Illinois

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Abigail Cox · Oct 6

Few things bring back childhood quite like the glow of a disco ball over a polished skating floor.…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 6

Kartville in West Peoria feels like a throwback to the days when family entertainment meant racing go-karts, sinking…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 6

Afternoon tea asks you to do something increasingly unusual: sit down, pour a cup, and forget about rushing…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 5

The sandwich may reach the edges of the plate before you have figured out the best way to…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 5

Forks are practically mandatory when an Illinois horseshoe lands on the table. Toast disappears beneath meat, a mountain…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 5

A paper box filled with hot fried chicken can be all the advertising a neighborhood restaurant needs. Eddie’s…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 4

There is no graceful way to eat a properly dipped Italian beef, and that is exactly the point.…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 4

Forget perfectly stacked layers and carefully arranged toppings—the signature sandwich at Maid-Rite in Quincy embraces the mess. Seasoned…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 3

Roll for initiative, grab a drink, and prepare for a Chicago bar experience with a decidedly nerdy twist.…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 3

One warm kolache has a funny way of turning into a box headed home in the passenger seat.…

By Abigail Cox · Oct 3