing. The house is amazing too. It tells us all about the Tallman House, and what it looks…read morelike.

Located in a quiet community near downtown Dixon, Illinois, is Ronald Reagan's boyhood at home…read more A modest home in a modest neighborhood has off street parking for visitors, making access easy. A visitor center is located in a separate house from the original home. Informative Plex located throughout the ground along with a life-size statue makes for a nice visit and great opportunity stretch your legs before you get on the road again. Located about 10 minutes away from the John Deere historic site

Craig Hockenberry…read more Arrived in Dixon Illinois to tour the Boyhood home of President Ronald Reagan. The place is amazing and worth the stop! We learned so much about one of the greatest presidents of all times. The staff was amazing and the small town was perfect!

My friend and I had an errand out in this area and decided to see what else there was to see while…read morewe were here. This museum (the home of the Hegeler and Carus families, who were involved in a local zinc company and also a publishing house, Open Court Press) is a national historic landmark and is unique because it was owned by the same family the whole time, & they never made any fundamental updates to the house so it's largely as it was when designed by WW Boyington (who also designed Chicago's Water Tower and the old Joliet prison) in the 1870s. Several rooms have been restored, but you can see in areas where it hasn't where time is taking its toll (for example, the main hall was painted with egg tempera paint, and that organic element [the egg] is now degrading after 150 years). Still, the parquet floors are amazing, and details like pocket doors, carved wooden decorations and historical elements like the speaker tube system in the walls for speaking through the house are unusual! The house also contains the only German-style turnhalle (gymnasium) in a historic home in the US. Other interesting details include an ornate butsudan (buddhist cabinet shrine) due to Hegeler's interest in Eastern religions. We just took the general tour ($15), but you can do half house (upper or lower half for $50 each) or whole house tours ($100). The longest one is apparently 3.5 hours with two breaks and children are discouraged since it is long. You must register for the tours as they max out at 6 people. Despite it saying "masks are required" and our temperatures taken at the door, our guide was initially trying to take his mask off to talk and the other couple on the tour followed suit. When my friend and I left ours on, they all put them back on at some point. The rooms do have 6 foot markers on the floors, but since some of the rooms aren't big, if you had a full tour group this would be an issue. There is an elevator so the Mansion is handicap accessible. Overall, this seems to be one of the bigger attractions in LaSalle, so take a tour if you're in town.

This mansion is beautiful and a amazing historic site to see!! The house tour is incredible! I…read morehighly recommend going here and learning about this incredible family!