I learned so much today! The mansion history was very interesting and the history about Ottawa was…read morefascinating too. The tour was ten dollars and was well worth it. I was told Christmas is a really great time to visit. I didn't even know about this mansion until a few days ago. I searched for other things around Starved Rock and foind the mansion. It was the best part of the day.

Beautiful turn of the century home. The docent was very knowledgeable (maybe a bit too…read moreknowledgeable). She shared the history of the home, it's pervious uses and work being done to restore it to the time of the Reddick family's occupancy. We stopped as an activity during a road trip but had to leave a before the end of the tour to get back on the road. The home had beautiful plaster detail, original wood work, windows, doors, and fireplaces. Definitely worth visiting to appreciate the architecture of days gone by.

Fantastic boat experience on the Illinois River! We loved every minute of it. Super easy to book by…read morecalling. Friendly staff on phone and on the boat. We were warmly greeted when we arrived. Given the option of indoor or outdoor seating. We sat outside as it was a beautiful night. The captain drove carefully and we loved all the history on this two hour ride. We even got to see a majestic bald Eagle and its nest. SO COOL. They have a cash bar inside with any beverage you desire. Reasonable prices. This is a great idea for someone visiting from out of town. Or even someone who grew up here would enjoy - it is very educational. Awesome guy on acoustic guitar playing mellow tunes throughout. Definitely a MUST DO when you are in Ottawa IL!

Just got off the Saint Genevieve boat, and wow, what a great experience. Such a beautiful historic…read moreboat with the most ornate bar that serves incredible well priced cocktails, wine and beer. We were fortunate enough to listen to a singer, Aaron Kelly. Really great singer songwriter with a great bluegrass twist. He told the best stories and made his songs come alive. It was really cool! Beautiful view of the houses, saw bald eagle, and lots of neat infrastructure pieces like the railroad bridge etc. Price right, and a wonderful time. Highly recommended!

We had a good stay at this HIE. Staff were all very pleasant. Lobby, hallways, elevator and room…read morewere all very clean. Lots of seating areas and a business center in the lobby. Three luggage carts in the vestibule. Free parking around building with handicap and Diamond elite spots by the door. We reserved our spots thru their app where we are able to add room preference details and we got just what we like. Bed was comfortably firm with four pillows and soft sheets. Bathroom products are multi-use mounted on wall near sink and in shower. As with our last HIE, I'm not convinced the bottle label reflects the contents there in. JMHO. Two sets of towels for a room that sleeps four. Tissues, plenty of toilet tissue. Plenty of hot water. Water pressure is fine, not powerful, not wimpy. Showerhead has spray pattern options. Tub-shower combo. A fridge, microwave, coffee service and ice bucket with cups is just inside the room. Coat hooks are over the built in luggage rack. There is space under the luggage rack to store any bags not in use or shoes. Heat (in October) worked well and was quiet. Room includes a closet with doors, three draw dresser and work space. One bedside table between two queen beds have 2 plugs. Besides desk chair one sytlish seat and a side table are near the window. Big flat screen TV. Breakfast starts at 5am and the spread was very good. Oatmeal, scrambled eggs, omlette, sausages, potatoes, cinnamon rolls, toaster items, cold cereal, yogurts, small bottles of milk, coffee, tea, cocoa, juice and a pancake maker. The hostess was very cheerful and chatty and kept the area very clean.

