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.
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With the assurance of cold and snowy days ahead, now is the perfect time to grab a warm drink from your favorite shop (like Drip Coffee from Krema, hot tea from Jitters, or yummy Hot Chocolate from Liberty Street Café) and cuddle up with a good book. As someone who is always looking for a good book, I reached out to our friends at Prairie Fox Books in Ottawa for some suggestions on what books to look forward to in 2021! Here is what they suggested:
The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict (Historical Fiction)
The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Only Woman in the Room returns with a thrilling reconstruction of one of the most notorious events in literary history: Agatha Christie's mysterious 11-day disappearance in 1926.
A Promised Land by Barack Obama (Memoir)
A riveting, deeply personal account of history in the making—from the president who inspired us to believe in the power of democracy
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post • Jennifer Szalai, The New York Times • NPR • The Guardian • Marie Claire
The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins (Thriller)
A delicious twist on a Gothic classic, Rachel Hawkins's The Wife Upstairs pairs Southern charm with atmospheric domestic suspense, perfect for fans of B.A. Paris and Megan Miranda.
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah (Historical Fiction) releases 2/2
From Kristin Hannah, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Great Alone, comes an epic novel of love and heroism and hope, set against the backdrop of one of America’s most defining eras—the Great Depression.
The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey (Science Fiction) releases 2/16
Sarah Gailey's The Echo Wife is a non-stop thrill ride of lies, betrayal, and identity, perfect for fans of Big Little Lies and Killing Eve.
If you’re looking for a book for a Children’s or Young Adult book, check out these suggestions:
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas (Young Adult)
The Cousins by Karen McManus (Young Adult)
Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston (Middle Grade) releases 1/19
The Last Bear by Hannah Gold (Middle Grade) releases 2/2
The Project by Courtney Summers (Young Adult) releases 2/2
Happy Reading!