First time coming here, I needed a place to stop at just because I was in need of a rest stop to…read morestretch my legs and relax at while coming back from Wisconsin Dells. Out of all my times coming in and out of Wisconsin I've never stopped here before. Of all the rest stops in the state of Illinois this one is by far to clean us of them all. This place was particularly empty and it was well caps and maintained but it still had that 80s nostalgic style to it. They keep up with the Landscaping here as well this place also features plenty of picnic tables as well overall it's a typical rest stop to come to but I was very pleased with my visit here

I've never posted a review of a rest area nor saw the need, until I have been here. Yes, it is just…read morea rest area. That said, it is cared for with a passion I rarely see from employees. The grounds are immaculate and every visit I see someone cleaning. Cans are always emptied and there is never trash on the grounds. There are multiple picnic gazebos and a dog walking area. I don't believe large semis are allowed but RVs are always present. Even the bathrooms are regularly cleaned and well kept. On this visit I had to take a moment to compliment an employee on how well they do and I hope you will do the same if you like what you see. Sometimes we just need to enjoy the small things...

We stopped by here yesterday while visiting the shops on Broadway street. I was glad to see it open…read moreon a Sunday in winter time, the off season for Dells water sports seekers but the perfect time for shopping. This visitors center is very clean, well lit, loaded with brochures and pamphlets of local attractions and the lady at the counter (Gail) was very helpful. We also had to use the restrooms while we there and I have to say that these are the cleanest restrooms that I have ever been at. This is a great place for visitors to stop at, and obtain info for their vacation activities. Five stars...

Staff was wonderful at giving pointers and guiding our visit. We did the wristbands to go through…read morethe explorium and to my surprise my children ages 8-4 were super engaged. We then went out on a little hike around where we spotted different water bugs, tons of geese families, painted turtles, and fun native plants. My children spent over 2 hours and I had to rip them away a bit so we could continue our travels, but we are excited to make stops in the future and see what this wonderful place is like throughout the different seasons. $13 for the whole family to enjoy some education and get in some exercise in nature is an easy sell for this mama.

How did we not know this gorgeous place existed? We often…read morejoke on our hikes that we should start a podcast call, "Holy moly, we live here!?" Visiting Horicon Marsh was one of these days. We took our two dogs with us - they enjoyed chasing frogs (while on leash) - as they were hopping EVERYWHERE in early September. We saw pelicans and took some great side walks through duck grounds (some were closed off and we had to double back). As with all hikes, bring water and first aide on your hike - in case you're out for a long time. We made sure we had enough for us and our four-legged friends. Also, cameras or binoculars to see all the animal life. We missed ALL the federal land (north of the state land). Federal land does not allow dogs, so we didn't get to check those out. We intend to, considering what a gorgeous and inspiring place it is.

I've passed here a couple of times and thought it looked like more than I would expect. It was…read more It is very clean and a great bathroom stop too. There are racks of area brochures. A cute pond inside. There was a cool flight simulator, but either it wasn't working or I was the malfunction and couldn't figure it out. Nice stop for area information.

When you're traveling, a good source for information about the area in which you are traveling is…read morethe convention and visitors bureau. Over the years, I've run into some good some and some bad ones, this is a particularly good one. While most C&VB are loaded with local info, this one stands out for both having lots of good info but also for being a very new and attractive facility. The staff is knowledgeable and very friendly. Freeport is a very interesting area, there is a lot of history here beyond the famous Lincoln-Douglas Debate that was held here. The city also has its own carousel in Krape Park, which is identified here in the southwest corner of the showroom with a representative model and two carousel horses on display. The city of Lena, not far from Freeport, boasts a brick water tower, and a large model of the water tower is on display here. The C&VB is conveniently located on US 20, just east of town and just before the highway turns north to bypass the city. If you're westbound, you can quickly stop on your way into town. If you're eastbound, it's worth bypassing the city to visit here, then backtrack into town. Freeport has a lot to offer, the visitors bureau is a good place to learn about it all!

I hesitate to write a great review for the Reserve as I fancy the scarcity of others on the trail…read more This said the Kickapoo Valley Reserve is a true gem. The visitors center is wonderful from the architectural esthetic to the little gift shop. The trailheads leaving from the visitors center only represent a small fraction of the trail system, so be sure to stop at the visitor center, grab a map and get some trail advice from the help desk. We've hiked the Reserve in the spring, summer, fall and dead of winter. Each of these seasons provides a different experience and is always enjoyable. If you're in the area, check it out... maybe even plan to make a day of it. Also there is camping, if you're into it :).

After visiting the KICKAPOO valley for the last 50 years, it was nice to learn about the area and…read moreits ups and downs. I first canoed past the dam structure in 1975 thinking it wouldn't take much more rock to fill in the river and complete the dam. We thought it was our first and last trip down the picturesque KICKAPOO. Taking my 49th trip later this summer, of course: CAN'T WAIT.