Illinois Travel Guide 2008 - (Page 27) Bluffdale Vacation Farm in Eldred, rated one of the “Top 10 Family Resorts in North America” by Parents magazine, provides city folks with a real hands-on farm experience. Join in the two chore runs a day, when you’ll fetch eggs and help to feed the animals, including horses, chickens and sheep. When the work is done, there’s outdoor fun such as fishing, swimming, boating and daily horseback rides. Spend a weekend at the state’s only Orvis endorsed property, Harpole’s Heartland Lodge, nestled in the rolling hills of Pike County in Nebo. This combination bed & breakfast, luxury resort and hunting lodge is perfect for any lover of the great outdoors, offering horseback riding on more than 40 miles of trails, sunset hayrides along the bluffs of the Mississippi River, sporting clays, bird-watching, catch-and-release fishing and hunting (the lodge is located in prime whitetail deer territory). ECO-ADVENTURES The popular Starved Rock State Park in Utica, voted one of the Seven Wonders of Illinois, is famed for its magnificent sandstone canyons and sparkling waterfalls. Tackle the hiking paths or travel on horseback with Starved Rock Stables. The 1930s stone-and-log Starved Rock Lodge & Conference Center sits on a wooded bluff overlooking the scenic Illinois River, and offers both guest rooms and cottages set in the woods. Spanning 8,000 acres, picturesque Pere Marquette State Park in Grafton is the largest state park in Illinois. Seemingly endless outdoor activities include hiking, biking, fishing, boating, horseback riding and, in the winter, eagle watching. Various trails take hikers past wetlands, underground springs and an Indian burial mound. The rustic Pere Marquette Lodge makes a great base for exploring the area. In the Shawnee National Forest, which spans the southern tip of the state, you’ll find 300 miles of equestrian and hiking trails through rolling hills. Discover unusual sandstone formations (such as Camel Rock and the Devil’s Smokestack) and hike spectacular bluffs at the Garden of the Gods, near Harrisburg. At the nearby Rim Rock Recreational Trail, hike through native hardwoods, climb to the observation deck for a look at Pounds Hollow Lake (where you can boat and fish), then try to squeeze through a narrow passageway called Fat Man’s Misery that is wedged between massive cliffs and boulders. SCOTT BELL Get a glimpse of Amish life, and even dine in a traditional farm home, with Amish Country Tours in Arcola. 800/2CONNECT ILLINOIS. MILE AFTER MAGNIFICENT MILE. 27 http://www.wildlifeprairiestatepark.org
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.