The Kibbe Museum PhotoS BY KEITH LADAGE Head west, young man or woman! About 100 miles northwest of Springfield there is an interesting museum, the Kibbe Hancock Museum, with the motto, “Where Local History Comes Alive.” The Kibbe Hancock Heritage Museum is located in Carthage, across the street from the historic jail where Joseph Smith, […]
Cindy Ladage
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Find Carl Sandburg at his Galesburg home
The Carl Sandburg birthplace. PhotoS BY KEITH LADAGE You read his poems in school and you have heard his name all of your life. If you are curious like I was about this man who composed folk songs and wrote poems, books about Lincoln and children’s stories for his three daughters, along with a book […]
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Zip through the Shawnee National Forest
As the temperatures come down, the energy level goes up, making a trek to Shawnee Bluffs Canopy Tour just right. My friend Rose and I headed south in late July and want to come back in the cool of fall. Marc and Candy Miles worked on the Shawnee Bluffs Canopy Tour (SBCT) zip line for […]
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Visit Santa Claus in July
Holiday World is located in Santa Claus, Ind., in the southern part of the state east of Evansville, about four hours from Springfield. In Santa Claus it’s all about Christmas. Oh and about Halloween and Fourth of July, but mostly Christmas. The park was the first themed park in the United States, created by Louis […]
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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 early April, I hopped on the Amtrak to Chicago, to check out the Lincoln Park Zoo. Founded in 1868, this is one […]
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Apples, pumpkins and more fall produce
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 and glorious food. Whether you are heading out to a fall festival, anticipating a cookout or a hayride, […]
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Quad Cities, a great place to go
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 and back as well. Want to horse around? You can check out horse […]
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Travel back in time to Amish country
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 venue at Arcola was purchased in January by Steve Maher and his wife, Bev. Coming to the gardens for the past 35 years before […]
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Meet Me in St. Louis
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 want to see a play at the Fabulous Fox Theatre or check out the St. Louis Zoo, the lights are truly shining. […]
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Big old tractors come to Rantoul
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 soil. This year’s Half Century of Progress show takes place Aug. 25-28 at the National Aviation Center […]
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Fall is for meandering on the Spoon River Drive
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 up and meander along the Spoon River Drive. Check out the food, festivals and cultural icons and, […]
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The farm that McCormick’s Reaper built
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 the McCormicks, descendants of Cyrus McCormick, inventor of the commercial reaper, lived and worked. In 1851, Cyrus McCormick […]
