The Chicago Traveler

Chicago is known worldwide for its architecture, but that doesn’t mean Windy City residents don’t appreciate “amber waves of grain.”
Openlands is a local, independent, non-profit conservation society that preserves and enhances public open spaces in northeastern Illinois. Since its beginning in 1963, the organization has secured more than 45,000 acres of land for public parks, forest preserves, and urban gardens.
You can do your part by volunteering in one of their many projects, including farmers markets in Humboldt Park and community gardens in Austin, Humboldt Park, Pilsen, and Lawndale. You can also get certified to care for and maintain the city’s …read more

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Procrastination is one of my biggest faults. I sometimes can put things off until I forget about them, causing myself to complete tasks at the last minute.
If you’ve been putting off registering to vote, now is the time to act. The deadline for Illinois residents to register for the November presidential election is Tuesday, October 7. And while there are several special events which host voter registration drives, you don’t need to wait for a special time and date to register. The process is rather simple and accessible.
If you have lived in Illinois for 30 days and will turn 18 …read more

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If you plan on taking a long road trip (for example, to one of Illinois’ Seven Wonders), you know you have to keep your eyes on the road. But you may see a few more unsightly… um… features.
The Illinois Department of Transportation announced on Friday that it is already over-budget due to all the snow their trucks had to plow this past winter. So this summer, in an attempt to cut costs, IDOT will not be picking up all the roadkill on state roads. “Hazardous” remains and bodies that are in actual driving lanes will still be removed, but …read more

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Is there someone out there whom you really, really don’t like? Give them the treatment they deserve with custom-printed toilet paper.
From Petersburg, IL (3-4 hours southwest of Chicago), Carlberg Design, Inc. custom prints biodegradable two-ply with photos, logos, or any other material that’s not copyrighted. Have some quotes printed, so you’ll have something to read while you’re in the bathroom. If you have roommates, have your roll monogrammed, so they know exactly which TP is yours. Throwing a Super Bowl or World Series party? Your guests’ll be surprised to see the opposing team’s name printed appropriately in the washroom. Or …read more

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A 5.2-magnitude earthquake shook up the Midwest at 4:37 a.m. Friday morning. While the quake may not be that big by West Coast standards, it was one of the strongest ever in Illinois. It was centered near the town of West Salem and was felt as far as 900 miles (1448 km) away. There have been no reports of injuries or significant damage.
Tremors from the initial quake could be felt even here in Chicago for about 20 seconds. Several people reported being awakened by rattling windows and shaking furniture. Downtown skyscrapers quivered, and bricks shook loose from buildings in Milwaukee, …read more

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Disabled people and their families face several obstacles when traveling. How do you know what restaurants, tourist attractions, and buildings accommodate special needs? Open Doors is a non-profit organization that is hoping to answer that question and more.
Eric Lipp, the executive director at Open Doors, worked for a year and a half in the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities to create Easy Access Chicago. Several people with disabilities visited some of the city’s most popular attractions to see just how accessible they really were. The guide features lists of destinations for residents and visitors alike and offers specific details …read more

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The Illinois Bureau of Tourism asked the state’s residents and visitors to nominate their favorite destinations in Illinois. In May of 2007, seven of these were selected as the Seven Wonders of Illinois.

• Chicago: Wrigley Field. The atmosphere, neighborhood, and fans put this stadium in a league of its own. It’s not just a ballpark; it’s an experience.
• Chicagoland: The Baha’I House of Worship. This unforgettable sight is beautiful both inside and out. Its intricate construction took nearly 30 years to complete.
• Northern: Starved Rock State Park. Visitors can witness firsthand the results of Mother Nature’s power: 18 canyons framed …read more

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Illinois provides many opportunities for outdoors enthusiasts to hike, swim, camp, fish, and much more. But for those of us who are a little less enthusiastic about nature, sometimes just a nice scenic drive can be a nice relaxing getaway.
In southwestern Illinois, the Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Route travels for 33 miles (53 km) through the floodplains where the Missouri, Mississippi, and Illinois Rivers meet. At the rivers’ juncture, history and natural beauty also come together, for this area had great significance in early American times.
For example, on the south end of the route, Meriwether Lewis and William …read more

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Despite what many Chicagoans would like to believe, there is more to Illinois than just the Windy City. Rend Lake is one of Southern Illinois’ foremost vacation spots, offering an incredible array of outdoor activities. Visitors can enjoy golfing, hunting, fishing, boating, waterskiing, horseback riding, hiking, biking, swimming or just relaxing on the beach.
Rend Lake is actually an artificial lake, a reservoir created by the Illinois Department of Conservation, the Rend Lake Conservancy District, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Construction began in 1965, but the lake was not completed and filled until March 1973. It contains 18,900 acres …read more

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When people think about this country’s Native American populations, they often think of Alaska, New Mexico, or South Dakota. But a number of tribes settled in or traveled through what is now the state of Illinois, including the Chippewa, the Delaware (who were driven west by White settlers), the Foxes, the Kickapoo, the Miami (who once had a town near modern-day Chicago), the Potawatomi, and the state’s namesake, the Illinois (a hodgepodge of related tribes). Illinois is a word which means “men” or “people.” (The original word was Illiniwek, but was changed by the French to –ois.)
The Black Hawk State …read more

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