Illinois Travel Guide 2008 - (Page 39) • Autumn is the perfect time of year to explore the Shawnee National Forest’s Garden of the Gods near Harrisburg, where you can hike stunning bluffs splashed with fall colors, discover unique sandstone formations and ride the miles of horse trails. MIKE SERONI • Get your kicks during the International Route 66 Mother Road Festival, held in September in Springfield. The downtown celebration includes a huge classic car show and cruise, street festival, live music and celebrity appearances. • Indulge in Illinois wine and artworks at the Art & Wine Festival, held in September at the Southern Illinois Art & Artisans Center at Rend Lake in Whittington. Sample vintages from various wineries and view the works of 50 Illinois artisans. • During the October St. Charles Scarecrow Festival, enjoy an exhibit of more than 100 handmade scarecrows (and vote for your favorite!), a huge craft show, carnival rides and loads of free family activities. • Western Illinois offers two of the state’s most spectacular scenic drives, both held on the first and second weekends in October. The Spoon River Valley Scenic Drive travels 100 hilly miles through Fulton County, while the Knox County Scenic Drive celebrates its rural heritage in towns along the route. • From mid- to late October, Chicago celebrates Chicagoween with the downtown Pumpkin Plaza—featuring live entertainment and seasonal crafts—along with the Halloween Happening Parade, which invites costumed revelers to march along. • Wildlife Prairie State Park near Peoria turns into Wildlife Scary Park on weekends in middle to late October. Take a train ride through the Haunted Forest, go trick-or-treating among the animals and explore the Haunted Fun House. WINTER • Chicago is holiday central, starting with The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival in November and continuing throughout the season with merry events that include the downtown Christkindlmarket, ZooLights at Lincoln Park Zoo, Christmas Around the World at the Museum of Science and Industry, and A Christmas Carol at The Goodman Theatre. 800/2CONNECT • From mid-November through early January be dazzled by the Way of Lights holiday event at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville. This 200-acre spiritual retreat features outdoor light sculptures, decorated trees, caroling and more. • Find out if reindeer really know how to fly at Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch in Rantoul, home to a flock of cheery Alaskan reindeer. During the holidays, stop by and cut your own Christmas tree. • From late November through December catch the East Peoria Festival of Lights, featuring the Parade of Lights with 40 floats made entirely of lights, the drive-through Winter Wonderland of animated displays and Folepi’s Village, offering carnival rides and visits with Santa. • Starting the day after Thanksgiving and continuing throughout December, the Du Quoin Holiday Lights Fair features a drive-through light display, decorated trees, entertainment, food and Santa’s Workshop at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds. • Victorian Christmas Tours of the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park are offered free for families on select Saturdays in December. The tours of the famed architect’s festively decorated home are led by Junior Interpreters and are created especially for children. • Take an eagle-watching expedition during Bald Eagle Days from late December through February at Pere Marquette State Park in Grafton. Visitors typically see 40 to 60 wintering American bald eagles. • Do some winter hiking and cross-country skiing among the bluffs and ice falls of Matthiessen State Park in Utica, where ski rentals are available on weekends December through March. The nearby I&M Canal State Trail boasts Illinois’ longest snowmobile trail, stretching 60 picturesque miles. • Snowy Starved Rock State Park in Utica is the postcard-perfect spot for the Discover the Eagles Tour, offered in January and February, which includes a trolley ride over to the Illinois Waterway Visitor Center to view eagles in action on the Illinois River. • From January through mid-February, the Quad Cities is the place for eagle action. During Bald Eagle Days at the QCCA Expo Center in early January, see birds of prey demonstrations and hop a free bus to view eagles in the wild. From mid-January through mid-February, join the Eagle Watch & Clock Tower Tours held on Arsenal Island, where you’ll see bald eagles soaring above the Mississippi River in Rock Island. COURTESY OF HARDY'S REINDEER RANCH Top to bottom: The spectacular sandstone cliffs of the Garden of the Gods in the Shawnee National Forest, see a soaring bald eagle at the Illinois Waterway Visitor Center, Santa’s helpers are right at home at Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch ILLINOIS. MILE AFTER MAGNIFICENT MILE. 39
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