OTT Starved Rock Country Magazine_Spring 2020

SPRING 2020

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Candy Land

6 Places to Stop on the ‘Candy Trail’

the

Heal Soul

in Nature

A Stay at the Tiskilwa Inn

Lavender Farm is a Botanical Wonderland

Additional copies at 801 E. U.S. Highway 6, Utica 61373

Joliet Iron Works Historic Site

Pontiac’s Route 66 Hall of Fame

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The Heritage Corridor offers memorable experiences just a short road trip from Chicago. Kayak down the I&M Canal, sky dive or zip line through the Starved Rock State Park area, and cruise down Route 66 for new adventures.

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Call To Book Your Next Party With Us!

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Spring l Vol. 8 No. 1 March 2020 110 West Jefferson Street, Ottawa, Illinois 61350 starvedrockcountry.com

CONTENTS

16

40

Into the Wooded Canyon Must Try: A reiki master guides meditation hikes in Starved Rock State Park

Stay in One of Tiskilwa’s Oldest Homes Lodgings: Bed and breakfast offers small-town sense of peace and history

IN EACH ISSUE

5

EDITOR’S NOTE

60

THINGS TO SEE & DO

64

POSTCARD

8

ON THE COVER

Photo by Tom Sistak Starved Rock Country

Must See: Nettle Creek Lavender Farm is the place to find natural lavender and herbal plant products

Each Office Independently Owned & Operated

Choice

1ST SM-CL1754798

A field of butterweed produces bright yellow flowers near an abandoned barn off of Route 71 near the south entrance to Starved Rock State Park.

Springtime is wildflower season in the region.

Purple Therapy

2771 N. Columbus St. Ottawa • 815-434-3337 Email: www.1stchoice.illinoisproperty.com Spring 2020 3

Hegeler Carus Mansion

INSIDE

12 The Region’s ‘Coolest’ Restaurant

Good Taste: The Igloo is a local legend for its good food and pork tenderloins

20 Step Into Open Space

The Studio: Develop your artistic skills at Open Space Art Gallery

Experience 140 years of living history… don’t view it through glass.

Walk in the footsteps of philosophers, inventors, designers, architects, Open to the public. artists and writers through the same halls Wednesday - Sunday 12, 1, 2, & 3 pm and on the same floors; Groups of 10 or more should reserve untouched since our in advance to ensure availability Mansion was finished in 1876.

What stories will be 1307 Seventh St., written next? Come help us write our next LaSalle, IL 61301 chapter and let your 815-224-6543 footsteps be among the greats of the past. www.hegelercarus.org

24 Growing a Work of Art

Treasures: Petals by Peyton shop owner turns living greenery into works of art

Mansion Tours:

Friday-Monday | 11-3:00pm

28 Where to Feel the Beat

Mansion and Gardens

Please call for other arrangements & group tours

7 live music destinations to seek out

31 The Controversial Mural

Past Tense: Learn how and why a 1930s mural in a post office faced and overcame obscenity charges

34 Guitars Like None Other

Made in SRC: Austin McKee crafts custom guitars in his Starved Rock Country workshop

46 A Small Shop With International Appeal Dynamic Balsa hobby shop owner shares his passion for radio-controlled models

53 Follow the Candy Trail

Sweet Spot: 6 shops to seek in communities off Interstate 39 and Interstate 80

4 Spring 2020

O

ne of the most expensive and ornate private homes in the Midwest when completed in 1858, the Mansion was built by businessman, politician, and philanthropist William Reddick. Home to the Reddick family for nearly 30 years, the mansion anchors Washington Square, site of the first Lincoln-Douglas debate.

Join Us

for Our Annual Golf Outing, June 6th, Pine Hills Golf Club, Ottawa, IL.

Visit our website for other events.

100 West Lafayette St. | Ottawa, IL 61350 815-433-6100 | reddickmansion.org Starved Rock Country

| EDI TOR ’S NOT E | R

Starved Rock Country magazine is published quarterly or seasonally four times per year.

Shaw Media 110 W. Jefferson St. Ottawa, IL 61350 815-431-4019 starvedrockcountry.com Email photo or article submission queries to tsloup@shawmedia.com.

Copyright 2020. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content in any manner, without permission, is prohibited.

Spring 2020 Edition PUBLISHER Dan Goetz EDITOR Tammie Sloup ASSOCIATE EDITOR Derek Barichello PHOTO EDITOR Scott Anderson GRAPHICS AND DESIGN Julie Barichello PRODUCTION Rhonda Dillon CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Brent Bader Annette Barr Tom Collins Stephanie Jaquins Goldie Rapp Ryan Searl Kim Shute Charles Stanley Michael Urbanec CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Scott Anderson Annette Barr Tom Sistak

A campaign worth exploring M

illions of visitors make trips to Starved Rock State Park every year. The canyon views, wildlife and waterfalls make for the perfect getaway.

Pack a lunch. Grab your water. Choose the appropriate shoes — some of the best views require a lot of walking, and stairs.

For those using a wheelchair, many of these picture-perfect park destinations are unreachable. But a fundraising campaign launching this spring aims to change this.

The park doesn’t have a single ADAaccessible trail. There’s nowhere to view a canyon without having to hike into it.

Starved Rock Lodge, the Starved Rock Foundation, Starved Rock Walkers Club and the Starved Rock Clean Up Crew, along with guidance from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources at Starved Rock State Park, have teamed up for an ongoing fundraising campaign called “For the Love of Starved Rock” to generate support and monetary donations to improve park trails, create a wheelchair- and stroller-friendly trail and overlook with a goal of preserving the natural resources of Starved Rock State Park for future generations.

The first project entails building an ADAaccessible trail that connects from the overflow parking lot to an overlook deck over French Canyon. The second and third projects include building a boardwalk for La Salle Canyon and rebuilding the bridge into Tonti Canyon.

It’s no small feat — the fundraising goal is $500,000.

The campaign kicks off with a dinner Sunday, April 5, at Starved Rock Lodge.

Guests will be treated to silent and live auctions, raffles and other treats.

All monetary donations will be managed

by the Starved Rock Country Community Foundation in Ottawa.

“As projects are identified and money is raised, we hope that all of us here in Starved Rock Country will want to participate in the restoration of this great park.

Whether it be through a sponsorship, a monetary contribution, donation of materials or donation of your time,” said Amy Trimble, president/CEO of Starved Rock Lodge.

Now in our eighth year of Starved Rock Country magazine, we’ve shared many stories of volunteers and programs at the park, including a meditation hike featured in this edition.

If you’re interested in investing in the future of Starved Rock, I encourage you to explore the campaign at https://fortheloveofstarvedrock.com.

And in this edition, we hope to be your guide to activities and places throughout Starved Rock Country to stop and smell the lavender, chow down on a famous pork tenderloin and satisfy your sweet tooth — with an exploding milkshake. Take our candy trail tour for an inside look into candy-making as well as candy shopping.

Take a soak in the secluded hot tub at the historic Tiskilwa Inn, where you can spend the day rocking on the porch or combining your stay with a visit to an alpaca farm up the road. What a pairing!

As we plan our future magazine editions, I’d love to hear about your experiences visiting Starved Rock Country — and why you want to return.

To share your adventure, email me at tsloup@shawmedia.com.

T

AMMIE SLOUP Editor Starved Rock Country Spring 2020 5

LIVE THE HARBOR L I F E

| Mu st See |

Ooh La

Lavender Story by Ryan Searl and Charles Stanley, Photos by Annette Barr and Ryan Searl

F

or the seven ladies in Maggie Smith’s dining room, it was an evening to relax and be creative.

They had come to the Nettle Creek Lavender Farm in Morris for a twohour craft session where they would create a wreath, a note card and a bath bomb for adding fragrance to bath water.

For the workshop, the main action was at the long, formal dining room table, where supplies and pre-measured 8 Spring 2020

ingredients were ready. On a sideboard lavender-flavored brownies and lemonade were on display.

The living room was converted to a pop-up lavender-themed gift shop.

“My business is kind of taking over my house,” Smith said ruefully.

But for now she has a sort of truce: For holidays and special events the house belongs to her family.

During the workshop, Smith explained each step of the projects, showing

techniques and blending in considerations for the crafters.

For instance, the pros and cons of using botanical greens in the bath bombs were offered.

“Botanical greens smell good and look good, but keep in mind they are going down your drain,” she said. “So you may want to have a bathtub drain strainer ready.”

Smith and her husband — a co-worker’s brother she met on a blind Starved Rock Country

Nettle Creek Lavender Farm is both a business and a home to the Smith family.

The farm hosts a lavender-themed gift shop and is open to the public for visits. It also hosts special events, such as craft sessions to create lavender wreaths, note cards and bath bombs.

date — have owned their rural four acres north of Morris for 20 years, and built their large two-story house 15 years ago.

Established formally in 2012, the Nettle Creek Lavender Farm is a full-fledged botanical wonderland.

Today this rural farm is a must-visit site for any plant enthusiasts passing through the area, particularly, those who love lavender.

The farm grew out of Smith’s passion for plants.

Starved Rock Country

A decade ago Smith was working fulltime in retail, and gardening on the side as a hobby. While experimenting with herbs, she was struck with the beauty and versatility of lavender, in addition to its famous fragrant scent.

“There are over 450 different varieties of lavender, I don’t think people realize just how many types there are,” said Smith. “Some are better for food and potpourri, others are perfect for essential oils and cut flowers. We have 17 varieties

being grown on the farm now, about 12 of those in large quantities.”

