A mid-1800’s architectural wonder helped make Chicago the city it is today. The 96-mile Illinois & Michigan Canal (I&M Canal) connected the Great Lakes in Bridgeport, Chicago to the Illinois River at LaSalle-Peru, and amazingly unique towns sprung up that maintain their authentic charm to this date.
READ ON!Freedom. The Open Road. The American Dream. All are still alive on The Mother Road. The nostalgia of diners, museums, tourist stops and neon lights are there for you to visit as you make the drive from Chicago to Santa Monica, CA. You can still get your Kicks on Route 66!
READ ON!A visit to Starved Rock State Park consists of many sights to behold, including breathtaking views of its many canyons and awe-inspiring scenes of eagles flying during the winter month.
READ ON!The Heritage Corridor is filled with events that are waiting just for you. Live music, fun festivals, learning programs, and active adventures await.
READ ON!Are you looking for a specific type of place to visit in the I&M Canal Heritage Corridor? If you're a craft beer fan, you will love the Heritage Corridor Ale Trail? Seeing a thrilling journey or just an escape, check out Adventure Outside Chicago. We've got all the info to unlock your next trip right here.
READ ON!Wine and girlfriends just go hand in hand, don’t they? A good conversation and a glass of wine can go a long way whether it’s in person or over Zoom. I decided to have a girls day with one of my besties and we stopped at two local places to enjoy the fruits of their labor and hopefully learn a thing or two about our favorite wines.
Our first stop was at Sable Creek Winery in Plainfield. The winery and tasting room opened up just about a year ago. Sandra, gave us a tour of their building. They source their grapes from California, Missouri, Michigan and Illinois. The pressing and producing of the wine all happens on property at Sable Creek.
After our tasting we decided to have a glass of our new favorite, Chardonnay (it’s crisp and not too sweet) and enjoy their s’mores charcuterie tray! It was so good and fun with our own flame to toast our marshmallows and enjoy some chocolate, strawberries and more. They always have a weekend tasting or event happening and have a private room that you are able to rent out for your own events.
We continued our day not too far away at Wine & Cheese Co. in downtown Plainfield. We talked with Kacie, the owner, and she told us that their new patio area has been a great success during this crazy time! It’s a beautiful area to listen to music on Saturday nights or enjoy a glass of wine on an afternoon like we did.
A beautiful fall day to enjoy one more glass of wine, this time we chose a yummy Rose to pair with a massive hummus tray. It was the perfect combination with their homemade hummus, roasted peppers and feta. We could have stayed all day!
So after a good talk, good laughs and good food we both left our girls day feeling refreshed and with a few new bottles of wine to take home! Where should we go next?
Make sure to look at our events page for up-to-date event information at these places and more!