5992. See the Tiffany Bridge in Shopiere

 I will admit I have a lot of random places on my bucket list. Sure I want to see the big, splashy places but sometimes the random spots will amaze you or they are a piece of forgotten history. When I started planning girls weekend, I looked at everything in Rock County on my bucket list and added anything that was close to Beloit and Janesville on the list. One of them was the Tiffany Bridge.

The Tiffany Bridge was built in 1869 and may be the oldest stone bridge in Wisconsin. It is stone arch bridge that the railroad uses. It is located near Shopiere. It spans the the Turtle Creek.

Turtle Creek Parkway County Park is the perfect spot to view the bridge. The park is grassy spanse that is great for picnics as well. 

Even though we had much on the agenda, we took a quick detour and checked out the Tiffany Bridge. It is definitely worth checking out. I would have liked more to time to get closer and get more pictures but what we saw was definitely pretty neat.

If you find yourself in the Beloit area with time to kill, pick up some sandwiches and wine and have a picnic in front of the Tiffany Bridge. Maybe pose for some crazy pictures too.

5992. Go to Totem Mound Park in Beloit

 Through my many Google Map searches and other various searches, I stumbled upon Totem Mound Park in Beloit. It is another Effigy Mound. I figured this would be another quick stop before headed out of Beloit.

Totem Mound Park is in the middle of a residential neighborhood. It is sandwiched between two houses like they saw the mound and built around it. 

To be able to see the mound clearly, they mowed the grass around the mound shorter. It is not a big mound. I don't recall seeing a sign telling about the mound. 

There is not much to see but if you are into Effigy Mounds, it is a nice quick stop if you ever find yourself in Beloit. 

Oh look.. A Four Faced Clock

 As we were driving to the Turtle Bridge, we pass this four faced clock literally in someone's yard. Stacy decided we need to go back and check it out.

The Clock is located at the corner of County Rd J and County Rd S in the town of Shopiere. If you put Shopiere Tap in your GPS, it is across the street. 

The clock is actually a veteran's memorial. It honors veterans of the Spanish American War, World War I, and the Civil War along with Lester F. Butler who was a solder in the World War I.

The home on the property is (or was) the home of Governor Harvey. Governor Harvey lived there from 1851 to 1859. He died when he fell off boarding a steamboat after the Battle of Shiloh during the Civil War. It was very interesting. 

I'm not sure the current residents appreciate people randomly stopping and taking pictures of the clock and their home but they didn't come out and chase me away.

It is definitely an interesting impromptu stop on girls' weekend but definitely worth the detour back to check it out. 

5991. Go to Water Tower Park in Beloit

 Scanning Google Maps to find things for girls weekend, I stumbled about Water Town Park in Beloit. It is named for the old stone water town. After seeing the stone water tower in Whitewater, I was intrigued to see this one. 

Calling it a park may be a long shot. There is no easy way to get to the water tower. The water town sits on top of a hill. There is an apartment complex behind it with no public parking. The only street parking is below the water tower or across a busy intersection.

We ended parking in a small strip mall. The Dairy Queen might have been an option if it was open. We then hiked up the side of the hill. It was all very weird.

When we got to the top of the hill, there was a walkway around the Water Tower. It was slightly more accessible than the one in Whitewater. 

We could actually look into the water tower. It is falling apart but it was still cool to look at.

If you can find a place to park, it is definitely worth checking out. It may not be much but the history is always fun to look at.

A Tasting Menu at The Norwegian

 We were meeting Stacy's friend for dinner. When she suggested The Norwegian, Stacy immediately sent me the menu and asked if I was okay with the menu. I wasn't fond of the menu but I could make something work. 

The Norwegian is a Nordic inspired restaurant in Rockford. It is a small restaurant that is open for Brunch Wednesday-Sunday and dinner Thursday-Friday. The dinner menu changes weekly. Dress is definitely casual.

We got there and ordered drinks. I am not sure if you could order drinks not on the menu but I decided not to risk and found something that sounded interesting. I went with a San Juan Paradise. It had rum, coconut milk, mint, lime, demerara, soda, and nutmeg. Even though I never heard of demerara before and nutmeg with alcohol just sounded weird (outside of eggnog), the rum and coconut milk sold me. I said it tasted like toothpaste.. but in a good way. I would definitely drink it again. It was very refreshing and not too strong.

For an appetizer we ended up with the chips and dip. There were three kinds of dip: Curran's apple muhammara, carrot hummus, and a kale pesto. None of them sounded appetizing to me but I am game for most anything. All of them were very good but I think the carrot hummus was my favorite. The apple one was not bad.

Dinner choices were interesting. I was going to get to get the potato tacos and just pick off what I didn't like until Stacy asked if her daughter wanted fish or pork chop. I was getting the pock chop. I rarely get to eat pork chops and that sounded the most normal.. even with the butternut squash puree.

It was amazing... even the butternut squash and carrot salad. The pork chop as huge and came off the bone. One small piece was still too pink in my book so I didn't eat that part but the rest was perfectly good. I actually used the squash puree was a dipping sauce for my pork chop which was perfect. 