Smith decided to turn this passion into a business when her family moved to Nettle Creek, a rural community located in eastern Starved Rock Country. Over the last decade, Smith and family have transformed their four acres. Long rows of flowering lavender run parallel to their driveway, while the family home overlooks beds of perennials and busy beehives.

Spring 2020 9

When it’s warmer, a wooden stand near the road sells a wide variety of products made from the flowers and herbs grown on the farm. Everything from fresh cut lavender, dryer sachets, candles, potpourri, essential oils and jugs for picking your own flowers are available for purchase on the honor system.

The products Smith makes from her farm have become perennial favorites at local farmers markets, garden shows, and can even be found for sale inside Morris’ True North, one of Starved Rock Country’s most popular vintage and home decor stores.

Smith, now the president of the Illinois Herb Association and a board member of the Illinois Specialty Grower’s Association, has become an expert on lavender, herbs and flowering foliage.

On a tour through the rows of plants, Smith proved to be a wealth of knowledge on the topic of lavender. She explained that their legendary scent comes from the oils inside them, so while the flowers give off the wonderful fragrance, their stems and leaves retain quite a bit of oil. She recommends

10 Spring 2020

people keep both of these, as they can be dried and used in a wonderful potpourri.

Thicker lavender stems, like those found on violet intrigues, can be soaked similarly to applewood and used as flavorful BBQ skewers.

What you can use your lavender for will be determined by when

you pick it.

“This one’s a little early, it does have some buds, but you’d want to wait until a few more are open. If they were being collected for distilling for oils, we’d want to wait for at least 50% of the flowers to be open, but before they go to seed yet, but as the flowers open up, the oil inside them begins to build up. Which is what’s needed for collecting oils,” said Smith last year during a tour of the farm.

In addition to regular farm stand hours and u-pick flower dates, Nettle Creek Lavender Farm hosts a variety of special activities, like farm tours and other classes.

“I’ve hosted tours for single people during open house hours, all the way up to large corporate retreats and garden clubs. We also host a lot of tutorial classes, both at the farm and out in the community. For a set price we provide all the materials you’ll need to make beautiful

wheat and lavender wreaths and blueberry lavender muffins. Those are just a few of our recent workshops,” said Smith.

The farm also hosts regular drop-in yoga classes, where you can bring your own mat and enjoy a session of stretching between rows of fragrant lavender. You’ll even be accompanied by Kiwi the Chihuahua, the resident farm dog.

“Since goat yoga is so popular right now, we’re looking into offering Chihuahua yoga,” added Smith with a laugh.

Towards the back of the farm you’ll see a number of colorful beehives, buzzing with activity.

“We’re going into our third year of having bees. The first year we lost all of our hives, they were weak ones we received from friends of ours and they didn’t have much of a chance. But the next year, we ordered some new hives,” Starved Rock Country

t Visitors can pick their own lavender, flowers and herbs at Nettle Creek Lavender Farm in addition to buying products made from the flowers grown on the farm. q Visitors can tour through the rows of plants at Nettle Creek Lavender Farm.

orway Store EST. 1848

Specializing in Scandinavian Gifts and Food

Scandinavian Foods • Kringla • Lutefisk • Kumla Fresh Meat Department

said Smith. “We wrap our hives in the winter with black corrugated material to insulate them, and give them fondant and sugar water to supplement their honey. We also put up a small fence behind the hives, to cut down on some of the harsh winds.”

The first year the hives provided about 15 pounds of honey, which the Smiths kept.

Last year the harvest was more than 50 pounds. The honey put on sale quickly sold out, Smith said.

Smith continues to expand her farm every year.

Upcoming additions include more rows of lavender and cut flowers and lavender as well as cherry trees.

“We’re planning on adding a small grove of about 17 or 18 dwarf cherry trees, so we’ll be able to start offering some u-pick cherries in the spring,” Smith said. “It won’t be a big operation, but people love to get cherries fresh.”

A trial cherry tree met an Starved Rock Country

Nettle Creek Lavender Farm

Address: 8255 Pioneer Road, Morris Phone: 815-325-1770 Web: nettlecreek lavenderfarm.com Facebook: fb.com/ nclavenderfarm unfortunate end.

“A raccoon decided it wanted to eat the cherries,” Smith explained. “It climbed up the little tree, and it snapped in two.”

It was a lesson learned.

“We’ll be a little more preventative this time around, using bonemeal to repel the raccoons,” she said.

Smith sees possibilities where others may not.

“There was a wheelbarrow my husband was going to throw out, I told him we had to keep it. Everything is a future planter on this farm,” S R Smith laughed. C

• Fresh Chicken, Pork and Beef • Over 100 types of seafood • We make our own sausage

Deli Department • Fresh, homemade salads • Deli sandwiches made to order • Try our Norwegian Cheeses

Grocery – Liquor

Produce • Farm Fresh Produce locally grown tomatoes, corn, peppers, asparagus, cucumbers and zucchini

• We’re not just a gas station – we offer a full service grocery store • Liquor • Lotto • Video Gaming • 24 Hour Fuel Stop

Store Restaurant

Harvey’s Barber Shop

• Norwegian Buffett 11 a.m.

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3654 N. Illinois, Route 71 Sheridan, IL 815-496-2669 MON-FRI 5AM-8PM SAT 6AM-8PM SUN 8AM-5PM Spring 2020 11

t The Igloo dining room is a favorite lunch and dinner spot for locals. The dining area has undergone few changes over the years and that’s just how the locals prefer it.

| G o od Tas t e |

Experience the Charm (and Pork Tenderloins)

at The Igloo Story by Stephanie Jaquins, Photos by Scott Anderson

A

s a kid, Rich Decker would hop on his bike and head to The Igloo restaurant on Peru’s western

edge.

When he was in his teens, he swapped the bike for a car, and often headed to the same joint. Many of his peers had the same idea.

“Back in the day when it was a teenage hangout during the weekends, there would be 300 kids in here and you couldn’t walk through. It was literally shoulder to shoulder,” he recalled.

He graduated from St. Bede in 1979 and his wife, Chris, who helps run the restaurant, graduated the same year from La Salle-Peru Township High School.

“We were dating back then and through time we’d even bring our kids in here,” he said.

Back in the those days, the couple 12 Spring 2020

never thought they’d own the place. But nine years ago, they found themselves behind the boomerang-patterned countertops.

“It’s just kind of the way the chips fell,” he said. “We ended up being the ones to carry the torch for awhile.”

Nine years is just a sliver of The Igloo’s long history, having opened on July 4, 1937, during the Great Depression. The restaurant, started by Stephanie “Pat” and Louie Mazzorana, was a small hotdog stand offering footlong hotdogs for 15 cents. It eventually expanded into the restaurant it is today, which is known for its pork tenderloins.

“It’s a true pork tenderloin,” Decker said, noting The Igloo tenderloin is not pork shoulder or loin or a frozen pork fritter.

Each tenderloin is hand-trimmed,

hand-pounded, hand-breaded and never frozen.

The Igloo’s burgers, which are made from fresh ground chuck delivered daily, hand-cut fries and homemade chili also are favorites.

The diner recently received national attention, having been recognized by the Food Network website in its 50 States of Diners collection in 2019.

About three years ago, the Food Network was looking for a sandwich to represent each state and the network heard about The Igloo’s pork tenderloin.

The diner didn’t win, but did receive an honorable mention.

“Just to achieve honorable mention was quite a big thing. We must have stuck in their craw, because we got contacted about being in the running (for best diner).”

They were in the running for some Starved Rock Country

The Igloo has been a local institution in Peru since 1937. Owners Chris and Rich Decker, who have owned the diner since 2010, pose for a photo behind the counter area.

time, but then received word the diner had been selected. They didn’t tell anyone the news until it was published.

“And then it exploded, it was huge,” he said, noting media wrote stories about the recognition and they had an uptick in business.

Address: 2819 “We’re just trying Fourth St., Peru to keep those new Facebook: faces coming back,” Igloo Diner he said. “The place has a great history, great food and a great atmosphere.”

The atmosphere is something the Deckers didn’t want to change when they took ownership.

Its most recent remodel was in the 1970s. Under the Deckers’ ownership, new chairs, tabletops, counters and bar stools were added and the dark paneled walls remained. They were careful to

The Igloo

Starved Rock Country

blend the old with the new to maintain the charm of the diner.

There was one area they had to change — the wall with family photos of the previous owners, the Mazzoranas. They weren’t sure what to put up in their place.

“We have no history. It’s that wall of fame,” he said. “And then I’m meeting everybody. This one is from Joliet, this one is from Washington.”

It was Christmastime, so they had a lot of guests from out of town visiting.

“All of the sudden it hit me – put a couple maps on the wall. You put a pin in there,” he said. “It filled a wall where they had their history. It’s been a good transition.”

There’s pins from all over Illinois, major U.S. cities and other countries as well.

Behind the counter remains the same.

Kayla Sobin, waitress at The Igloo in Peru, prepares to deliver an order of two pork tenderloins and fries. The pork tenderloin is the diner’s most popular menu item.

It still displays The Igloo merchandise.

