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Starved Rock State Park
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Author:  Godfella [ Sat Mar 21, 2015 5:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Starved Rock State Park
Great place to visit and enjoy the natural scenery down here in the Illinois Valley. Highly recommend it for a great weekend getaway. Anybody ever been?

http://www.starvedrockstatepark.org/

However, several times a year, alcohol and hiking never mix... Kid broke both of his legs after a 90 foot fall.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... story.html

https://wlponews.wordpress.com/2015/03/ ... fter-fall/
Author:  Darkside [ Sat Mar 21, 2015 5:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
Yeah, we go every couple two tree years or so.
Very nice. Rafting, climbing, hiking... plenty of fishing spots.
Author:  C_Howitt_Fealz [ Sat Mar 21, 2015 5:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
Breakfast at the truck stop in Morris (the one with the R Place Restaurant). Nice day running through Starved Rock. Dinner in Ladd (Lanuti's or Rip's) or Wedron (Wedron Office). Makes for a wonderful day.
Author:  Hatchetman [ Sat Mar 21, 2015 5:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
6th grade, almost got the whole class sent home early for repeatedly throwing rocks in the water. "disturbing the wildlife."
Author:  Godfella [ Sat Mar 21, 2015 5:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
Lanuti's chicken parmesan & spaghetti is very good. Rip's is a local legend.

Ever try Verruchi's in Spring Valley? Great family style chicken and homemade Italian delicacies.
Author:  Dr. Kenneth Noisewater [ Sat Mar 21, 2015 6:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
Are you an Illinois Valley man, Godfella?
Author:  Godfella [ Sat Mar 21, 2015 6:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater wrote:
Are you an Illinois Valley man, Godfella?

Indeed, I am, Doc.
Author:  Dr. Kenneth Noisewater [ Sat Mar 21, 2015 6:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
I rate dining options -

1. Rip's



2. Ziggie's double breaded cheeseburger
3. Ron's Cajun Connection
4. Uptown
Author:  Godfella [ Sat Mar 21, 2015 6:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater wrote:
I rate dining options -

1. Rip's



2. Ziggie's double breaded cheeseburger
3. Ron's Cajun Connection
4. Uptown

Rip's is definitely the big draw - no matter how long the wait in line is.
Never been to Ziggie's but have heard a lot about it. Sip n Snack was the go to in Mendota back in the day.
Last time we went to Ron's, the other couple grew restless after a 45 minute wait so we went to Hank's in Ottawa (great food and a mini White Fence Farm vibe)
Mrs. Godfella and I had a bad experience at Uptown over 25 years ago and she still ain't over it ! :lol:
Do you remember the best Chinese in the area back in the day?.. Ho's?
BTW- what do you think of Lou's La Grotto?
Author:  Zippy-The-Pinhead [ Sat Mar 21, 2015 6:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
Hank's Farm on rt 71 near Ottawa is my recommendation if your heading west on I 80. Great fried chicken and salad bar. Kind of a like a Wisconsin Supper Club. Good place if you have kids along as well...peacocks and other animals.
Author:  Godfella [ Sat Mar 21, 2015 6:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
Zippy-The-Pinhead wrote:
Hank's Farm on rt 71 near Ottawa is my recommendation if your heading west on I 80. Great fried chicken and salad bar. Kind of a like a Wisconsin Supper Club. Good place if you have kids along as well...peacocks and other animals.

+1 definitely. They used to have a big seafood buffet on Friday nights and a great brunch on Sunday mornings. Not sure if they still do the seafood thing?
Author:  Dr. Kenneth Noisewater [ Sat Mar 21, 2015 6:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
Ho's was good as I remember it but I had very little exposure to Chinese food back in the day. My girlfriend at the time enjoyed it though.

LaGrotto's was great but I haven't been there in years.

I only hit the couple places I know I love these days. Lot of the old places are gone - Bogarts in Dalzell, Curl Inn, Red Door, The 101 Club...

Hell, maybe some of those are still open.
Author:  Dr. Kenneth Noisewater [ Sat Mar 21, 2015 7:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
I always liked Lanuti's because you could drink $0.25 Schlitz's there when you were 16.
Author:  Godfella [ Sat Mar 21, 2015 7:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
Ha! I went to Red Door for prom... remember the dining caboose? I'm pretty sure 101 is still open. Bogart's had great posters on the wall back in the day. Ever get a tenderloin as big as a man hole cover from The Igloo in Peru? Or fried lobster at Yuvan's?
Author:  Godfella [ Sat Mar 21, 2015 7:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater wrote:
I always liked Lanuti's because you could drink $0.25 Schlitz's there when you were 16.