Upon checking into our room, the beds appeared clean but there was dirt in the corners of the room…read more Checking the bathroom, the toilet bowl needed cleaning and the seat was loose. There was only one towel holder near the shower, making it impossible to hang a towel near the sink to dry our hands. We brought a small nightlight and my Water Pik but were unable to use either in the bathroom because they would not fit into the only wall outlet. I had never seen one like it. I was shocked at how high the soap dispenser and lotion were on the wall. You had to put one hand under it and use the other hand to pump it. I have no idea how a child would have ever used it. There was one hook on the wall behind the door that had a hair dryer on it but no place to hang a robe or clothes. The lighting wasn't great. There wasn't enough light to put on makeup and I had to open the door and turn on the entry light. The shower was OK and shampoo, conditioner and body wash were provided but not enough body wash for our stay and they didn't refill it. These were locked to the wall and I was glad I had brought some of my own. We did not use the coffee maker or microwave. The coffee maker appeared to need cleaning. We did use the mini fridge for our ice packs but since there was no freezer we were unable to freeze them or make ice for our water bottles. The closet was OK but it would have been nice to have a light nearby. There was none on that side of the room. There was a lamp at the other end of the room and a light near the beds. The room was OK. It was quiet most nights. We turned on the TV and noticed it had the wrong time, no guide and no information when you clicked on a channel. The only thing for the TV was a paper list of channels showing the network. To find what was on, you had to go through and stop at each channel to know what it was.We tried to set the time but were unable to and when we found something to watch the TV would go out. The first night I was able to get Wifi for a few hours but had none the rest of our stay and it was mostly the same with the TV. On the third day of our stay, there was a man knocking on doors and loudly saying "Management" I had the door locked and the door guard in place to block entry. There was no "Do Not Disturb" sign available. I went to the door and asked what he needed. There was no answer. A few minutes later he came back and tried to get into the room with a key. I again said "What do you need?" They again did not answer but left. Awhile later after telling my concerns to the housekeeping staff a male employee approached me as I came out of the laundry area alone and said it was him and he was checking rooms. I asked why he had not answered me and he said he didn't hear me-either time!! The whole situation felt very uncomfortable since no one else was around. This hotel is less than 10 years old but seems run down in the elevators, hallways and other areas. Before booking, I looked at the pictures online. Everything clean, food looked delicious. When going to breakfast, there is a coffee dispenser machine where you do your own coffee. On the website, it showed scrambled eggs, fresh donuts, bacon. The first morning we arrived at breakfast 45 minutes before it shut down. There were no eggs, bacon or fresh donuts. The turkey sausage was cold as was the gravy and they had an empty pan where the French toast sticks should have been. I mentioned to the breakfast employee that the heat seemed to be off. The man did turn it on but by then we were done. So cold sausage and a cinnamon roll which was good. There were no fresh donuts or bacon during our stay. Another day, I did see a person with scrambled eggs but there were none left when we made our plates. There were slightly warm veggie omelets and cheese omelets. There was also fruit, yogurt, bread, cereals and a make your own pancake machine. We did not use the pool but did go on the patio which was dirty and had cigarette butts all over. I doubt I would stay here again and will probably stay at another hotel in the area. There were a lot of "little issues" and with the price we paid I expected a lot better. I had also booked under a promotion and had to contact customer service multiple times and prove I had registered for the promotion before booking. It took awhile to get the points I earned.

This place is a bucolic respite, and tour guide Ted Weber is funny, self-effacing and passionate…read moreabout both history and his garden. Great for all ages. Streator clearly doesn't understand the hidden gem in its midst.

Beyond amazing! Truly thought we were looking at the garden when we walked through the gate. To…read moremy surprise, I believe there were 12 more to walk through! Each one absolutely beautiful. Was very taken with the English Garden. I began feeling like I was in the Secret Garden book. Then came the house tour. Beyond taken back with what history not only of the home, but the famous people that had stayed there! Definitely a must do! The owner himself gives the tour & is so informative! Don't pass up if you're in the area!!!!!!

Saffron Bazaar is my favorite spot in Ottawa, hands down! Michelin-star quality food. Everything…read moreon the menu is fire -- there's nothing you won't love. 10/10 every time!

The angelic soul in this kitchen is whipping up a hummus that blows my mind. Everything I've tried…read moreis amazing. Highly recommend!

Just 10 minutes south of Ottawa in Fall River Township you will this great little Hall for rent…read more My family has rented the hall for gatherings in the past, My 1st rental (of many more to come) was for my daughters Golden 13th birthday. The Hall rental is $50.00 for a non resident, comes with a small kitchen area, sadly the kitchen only has two stove top burners and no oven so massive catering is going to be hard to do on site, numerous tables chairs and everything you need to entertain around 50 guests. We were lucky to have the hall on a nice day I brought alone a youth football & Frisbee that was all it took for the kids to have a blast on the near one acre yard on the property. Why only four stars you might ask? Well the kitchen only have two burners, no oven & the small amount of outlets (bring an extension cord people) are just enough to leave you wanting just a little bit more. Knowing what I am getting my self into & for the price this place will be my event home for some time to come.