The T-shirts, displaying a smiling Eskimo in front of an igloo hut, are perhaps the most recognizable Spring 2020 13

Then The Igloo, 2819 Fourth St., Peru, has been around for more than 80 years. The location was previously a turnaround point for a street car system in Peru. The original owner, Louie Mazzorana, was a street car driver. When the street car business stopped operating, he bought the property to start the restaurant. The Igloo opened in 1937 as a small hotdog stand that sold footlong hot dogs for 15 cents.

Now

❍ Garden Center ❍ Arboretum ❍ Botanical Gardens

14 Spring 2020

• 4-Season Building • Seats up to 350 • Covered Patio • Brides & Groom’s Rooms • Outdoor Wedding Ceremony Site

events@hornbakergardens.com

and SM-CL1754148

merchandise in Starved Rock Country.

“I have a guy I graduated with, he’s a bailiff out in LA County, I believe, and one day he looked out in a jury pool and there’s an Igloo shirt,” Decker said.

He said there’s countless stories like that.

One of his favorites is out of the St. Louis area where a woman was taking out the trash and spotted a woman wearing an Igloo T-shirt.

“I guess they lived really close to each other for years and years and didn’t realize the connection until the Igloo shirt,” he said. “It’s just that random thing. The Igloo shirt brought them together and they’ve been friends since.”

Decker said The Igloo is synonymous with Peru.

“The iconic feeling is sometimes overwhelming,” he said “You wonder how many pork tenderloins have gone out of this place.”

Whenever he looks out into the dining area and sees children with their parents or groups of teenagers, he knows the future of Peru’s iconic diner is bright.

“They’re going to have a memory of The Igloo and they’re going to want to come back with their families,” he said.

“Quite a few times I’ll walk by and a dad will stop me and say, ‘This is his first pork tenderloin.’ It’s like ‘Aw, cool, welcome to S R the club.’ ” C

Open April 10 thru October 10.

Princeton, Illinois • 815-659-3282 www.hornbakergardens.com Starved Rock Country

WHY WAIT — for the —

WEEKEND?

Escape to Starved Rock Lodge The ONE and ONLY Hotel & Conference Center in Starved Rock State Park – Located at One Lodge Lane Book a midweek getaway and you’ll enjoy a greater sense of peace and quiet than you would on the weekends. Kick back and unwind in the indoor pool or explore the area on a trolley tour.

Outdddoor adventure awaits with a guided hike at Starved Rock State Park. Explore scenic canyons, seasonal waterfalls and panoramic views from the top of the Rock. After your hike, relax at Starved Rock Lodge for breakfast, lunch, dinner or Sunday Brunch. Lunch on the Veranda offers the best view in LaSalle County.

VVe Boook a Lodge room or a cabin in the woods and experience one of Illinois’ most beautiful destinations. eex During the summer months, you can take a leisurely river cruise on the Eagle 1 or take a walk down memory lane when you attend a Tribute to the Stars performance in the Great Hall.These lively matinees pper are paired with a delicious lunch buffet. Check out the schedule and purchase tickets at StarvedRockLodge.com.

Starved Rock Country

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Celebrate a wedding day, anniversary or proposal when you toast with Starved Rock Bubbly (available in the Café).

Starved Rock Wine, ice cream and fudge are guest favorites for daytime treats.

Starved Rock Lodge is open to the public year ‘round and overnight guests are guaranteed free parking just steps away froom the hiking trails.

Call our friendly staff toll-free at (800) 868-7625 or visit StarvedRockLodge.com.

Where the past is always present!t!!

Spring 2020 15

| ONE LODGE LANE | OGLESBY, IL 61348 | (800) 868-7625 | StarvedRockLodge.com

t Rose Lowe sits in quiet meditation in Ottawa Canyon at Starved Rock State Park. u Looking up from the canyon floor of Ottawa Canyon at Starved Rock State Park.

| Mu st Try |

The Energy of the Canyon Cleanse out the ‘gunk’ on meditation hikes Story and photos by Annette Barr

T

he damp morning air carries a bit of a chill. Only a couple of cars take up space in the small parking lot, just off of the low stretch of the road before it sharply curves away from the Illinois River and makes a steep climb above the deep canyons of Starved Rock State Park. It’s early on a Friday morning following previous days of heavy rain. Rose Lowe sits on the passenger seat of her white sedan, legs turned out the open door as she dons her tall dark rubber boots.

“I have been coming to Starved Rock for decades,” Lowe said as she adjusts a small knapsack on her back. “It’s a place of solitude and refuge and meditation. I come here when I need to get my batteries recharged. And I just thought, other people need to come out here too.”

Since June, Lowe, a reiki master teacher with Sanctuary Reiki Center in Ottawa, has been leading monthly meditation hikes into various canyons throughout the park. Reiki is a healing technique based on channeling energy in order to restore physical and emotional well-being. Lowe offers the free hikes as a way to reach out to the community 16 Spring 2020

and promote healing.

“As a reiki master that is kind of my purpose. My mission in life is to try to help people heal themselves, get to a place where they feel good about life and have a good sense of well-being so that they can really lead their best life. And nature is a huge tool, I believe. By reconnecting with nature we can reconnect with a part of ourselves that gets lost in the busy life that we’re leading,” she said.

The hikes are planned for the canyons with the least amount of steps in an effort to make them accessible to most people, with the total distance measuring about a mile.

Starved Rock Country

“By reconnecting with nature we can reconnect with a part of ourselves that gets lost in the busy life that we’re leading.”

Starved Rock Country

Spring 2020 17

on a fallen tree. Before starting the On most scheduled mornings, meditation, she walks to the water’s anywhere from four to 10 people will edge where a small waterfall pours show up at the designated parking lot. into a pool before heading down the “Nature inspires me and I want to meandering creek. There she says a be in nature and experience nature,” silent prayer, offering gratitude to her said Joanne Fitzgerald, of Marseilles. surroundings. She returns to her spot, “Nature heals, and I’m looking to heal takes a seat and begins the 15 minutes my mind, body and soul. That’s why I of quiet mediation surrounded by the go.” sound of running water, occasional Fitzgerald has participated in most birds calling to one another and the of the hikes. And although she breeze rustling the few leaves that are occasionally has some mobility ready to let go for the season. issues, she has been able to Following this quiet time when people participate with the occasional hand are free to do whatever feels best for from someone else, noting that no one them, Lowe calls everyone back to the is ever left to straggle behind. present and it’s time to hike out.

“The meditation is when you reach “The canyon walls have a great the area, but really it starts as soon as energy. I think you go into the canyons you say ‘hello.’ ” and you can feel just beautiful healing “Every time you go you meet somewonderful energies moving around. I body new,” Fitzgerald said. “Each feel like walking through the trees is time is a different and unique experialmost like walking through a filter ence because the seasons change, Rose Lowe approaches the base of the waterfall in that just cleanses out the gunk. And because your energy changes, Ottawa Canyon during a meditation hike at Starved you can just release and let nature because what Rose brings changes, Rock State Park. take some of that stuff. You come out because who’s there changes and cleaner and refreshed and renewed,” Lowe said. fauna and the sunlight is different. So every single time you go To check the meditation hike schedule, visit www.sanctuary it’s a new experience.”

S R reikicenter.com/events-classes C Hiking into Ottawa Canyon, Lowe spreads out a small towel

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18 Spring 2020

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Locations Channahon • LaSalle • Lockport Midewin • Morris • Utica For more information visit iandmcanal.org/bike Starved Rock Country

Starved Rock Country

Spring 2020 19

Marisa Boyd leads a watercolor painting workshop at Open Space Art Gallery and Studios in Ottawa.

| T he S tudio |

Learn, Create, Admire at Open Space Art Gallery Story by Brent Bader, Photos by Annette Barr

H

eads were on a swivel at Open Space Art Gallery and Studios as watercolor students looked at photos of wildflowers on display and attempted to recreate their own on a canvas.

While the focus was on their own work, participants also snuck glances at their neighbors’ work.

And the side-eyed glances revealed that everyone’s paintings had a unique and personal touch.

20 Spring 2020

Art Instructor Marisa Boyd drifted among the class of 12 during one of her regular workshop sessions at the downtown Ottawa gallery to lend a hand where she could and fan the flames of creativity among her talent-varied students.

“I keep in mind a lot of people, they’ve never made paintings before or never made art, so it’s how do I make it approachable but still bring a learning aspect Starved Rock Country

to it,” said Boyd, who graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

“But I still want it to be fun. That’s the most important part,” she added with a smile.

And it was a success as adults and kids as young as 7 sat in a U-shaped pattern as Boyd detailed the basics of color mixing.

At this particular class, the students were recreating wildflower paintings based on photos Boyd provided.

Jen Wier-Buck and her 7-year-old son, Emersen, followed along as they painted daisies on one-third of their canvas.

Wier-Buck said she’s taken classes in the past but wouldn’t consider herself an artist, though you’d be fooled by the quality of the work she produced with Boyd’s help.

“I just like how it’s laid back and everyone is at different levels and you don’t have to feel self-conscious,” she said.

Emersen was able to follow along as well but she had earlier training having taken some summer art classes months earlier.

The laid-back nature of the class extends to beverages as Emersen brought a shake to enjoy while David Fowler and Deb Esler sat on the opposite end of the room and sipped wine.

Fowler had some previous experience and demonstrated by jokingly attempting to paint on Esler’s face.

Esler said she’s not as experienced with a brush but felt perfectly equipped to handle the class.

She stood up and walked the length of the room and was surprised to discover that many of the paintings, while following the same model, differed from one another.

“Everybody has their own interpretation, which is kind of fun, I think,” she said.

