TheRoadScholar » Travel

Chicago’s Bald Eagles Hatch

TheRoadScholar — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:02:03 +0000

Palos Township, IL–Chicago Blackhawks aren’t the only celebrated birds in town. A pair of American bald eagles recently built a nest in a cottonwood tree in the a southwest suburban part of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County and are raising a clutch of hatchlings there. It marks the first time in more than 100 [...]

Dr. Livingstone’s Diary, I Presume?

TheRoadScholar — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 17:14:14 +0000

Photo courtesy UCLA Livingstone Library

Los Angeles, CA–If you’ve ever wanted to see the actual handwriting of famed explorer Dr. David Livingstone, your wish is about to come true, thanks to the University of California-Los Angeles Digital Library Program. The library published the restored version of Livingstone’s 1871 diary, in which he [...]

Backroads of Northeast Germany

TheRoadScholar — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:40:55 +0000

Twist, Germany–Geology and geography dominate life here. Twist, on the Dutch/Germany border between Dusseldorf and Hamburg, means “disputed border” in German. First settled in the late 1700s, it was a challenging marshy terrain only somewhat relieved when a North/South Canal was built in the late 1800s. The Twist bog was once the largest area for cultivating [...]

Wildlife Watching at Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary

TheRoadScholar — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:41:42 +0000

Photo by Keith Wedoe/Alton Regional CVB

From my suggestion in USAToday‘s feature: 51 Great Places to See Wildlife

Bald eagles, white pelicans and trumpeter swans fly through Illinois along their highway, the Mississippi River, throughout the year. The Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Alton offers birders their best bet for seeing and learning about [...]

Inside Chicago’s Secret Spaces

TheRoadScholar — Mon, 30 May 2011 14:04:08 +0000

Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Emil Bach house

Chicago, IL–Want to see the inside one of the last urban houses Frank Lloyd Wright designed in Chicago, the Emil Bach house on Sheridan Road? How about the former stage of Louis Armstrong’s Sunset Cafe in Bronzeville, now a hardware store? What about the view of Millennium Park [...]

Chicago, Land of the Free

TheRoadScholar — Wed, 25 May 2011 02:45:32 +0000

Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park

Chicago, IL–The Windy City could be called the Land of the Free this summer. Free music, free museum and attractions admissions, free dance shows, free festivals. OK, no free lunch, but with all the other free things happening in Chicago this summer, you can spring for [...]

Buckingham Fountain Open!

TheRoadScholar — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 01:45:12 +0000

Chicago, IL–Buckingham Fountain in Chicago’s Grant Park makes its spring splash! One more reason to love this city. Did you know it’s one of the largest fountains in the world and runs from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.? Light and music shows lasting 20 minutes begin at dusk, with the last show at 10 p.m.. Buckingham Fountain [...]

Loving the Luggage

TheRoadScholar — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 17:09:27 +0000

IT O 2 rollaboard bag by Landor and Hawa

Chicago, IL–It was all about the luggage at the Travel Goods Show last week. Manufacturers heard airline passengers and adapted their bags to fit multiple airline requirements. Huge bags are out, because airlines weigh baggage religiously and charge for anything over 50 pounds. [...]

Illinois Glacier

TheRoadScholar — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 20:14:07 +0000

Highwood, IL–Where is Illinois like Switzerland or Alaska? Along the icy shore of Ft. Sheridan Forest Preserve, and Openlands Lakeshore Preserve, where a shelf of icy looks like the edge of Alaska’s Glacier Bay, and deep fissures in the ice-covered sand appear to be crevasses. If you’ve ever hiked a glacier, you will recognize its [...]

World’s Coolest Bus Stop

TheRoadScholar — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 15:58:42 +0000

Lyric Opera Bus Stop on Madison St.

Chicago, IL–Lyric Opera of Chicago has the coolest bus stop in Chicago, possibly the coolest in the world. You’ll find it at Madison and Wacker. You have to admit, it’s an elegant way to wait for a bus.

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