chicago & beyond | great rivers Country | land of lincoln | trails to adventure
Illinois
Chicago & beyond
there’s a lot to be said for meeting in the middle. And if you’re traveling in the U.S., you’ll find that Illinois is in the middle of pretty much everything—both literally and figuratively. Located right in the American heartland, the state has been central to all aspects of public life, whether our presidents (from Lincoln to Obama), pastimes (from Wrigley Field to Route 66) or—of course—pizza wars (deep dish all the way). As you’d expect from a place so centrally located, Illinois is supremely easy to reach—by plane, train and automobile—so get a Midwest meetup with friends or family on the books (though solo trips are fabulous here, too), then check out our favorite places to visit once you land in the middle of everything.
There’s no better place to take in the arts, and this season’s cultural calendar is the perfect case in point. If you arrive before Jan. 9, don’t miss the tail end of David Hockney: the Arrival of Spring at the Art Institute of Chicago, where you should also try to see the Rodney McMillian multimedia exhibition, the Great Society, through late January. For a dazzling display of the performing arts, catch the Nutcracker at the esteemed Joffrey Ballet (Dec. 2-27).
Don’t miss a meal at Virtue, culinary home to 2023 James Beard Award-winning Emerging Chef Damarr Brown (and his mentor, 2022 James Beard Award-winning chef Erick Williams). Their Southern comfort creations have earned raves everywhere from the New York Times to Esquire. Whatever you order, leave room for the cornbread and honey butter listed under “Extra Rations” on the menu. But this being Chicago—in the winter, no less—you can’t miss the stick-to-your-ribs icon that is deep dish pizza. Everyone has a favorite, so be thorough and try at least a few, from the OG slices at Pizzeria Uno to the Bourdain-anointed Burt’s Place to the new and notable Milly’s Pizza in the Pan.
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Chicago shopping is legendary under any circumstances—not for nothing did the Magnificent Mile get its name—but winter makes retail therapy extra magical with the likes of the Christkindlmarket (Nov. 17-Dec. 24), when schnitzel, strudel and gluhwein will keep you going as you make your way through your gift list. Another trademark Chicago experience that gets a glow-up for winter: a stroll through the Chicago Botanic Garden, where the famed annual Lightscape installation flickers to life Nov. 10- Jan. 7. For a winter wonderland of a different sort, head out to Starved Rock State Park, where the frozen waterfalls that tend to form as of late December are ice climbing heaven. If you're a newbie who'd like to give the sport a go, you'll need an experienced guide to take you.
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Designated in 1964, the Ozark National Scenic Riverways is the first national park area to protect a river system. Not only does it include the Current and Jacks Fork rivers, but also hundreds of freshwater springs, caves and trails. The region is perfect for a spring or summer day of exploring, hiking, canoeing, swimming and fishing. Blue Spring is one of the deepest in the U.S. at more than 310 feet; for scale, if you placed the Statue of Liberty in Blue Spring, the entire thing would be submerged and the torch would still be 5 feet below the surface. The park is also home to historic sites such as Alley Mill, a grain mill vital to community life a century ago.
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Every winter, downtown Chicago’s Millennium Park is transformed into a winter wonderland. Glide along the ice in the shadow of the lights of Michigan Avenue at the McCormick Tribune Skating Rink (open daily from Nov. 19-March 6). The rink is free to enter, but online reservations are required. Skate rentals are available.
If you get tired of doing laps, check out the neighboring Maggie Daly Park Skating Ribbon (scheduled to reopen Nov. 19), which meanders through snow-dusted pine trees and around soaring climbing walls. Advance reservations are required.
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At almost 100 years old, the Music Box Theater is still going strong, thanks to its singular lineup of cult classic, foreign, silent and independent films—plus special events. This last category includes two beloved local holiday traditions: the Thanksgiving weekend Sound of Music singalong series, complete with costume contests and vocal warmups with the house organist (Nov. 24-Dec. 3).
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Though Peoria is perhaps not the first place you think of at the mention of whiskey, the town was—at one point in the 19th century—home to the world's largest distillery, and generations of whiskey makers flourished throughout the region. Today, the Great Rivers Country harbors a beloved distillery that has revived that tradition: Galena's Blaum Bros, whose owners are indeed local siblings with a shared passion for whiskey. You can taste the fruits of their labor on 45-minute tours, which run up to three times a day, depending on when you visit—and include the distillation area, barrel room, tasting room and cocktail bar. Known almost as much for their quirkiness as for their exceptional spirits, the brothers note that "If your birth name is 'Gus' and you can prove it to us with two forms of identification, your tour is free." Otherwise, the standard charge is $12.