Open Space is a contemporary art gallery and community arts center, offering an assortment of classes for all

Open Space Art Gallery and Studios

Address: 223 W. Madison St., Ottawa Phone: 815-293-7099 Online: osartstudios.com and on Facebook at fb.com/ openspaceartgallery Starved Rock Country

Participants in a watercolor class create wildflower paintings at Open Space Art Gallery and Studios. Workshops are open to both children and adults. ages and skill levels. Classes include all mediums such as watercolor, acrylic painting, mosaic, photography, ceramics, drawing, and more. Private lessons also are available.

The studio also can be rented for artistic endeavors or private parties.

In addition to classes, the studio showcases contemporary artists with new exhibitions every month.

Boyd said a huge part of her enjoyment teaching the classes is seeing how others interpret the model on the canvas.

She steps in when she can to lend a helping hand.

“But I don’t do it enough where it takes over their entire image,” Boyd said. “It’s just kind of helping let lightbulbs (illuminate) and I think it’s kind of an intuitive process.”

Boyd said it’s important that everyone feels comfortable to create work that feels personal to them without intimidation that may come from working in an art studio with professionals.

She offers some educational elements and tips in her self-professed “art-nerdy” way.

“I take art seriously but not everyone has to. It can be something where it’s just fun and not high-pressured. It’s just nice bringing people together and it’s amazing when people are interested and sign up and I have a classroom full of

Reporter Brent Bader participates in a watercolor painting class. students,” Boyd said.

“And (I hope) that someone takes something positive away from the class and they learn something,” she added.

Don’t be surprised if you walk away with a friend or two afterward as well.

The U-shape of the classroom leads to many looking over their shoulders at others’ works and complimenting the result.

Susan Thornton sat next to Fowler and Esler and they compared their process every once in a while.

Thornton said she agreed with Esler that she admired how the paintings differed from one another.

“It’s you, it’s unique. You know? That’s art. That’s the wonderful thing about it,” S R Thornton said. C Spring 2020 21

22 Spring 2020

Starved Rock Country

Starved Rock Country

Spring 2020 23

| T r e as ures |

P

Green Thumb &

Art Combine Young entrepreneur has flair for plants, floral displays Story by Kim Shute, Photos by Scott Anderson

24 Spring 2020

eyton Lamps started small.

As a teen, she set up shop in her family’s garage, designing custom planters and floral arrangements, and growing unique plants.

Using items such as antique coffee cans, modern pottery pieces, galvanized containers and more, as well as offering a variety of plants such as succulents, house plants, annuals and perennials, she quickly began making a name for herself as her homegrown business flourished.

She outgrew the garage, and moved her business to a storefront in La Salle — a dream come true for the young horticulturist and entrepreneur.

A quick glance around her shop, filled with wide-ranging varieties of plants in quirky and unusual pots, shows just how passionate Lamps is about her art. The space is serene Address: 552 First St., La Salle and inviting and even those Facebook: Petals who didn’t

by Peyton know they wanted to take home a plant or five will be tempted by the goods.

Lamps, who has been actively saving and planning for this day — accumulating store furnishings, working on the concept for the space, and tucking away all her savings, is only 20 years old.

A Kishwaukee College grad, Lamps has a degree in horticulture and floral design as well as a green house management certificate.

“I was growing out of my garage,” Lamps said of the decision to open a storefront of her own. “I was always doing vendor shows and anyone who does them knows they’re just so much work. I just wanted to rip the Band-Aid off and do it. It was terrifying, but I think people need to stop letting their

Petals

by Peyton

Starved Roc Starved Rock Country

t Spring is always in bloom at Petals

by Peyton in downtown La Salle.

Peyton Lamps, owner, places a new yellow rose in her cooler at her shop on First Street in La Salle. Lamps makes custom planters from unique items such as galvanized containers, antique coffee cans, and more.

q Petals by Peyton has a variety of colorful plants. This Triostar Calathea plant is vibrant and needs a warm, welllit spot. The more indirect light the plant takes in, the more variegation will cover its leaves. age hold them back from doing things.”

Lamps said moving into the new space has exceeded her expectations.

“The biggest surprise is downtown La Salle foot traffic,” she said. “And other business owners have been fantastic about helping me out. I knew I wanted to be local — La Salle is my hometown. It’s come such a long way and just being a part of that is exciting.”

One of the most distinct features of the shop is the seemingly unlimited selection of cachepots and containers Lamps uses for her creations. She sources them from all over, buying what catches her eye, but she also will happily pot plants into containers that customers bring to her shop.

“I guess I just have an eye for it,” she says.

Starved Rock Country

Spring 2020 25

u Peyton Lamps is always busy planting.

Here, she plants crowns of thorns into pots at her shop on First Street in downtown La Salle. Lamps works with many varieties of plants including succulents, perennials, house plants and annuals.

“I can’t walk into any space and not picture doing something with it. I think my containers are unusual, which gives me an edge.”

For those who have the desire, but maybe not the eye, Lamps also offers workshops and potting events, including get-togethers or small parties.

In addition to plants, Lamps offers fresh floral design for weddings, events and sympathy work. Right now, she’s relying on word of mouth and social media to get the word out about the newly offered services.

If her past determination is any indicator for the future, Lamps is bound to succeed.

“I feel like people were supportive, but they for sure told me I have my whole life to do this. I knew this is what S R I wanted, so why not do it now?” C

��������� ���� �� ������������

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We e offer: •S State approved boating cllasses free to the public •B Boat safety checks •V Visitor Center for the Illinois and Michigan Canal, a National Heritage Corridor N • Listed in Illinois Wildlife and Nature Viewing Guidebook N •S Special programs for groups •T The best view of Starved Rock State Park R • Bookstore with Canal and River History Items

FREE EE BOAT CL CLASSES & FREE BOAT INSPECTIONS 26 Spring 2020

Starved Rock Country

You probably already know that IVCH orthopedic surgeons Dr. Robert Mitchell and Dr. Connor Kasik are both skilled in using Mako Robotic Arm-assisted Technology when performing joint replacement surgery.

What you may not know is their expertise in a wide variety of other orthopedic procedures that can result in faster recoveries and better outcomes. Here’s a partial list of what they do: • Mako Total Hip and Knee Replacements • Partial Knee Replacement • ACL Reconstruction • Meniscus Repair and Removal of Damaged Knee Cartilage • Fractures • Arthritis • Minimally Invasive Arthroscopic Surgery of the Hip, Knee, and Shoulder • Sports Related Injuries

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C I S U S N M O I E T A V I N L ESTI D

Uptown Grill 601 1st St., La Salle, www.uptowngrill.com, 815-224-4545

Over the last decade and half, La Salle’s Uptown Grill has hosted dozens of rising artists, like Margo Price and William Elliot Whitmore, as well as cult favorite musicians, like Alejandro Escavedo and Jethro Tull’s Martin Barre. The concert series continues this year, with shows by Southern blues-rock wizard Tinsley Ellis (April 2), rising husband and wife duo Smooth Hound Smith (April 29) and the return of two-time Grammy-nominated altcountry raconteur Robbie Fulks (July 9). Uptown Grill isn’t just a great looking club with excellent acoustics, it also features a full-service cocktail bar right inside the venue space!

Make an evening of your concert experience, arrive early and enjoy a delicious meal in Uptown’s restaurant. Their polished take on casual American cuisine is rooted in scratch-made dressings, sauces and stocks, along with fresh house-baked breads. Consider ordering their famed Prime Rib dinner, available every Friday and Saturday, or fresh seafood, shellfish and oysters.

9th Street Pub,

Star Union Spirits

253 9th St., La Salle 9thstpub.com, 815-223-8960

Westclox Building, 300 5th St., Suite 135, Peru starunionspirits.com, 815-205-1234

Since the early 1980s, 9th Street Pub’s owner John Ebener has been hosting live music at least three nights a week, bringing in a staggering variety of bands, solo artists and live-mixing DJs. You can expect to hear everything from a hard rock triple bill on a Saturday night to a relaxed bluegrass jam session the following afternoon. Acts like A Flock of Seagulls, The Elvis Brothers and Holland Zander (daughter of Cheap Trick’s Robin Zander) have all graced the 9th Street stage.

You’ll find more than just great music at 9th Street, their kitchen is turning out 12 specialty pub burgers, a weekly walleye special and breakfast every day of the week. Their bar boasts 70 beers on tap, pool tables and a selection of video poker machines from Accel entertainment.

For a full list of shows at 9th Street Pub, check out their Facebook page.

Star Union Spirits is leading the revitalization of downtown Peru’s historic Westclox building, not just with their award-winning small batch distilling, but also through their progressive live music offerings. Owners Bob Windy and Jeff Yosowitz wanted to create a space where local and touring musicians of all genres could perform to a receptive crowd. 2019 saw acts ranging from the experimental jazz of The Meridian Trio (staples of Elastic Arts and Constellation) to alt-country progenitor Jon Langford (accompanied by Mekons bandmate Sally Timms), alongside local favorites like the Henry Torpedo Boys and Kevin Roy K. While you’re there, consider trying a craft cocktail or two made from Star Union’s award-winning range of spirits, distilled in the production space directly next to their tasting room. Keep an eye on the Star Union Spirits Facebook page for upcoming concerts and special events, like bottling and pressing parties, that allow you to experience the craft distilling process first hand.