Would I go to The Norwegian again? Maybe with the right group of people. It is too foo-foo for the hubby and the menu is too exotic. It is more than I am willing to pay for a meal but it is worth the piece. You definitely get a good size portion. I like it is not my usual kind of place. That's one of the fun things about girls weekend, meal options are usually places I won't normally go to. 

It is worth checking out if you are in Rockford. Even if you go for cocktails you won't be disappointed. 

Checking out Beattie Park Mound Group Historic Site

When planning girls weekends, I tend to check out websites like Atlas Obsecura and Roadside America to find random places to visit. I will eventually just play around on Google Maps to see if anything interesting pops up. While on Atlas Obsecura, I discovered a park in Rockford that had Indian Mounds. I added it to the list figuring it would be a quick stop.

Beattie Park Mound Group Historic Site is located in Beattie Park in downtown Rockford. It is sandwiched between a couple of buildings. Street parking is the only option. Late afternoon on Saturday is probably not a good time to check it. Parking and traffic was a pain. Stacy actually stayed in the car while I checked them.

There are 3 conical mounds, one turtle Effigy Mound, and a linear mound. One of the conical mounds is located outside of the park. I just checked out the ones in the park.

The mounds are actually very well defined. I was able to spot 2 of them right away. We didn't have much time before having to head to dinner so I didn't want to explore too much. 

I find Effigy Mounds interesting. I like the random ones the best, especially ones that don't get a lot of attention. I have been searching these out the last couple of years. Besides Effigy Mounds National Monument, I have found some in Sheboygan and Baraboo. Heckrodt in Menasha also used to have a couple. I don't think they are signed very well. I know there are more in Wisconsin that I have to check out. I remember going to one down by Milwaukee on a field trip. 

These are definitely worth checking out. They are signed and give you a good history of the mounds. It is a great stretch break or spend some time exploring downtown Rockford. Either way you will get a good history lesson. 

2289. See the Rockmen Guardians in Rockford

 One day I get a random message from Stacy saying "add a stop to our list" with a link to a Facebook Post. She wanted to see the Rockmen Guardians in Rockford. We both like random roadside attractions so this was an easy add that would not take very long.

The Rockman Guardians have kept guard over Rockford since the 1980s. They are located in  Sinnissippi Park. Getting there was a bit of a challenge as the GPS wanted to take us to the golf course across the street. We finally made it. 

Artist Terese Agnew created these stone giants out of boulders and cement. Each guardian is in a super hero pose. There are 4 12-foot guardians along the Rock River that watch over the city and the bike path.

They are quite the sight to see. 

It is nothing more than a stretch break stop unless you want to walk or bike the Rock River Recreational Bike Path or chase geese. They are definitely worth the stop though. It's not every day you get to see 12 foot stone guardians watching over a city. 

2287. Go to the Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford

 When we started planning girls weekend, Stacy said she wanted to go to the Anderson Japanese Gardens. I added it to the list. We were planning on spending time in Rockford so this would be a good activity.

The Anderson Japanese Gardens is open seasonally 9-6 Monday-Friday and 9-5 on weekends. They do have a Christmas display in December. Admission is $14/adult. There are two parking lots. Our GPS took us to the overflow parking so we had to walk to the visitor center to pay but was right by the car when we finished.

It is 12-acre Japanese garden of winding paths, streams, waterfalls, & traditional architecture. That is a pretty accurate description. We saw more waterfalls at the Japanese Gardens than we did at Starved Rock State Park. 

We picked up a map at the entrance and thought we would not get through the whole garden before it closed. We had about an hour. We managed to get through the whole garden before they closed.

Winding paths took you to various areas of the gardens. We both were expecting more flowers. It was a lot of greenery, waterfalls, and Zen like settings. Nevertheless, it was still very beautiful.

I really enjoyed all the waterfalls. I love the sound of falling water. There are several waterfalls all around the park in various forms.. babbling brooks to more straight down waterfalls. The waterfalls alone were worth the price of admission.

The gift shop is full of Japanese gifts and snacks. I would have like to try some snacks but didn't really want to carry them around the garden. Some of them looked intriguing. 

Even though it wasn't what we were expecting, it was still worth the visit. It is a beautiful setting for a stroll or a wedding. It is definitely worth checking out when in Rockford. 

2372. Go to Buffalo Rock State Park in Ottawa

 While we were enjoying the views at Starved Rock State Park, we overheard a park ranger explaining to a tour group that there was a buffalo herd at Buffalo Rock State Park. I looked at Stacy and said "Did she say buffalo? We need to check this out." After a quick google search, we found out that Buffalo Rock State Park was only 12 minutes away. We decided we would check it out after going on the boat ride before heading back to Rockford. 

Buffalo Rock State Park is located in Ottawa, IL. It is open 8 am - 7 pm daily. There is no admission for Buffalo Rock State Park or any of the Illinois State Park. 

