If you enjoy nature with a good mixture of history, the “Heritage Corridor” in mid-Illinois is a weekend trip that I would highly recommend.
In thumbing through an Illinois travel guide a few years ago, I spotted a photograph of a canyon and waterfall in Starved Rock State Park. I did a quick Google search and found that the park is only about 200 miles from Kalamazoo – taking I-94 to Highway 80 about two miles from the park.
I emailed and found that the lodge and cabins at the State Park were sold out for most weekends during the summer but found a cottage at Hickory Hollow Campground a few miles away and we were on our way.
When we arrived at Starved Rock State Park, we quickly found that this is one of Illinois’s real treasures and why you need to plan several months in advance to stay here. The stone and log lodge is located high on a bluff overlooking the Illinois River. It was built in the 1930’s by the Civilian Conservation Corps and has been refurbished but still retains the peaceful atmosphere of a different era. The lodge has 72 hotel rooms; rustic cottages nestled in the woods, a large restaurant and an outdoor patio serving food and drinks with a gorgeous view of the river below.
The park offers 13 miles of trails, 18 canyons and several waterfalls. Many of the trails end up high above the river for breathtaking photo opportunities. The park has a great picnic area, camping, canoe rentals, fishing and an old-time paddleboat ride.
We stopped at the Visitors Center and asked about a 3-mile hike hitting the highlights of the park. The guide quickly traced a route on the park map and circled the don’t-miss spots. We started on a flat paved walkway and were not that impressed until we wound down into the French Canyon – following a winding stream into a shimmering pond fed by a waterfall splashing down the sides of polished rock walls. Several kids were splashing around pointing out large turtles, frogs and a small snake.
Two miles down the road is Matthiessen State Park – a lesser known and less crowded state park. Again, the initial entrance into the woods did not look like much until we quickly found a very deep gorge and falls with people walking around a hundred feet or more down below. This park is made up of a deep canyon and stream that you are constantly crossing on flat rocks and logs. The highlight is a very large pond surrounded by small caves and a large waterfall. A handful of the more daring folks shimmied along the walls to end up behind the falls and then slid down into the water.
One impressive aspect of Illinois State Parks is that there are no entrance fees or passes needed.
While in the area we spent some time in Utica – a pretty little town with a handful of restaurants, bars and antique stores. We noticed a mural on a wall dedicated to eight folks that passed away in a bar that had collapsed during a tornado in 2004.
A small river passes through town and in asking some questions, we found that it is part of the 96-mile I&M (Illinois and Michigan) Canal that once connected the Illinois River to Lake Michigan. This canal was once the main commerce and transportation route for goods and people heading to Chicago. You can now drive or ride your bike along 75 miles of the canal, winding through a dozen small towns and historic sites. We rode our bikes along five miles of the old mule path next to the canal and wished we had time for more.
A few miles east of Utica is LaSalle, an old industrial town on the Illinois River. In driving around, we noticed a mansion that took up almost an entire city block. A sign out front gave tour times, and we headed back the next morning to tour the 7-story, 56-room, 16,000-square-foot Hegeler Carus Mansion.
Each room in this 1874 mansion, designed by W. W. Boyington, the architect of Chicago’s famous Water Tower, was built with inlaid wood floors and bookcases, huge chandeliers and hand-painted stenciling on the walls. Hegeler owned a large zinc company.
In talking to the waiter, we learned that LaSalle had recently purchased two old canal boats and was now giving tours. A few weeks back, we were told two of the mules that pull the canal boats had escaped and walked the seven-mile path back to Utica where they were later found.
On our ride back to Michigan, we both agreed that two days was not enough time for this great area and vowed to come back someday.