28 Spring 2020

Starved Rock Country

August Hill Winery 106 Mill St., North Utica augusthillwinery.com, 815-667-5211

Located right in the heart of downtown Utica, August Hill Winery’s tasting room is a comfortable place to relax with a glass of wine after a busy day of shopping Starved Rock Country’s boutiques or hiking around the state parks, but for those in the know, it’s also one of the region’s best places to catch live music.

August Hill hosts an ever-changing roster of acoustic and relaxed electric musicians, nearly every week you’ll find two or three performances by traveling folk, country or bluegrass acts, along with a sprinkling of local singer-songwriters from the Starved Rock Country area. Most live music is held on August Hill’s beautiful patio space during the warmer months, with their interior lounge area being used as alternative space.

For a full list of August Hill’s upcoming live music event, visit augusthillwinery.com

Hegeler Carus Mansion, 1307 7th St, La Salle hegelercarus.org, 815-224-6543

Every summer, the sprawling lawn in front of the palatial Hegeler Carus Mansion transforms into a serene outdoor music venue. This mansion museum, which proudly holds a slot on the National Registry of Historic places, has entertained 1000’s of guests with their family-friendly open-air concerts.

Guests are free to bring their favorite chairs and blankets, along with their own food and drinks, as they watch acts perform on the mansion’s elevated gazebo. Past shows have even seen appearances by wood fire pizza and BBQ food trucks. Previous concert seasons have hosted popular acts like Katie Belle and Belle Rangers and Cody Calkins. This concert series is set to return this summer, with another exciting line-up.

Be sure to follow the Hegeler Carus Mansion on Facebook and at hegelercarus.org for more details.

Clarks Run Antiques

215 N. Division St., North Utica clarksruncreek. com/antiques 815-667-7190 An antique store might not be your first thought when it comes to finding a concert space that serves up a nice glass of wine, but this hip and hidden destination is a must-visit spot next time you take a trip to Starved Rock! Last year saw the addition of a brand-new patio, complete with ample seating and umbrellas. This fun new outdoor venue will play host to a cavalcade of local favorite acoustic and acoustic/electric acts, like Darrell Data (formerly of the band Buckacre), Steve Sharp and Last Call.

Since Steve and Pam Shanley first opened the doors to Clarks Run Antiques in 2012, they’ve been on a mission to shatter your expectations of what an antique store should be. There’s no dusty and dim shop; here, instead, you’ll find a curated selection of vintage finds from over 70 vendors, home décor, apparel and a full-service wine bar.

HAZE Smokehouse

159 Bucklin St., La Salle fb.com/hazesmokehouse, 815-780-8374 La Salle’s HAZE Smokehouse is widely known for their attention to detail, using only the freshest ingredients, house-made sauces, sides and slow-smoked meats in their delectable dishes. However, many people don’t know they also host some terrific concerts on their patio stage.

Ever since proprietors Lee and Keegan Pakula opened their doors in 2015, HAZE has offered frequent shows for their patrons, spanning a wide variety of genres, but with blues and blues rock being their specialty. These shows have featured legendary blues acts like John Primer, Merle Perkins and Chris Duarte, as well as up-and-coming indie rock looper Kristen Ford and outlaw country singer Craig Gerdes. While you’re at HAZE, don’t miss an opportunity to try their smokehouse sampler, which features a selection of the delicious ribs, brisket, pulled pork, chicken, and hot sausage, as well as your choice of two sides.

Starved Rock Country

Spring 2020 29

Welcome to Downtown Morris

Located just 60 minutes southwest of downtown Chicago, downtown Morris, Illinois offers the amenities of its more metropolitan suburban neighbors along with small-town hospitality and charm. Come to downtown Morris and enjoy a fun day shopping for unique gifts, enjoying our restaurants and tea room, and enjoying outdoor activities. Make memories and have fun with your friends or your family as you shop, dine and enjoy!

www.thatperennialplace.com thatperennialplace@gmail.com

MAR 21 - Shop Lucky, Shop Morris - New 2020 Event!

APR 04 - Spring into Spring - New 2020 Event!

MAY 01 - Girls’ Night Out - guys welcome too.

JUL 18 - Liberty Arts Fest - with the Sip & Shop event.

AUG 01 - Sidewalk Sales - some sales starter earlier.

OCT 16 - Ghouls Night Out - costume contest & more.

NOV 06 - Holiday Kickoff Event - New 2020 Event!

NOV 27, 28, 29 - Home for the Holidays - make it a tradition.

NOV 28 - Shop Small Saturday - support local business.

DEC 04 - Midnight in Morris - shop until midnight!

For Event Details and Store Information Ponds ~ Nursery ~ Landscaping Commercial & Residential 1565 W. Rte 6 Morris IL 815-942-2235 Great Selection of Unique Annuals, Perennials, Roses, Shrubs, Trees and Garden Decor

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More shopping events in Morris 3 French Hens: 5/9, 6/13, 7/11, 8/8, 9/12, 10/10, 11/13 & 11/14 Cruise Nights: 6/13, 7/11, 8/8, 9/12, 10/10 Corn Festival: 9/23, 9/24, 9/25, 9/26, 9/27

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Our passion is real, fresh cooked food. We cook all of this great local beef, poultry & pork over a wood burning grill & rotisserie giving a natural smoke and char distinctive to cooking over live fire.

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30 Spring 2020

A unique gift shop stocked from top to bottom with eclectic gifts

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Starved Rock Country

| Pas t T ense |

The Controversial Mural Oglesby Post Office’s lobby artwork survived ‘obscenity’ charge Story by Charles Stanley, Photos by Tom Sistak

T

hese days it probably doesn’t attract more than a glance by customers at the Oglesby Post Office.

But in 1993, the large mural on the east lobby wall was well-scrutinized by officials and the public after it was labeled as obscene.

“The Illini and Potawatomies Struggle at Starved Rock” was completed in 1942 for display in the new post office, which opened in February of 1942. Chicago artist Fay E. Davis (19161997) was hired to create the mural for $700.

Starved Rock Country

Spring 2020 31

“Industrial Marseilles” is displayed at the Marseilles Post Office. The mural was commissioned as part of the Works Progress Administration and completed in 1938 by artist Avery Johnson.

drawn — unless a patron asked for a peek.

Similar murals and art work were commissioned by the Oglesby resident Al Piecha, a retired state worker and federal government for public buildings all over the country former city commissioner, was not shocked by the mural. during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The idea was to offer All he saw, he told a newspaper reporter, was “a couple of work to artists. The Oglesby mural was one of 1,300 authorized butts — no big deal.” for post offices by the U.S. Treasury Department.

Piecha collected 1,300 signatures on a petition calling for the Davis made trips to Starved Rock State Park for inspiration mural to once again be made visible to the public. Other and then began work. community organizations also got behind the effort.

The finished 12.5-by-6.9-foot mural features 14 Native Ultimately, Michael Matanic, a manager at the U.S. Postal Americans in battle, some on horses and some on foot. Also, Service’s Central Illinois District, came to Oglesby for a look at some of the warriors are wearing modest breechclouts around the mural. He decided it could go back to being on full display. their middles, while others — mostly turned away from the mural viewer — are not.

The lack of the modesty didn’t create a stir for more than 50 years. Then, in June of 1993, a janitor at the post office filed a complaint under the There’s one other post office mural in Starved Oglesby Post Office, Equal Opportunity Act. The act bans workplace Rock Country in Marseilles.

203 W. Walnut St. sexual harassment and the janitor said the mural “Industrial Marseilles” was completed in 1938 Lobby Hours: 24 hours was sexually explicit. He asked that the braves in by artist and water-colorist Avery Johnson (1906the mural have appropriate Native American 1990), a native of Wheaton.

Marseilles Post Office, clothing painted on them.

The oil on canvas mural on the east wall of the 100 Washington St. Rejected by his supervisor, the janitor appealed lobby shows the old factory district of Lobby Hours: 6:30 a.m. the decision.

Marseilles. to 5 p.m. Monday to Before long, an order came from Washington to Prominent among the many depicted buildings Friday; 6:30 a.m. to cover the mural while the complaint was is the eight-story Nabisco carton factory, a 4 p.m. Saturday S R reviewed. Blinds were installed and were kept recognized community landmark. C

Post Office Information

32 Spring 2020

The Marseilles Post Office Mural

Starved Rock Country

MAKING

ONE OF Story and photos by Annette Barr

W

arm light streams through the lone shop window on a late morning in early February.

Austin McKee, dressed in a casual country look including denim, leather and camouflage, preps his workbench as his aging Weimaraner Abby looks on before curling up at his boot-clad feet.

Once the block of wood destined to become a guitar neck is clamped into place, McKee slowly peels away curls of grain by hand.

“People don’t realize the amount of work that goes into building a custom guitar, especially an acoustic,” McKee said while surrounded by his tools of his 34 Spring 2020

Starved Rock Country

A KIND trade. “There are a lot more processes in it. I’m not a factory. I don’t have all of these machines to expedite the work.

And it’s just me.”

Since 2003 McKee, owner of McKee Guitars, has been building, customizing and repairing guitars and other string instruments in Starved Rock Country. He has worked from his current shop on Norris Drive in Ottawa since 2009.

Uninterested in music as a child, McKee only decided to try his hand at playing guitar after seeing friends take an interest.

“Out of high school I still didn’t know what to do and did a lot of praying about it. I started playing guitar when I was about a sophomore in high school, so I Starved Rock Country

was really interested in guitar at the time. And I was wondering, ‘How do you even learn how to do this?’ ” McKee said while gesturing around his shop.

