It almost seemed like a dream. From the very start, cruising through a large patch of lotus plants,…read moreit felt otherworldly. Very peaceful, going at our own pace. Enjoyed the cliff walls of Buffalo Rock and the shallow waters of some side passages. We paddled for 5 hours, covering 8 miles total. After we were done we headed to charming, historic downtown Utica for drinks and dinner at Skoog's Pub & Grill in North Utica, IL. I was impressed with the logistics and operation of the kayaking experience, from the guide* to the equipment and online booking process. *Full disclosure, the guide was my twin sister, but I am being objective...seriously.

I have mixed feelings about this kayak tour company. I signed up because although I'm a very…read morecapable and seasoned kayaker, I didn't know this river and I like learning about the ecosystems and local wildlife. For this reason I like having tour guides. Going up the river was fine. Coming back went a bit sour. I went as slow as I was capable of paddling or not paddling, but apparently it was too fast for the preference of our tour guide. I was barely touching the water with my paddle. I have no idea how I could have gone any slower. It wasn't humanly possible. After shouting at me several times, he took to chasing me down and ramming my kayak so it'd spin in circles. Would I rent a kayak here and kayak the river alone? Yes. Would I personally use a tour guide here? No I wouldn't. Would I recommend? If you're a family with little kids or a drunk sorority house, absolutely. If you know what you're doing, just go it alone. You'll probably enjoy it more. Edit: If the tour guide had concerns for group safety, he could have said so. Although ramming my kayak with his seems to be a bit of a conflict as far as my safety goes. It was an unprofessional approach when he could have simply explained why he needed me to slow down

We had a great time at the waterpark. Although it was quite crowded, our toddler was able to play…read moresafely without too much worry as the play area was smaller and easy to keep an eye on. The lazy river was shallow enough for our tall almost 4 year old to touch the bottom and they had fun there as well. The slide was a little bit of a let down as you have to be 48 inches to use and they won't let a smaller child go down without a parent. We mistakenly thought it was 42 inches and they let our little one go a few times before someone stopped us and said actually they aren't tall enough. I think the park is mostly best for much younger children, and older ones might find it a little boring because it is somewhat small. Overall though we did have a fun time and would come again.

Dope indoor Waterpark! Jannie was a Real GEM! She helped me get to the waterpark and checked me…read morein!! Wished my princess an happy birthday and gave up perks how to enjoy the water park to the fullest! Definitely a HOT SPOT!! My kid was crazy about the waterpark! Such a cool setup with the pirate ship and slides and wave pool!

Wow, what a great place! I took my fiance here last weekend for our first visit, and all I have to…read moresay is WOW. The staff is super friendly, the environment is outstanding, and a special thank you to DAN, the range officer. Dan stood by my car when the range closed and talked to us for a while! We will be returning regularly! Thanks again for a fantastic experience. The only bad part of the trip is our fault, we assumed that they would be open later than 4 pm, so we took our time driving up and got lunch, so we didn't pull in till 3 pm - so we still paid the total price, but the hour was worth the money! Well Done! Erick Fettingis

I have gone to many shooting ranges in my life, and I have prior military experience. I started…read moregoing to this this shooting range. My first experience was positive; the shooting range officers were courteous and helpful. My 2nd experience at this shooting range was terrible. I was at the 50-yard range when they switched range offices in the late afternoon. The new range officer was an old guy, and he made my experience at this shooting range terrible; unlike the other range officers who were helpful and courteous, this range officer was rude and ignorant. I had planned on going to this shooting range in the future, but because of this one range officer who was disrespectful, rude, and ignorant to me. I will never go to this shooting range again.

This is a truly goregous state park full of amazing sights to explore and many trails to hike. We…read morehad a great time. The only thing I have to say is its not exactly compatible with strollers or people with disabilities who use motility devices, I barely managed with my walker, however there are SO many flights of stairs up and down that I dont entirely recommend it even with all terrain tires. Also the water was pretty dried up in the waterfall areas so if you want to see that I dont recommend coming in August. Also bring water with you, you will want it! Other than thank enjoy yourself its a beautiful activity to do

Starved Rock State park leaves your rocks starving for more hiking…read more This park had plenty of trails that were well preserved. Easy to walk through. I had no trouble finding parking. There were bathrooms whether portable or the nice one at the visitor center. Excellent vista points. Great options for families or the adventurous hikers.