As we got to Buffalo Rock State Park, a tour bus pulled up to see the buffalo. There are 2 buffalos in a ben near the road. I was expecting more. This was like visiting a zoo. The pen seemed small for the buffalo. They seemed very bored. I was seriously disappointed. Even though they were almost close enough to touch, I did not pet the fluffy cow.

We decided to check out the effigy mounds that are in the park. This area was home to Illinois Indians when Louis Jolliet and Father Jacques Marquette first visited the area in 1673. However we really didn't have much luck. The mounds seemed much closer on the map than they were and it was hot. 

After about a 1/4 mile, we turned back and I decided I hiked enough in the park. Maybe one day I will get back to actually check out the effigy mounds. 

It is a nice picnic spot. The buffalo are kind of cool even though it felt like it is something I would find at the Menominee Park Zoo in Oshkosh. If you are in the area, it is worth a stop even if it is just to see the buffalo.

2367. Do the I & M Canal Boat Tour in LA Salle, IL

A few years back when I was searching for a stretch break between St. Louis and home, I found the I&M Canal Boat Tour in LaSalle. I was telling the hubby about this and he just rolled his eyes. When we started planning girls weekend, I told Stacy I wanted to do this. Since she was up for anything, she readily agreed.

The I&M Canal Boat Tour runs from late May through October  on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and most Wednesdays. Tour times are 10, 11:30 and 1. It is $24/adult and $10/kids. It is a mule pulled boat ride like they did back in the 1840s.

We bought our tickets at I&M Canal Visitor Center and Lock 16 gift shop. We also grabbed some ice cream bars to tide us over until we could get lunch as we didn't have much time. They told us to park down I & M Canal State Trail a couple blocks up the road on the other side of the bridge. They didn't give us any tickets which we thought was odd. When we asked about this they said they would know we were coming. She did print out a souvenir ticket that we could get stamped. 

While we waited, I also got my I & R Canal National Park Heritage Site Stamp. 

When we got down to the parking lot, they were brining the mule out. We took the chance to meet the mule and feed it some carrots. This mule came from the Amish in Kentucky and is going to be retiring after this season. 

Before boarding the boat, we learned a brief history of the canal boat and mule tendering. It was actually quite fascinating.

Upon boarding, they suggested we started inside to listen to the history lesson while they got underway. The mule walked the state trail along side the Illinois River. 

They took us about an mile down the river before turning around. Turning around was a quite an adventure using a mule and pole. 

It was an enjoyable boat trip but a bit short in my opinion. I wish would could have heard more of the history lesson but keeping a 6 year old entertained was more important.

I was telling the hubby about the boat ride and he wants to do it now. Go figure. I would highly suggest the boat ride if you ever find yourself in Central Illinois. It s quite an unusual way to travel. 

191. Visit Starved Rock State Park

 When planning girls weekend, I really wanted to go to Starved Rock State Park in Central Illinois. I know it is something the hubby won't enjoy and it was on the original bucket list. Since Stacy wanted to go to Rockford, it was an easy trek to Oglesby to cross of Starved Rock.

Starved Rock State Park is located near Oglesby, IL which isn't too far off I39. It is open year round and can get busy during certain times of the year. The trails are open 7 am to Sunset and the visitor center is open 9-4 daily with the exception of federal holidays. There is no admission fee to visit Starved Rock or any of the Illinois State Parks.

Advice I got from Facebook was to get there early as the parking lot fills up quick. There is on main lot by visitor center and a couple other smaller out lots. We got there by 10 and had no issue finding a parking spot. 

Our first stop was the visitor center. I ended up getting another passport which can be used at State or National Parks. We also figured out what trails we wanted to hike. With a 6 year old in tow, we had to keep it fairly simple. They do not have paper maps. You can take a picture of the map or scan a QR code to get the map. I just used the one from the website.

Our first hike took us to Starved Rock Overlook. There were hills and stairs. Foolishly I thought the hubby could have handled this trail the other year when we were coming back from St. Louis. He does not do well with stairs. The views were pretty spectacular. We did not see the eagles nest but did learn about some buffalo at another near by state park. This trail is about .6 round trip. Despite the stairs it is a fairly easy trail.

From there, I wanted I to see water falls and we decided to head to French Canyon. I actually really liked this trail. It was a more hiking than walking. There were a few stairs and you had to let people pass coming from the other direction before you could go. Unfortunately due to the dry summer we had, there was no water falls. You could easily tell where it would be though. It was fun scrambling along the rocky trail. 

We tried to head to another waterfall but after climbing 100+ steps and walking past the (very nice) lodge, we found the waterfall area but like French Canyon it was also dry. 

From there we decided we had enough hiking and we need more on the agenda. So we headed back to the car. Going down was a lot easier than up all those stairs. The trail we took back to the car was very diverse. At one point we crossed a grassy field and hoped we were on the path. We were and ended in the parking lot.

We both enjoyed Starved Rock but there isn't much else to do in the area. We could see a day trip but unless we wanted to hike a lot of the same trails, it is not worth it for the weekend. I am glad we were close enough to go chasing waterfalls and did not plan an entire weekend in the La Salle area. It is still worth checking out if you are in the area even if the waterfalls are dry.