That question led McKee to a local guitar shop where he asked questions and learned of schools where he could train to become a luthier — a maker of string instruments such as guitar, bass and mandolin. After completing a twomonth program at Galloup School of Guitar Building and Repair in Michigan, he was a certified luthier.

“He can build his own necks by hand that are just far superior to anything you’ll buy from the factory,” said Paul Dobroth, co-owner of Starved Rockers Music in Ottawa.

Spring 2020 35

“

Sound is number one because you could pick up an ugly guitar and if it sounds great you couldn’t care less if it’s ugly.

”

McKee Guitars and Starved Rockers Music have space in the same building.

“Dollar for dollar if you’re going to spend a lot of money on a high-end guitar or getting that kind of work done, see Austin first because he’ll build you a one-of-akind,” Dobroth said. “If you’re going to spend $2,000 on a Gibson, go talk to him first. If you’re going to spend a couple grand on something, he’ll make something by hand. If you’re going to buy that $300 and $400 neck, don’t.

Go and talk to him and he’ll make you a custom neck for that same money that’s going to be superior materials and superior workmanship. I would trust him with my own stuff, and that’s about as high of a recommendation as I can give.”

McKee has worked with clients locally and as far away as Canada and Aruba. When building a custom string instrument, decisions range from the type of wood used such as Honduran mahogany, Indian rosewood or curly maple to embellishments, custom inlays and fret board.

“Sound is number one because you could pick up an 36 Spring 2020

Austin McKee’s Weimaraner, Abby, joins him in the workshop.

Starved Rock Country

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Rt. 71 Ottawa Reservations: 815-433-2540 hanksfarm.com

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your bass, mids and trebles, it’s very even and balanced.

You can play anything on them and get a great response out of them. And that’s what my guitars are known for.”

Although McKee still has a keen interest in playing, most of his guitar strumming takes place at church. His favorite music is gospel and bluegrass.

“Probably a lot of luthiers aren’t the greatest guitar player in the world because they’re too busy working all the time, and they don’t have the time to sit down and practice the guitar. A luthier likes to hand his guitar to someone who can play because they make it sing better than he does, of course.”

And it’s the goal of not only pleasing his clients but also hearing the guitar hit the right note that keeps McKee satisfied in his work.

“The huge anticipation of, ‘I want to hear what it sounds like when it’s done,’ ” keeps McKee’s interest throughout a project.

“I get an idea through the ugly guitar and if it sounds process by tappin’ around great you couldn’t care less if when I get it braced and it’s ugly. Of course appearwhatnot; and kind of get an ance is very important. idea of what characteristics That’s what draws a person it’s going to have, to the guitar. And but you know the the guitar, it could anticipation of, ‘I look good but if it Address: 542 want to hear this doesn’t sound good W. Norris Drive, thing ... you gotta then those good Ottawa wait until it’s done.’ looks just don’t Online: www.

Once you put that really matter anymckeeguitars. fresh set of strings more. Sound is com on, you can set it up number one and and that’s when you appearance is secreally get to hear it for the ond.” McKee said. first time.”

“When I build an acoustic McKee offers luthier classguitar, it’s impossible to get es at his shop in addition to all these certain attributes. repairs and custom builds.

When I build one I find that For more information visit if I have a guitar that has a S R his website. C nice clean note, clear note, on

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Spring 2020 37

Family reunions, single family vacations or romantic couples getaways

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“Super. Super. Super Nice!! Perfect Getaway. Cabins are clean and comfortable. Staff is spot on. So Relaxing. Can’t wait until our next visit.”

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Open All Year with furnace heated cabins.

Wood stoves or gas fireplaces make them cozy.

Personal outdoor bonfire pits, picnic tables and grills.

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UTICAinois Ill

– POPULAR EVENTS – MARCH 14TH St. Patrick’s Day Parade MARCH 28TH 5K Wine Run MAY 2ND Utica’s Derby Day MAY 16TH Sip N Snip MAY 23RD & 24TH Wild Bill Days JUNE 13TH & 14TH Utica Garden Faire JULY 5TH Utica Fireworks Celebration AUG 15TH & 16TH Utica Pork Fest AUG 22ND Utica Craft Beer Street Fest

Starved Rock Country Photos

by Paula Guttilla: Hatchet Canyon Photography

WEL COME to North Utica

Filled with a rich history and built on tradition. Our town is full of great places, wonderful people and amazing things to see. With a slow pace but plenty to do, Utica makes for a great place to visit for the day or long weekend. So come on, stop on by when you’re passing through, you’ll find out you’ll want to stick around. Visit a town where it feels like home.

– ATTRACTIONS – Starved Rock State Park & Lodge Illinois & Michigan Canal & State Trail Buffalo Rock State Park

Heritage Corridor Visitor’s Bureau Illinois Waterway Visitor Center LaSalle County Historical Museum Matthiessen State Park

utica-il.gov Spring 2020 39

The Village of North Utica • PO BOX 188 • Utica, IL 61373 • 815-667-4111

40 Spring 2020

Starved Rock Country

| Lod gings |

Rock on the Porch, Listen to the Birds Tiskilwa Inn offers quiet escape

N

estled in the Gem of the Valley sits The Tiskilwa Inn. This cozy, historic bed and breakfast is a destination for folks searching for a quiet escape from busy lives.

The Italianate-style manor was built in 1848 as a wedding gift from John Stevens to his daughter, Louisa, and her new husband, Edward Sawyer. Every brick used in the construction of the home was made locally in Stevens’ brickyard.

Today, the home is one of the oldest still standing in Tiskilwa, population 778. The inn is one of seven homes in the vicinity recognized in the 1975 Illinois Historic Structures Survey as places of “special interest because of their aesthetic, architectural and technological significance.”

Innkeepers Jeremy and Ric Gassen strive to provide an experience tailored to the needs of their guests.

After spending years in the corporate hotel industry, the Gassens realized they wanted to provide a more personalized

Starved Rock Country

Provided

Story by Goldie Rapp, Photos by Scott Anderson and provided

Spring 2020 41

Provided

The library at The Tiskilwa Inn (shown above) features a coastal theme.

The inn has five bedrooms, each with a private bath (shown middle left is the Zen Room bathroom), and guests can use the hot tub (shown bottom left) year-round.

experience for guests, so they dove into the bed and breakfast industry.

They spent six years in Virginia running their first property before meeting Tiskilwa native Bob Sash, who was looking for innkeepers to run his newly restored inn. Being from the Midwest, the Gassens jumped at the opportunity to be closer to family.

Before it was a bed and breakfast, the inn was a local antique store for 40 years.

Each of the five bedrooms in the home have their own unique theme. The Wappe Room gives a nod to the 42 Spring 2020

Starved Rock Country

Each of the five bedrooms in the inn also are decorated according to a unique theme, such as the Farmhouse Room (top right), featuring rural and rustic decor, or the Wappe Room (middle right), featuring decor that nods to the Potawatomi people who originally settled the region.

Potawatomi Tribe, the original settlers of the area. The Zen Room is decorated in an Asian motif. The Garden Room is always in bloom with floral decor. The Farmhouse Room offers a rural, rustic feel. The Alpaca Room is a whimsical tribute to the nearby alpaca farm. The front library, which welcomes guests through the grand entrance, has a coastal theme, which is tied to the Gassens’ Virginia roots.

And being a former antique shop, there are plenty of pieces that complement the period of the home.

Decor aside, the beauty of the home’s architecture speaks for itself. The ceilings on the first floor reach 12 feet high and Starved Rock Country

Spring 2020 43

Provided

10 feet high upstairs. There is plenty of original charm, like the pocket doors that separate the library and dining room and the grand, winding staircase leading to the second floor.

Peak season at the Tiskilwa Inn runs from April to October. The inn can also be booked for special occasions and holiday dinners. Jeremy said the inn attracts many Address: 155 High St. guests from cities like Tiskilwa, IL 61368 Chicago, Quad Cities and Phone: 815-646-1300 Peoria.

“It’s people who literally Email: info@ just want to spend the day in thetiskilwainn.com quiet. They want to come out, Web: www. rock on the porch and listen thetiskilwainn.com to the birds,” he said.

Guests can choose a unique farm/stay option with the inn’s sister property, Tiskilwa Farms Alpacas. The option includes breakfast at the inn and a day on the alpaca farm up the road.

A hot tub room is available to guests year-round.

Kayak and bike rentals are available for those who wish to kayak the creek or bike the countryside roads.

“We offer a lot of things,” Jeremy said. “If our guests are looking for a certain experience, we will do whatever S R it takes to give them that experience.” C

Book a stay at The Tiskilwa Inn

The Illinois River Area Chamber of Commerce Invites You to the Communities of Marseilles and Seneca

Middle East Conflicts Memorial Wall, Marseilles The Seneca Area History Museum, Seneca Illini State Park, Marseilles The LST Memorial, Seneca The I&M Canal Hiking and Biking Path, Marseilles & Seneca See more at www.iracc.org and senecail.org, call us at (815) 795-2323, or, stop by the Caboose at 135 Wasington St., Marseilles, IL 61341 SM-CL1753770

44 Spring 2020

Starved Rock Country

Tangled Roots Brewing Company

Miskatonic Brewing Company

wery River Hawk Bre

Skeleton Key Brewery

Pollyanna

Brewing

Company

Explore the Heritage Corridor Ale Trail and discover the creativity of true artisans of the craft beer world.