Hidden gem
As American industry goes, it doesn’t get more iconic than Caterpillar. And though the brand recently moved its HQ to Chicago after nearly a century in Peoria, the Caterpillar Visitor Center remains in Peoria, and—especially if you’re traveling with kids—this museum is a must. Every visit starts with a virtual ride into a mining site in a mammoth (two-and-a-half story) mining truck. You can also design your own Cat machine, operate equipment in a simulator and learn about the company’s involvement in everything from the San Francisco cable car system to the Panama Canal.
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Light displays of all kinds keep things particularly merry and bright in this part of the state. If you catch only one, make it the over-the-top Festival of Lights in East Peoria, which kicks off Nov. 18 with a Parade of Lights and continues Nov. 24-Jan. 1, 2024 with the Winter Wonderland drive-through display. Slightly more subdued but stunning in its own right is the Night of the Luminaria & Living Windows in Galena on Dec. 9, when thousands of candlelit luminaries line the town's streets, steps, sidewalks and storefronts. And if you're planning to travel later in the season, consider Winter Carnival Weekend at Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa, when fire and ice shows will be a highlight of the festivities. Note that Chestnut Mountain Resort—one of the most beloved ski spots in the Midwest—also has a tradition of holding Winter Carnival in February. But whenever you visit during ski season (which typically starts the weekend after Thanksgiving), you can't help but feel merry at the sight of the Mighty Mississippi from the slopes. Check the resort's events calendar for exact dates as the season gets closer.
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Historic Galena’s fabled Main Street—packed with restaurants, confectioners and watering holes—makes for the perfect one-road foodie tour. For a starter course, stop into the Great American Popcorn Company, where the titular treat comes in dozens of flavors from Amaretto Almond to Zesty Ranch. Quench the ensuing thirst at Root Beer Revelry, where you’ll find any version of the drink you could possibly want on tap or in a bottle. When you’re ready for a proper sit-down meal, the Log Cabin Greek Steakhouse—the longest operating eatery in town—is a crowd favorite (try the bone-in ribeye to see why). And if you manage to abstain from dessert there—or even if you don’t—you’ll have your pick of sweet shops on Main Street, too.
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Local celebrity-spotting starts looking up each December, when hundreds of majestic American bald eagles once again call the Great Rivers Country home for the season. The bird watching is subsequently epic, whether you’re simply driving along the Great Rivers Scenic National Byway or participating in such events as Bald Eagle Days at Pere Marquette State Park, where—after a brief indoor presentation—you'll spend most of the day on a driving tour of the most popular eagle hangouts, among them a lunch stop with great sighting potential. On a good day, you'll see dozens of eagles, and everything but lunch is free. Registration (which is a must) opens November 15 for tours that run periodically between Jan. 12-March 9, 2024. For a dazzling sight of a different kind, head over to Moline, the historic seat of the John Deere empire, where two of the founding family’s homes—the Deere-Wiman House and the Butterworth Center—deck the halls in old-timey glitz for the annual 19th-Century Christmas open-house on December 3 (from noon to 5 p.m.). But even if you miss that, the decorations will stay up for the regularly scheduled Wednesday-Friday afternoon tours (for which you should sign up) through Dec. 15.
Downtown Champaign’s Jane Addams Book Shop, named for the Illinois icon who founded the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and won the 1931 Nobel Peace Prize, is a bibliophile dreamhouse. With three floors and 70,000+ titles across dozens of categories—from ephemera to labor history to treasure hunting—this indie bookstore is the kind of place you could easily disappear into for hours, particularly when you’re seeking cozy winter comfort.
Hidden gem
While most Americans know about the end of Abraham Lincoln’s life, a trip to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum will take you from the start of it to his White House years. Take a photo with the Lincoln family figures in front of a White House backdrop before exploring various exhibits, such as Lincoln’s boyhood years in Kentucky, artifacts from the Civil War as well as Lincoln’s letters. Be sure to check out “Ghosts of the Library,” where holograms help answer the question of why artifact preservation is important.
