Historic Niles Train Station Still in Use as Amtrak Station

August 6, 2023 On July 24th (Monday), Bruce drove the truck to Taqueria Don Chepe for lunch. I ordered a wet burrito, which was delicious. Bruce ordered his usual Carne Asada. He was delighted with how good it was. After eating, we decided to check out Niles a bit. Bruce drove downtown and we came […]

Dinner in Wyanet, Illinois

July 30, 2023 We rode into Wyanet, Illinois on July 3. There was a Filipino restaurant I wanted to try in Wyanet. I have an aunt who is from the Philippines. I remember that she would bring the most delicious food to my grandparents on Thanksgiving or Christmas. The food at Harley-K was so delicious! […]

Visiting Tampico, Illinois, the Birthplace of Ronald Reagan – Part 4

July 29, 2023 After we finished our tour and dropped a $20 in the donation box, we looked at the brochure to see what else we might see in Tampico. The brochure mentions the various buildings the Reagans lived in and the park Ronald Reagan played in. It also covered the churches the Reagans attended. […]

Visiting Tampico, Illinois, the Birthplace of President Ronald Reagan – Part 3

July 28, 2023 We toured the restored 1920’s bank downstairs from the Reagans’ apartment. The bank failed during the Great Depression. The bank’s paperwork, books, and furniture was carried into the basement and forgotten. When the building was being renovated to be a museum, the bank’s paperwork, books, and furniture were discovered in excellent shape […]

Visiting Tampico, Illinois, the Birthplace of President Ronald Reagan – Part 2

July 27, 2023 The next part of the tour was through the beautifully restored bank. We then climbed the stairs to the apartment Ronald Reagan was born in. It was a three bedroom apartment, heated by wood stoves. There was no running water, so water had to be carried into the apartment. There was an […]

Visiting Tampico, Illinois the Birthplace of President Ronald Reagan – Part 1

July 26, 2023 On July 15 (Saturday), after breakfast, we rode the motorcycle to Tampico, Illinois, the birthplace of President Ronald Reagan. Tampico is a small village that is very proud of its native son. They have an excellent museum dedicated to Ronald Reagan. We parked the motorcycle outside the museum and birthplace of President […]

Lock 22 of the Hennepin Canal Parkway

July 23, 2023 On July 17, 2023 (Monday), we rode to the Wagon Wheel Restaurant in Mineral, Illinois. Mineral is a small town and didn’t seem to have a lot of businesses there. The food was bar food and I had a good hamburger. Bruce wanted fried chicken, but the kitchen was so backed up, […]

Buffalo Rock State Park in Illinois and Dinner

July 20, 2023 After our stop at the US Army Corp of Engineers Rock Island Visitor Center, we headed on to the Buffalo Rock State Park. It wasn’t crowded like the other two state parks. There was a birthday party going on in the pavilion, so I didn’t take any pictures of it. We were […]

US Army Corp of Engineers Rock Island District Visitor Center

July 19, 2023 After our visit to the Matthiessen Waterfall, we decided to visit Buffalo Rock State Park. On the road to Buffalo Rock State Park, I noticed the US Army Corp of Engineers had a visitor center for the Starved Rock Lock and Dam. We pulled into the parking lot and got out of […]

Starved Rock State Park in Illinois

July 18, 2023 After seeing the beautiful sunflower field at Matthiessen State Park, we decided to try Starved Rock State Park along the Illinois River. While this park was also packed, we were able to find a spot to park in the visitor center parking lot on the far edge near the Illinois River. Nox […]