Visit HeritageCorridorAleTrail.com for the latest news, best events, and features on new beer releases from all of the top breweries from Chicago Portage to Starved Rock.

Starved Rock Country

Spring 2020 45

46 Spring 2020

Starved Rock Country

Hobby Shop

Gets Close Real Thing

to the

Story by Michael Urbanec, Photos by Tom Sistak

T

he village of Leonore – population hovering around 100 – is a surprising place for an international hub of anything, but Dynamic Balsa owner Brian Burcar is an international supplier of RC Flyer and Car equipment.

Burcar got started on RC Flyers years before he opened for business: His wife surprised him with a remote control airplane kit in 1986 and he fell in love with the hobby. He opened up Dynamic Balsa to share his passion for remote control flying with everyone else.

“I bought a business that processed balsa wood in 1992 and started making wood kits and Styrofoam kits,” Burcar said. “This ended up being a good way to supplement my airplane habit.”

Burcar owns and operates Double R Manufacturing in Leonore and that’s where he spends most of his time, but Dynamic Balsa’s shop hours remain open while he’s busy at the machine shop; his phone number is on the door and all it

Starved Rock Country

takes is a quick call for Burcar to drop in to the shop.

Burcar’s pride and joy isn’t just the model plane kits; it’s the way they’re made he truly takes pride in. He makes molds for parts and then uses a vacuum heat press in order to create the plastic shell for his parts and he uses a 3-D printer to create other types of parts,

Spring 2020 47

like engines, dummy bombs and dummy machine guns that come down from the bottom of the planes.

The planes themselves are scale models of real-life planes and Burcar’s personal collection is just as fascinating as any of the kits he’s selling; the opportunity will probably never arise to fly the Red Baron’s World War I 310 Walnut St. fighter bi-plane Leonore but using a Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 remote control p.m. Monday to model, Burcar Friday; 9 a.m. to 4 can capture a bit p.m. Saturday of the magic.

815-856-2272 The shop’s www.dbalsahs. walls are lined com with the parts that make the planes and cars go, but the floor is covered in Burcar’s projects and between World War II-era fighter planes, and some planes that look closer to a modern day crop duster, any hobbyist should be able to scratch their historic itch.

Burcar said it would cost around $150 to get started as an RC hobbyist but he said it would also be better to head to a club and talk to some of the

Dynamic Balsa

48 Spring 2020

members before getting started; they can offer a lot of experience and advice to someone who is just getting started that can’t be found anywhere else.

“Flying is a challenge,” Burcar said. “Some planes are easier than others but landing is always the hardest part. Every plane you fly is

going to be different.”

The Streator RC Flyers Club gathers at Kangley Field just a half mile off of Route 18; passers-by can see multiple planes in the air on a regular basis.

The Deer Park R/C Flyers are another group in the Starved Rock Country S R region. C Starved Rock Country

Starved Rock Country

Spring 2020 49

e r o l p Ex e c n e i r e p x E y o j n E Urban Soak Shoppe Gift Boutique Handmade Items & Soaps

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Knights of Columbus Hall

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Gypsy Soul With a Cowgirl Spirit Spring 2020 51 214 E Main St | Streator IL | 815-674-7558 Facebook.com/yourwildhearts

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Starved Rock Country

| S w ee t Spot |

‘How can you not have fun in a candy store?’

The region has many fun destinations to discover a sweet treat Starved Rock Country

Story by Tom Collins, Photos by Annette Barr

W

ant to try a soft drink that will erupt like a volcano?

It’s called a marshmallow Coke and it’s a throwback trick available at a few regional soda fountains such as the one at Kim’s Sweet Shop in Wenona. The attendant at the fountain will crown your Coca-Cola with marshmallow topping and put a lid on it — then watch as a child’s eyes pop seeing the mixture foam through the crosshairs opening for the straw.

“That’s what we’re famous for,” said owner Kim Morris. “And you can tell when someone

hasn’t been here before, because they’ll put the lid on and they’ll try stirring it and it will explode.”

It’s one of the reasons she loves running a candy shop. Where else can you sell a product that explodes and have people leave happy?

If you’re looking for a sweet treat or novel indulgence — such as an exploding soft drink — there is a surprising array of choices in Starved Rock Country. Whether you’re looking to slurp down something refreshing from a vintage soda fountain or on the hunt for custom chocolates, there are worthwhile venues within a 45-minute drive of Starved Rock State Park.

Spring 2020 53

u Penny Fuller (left) and Tina Dunning add a melted chocolate design to candy-filled eggs that are popular around Easter at Minonk Chocolate Company.

Start your journey in Woodford County, where a family-run chocolatier sits within a stone’s throw of a 1950sera soda fountain in tiny Minonk.

It’s been called the Minonk Chocolate Company since 2015, but your parents might remember when it was Cunningham’s Candies and your grandparents might even recall the Princess Sweet Shop, founded 105 years ago by the Paloumpis family.

Co-owner Christie Ruestman said the business so prospered that in 2015 they vacated a 3,200-square-foot facility for one nearly six times that size featuring interior windows for visitors to watch the candy-making. “We call it the fishbowl,” she quipped.

Quite a few fish make their way into that fishbowl.

“They come from all around,” Ruestman said. “Our caramel apples are delivered within 150 miles of Minonk

(815)324-9559 375 W. Stevenson Rd. Ottawa (Across from Walmart)

Sun-Thurs 11am-9pm Fri-Sat 11am-10:30pm

Happy Hour 3-5pm Daily Monday Night Trivia Tuesday Night Bar Bingo Saturday Live Music Over 35 HDTV’s

Salads Antipasto Greek Chopped

Appetizers Dough Nuggets Mozzarella Sticks Cheesy Garlic Bread Bruschetta

Pastas & Sandwiches “Build Your Own Pasta” Lasagna Chicken Parm Italian Beef

Pizzas Chicago’s Greatest Thin, Double Dough & Chicago Style

See Full Menu at MyRosatis.com/Ottawa 54 Spring 2020

Starved Rock Country

and our advertising is printed on the sticks. We dip 150,000 apples from September through October and that draws people in from all over the place.”

Apples and see-through operations might be a draw, but Ruestman said the biggest draw is the century-old recipes produced in what remains a family-run business. She co-owns Minonk Chocolate with sister Cindy Meyer and their 81-year-old mom, P.J. Ketchmark, still helps by answering the phone.

“We’ve been doing this since 1993,” Ruestman said. “We’ve got wonderful employees who always show up for work — we don’t have any problem with that at all — and we’re like a big family.”

The array of products is mouthwatering, but be sure to reserve some spare cash before walking across the street to the Sweet Shop. It’s worth stopping in just to see the antique fountain, ’50s-style dining area and vintage Coca-Cola décor.

And, yes, you can get an exploding marshmallow Coke here, too.

Owner Fran Allen said it’s one of her top sellers and helps draw in a regular after-school crowd. Children aren’t the

Fran Allen at The Sweet Shop in Minonk. The Sweet Shop in Minonk sells an array of familiar candies as well as baked goods and other treats, such as soda and gourmet popcorn.

Nestled in a cove, surrounded by native forest, wetland, and farm field, just above Redbud Creek and the Fox River, there is an unusual garden center that every gardener, nature lover and curious individual simply must visit.

While we are a garden center with awesome Perennials, Annuals, Herb & Veggie Plants, Plus Shrubs & Ornamental Trees we have the Big Barn store with a large selection of garden & nature related books, gift items, and many locally made treasures.

The Potting Shed is our Fairy Store with an incredible offering of fairy garden accessories.

Re-Opening for our 21st Season on April 1

Join us Mother’s Day Weekend, May 9 & 10.

- Kids plant a pot for Mom, free - Live music - Planting demonstrations Plan a trip to the farm, visit us on Facebook, Instagram or our website:

www.redbudcreekfarm.com

“Where Inspiration is Always in Bloom” Starved Rock Country

Sheridan 2930 N. 4351

st

815-496-9400

Rd.

Located in the country along the Fox River, 5 miles south of Sandwich, 5 miles NE of Sheridan. (Google Maps can get you here-or call-or message us) Spring 2020 55

Cindy Meyer drizzles white chocolate on chocolate-covered strawberries. only ones who crowd Allen’s shop, however; adults seeking a retro-candy store experience gravitate to the Sweet Shop and don’t leave disappointed.

“We’ve gotten a lot of good comments from out-of-towners,” Allen said, “and we have novelty candy you can’t get from Walmart.”

A short drive up Interstate 39 in Wenona is Kim’s Sweet Shop. Morris is a former pre-K teacher who decided it was more fun plying wideeyed kids with candy than trying vainly to calm them down in the classroom.

Morris has owned the store 15 years and had been a part-time employee in the days when U.S. 51 funneled motorists through p Ice cream is among the offerWenona, though the store’s sugary (and, yes, ings at Kim’s Sweet Shop in Wenona. the exploding Coke) u Roxie’s Sweet continues to draw Confections in Utica people off nearby I-39. is a chocolate shop “We’re still on the and candy shop that grid,” Morris said. “We serves ice cream.

56 Spring 2020

used to be a lot busier when the highway came through town, but a lot of people know us from the past and they tell others.”

One of the newer attractions is in Utica, where Roxie Neurohr left an office job she’d held down for a decade to hawk her famous fudge to the 3 million visitors who pack Starved Rock and Matthiessen state parks.

