Illinois Travel Guide 2008 - (Page 12) ONSCREEN ILLINOIS Illinois has been the big-screen backdrop for several blockbuster films, with Chicago playing a starring role in many of them, thanks to its big-city appeal and classic architecture. Check out these Windy City movie landmarks: • The renowned Art Institute and Sears Tower Skydeck were two of the Chicago spots where a trio of wisecracking high school buddies decided to blow off a day from school in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. • The Chicago Cubs call historic Wrigley Field home, and the ballpark has been the setting for many popular films, including the Babe Ruth biopic The Babe, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Break-Up. • Chicago's signature L train has been featured in countless movies, including the famous make-out scene in Risky Business, one of the many thrilling chases in The Fugitive and a fight scene in Spider-Man 2 (with the Chicago L disguised as the New York City subway). • The landmark Chicago Union Station, designed by legendary architect Daniel Burnham in the 1920s, was the dramatic set for The Untouchables and its unforgettable slow-motion gangster vs. lawmen gunbattle scene. • Daley Plaza, located in the heart of the Loop (you can't miss the towering Picasso sculpture), has been the site of several film shoots. Perhaps the most memorable was The Blues Brothers car chase that ended up with the Bluesmobile crashing into the Daley Center building. To learn more about the film sites that made Chicago a movie star, go to www.onscreenillinois.com, where you can download a map and podcast tour narrated by broadcasting legend Bill Kurtis. The site also features exciting 3-Day Movie Getaways that take you to movie locations around the state, info on Illinois film events and fun movie trivia. • In nearby Grafton is Raging Rivers WaterPark, right across the road from the Mississippi River. A perfect spot to cool off in the summer, Raging Rivers features a wave pool, body slides and a lazy river. • The river town of Grafton is a great place to do some antiquing, as well as wine tasting at Piasa Winery and Aerie’s Riverview Winery. Sample the local delicacy, a hot fish sandwich, at O-Jan’s Fish Stand or Beasley Fish, where the catch of the day is plucked right from the river that morning. • The 8,000-acre Pere Marquette State Park in Grafton is the largest state park in Illinois, offering everything from horseback riding to fishing, hiking and boating. The park hosts guided fall scenic drives and eagle-watching tours in the winter. OHIO RIVER SCENIC BYWAY Following the twists and turns of the Ohio River, Harrisburg the Ohio River Scenic Elizabethtown Byway rolls through Rosiclare Golconda Southern Illinois’ Ohio Cave-in-Rock River Valley. Extending Metropolis Cairo 188 miles in Illinois, the byway starts in New Haven and ends in Cairo. Skirt the Shawnee National Forest and discover these attractions: • Hike among rock formations with whimsical names like Camel Rock at the Garden of the Gods, found in the rolling hills of the Shawnee National Forest near Harrisburg. Take the challenge and try to squeeze through Fat Man's Misery, a narrow passageway crammed between huge cliffs and boulders. SCOTT BELL • From May to November cruise the Ohio River aboard the Shawnee Queen River Taxi, which makes stops in the towns of Cave-in-Rock, Elizabethtown, Rosiclare and Golconda as the crew points out sites of interest along the way. • Explore Cave-in-Rock State Park, home of a notorious 55-foot-wide limestone cave that once harbored real river pirates. Cave-in-Rock Lodge is known for its delish Southern dishes, including fried chicken and catfish. • Take a picture with the 15-foot-tall Superman statue that stands guard over Metropolis, the superhero’s adopted hometown. Metropolis celebrates the Man of Steel every June with the Superman Celebration. Across the street is the Super Museum, featuring rare Superman memorabilia. Also in enjoyillinois.com RICHARD CUMMINS http://www.onscreenillinois.com http://enjoyillinois.com
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