Summerguide | Thursday, May 23,2013

Zoos and flowers in St. Louis and Chicago

Sunshine, flowers and, of course, furry creatures make kids and adults alike light up. This year winter’s grip was a tight one, increasing our longing to shed the coats and head outside. In earl

Fall Guide | Thursday, August 30,2012

Apples, pumpkins and more fall produce

By Cindy Ladage

Fall sings with color. Besides the glorious riot of the leaves there are the deep reds of the apples, the golden orange of the pumpkins and the muted shades of squash. Fall is all about texture, taste

Fall Guide | Thursday, August 30,2012

Quad Cities, a great place to go

By Cindy Ladage

With the heat of summer in the rear view mirror, it is time for a fall adventure. Head to the Quad Cities along the big Ole Mississippi. There is a lot to do in the Quad Cities and on the way there an

Summerguide | Thursday, May 24,2012

Meet Me in St. Louis

By Cindy Ladage

Everyone has heard Julie Garland croon the tune, “Meet me in St. Louis, Louis, Meet me at the fair, Don’t tell me the lights are shining any place but there….” For those who w

Summerguide | Thursday, May 24,2012

Travel back in time to Amish country

Go to Rockome Gardens, Arthur and Arcola

By Cindy Ladage

Open for the 2012 season, Rockome Gardens is an iconic place that brings back childhood memories for many. Today, under the management of the Rockome Gardens Preservation Inc., the popular tourist ven

Fall Guide | Thursday, August 25,2011

Big old tractors come to Rantoul

By Cindy Ladage

While many are gearing up for the Decatur Farm Progress Show Aug. 30-Sept. 1, lovers of old iron are bent on heading to the former Chanute Air Force Base to see machines built 50 years ago work the so

Fall Guide | Thursday, August 25,2011

Fall is for meandering on the Spoon River Drive

By Cindy Ladage

In the dead of winter we hope for summer, in the summer heat and humidity we long for snow, but fall is perfect and everyone just wishes it would linger. To fully experience the beauty of fall, load u

Travel | Thursday, May 26,2011

The farm that McCormick’s Reaper built

Visit St. James Farm, a place to tour and wonder

By Cindy Ladage

Thinking about gardens and summer and checking out new sights and sounds? Why not head north this summer and check out St. James Farm? For years the locals only saw the gate of the lovely farm where t

Travel | Thursday, May 26,2011

Visit Benton and the Shawnee National Forest

Check out antique cars and Beatles memorabilia before heading on to the natural wonders of the Illinois Ozarks

By Cindy Ladage

You can find information about almost any kind of history in the small town of Benton. This is where Charlie Birger, the Prohibition-era criminal, was the last person to be hanged in Illinois, as well

Fall Guide | Thursday, August 26,2010

Surprising Greenville

Visit the fun and quirky DeMoulin Museum

By Cindy Ladage

About an hour and a half south of Springfield, meandering down highway 127 to where it intersects Interstate 70, is the town of Greenville. According to the town fathers it has been hailed as “a