Actually, the fudge was her mom’s recipe, but Neurohr had enough success selling the fudge at fairs and the everpopular Burgoo Festival that she decided to make a fulltime go of it and opened Roxie’s Sweet Confections four years ago. It took a leap of faith, but running a candy store has been too enjoyable for her to look back.

“Of course it’s fun,” Neurohr scoffed.

“How can you not have fun running a candy store?”

Roxie’s is open year-round but Neurohr encourages visitors to check her hours of operation to make sure she’s open during the slower winter months. Business bustles with candy and chocolate orders at Christmas and Valentine’s Day, but summers typically are steadier as tourists come in for chocolate or for one of her 16 flavors of ice cream.

And if time permits, pick up I-80 from Utica and head east to Grundy County, home of other established candy makers.

These include the Sweet Tooth in Morris S R and Candy & Corn in Minooka. C

The Minonk Chocolate Company

Address: 551 N. Chestnut St., Minonk Phone: 800-827-8336 Facebook: Minonk Chocolate Company

The Sweet Shop

Address: 570 N. Chestnut St., Minonk Phone: 309-645-6469 Facebook: The Sweet Shop

Kim’s Sweet Shop

Address: 132 N. Chestnut St., Wenona Phone: 815-853-4534 Facebook: Kim’s Sweet Shop

Roxie’s Sweet Confections

Address: 723 S. Clark St., Utica Phone: 815-343-8317

Facebook: Roxie’s Sweet Confections

The Sweet Tooth

Address: 108 W. Washington St., Morris Phone: 815-942-1003 Facebook: Sweet Tooth

Candy and Corn

Address: 516 N. Mondamin St., Minooka Phone: 815-255-2464 Facebook: Candy and corn.com

Starved Rock Country

SINCE 1848

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Spring 2020 57

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Whether you live in Starved Rock Country or are here for a visit, remember to take time to hike, go eagle watching, find an adventure, or just RELAX! A visit to SaltTreeYoga will provide you with the relaxation and harmony you need to balance your life.

Try a YOGA CLASS and SHOP in our unique gift shop before or after you relax!

310 ½ W. Main St. Ottawa, IL • 815.343.2751 SaltTreeYoga.com

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Things To See & Do Plan your trip in Starved Rock Country

MARCH 13-15 OWL PROWL WEEKEND, night walks, Hoo Haven presentation, and more, starvedrocklodge.com.

14 ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE, downtown Utica, utica-il.gov.

19 ILLINOIS VALLEY QUILTERS GUILD, National, regional, local speakers, workshops, show and tell, retreats, contests, challenges, Epworth United Methodist Church, pickusottawail.com.

20-21 MASTERS WALLEYE CIRCUIT TOURNAMENT, fishing competition on Illinois River, Spring Valley, 580-716-4291, masterswalleyecircuit.com.

22 TRIBUTE TO CHIEF WALKS WITH THE WIND (Sam Sine). His grandson, Gerald, Chief White Winnebago (Ho Chunk Ska Gah) Savage and his great-grandson, “Walking Straight” (Cam Savage) will lead ceremonies, stories and

songs in the Great Hall, Starved Rock Lodge, starvedrocklodge. com.

28 LINCOLN, THE GREAT COMMUNICATOR, free theatrical style program presented as a casual conversation between President Lincoln, portrayed by Lincoln Impersonator George Buss, and folklorist Chris Vallillo.

Combining live period music by Vallillo with conversation and narrative by President Lincoln, the performance explores Lincoln’s personal and political communication, 807 Building, Ottawa, reservations required, pickusottawail.com.

APRIL 4 ROUGH ROAD 100 SPRING CLASSIC, Ride on the road, ride on dirt, ride on gravel, ride on more road, more gravel, more limestone, more road, more gravel… nine sectors of varied surfaces, flat and fast. Designed to challenge all competencies of bikes and bike handling, Morris, roughroad100.com.

16 ILLINOIS VALLEY QUILTERS GUILD, National, regional, local speakers, workshops, show and tell, retreats, contests, challenges, Epworth United Methodist Church, pickusottawail.com.

25-26 STARVED ROCK STATE PARK SPRING MEGAHIKE, hike to the park’s canyons, reservations requested, 815-220-7386, starvedrocklodge. com.

MAY 1 GIRLS NIGHT OUT, Grab your friends and make plans to go to downtown Morris for shopping, drinks and treats, 815-941-0245, shopmorrisil.com.

9 STARVED ROCK COUNTRY FULL AND HALF MARATHON, plus Run Starved Rock Country 5K, Ottawa, 815-434-2737, runsrc.com

16

FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL, Streator City Park, streatorwalldogs. com/truckfest.html.

EARLVILLE CRUISE NIGHT, downtown Earlville, lasallecountycruisers.com.

23 STARVED ROCK COUNTRY BREW FESTIVAL, featuring over 60 unique American craft beers, live music and local food, downtown Ottawa, pickusottawail.com.

ONGOING GUIDED HIKES of Starved Rock State Park, Starved Rock Lodge, Utica, 800-868-7625, ext. 386, starvedrocklodge.com.

HISTORIC TROLLEY TOURS of Starved Rock State Park and surrounding area, Starved Rock Lodge, Utica. 800-868-7625, ext.

386, starvedrocklodge.com.

WATERFALL AND CANYON TOURS, Starved Rock Lodge, Utica, 800-868-7625, ext. 386, starvedrocklodge.com.

MULE-PULLED CANAL BOAT RIDES, April to October, Lock 16 Visitor Center, 754 First St., La Salle, 815-220-1848, lasallecanalboat.org.

NEW Event Venue and Luxury Campground Opening This Year!

Located five miles south of Starved Rock State Park, this destination is perfect for your next special event or weekend getaway!

Camp Aramoni is located on an 86-acre site that is rich in history and adventure. The property was once home to a brickyard that operated in the early 1900s, and many of the original structures still stand. Our event venue, Bricks & Stones, is a restored blacksmith shop that can seat up to 120 guests. Our facilities feature a full-service bar, caterer's kitchen, grand fireplace and a hospitality suite for bridal parties or guests of honor. We are now accepting reservations and welcome all celebrations of life and work: Weddings Rehearsal Dinners Corporate Meetings

Retreats Nonprofit Galas Class Reunions

Baby Showers Birthday Parties And MORE!

Explore Nature. Reconnect with Yourself. Experience Camp Aramoni.

Coming Soon: Glamping in Starved Rock Country!

Experience nature without the hassles of camping! Glamping is a new form of travel that combines luxury hotel amenities with camping experiences. Opening THIS August, our luxury campground will feature 10 tents with hardwood floors, plush beds, kitchenettes, wood stoves and en-suite restrooms. Online reservations will be available beginning in August.

No RV parking or personal tent camping is available. Visit us online to learn more about reservations!

Starved Rock Country

www.camparamoni.com

(815) 224-7333

809 N 2199 Rd Tonica, IL 61370

Spring 2020 61

FB & IG: @camparamoni

Starved Rock Country DINING We Cater All Events!

Weddings, Special Events, You name it - We can Serve it!

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Uncork a Great Time at Clarks Run

Wine & Beer Tasting Room • Live Music Now Serving you at 2 Locations

Clarks Run Antiques

215 N. Division St. • Utica • 815.667.7190

Quality unique crafts, antiques and gifts.

TASTING ROOM Enjoy Wine & Beer Selection Hrs: Monday - Saturday 10 to 5 Sunday 10 to 4

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Wine & Gifts

143 Mill St. • Utica • 815-691-8047

Utica’s Best Kept Secret

• Gifts & Wine • Bourbon and Specialty Drinks Rent our upstairs room for special events.

Bachelorette Parties, Birthdays, or Showers Hrs: Mon 12 to 6 • Sun, Wed & Thurs 12 to 7 Fri & Sat 12 to 9 • Closed Tues.

Like both locations on facebook for our upcoming events and entertainment

737 First Street • Downtown LaSalle, 61301 • (815) 342-2555

HOURS: Wednesday - Friday 12 – 6 Sat. 10 – 6 | Sun. 12 – 4 6,500 square foot wonderland of vintage, white, rusty, shabby, industrial and mid-century finds • Salvaged doors, windows, trim, beams, barn wood • Stockist for four lines of milk, clay, lime, & chalk-based paint including Pure & Original and Iron Orchid Designs SM-CL1754102

Clarks Run Creek

64 Spring 2020

Postcard

I ca, llin March 2020

Uti

Starved Rock Country

ois

Two migrating American white pelicans fly in a formation along the Illinois River near Starved Rock State Park. Pelicans migrate through the region each spring.

Photo by Tom Sistak

Starved Rock Country

POP

‘N ROCK ‘N New, Vintage & Antique Fine Art, Pottery & Glass Offering Fine Art from Pop to Photogra-

phy, African Art and Antiques, signed Pottery and Glass from European and American artists and a selection of home accessories from Jonathan Adler and

(815) 386-5533 Hours:

Wed - Sat: 10 am - 5 pm Sun: 11 am - 4 pm FB: City Folk Urban Decor jfd@CityFolkOttawa.com www.CityFolkOttawa.com

others. We also offer Custom Picture Framing. All items come with a full history of the designer/artist and includes free installation in your home of framed pieces.

PHOTO

City Folk Urban Decor, 722 La Salle St., Ottawa

Fine Art, African Art, Vintage Pottery & Glass