Great small bowling alley. 4 lanes and no lines, but it is busy on league nights , pool table and…read morebar area , the staff are all very nice, cool little place in a small town

We celebrated my 120 pound weight loss by skydiving at Skydive Chicago. We were originally…read morescheduled to jump on October 5th, but weather grounded us until the 6th. The morning was bright and sunny. Our group of seven got geared up, and three of us jumped into a plane with our instructors, while the others waited for the next plane. My instructor's name was Adam, and he was scheduled to get married on the following Friday. So he said that jumping with me was the easiest thing he had to do all week! Adam made me feel very comfortable and relaxed. I never felt any fear, even when I was sitting with my legs dangling out of the plane at 13,000 feet. Adam's instructions were clear and concise. I got to pull my own ripcord and steer the parachute for a bit before it was time to land. I want to thank Skydive Chicago (and especially Adam) for an incredible experience. I hope the wedding went well, and I wish Adam and his new wife many years of happiness. I'll skydive again, and I will head back to Skydive Chicago to do it!

I've been to a lot of drop zones around the US, and this is by far the most professional operation…read moreI've had the pleasure of jumping at. The staff are very helpful and friendly, the planes and equipment are very well maintained, and the standards they hold their pilots and tandem instructors to are top notch. If you're considering a tandem skydive, this is THE PLACE to go.

Trail biked - I started at the east end in Bureau. The parking lot there has bathrooms and…read moretrashcans, and plenty of parking. I biked east to just north of I80 and back. Bike used - Specialized Sirrus hybrid. Bike style requirements - hybrid to mountain bike mostly. Fat tires will thrive back here. Road bikes will not survive many portions of this trail. I was leery to ride my hybrid in some sections near Tiskilwa because of the mid-sized gravel in spots. Other areas between I80 and Wyanet require grassy biking and non-descript trail riding. The trail composition varies between dirt and minced limestone mostly. There are some portions of asphalt, although those covered by limestone. Some areas are nicer than others. It's more favorable if the trail is mowed, as the trail rut can be swallowed by tall reeds of grass. There are area's where you're biking through short bursts of just grass. My hybrid held up like a champ, but there were spots where I was leery. This is a path where you'll need to keep both hands on the grips. The trail follows a series of water canals that serve as nice scenery. Every so often you'll come across a lock, which are numbered, giving you an idea of how many away you are from your starting point. Bridges span the locks every so often. A river also carves the trail in many areas, offering some nice views. As for wildlife, I spotted several turtles in canals and one trailside (almost accidentally biked over him). I also saw a pair of deer and a ton of colorful birds (red, yellow, blue, orange, black, white, gray, brown). The Orioles were a rare treat. A pair of eagles sat atop dead tree's west of Wyanet. Benches and amenities are seldom. Bridges span the lock areas which offer nice water drains to view and areas to sit on the edge for a break. During my two hour ride I saw a dozen other bikers, and this was on a 75 degree, cloudless Saturday in mid-June. Suffice it to say, there aren't many folks out here unless you count the occasional fisherman. Other nuances, the trail offers a nice split of shade and sun, but more on the sunny side. I saw one parking lot with trail signs in my stretch. Cheers.

The Hennepin Canal was constructed in 1892, the first boat went through in 1907, and the canal…read moreclosed to boat traffic in 1951. Today the Hennepin Canal serves as a state park. On travels between Wisconsin and central Illinois, we often stop and stretch our legs on the portion near Bureau Junction. There is a bench, restrooms (only open seasonally) and the sound of the water rushing under the bridge is relaxing. The trails have seen better days but are conducive to activities such as picnicking, hiking, horseback riding, bicycling, and snowmobiling. People often fish in the canal as well.

If you're into off the beaten path to see things and like history then I suggest this. You will…read moremiss it if you aren't looking closely as we did.

Charles Lindbergh was given the nickname "Lucky Lindy" for having jumped out of four crashing…read moreairplanes and living to tell the tale. His first two crashes were at airports in Texas and Missouri). His last two happened in farm fields in Illinois, within two months and under 100 miles of each other. Lindbergh's first crash occurred just outside of Wedron, Illinois (the other was near the town of Covel), on the night of September 16, 1926. Lindbergh had been trying to land in Chicago however, the fog was too thick. He was returning to St. Louis, but unknown to him a mechanic had replaced the plane's 110-gallon gas tank with an 80 gallon tank; Lindbergh ran out of fuel, and bailed out. On the 75th anniversary of the crash, the La Salle County Historical Society dedicated a marker at the site.