Illinois Getaways!

Just 10 miles west of downtown Chicago, the Oak Park Area is a visitor's getaway to exploring western Cook County's rich history.  Visitors can spend the day exploring Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie Style homes including his Home & Studio and Unity Temple.  Visit author Ernest Hemingway's Birthplace and Museum, George Maher's Pleasant Home, the Wonder Works Children's Museum or the Oak Park Conservatory.  Stay and dine at some of the area's many restaurants priced to meet any budget. http://visitoakpark.com/

Rockford is the home of Cheap Trick, Sock Monkeys and Swedish Pancakes. Our Peaches were a ragtag team of WWII-era women whose passion and courage made us baseball fans. Our IceHogs, AHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks, have made us hockey fanatics. A 66-million-year-young T.rex with a dangerous grin inspires awe and gives us perspective. Our reputation is so green we've earned the nicknames: "The Forest City" and "City of Gardens" (Anderson Japanese Gardens and Rock Cut State Park are both "must-visit" destinations). You're always In Good Company here with locals who are passionate about their city and want you to love it as much as they do. From delicious restaurants (including 3 breweries and a winery) to an active downtown filled with trendy joints and shopping to family-friendly museums you will love Real. Original. Rockford. http://www.gorockford.com/

We're on your way, so stop in Mt. Vernon and visit our summer events at the Broadway Market like the Market Days flea market on the first Saturday of each month and our weekly buy local market, Friday's Food & Art! Experience a community of vendors, live music, local beer & wine, local foods and more!  We're only 20 minutes north of Rend Lake, 80 miles east of St. Louis and 80 miles west of Evansville. With more than 1000 hotel rooms, it's time to get off the road and Enjoy Mt. Vernon. You'll be glad you did. www.facebook.com/mtvernonmarket

Explore the scenic Fox River on foot or by canoe, bike, or paddleboat! Enjoy exciting live performance from iconic entertainers at the intimate Arcada Theatre and Zanies Comedy Club!  Discover Broadway-style theater, numerous outdoor murals and sculptures weaved throughout the area. Discover your own inner artist through a class in a wide range of media at Fine Line Creative Arts Center or All Things Art Studio.  Tour Baltria Vintage Auto Museum or shop the Kane County Flea Market's hundreds of dealers. Discover the many treasures available in the shops and boutiques throughout Greater St. Charles Illinois.  www.VisitStCharles.com

When it comes to the arts, McHenry County goes all out. Attend a First Friday art show at the Lakeside Arts Park at the Dole Mansion. Explore the culinary arts at Loyola University Retreat and Ecology Campus. Hear the Midwest Mozart Festival at the historic Woodstock Opera House. Or, watch the Williams Street Repertory perform the Tony award winning play Art at the Raue Center for the Arts. In McHenry County, you'll find art in the streets, art in theaters, art in the galleries. Visit McHenry County to find out why they're a destination for the "art-est."  http://visitmchenrycounty.com/art-est.cfm

Explore Abraham Lincoln's hometown and discover more Lincoln sites than you'll find in any other destination. Let history come alive as you walk in the 16th president's footsteps, from the world-class Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum to the Lincoln Home and Lincoln Tomb. Discover national treasures like the Dana-Thomas House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, or cruise the legendary Route 66 and taste a Mother Road original, the Cozy Dog. All this and more is waiting for you in Springfield. VisitSpringfieldIllinois.com

Just Beyond the City Limits, you will find a lively area with top-notch concert venues, like Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre and the 20,000-seat TOYOTA PARK. In addition to concerts, TOYOTA PARK is best known as the home of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, the city's fierce MLS team or you can also watch the Windy City ThunderBolts play baseball at Standard Bank Stadium. The Chicago Southland has tremendous outdoor opportunities, whether it is hiking the 22-mile Old Plank Road Trail, biking the 13-mile western portion of the Cal-Sag Trail, boating, fishing or train spotting, there is always something to get excited about and summer's festive events keep the party going all season long!   http://visitchicagosouthland.com

Affordably comfortable hotels near Chicago for the value-minded visitor!Just off historic Route 66.Minutes from Midway and convenient to O'Hare.Convenient to downtown Chicago, Metra commuter rail lines, Michigan Avenue shopping, McCormick Place, and Chicago's museum campus and cultural district.Near world-class dining, shopping, entertainment and sports centers.Whether you are planning to weekend locally or in nearby Chicago, you are sure to enjoy the convenience, comfort and value of Willowbrook hotels.www.willowbrookhotels.com

You'll be surprised at what the heart of Illinois has to offer. Have fun watching kids becoming world explorers at the Peoria Playhouse Children's Museum, or explore the skies at the Dome Planetarium in the Peoria Riverfront Museum. Visit the Peoria Zoo, filled with colorful characters and fascinating friends, while learning about wild life conservation. Take a ride down Grand View Drive, deemed "the world's most beautiful drive" by President Theodore Roosevelt. Take a self-guided stroll around awe-inspiring sculptures through the rising Warehouse District. Come watch the Peoria Chiefs, the future of major league baseball, knock it out of the park! http://www.enjoypeoria.com