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Illinois does its best North Pole impression in the Champaign County village of Rantoul, where you’ll find Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch. While the fall tours are an experience unto themselves—think hayrides and moonlit corn mazes—wintertime gives you the full Santa’s back yard effect, complete with five acre of fragrant Christmas trees on offer. Don’t miss the reindeer experience tours, which let you feed and even kiss the namesake cuties who live at this restored, century-old barn. In fact, this part of the state is full of barns that lean into the seasonal hygge vibes, as you’ll discover on a drive along the Barn Quilt Heritage Trail—a series of more than a dozen structures that display beautifully painted renderings of quilt squares in celebration of the local arts, crafts and farming heritage.
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Though driving the historic Route 66 is a bucket list experience, eating your way along certain stretches is—arguably—even more memorable. Two regional cases in point: Springfield’s Cozy Dog Drive-In, mythic home to the original batter-dipped and fried hot dog on a stick. And even though corn dog history technically predates Cozy Dog, there’s arguably no place more strongly associated with the delicacy than this midcentury mainstay. But don’t fill up completely here because you’ll want to leave room for another stop with, well, a filling station. Fulgenzi’s Pizza & Pasta, where the burgers rival the Italian specialties, is also home to the lovingly restored Shea’s Gas Station—reportedly one of the oldest stations on Route 66.
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You won’t want for Lincoln-related sites on Abe’s home turf—Springfield has the most comprehensive array of them—from his family’s pew at the First Presbyterian Church to his family’s tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery. But one of the loveliest is the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, where the Lincolns lived until just before Abe’s presidency. Though fun to see under any circumstances, the dining and entertaining spaces are maximally merry come holiday season, when 19th-century decorations lend to the atmosphere. Annually, the site holds a special, candlelit tour as well as a performance of the free, one-act play Message at Midnight in December.
Trails to adventure
If you've never been to a pottery outpost inside a decommissioned 1920s elementary schoolhouse, Alto Clay Works would like to remedy that for you. The perfect place to take a breather and a browse along the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, potter Steven Grimmer's studio and showroom specializes in handmade functional pottery and welcomes visits.
Hidden gem
The rare Midwestern UNESCO World Heritage Site and Historical Landmark—and one of relatively few across the U.S.—the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site and Interpretive Center is not to be missed. A 2,000-acre tract, it houses the remains of the advanced ancient civilization now known as Cahokia—most notably, 70 ceremonial mounds.
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The Shawnee National Forest is home to two decidedly different kinds of trails, both well worth exploring in the coming months. Fans of winter hiking will want to hit—for starters—the hike to the Little Grand Canyon through rock walls, craggy bluffs and eroded sandstone. A subsequent 365-foot climb from the canyon floor pays off with panoramic views of the Mississippi River and floodplain. Then there’s the iconic Garden of the Gods hike, where winter-denuded trees provide a particularly clear view of the unique rock formations from which the hike takes its name. As for the other kind of trail you’ll find in this national forest, there’s an entire Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, with 11 wineries and a winter winery passport that helps enthusiasts sample the goods at a major savings from Jan. 2 - Feb. 29, 2024.
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Because Carbondale is a college town, its coffeehouse game is strong—so much so, in fact, that the Longbranch Café & Bakery earned a mention in T, the New York Times Style Magazine (fun trivia: cult favorite comedian Hannibal Burres got his start on the stage here). A purveyor of local, seasonal, vegetarian dishes and fair-trade coffee, Longbranch is the place to go for, say, Buddha bowls, veggie burgers, organic juices and café mochas. About 15 minutes away—but the complete other side of the food spectrum, where the motto is "praise the lard"—sits Murphysboro's 17th Street BBQ. Another local institution that's gained national fame, this pilgrimage site for ribs lovers has been heralded among "favorite barbecue gurus" by Bon Appétit, "food treks worth taking" by Grub Street and "best restaurants in America" by the Daily Meal, for starters.
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To get a feel for the variety of villages in Southern Illinois, see a couple of standouts. Start with Makanda, an 1845 boarding house and railroad construction camp turned unofficial artist colony, where seemingly every resident is a creative of some kind and secret gardens and alpaca herds are par for the course. By contrast, the Saline Creek Pioneer Village hasn’t changed much since the mid-1800s. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this fascinating enclave is home to the original Saline County Pauper Farm (now a museum), a jail, a one-room schoolhouse, a number of log cabins, a country store and a church.
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Land of Lincoln
Christkindlmarket
Chicago Botanic Garden
Starved Rock State Park
Chicago Botanic Garden
chicago & beyond | great rivers Country | land of lincoln | trails to adventure
chicago & beyond | great rivers Country | land of lincoln | trails to adventure
chicago & beyond | great rivers Country | land of lincoln | trails to adventure
