We needed a short get away after a great baseball season, lots of early summer farm work and generally overtaxed work schedules. I didn’t want to spend a lot of money and the weather looked great, so we decided to tent camp. We packed the necessities of hot fresh coffee( courtesy of the tiny jet boil burner and my trusty Chemex,) the tent, our big air mattress and a cooler of snacks and drinks. We sought somewhere close but far enough to feel unfamiliar.

A book I bought over 20 years ago, Away for the Weekend: Midwest provided the destination inspiration. It is arranged by season with lots of ideas for road trips to follow completely or just cherry pick what looks good. The Eternal Indian Sculpture, known in Central Illinois as the Black Hawk Statue, became our guide post. It towers nearly 125 feet above the Rock River near Oregon, Illinois. Our last stop would be a visit to Brian’s mom in Fort Madison. We let the rest of the trip hinge on finding a spot to sleep and exploring whatever intrigued us.

The Eternal Indian was dedicated in 1911 and stands 48 feet tall. Representing the unconquerable spirit of the Native Americans, it was created by artist Loredo Taft, the founder of the Eagles Nest Artist’s Colony. The colony is now Lowden State Park and a satellite field campus for Northern Illinois University.

The construction process of the statue was as intriguing as the history. It took 10 straight round the clock days with a crew of 14 men to complete the continuous pour of concrete. They had built a wood structure and mold over several months. The first attempt at the pour froze in November. It had to be chipped out before they tried again in December. They wrapped it in burlap and muslin then heated with steam pipes for the first three days. The concrete cured until Spring when they pulled the mold from the head and shoulders. Pleased with the progress, they removed the rest of the mold over the next two weeks. The stair case inside is now for maintenance staff only but once offered access to a lookout inside the statue.

Next, we visited the popular Starved Rock State Park. We walked all afternoon on the mazes of wooden plank paths and steps up and down the rocks. There are many interesting canyons and waterfalls within the park. The legend is that the Illiniwek tribe sought refuge on the butte overlooking the Illinois River. The pursuing Ottawa tribe held them there until they starved up on the barren rocks, hence the park name. True or not, we enjoyed learning more about the Native American and European settler history. We look forward to returning in the winter for hiking or snowshoeing, capped by evenings at the giant fire place in the WPA era lodge.

Finally, we made a quick visit to Nauvoo, which is famous for the Mormon pilgrimage and temple. A longer visit is warranted but we were ready to get to Ft. Madison for a visit with Brian’s family. We enjoyed the numerous lily pads on dotting the Mississippi.

Once back home, Brian caught up the lawn mowing and I picked the last of the raspberries. Ending our adventure dipping our feet in our new 4ft baby pool, we enjoyed snacks. To celebrate the 4th, we let off our silent version of fireworks by releasing paper lanterns into the night sky. We reflected on all we learned and experienced on this quick trip. It’s a bittersweet thing to celebrate our freedom while also learning about suffering of the Native Americans. It’s a beautiful, complicated life but the best we can do is keep learning and honoring what’s come before us being grateful for all we have today.

I’ve listed details on our stops below the photos.

Trip Details

Port Byron, IL We started the trip with a pit stop at Port Byron’s Peacock Tavern. Brian’s moms maiden name is Peacock and his Grandma Mary Peacock had just passed at a young 101 years old. This was a really nice old bar that you can tell the owner’s take a lot of of pride in keeping up. We enjoyed the peacock art and vintage beer signs. It’s a cute little river town that looks like it’s working to reinvigorate its Main Street.

Lowden State Park, Oregon, IL We had a nice campsite at Lowden State Park in the tent camping area. Luckily we can use the truck to power up the air mattress blower as we didn’t have any electricity at our camp site. We enjoyed dinner at The Hunt Club in Oregon after we drove up the other side of the Rock River to get a glimpse of the Eternal Indian as the setting sun was hitting it. Great burgers, fried cheese curds, craft beer and eclectic hunting themed decor made it a perfect spot for us to settle in for sustenance and a Cubs game before retiring to our campfire. There’s also a brewery in town, a newer looking event venue on the river and an option for a riverboat cruise for lunch or dinner. We were tempted to do the cruise but decided to keep moving by car instead. If you are into hunting and fishing, Oregon would be a great destination on is own. We hiked over to the statue with hot coffee in hand the next morning before packing up and finding breakfast on the road.

Mendota, IL We stopped here for breakfast at the Parkway Family Restaurant and Pancake House. The hearty skillet breakfast and biscuits and gravy were were great. The 4th of July Holiday decor was the most I have ever seen! We chatted with the owner, who is Ukrainian, and she said she loves to decorate for Memorial day and leave it through 4th of July. Her patriotic spirit was awesome.

Starved Rock State Park We drove through Utica on the way which looks like a fun place to go back and visit as they have shut down car traffic on main street to make it very pedestrian and restaurant friendly. Starved Rock is a large park that attracts a lot of city visitors. It was nice that it had wooden plank walk ways and stairs but it did take away a bit from the natural beauty. On the bluffs you can see why Native Americans would want to keep this territory. It was a great look out with beautiful forests and rock formations in the valleys. The lodge and restaurant looked like a great revisit sometime, maybe in the winter, when it’s not so crowded.

Hennepin, Il We ducked into Spratt’s Tap in Hennepin for a snack and a drink and to check up on the Cubs game. The BEST cheese curds and giant soft pretzel. Pretzels are not something I normally go for, but once our bar neighbor ordered one we were intrigued. It was amazingly soft inside its salty, crusty exterior. The marinara substituted for the cheese sauce really put it over the top.

Argyle Lake State Park We found an excellent camping spot at Argyle Lake State Park. At $8 it was a steal as there was one other camper in the whole section. We even had access to the nice shower facilities in the main campground. We walked down to the lake in the morning and enjoyed the peace and quiet of our camp fire that night.

Carthage, IL We found breakfast here the next morning at the Hamilton Family Cafe. We snuck in 10 minutes before early closing early for the holiday and we appreciated the hot meal and warm service.

Nauvoo, IL A beautiful drive along the Mississippi with the lily pads in full glory got us to Nauvoo to check out the start of the Mormon Trail at the National Landmark District. You can experience history in the park with horse rides, historical structures and cultural exhibits. The Mormon Temple is quite a sight downtown on the bluff. It would be worth another trip that’s more than just a quick drive by.