We used to go to Hondu's for that!
Author:  Dr. Kenneth Noisewater [ Sat Mar 21, 2015 7:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
I went to the Red Door for prom too. Are you Tiffany? :lol:

Never hit those other places.
Author:  Godfella [ Sat Mar 21, 2015 7:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater wrote:
I went to the Red Door for prom too. Are you Tiffany? :lol:

:lol: Debbie?!? :lol:
Author:  Dr. Kenneth Noisewater [ Sat Mar 21, 2015 7:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
Sorry, no.

Maybe we should get Tiffany and Debbie together and see what happens.
Author:  spanky [ Sat Mar 21, 2015 7:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
We did this thread, what.......2 weeks ago?
Matheison State Park is just as good as Starved Rock, IMO. Only a couple miles apart.

Ron's is legit.
Author:  Godfella [ Sat Mar 21, 2015 7:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater wrote:
Sorry, no.

Maybe we should get Tiffany and Debbie together and see what happens.

:lol: Probably a lot more than what happened in 1983.
Author:  Crystal Lake Hoffy [ Sat Mar 21, 2015 9:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
Matthiessen is a better state park.
Author:  Seacrest [ Sun Mar 22, 2015 11:01 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
I'm glad that you are still here Panther.
Author:  C_Howitt_Fealz [ Sun Mar 22, 2015 1:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
Verucchi's in Spring Valley is awesome. Amazing those Illinois Valley restaurants have the longevity they do. 101 years for Verucchi's now - and isn't Lanuti's 107 or 108?

Will say this about Verucchi's though - avoid the desserts. They do not fill their own cannoli from what the waitress told me. Best cannoli are at Capone's in Lombard.
Author:  Godfella [ Sun Mar 22, 2015 1:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
C_Howitt_Fealz wrote:
Verucchi's in Spring Valley is awesome.

+1. Love this place. Never had a bad meal here and their fried chicken is very good as well. Lots of history down here with those places. Here is a great 2 minute video about Verucchi's history with Les Buzz Ballroom and some big name acts including Buddy Holly...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XRvpaF4kNiQ
Author:  kissrules73 [ Sun Mar 22, 2015 9:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
Godfella wrote:
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater wrote:
Are you an Illinois Valley man, Godfella?

Indeed, I am, Doc.


I am an illinois Valley man as well, Godfella
Author:  kissrules73 [ Sun Mar 22, 2015 9:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
Huge fan of all the places mentioned. Cajun Connectionis is my favorite. Cajun Ron is a trip. If you have never been there. It's an experience.

Sadly, Monari's 101 Club is closing their doors on April 1st.

http://www.mywebtimes.com/news/local/th ... l?mode=jqm
Author:  Makalu G [ Mon Mar 23, 2015 10:01 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
Starved Rock is pretty awesome. Great hiking and scenery. Nice little pub in Utica called Duffy's. Good burger and decent beer prices. Every fall they have Burgoo Festival right down the road. Awesome time.

Yes, I'm a hill-rod, white-trash buffoon...
Author:  Godfella [ Mon Mar 23, 2015 11:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
kissrules73 wrote:
Godfella wrote:
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater wrote:
Are you an Illinois Valley man, Godfella?

Indeed, I am, Doc.


I am an illinois Valley man as well, Godfella


That sucks about Monari's, kissrules. Thanks for the info.

I came down here from the southwest suburbs when CF closed most of its operations in Aurora years ago.

Then, couple years later, they moved everything back up to to the city by Midway.

We stayed down here with intentions of getting back closer to the city some day.

Illinois Valley is a good place to raise kids. Then, push them out of the nest for more opportunity and culture in Chicagoland.
Author:  JORR [ Mon Mar 23, 2015 12:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
Oddly enough, before there was San Pedro de Macoris there was central Illinois, home to Hall of Famers, Sunny Jim Bottomley, Red Ruffing, and Ray Schalk. There used to be a little place called the B-R-S Museum in Nokomis that had a bunch of memorabilia from those guys. I don't know if it's still there or not.
Author:  Godfella [ Sun May 03, 2015 12:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starved Rock State Park
Lanuti's in Ladd currently closed and up for sale.

Anybody got deep pockets to keep this legendary place afloat?

I can help you out with the food menu & old school Italian recipes.

http://m.pjstar.com/article/20150502/NE ... /1994/NEWS

http://newstrib.com/main.asp?SectionID= ... leID=43470
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