I can hear it now:  "Winter in Northern Illinois?  You're kidding, right?"

Perhaps I should explain.  I grew up in Texas, about an hour's drive south of the Red River.  Winter in that part of the country lasts about two months, and is characterized by two or three sub-freezing cold spells each year, separated by surprisingly pleasant, sunny days in the 60's and '70's.  Snow happens about every other year, and usually consists of 2 or 3 inches of the wet, heavy variety that falls during the night, and melts the following afternoon.  I never went sledding until I was an adult living far from my Texas roots.  In short, although I had a little bit of experience with snow and cold temperatures, I never experienced so much of it that it became tiresome.  Even after living in Northern Illinois for nearly half of my life, I still have a childlike excitement every year when the first snow falls, and the prediction of a mild winter this year makes me sad.  I like the feel of bitter cold on my cheeks, and like to play in the snow despite the fact that I am a little more than half a century old.

So, I'm not kidding at all when I proclaim that Northern Illinois can be a wonderful place in the winter.  Chicago, of course, offers much for the traveler regardless of the season.  I've spent some wonderful winter days and nights enjoying the cold along the lakefront, ice skating outdoors downtown, and window shopping along State Street and Michigan Avenue's Magnificent Mile.

But I'm not talking about Chicago on this post.  I'm talking about the area where I live, about 100 miles west of the city.  I'm talking about the quaint towns, forests, prairies, and scenic river valleys that offer a special magic in this season of snow.  

Still skeptical?  Then I invite you to join me on the little tour I took this past weekend.  Let's play in the snow!

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There are about 10 state parks within a hundred miles of my home.  When people think of rural Illinois, most envision flat cornfields stretching to the horizon.  However, in this part of the state, you are much more likely to be surrounded by forests of pines, maples, and oaks hugging scenic river valleys.  Away from the rivers you will see remnants of rolling tallgrass prairie, the landform that earned Illinois its nickname, "The Prairie State".  The many state parks in this region protect both the forests and the prairies, and offer a variety of recreational opportunities, even in the winter.

Pictured above is a branch of the Rock River as it runs through Castle Rock State Park.  The dominant feature of the park is a large outcropping of limestone along the river that rises about 150 feet above the valley. Here is a view from near the top of the rock:

A few miles upstream from Castle Rock is another interesting attraction, Lowden State Park.  The main feature of Lowden is a 50 foot tall sculpture created by the artist Lorado Taft.  Popularly called the "Black Hawk Statue", Taft completed the sculpture in 1911, in honor all Native Americans.  The site itself was the home of a large artist community that was associated with the Art Institute of Chicago around the turn of the 20th Century.

Here is the Black Hawk statue from across the river:

The statue is believed to be the second largest concrete monolithic statue in the world, and weighs 536,770 lbs.  Here is a closeup view:

And the view downstream as you stand in front of the statue:

Just about a mile downstream from the Black Hawk Statue is a remnant from the nineteenth century, the old Chana School.  We've all heard about rural one-room schools.  The Chana School is a two room school, built in 1888:

Not all of Northern Illinois' scenic treasures are located on the river.  One of my favorite places in this area is White Pines Forest State Park.  This is a particularly magical place in the winter, when the forest trails are groomed for cross-country skiers.  Here is one of the ski trails:

And here is the shadow of Procopius as he takes a rest stop on the trail:

 
White Pines is the home of a lodge and cabins built in the 1930's by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).  It is one of two state parks in the area with CCC-built accommodations (the other is Starved Rock State Park).  My wife and I were married outdoors at White Pines State Park, and we spent the first night of our marriage in one of the CCC cabins:

Of course, if you want less rustic accommodations, several of the quaint little towns in the area offer some fantastic choices, like this one in the village of Grand Detour:

For a different scenic experience, you may want to visit the tallgrass prairie.  The Byron Prairie Preserve was created in 1980 to protect a small virgin prairie remnant, and has grown to include a large tract of restored as well as virgin prairie.  There are trails for hikers in nice weather, and cross-country skiers in the winter:

The hill next to the Visitor's Center is a great place for sledders of all ages!

One thing you cannot do in the winter in this part of the country, however, is take advantage of the scenic dining tours on the Rock River Paddle Boat.  It is docked for the season.  Maybe I'll put out a post about it come springtime or summer, when there is a host of other fun things to do in Northern Illinois!