AP Features, November 19th, 2007
Everyone needs a road trip once in a while. And with a little travel research on the Internet, you can plot a course through places like the Illinois River Road Scenic Byway, a slice of scenery in the heart of the Midwest.
There's even a historic route to take you to the Illinois River road. Take Interstate 5 west out of Chicago to Lockport and pick up the Illinois & Michigan Canal Corridor — http://www.canalcor.org/ — following the canal that joined Lake Michigan to the Illinois River (and then to the Mississippi) more than 150 years ago and opened up shipping across the region. Click on"Explore" and then "Driving Tour" for directions and information on the towns along the way, from Lemont through places with names like Marseilles, Ottawa and LaSalle.
The canal is also a National Heritage Corridor — http://www.nps.gov/ilmi/ — although it's run by the state. For more information, there's a Heritage Corridor Convention & Visitors Bureau — http://www.heritagecorridorcvb.com/ — with sightseeing, lodging and recreation help for the corridor's regions, including the Chicago Portage area in southern Cook County. Check out their calendar of events; following December's recitals and holiday festivals, the January happenings include a showcase weekend at the August Hill Winery and Eagle Watch weekend for bald eagles and other birds at Starved Rock State Park.
One of the towns along the canal, Ottawa, has a visitors' section on its Web page — http://www.experienceottawa.com/ — full of details on its historic Old Town section, places to stay and eat, and local history. Its Washington Square park was the site of the first debate between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas, in 1858. Save time and skip "Itineraries" and "Kids' Corner" — they're empty.
Starved Rock State Park — http://tinyurl.com/2noxg4 — is an area of riverside bluffs, canyons and forest near Utica, close to the western end of the Canal Corridor. At this time of year, it has winter sports and deer hunting. In summer, you can take the kids boating, camping, hiking and fishing.
The western end of the Canal Corridor overlaps the start of the Illinois River Road — http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/58611/ — part of the National Scenic Byways Program. Get a hint of the river's diversity by checking out the photo collection. Then click on "Explore This Byway" for articles giving an overview of the route and a history lesson on the Voyageurs, the French trappers who used the river. And at the bottom of the "Explore" page, dip into the "Illinois River Nature Trail," a description of nature-lovers' favorite stops along the route that you can turn into a two-day trek.
Near the center of the scenic byway, Peoria — http://www.peoria.org/ — is a great place to stop for the night, hit a golf course, visit local attractions including the Contemporary Art Center of Peoria or take in the Festival of Lights Winter Wonderland in December.
At the southern end of the Illinois River Road, Havana — http://www.scenichavana.com/ — is the home of the Dickson Mounds Museum — http://tinyurl.com/239eho — and is near several federal wildlife refuges — http://www.fws.gov/midwest/IllinoisRiver/ — including the Chautauqua Refuge.
Havana also is a jumping-off point for exploring the Spoon River Valley — http://www.spoonriverdrive.org/ — a scenic area of farms and small towns that helped inspire Edgar Lee Masters' "Spoon River Anthology."
