ANDERSON JAPANESE GARDENS

Find zen in one of the premier Japanese gardens in the country. Discover beautiful waterfalls, formal gardens, koi ponds and a teahouse modeled on sixteenth-century Sukiya-style architecture. The Visitors Center features an Asian restaurant and art gallery.

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BURPEE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

At Rockford’s natural history museum, located in Riverfront Museum Park, meet Jane the juvenile T. rex (one of the 10 most important dinosaur discoveries of the past 100 years) and her pal Homer, a Triceratops.

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STARVED ROCK STATE PARK & LODGE

Take a hike or guided horseback ride to explore 18 canyons and sparkling waterfalls in a breathtaking forest setting along the Illinois River. Stay the night in the 1930s stone-and-log Starved Rock Lodge & Conference Center.

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RONALD REAGAN HOME & VISITOR CENTER

Tour the boyhood home of Ronald Reagan, one of America's most popular presidents. Located in the river town of Dixon on the Ronald Reagan Trail, the home has been restored to its 1920s appearance, complete with period furniture.

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EAGLE RIDGE RESORT & SPA

This upscale Galena resort boasts 63 holes of championship golf, the Stonedrift Spa that offers a variety of pampering treatments, and outdoor activities that include horseback riding, boating and fishing on Lake Galena, and hiking and biking trails.

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MAIN STREET GALENA

Galena's downtown historic district is home to dozens of charming shops and restaurants housed in nineteenth19th-century landmark buildings. Stay in one of the many cozy bed and breakfasts around town and spend a weekend sampling the local wineries.

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ILLINOIS RAILWAY MUSEUM

Train buffs make tracks to the largest railway museum in the country, which has 56 acres of running room for its restored trains that visitors can ride. More than 250 railcars and locomotives are on display, including a complete Burlington Zephyr Streamliner.

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SANDWICH ANTIQUES MARKET

Held at the Sandwich Fairgrounds, this market offers treasures from the 19th and 20th centuries. More than 500 exhibitors sell authentic antiques and collectibles on select Sundays from spring through fall.

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CHESTNUT MOUNTAIN RESORT

Take to the slopes of Chestnut Mountain, one of the Midwest's top-rated ski resorts. Besides challenging downhill runs, Chestnut Mountain offers a snowboarding park, ski lessons, night skiing and a comfy 120-room lodge.

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GRIZZLY JACK’S GRAND BEAR RESORT

Located near Starved Rock State Park, Grizzly Jack’s features a huge indoor water park that boasts a four-story special effects tube slide and a wave pool, along with a miniature golf course and carnival rides at the Enchanted Forest amusement park.

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