Abigail Cox

Grilled onions hitting a hot griddle are practically the calling card of Express Grill on Chicago’s Union Avenue.…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 7

A plate of spaghetti does not need fancy reinvention when the classics are done right. Iaria’s Italian Restaurant…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 7

Clear a few hours before walking into these Illinois vintage shops, because browsing rarely goes according to schedule.…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 7

Few things make an Italian dinner more tempting than ravioli made with a little extra care. Across Illinois,…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 7

Smoke curling above the trees is your first clue that this is no ordinary Illinois train ride. Near…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 7

The fastest route across Illinois is not always the one you will remember. Leave the interstate behind and…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 7

Burgers, fries, and a thick shake somehow taste better when a mountain road trip is involved. Debbie’s Drive…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 7

Indiana is not usually the first place that comes to mind when someone mentions otherworldly landscapes—and that makes…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 7

Miles of Illinois farmland make the Old Log Cabin in Pontiac feel like exactly the kind of roadside…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 7

A Dutch windmill turning beside the Mississippi River is not something most travelers expect to find in small-town…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 7

Walking into a yarn shop with no idea what you are doing can be intimidating—unless teaching is part…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 7

The most dangerous words in a used bookstore might be “just one more shelf.” Illinois is filled with…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 7

The gentle hum of an electric motor sets the mood before the scenery even starts rolling past the…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 7

Colorado’s mountains get plenty of attention, but the prairie near Calhan hides scenery that may be even more…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 7

Come hungry to Jibaritos on Harlem, because restraint gets difficult once the plates start hitting the table. This…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 7

Thirty dollars becomes a lot more interesting when every rack holds the possibility of an unexpected find. At…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 7

One family outing rarely includes woodland trails, friendly goats, and hands-on museum exhibits without requiring a drive between…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 6

Colorado can feel very different once the sun goes down and its mountain roads, historic buildings, and shadowy…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 6

Follow the lunchtime crowd on River Road in Des Plaines and it may lead straight to the walk-up…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 6

Not every Illinois town survived the forces that helped create it. Scattered around the state are places where…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 6

Every animal at Compass Rose Farm Sanctuary near Spencer has a story, and many began long before reaching…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 6

Sometimes the best Illinois getaway begins where the traffic thins out and the phone stops demanding attention. Scattered…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 6

Daylight makes Greenwood Cemetery in Decatur look peaceful enough, with weathered headstones scattered across rolling hills beneath tall,…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 6

One sandwich has kept generations of diners coming back to Merichka’s Restaurant in Crest Hill. Known as the…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 6

Finding a flash of blue-green amazonite in the Colorado dirt is considerably more exciting when you are the…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 6

Pedaling through Illinois gets wonderfully easy when the route follows a path originally designed for trains. Former railroad…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 6

Your next Illinois traffic jam could involve a zebra instead of another car. At Aikman Wildlife Adventure near…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 6

A paycheck can feel very different depending on the Indiana town where you spend it. In communities with…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 6

A grocery run can turn into a full-blown food adventure at Gangnam Market in Chicago. One minute, you…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 6