In this latest holiday gift guide, the jolly old elf shares a few of his favorite locally owned businesses where you’re sure to find gifts that surprise, delight and amaze even the grinchiest among us. ...
Located among the steep hills and deep valleys of the Driftless Area, fossils abound, many of them remnants of ancient sea creatures. Join Jon McGinty as he takes a closer look at why this area around the Mississippi is so ripe for fossil hunters. ...
Organized religion played a major role in the settling of Illinois and continues to impact our region in many ways. We enjoy highlighting places of worship and their work both at home and abroad. ...
We all know the story about Mrs. O’Leary’s cow and the Great Fire that leveled Chicago 100 years ago. But did you know that, on the same day, a bigger, more deadly fire ripped across Wisconsin? Join Jon McGinty as he explores these parallel disasters. ...
Check out these unique destinations that reflect the genuine character of our region. Classic Cinemas Beloit & Freeport, ClassicCinemas.com Winter is an ideal time to take in big-screen movies and this family-owned theater company makes the experience more special than most. Classic Cinemas breathed new life into Freeport’s 1922 Lindo Theatre in 1984 and has done the same for the ...
Now that summer is here, it’s time to get a much-needed change of scenery. Our region is ripe with luxurious hotels, thriving state parks, bustling downtowns and hidden attractions that bring you face-to-face with the refreshing waterfront. Where do you want to begin? ...
They were once a center of activity in rural America, until the highways came to town. Loved and then abandoned, train depots are finding new life thanks to dedicated citizens. Jon McGinty explores five places where depots have found new life. ...
As Illinois and Wisconsin raced to be the first states that enshrined women’s voting rights in the Constitution, a wider movement was also being led by women in our region. Learn how their work impacted life as we know it today. ...
This may be “flyover country,” but our region has led the nation through many important milestones, both in social movements and product innovations. See if you can figure out which state each occasion took place, marking I for Illinois, or W for Wisconsin. ...
In our ongoing celebration of Illinois’ 200th birthday this year, we look at some amazing women, from many walks of life, with strong connections to northern Illinois, past or present. See if you can match the description to the name. ...