Archive for December, 2008

Bald Knob Cross of Peace

Posted by Val on December 24th, 2008 at 10:15 pm | Permalink | 1 Comment » |

Bald Knob Cross of Peace

I apologize for the horrible quality of the photos today. But…for every bad picture there is an amazing story to go with it…

So…you kind of know you’re in trouble when it’s dark, 9oclock at night, and you realize that you next destination is truly in the middle of nowhere, through winding gravel roads of Midwestern vineyards and your directions stop before the point where you have to drive 4 miles up a mountain…and you didn’t even think a mountain existed in Illinois. So, after much assuming because we could not find a single road that was on our directions, we finally found a sign that pointed to the road we needed to take to find the Bald Knob Cross of Peace (read: giant cross at top of mountain). I drove us in the pitch black through a tiny gravely winding road up the mountain. It was creepy. VERY VERY CREEPY! We truly expected to break down in front of a deserted house only to have someone run after us with an ax. Or for the road to just stop and for us to plummet down a mountain. Or some equally creepy horror-film in the making moment. The road was black and covered in trees and I could hardly see a thing. Finally (finally!) we realized that we were, in fact up the mountain, and saw the cross…way off in the distance in a place that looked like there was no way we could actually drive to. But with the sun setting behind it, and the sky a beautiful shade of purple, we trudged on. Finally (finally!) we made it to the cross! It was basically pitch black by the time we found the cross. And there were these holes in the cross that made it sound like it was breathing. And there was this other couple who drove us but stayed a bit down the hill. And we thought they were murderers who were going to slash my tires and kill us. But it was beautiful to be up there. Amazing really.

Bald Knob Cross of Peace

The cross stands above the Shawnee National Forest at 111 feet tall, 22 square feet at the base, 16 square feet at the top, and has an arm-span of 63 feet.

Bald Knob Cross of Peace

Site: Bald Knob Cross of Peace
Location: 3630 Bald Knob Rd, Alto Pass, IL
Cost: Free to see.
Hours: Daylight Hours…but it’s better (and kind of scarier) at night.
Date: July 14, 2007

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World’s Largest Cross

Posted by Val on December 16th, 2008 at 9:56 pm | Permalink | 2 Comments » |

In honor of Christmas coming up next week I thought I’d feature a couple of blessed Midwestern attractions. First up is a site most Illinoisans can recognize from (almost literally) a mile away: the world’s largest cross.

Cross at the Crossroads, the world's largest cross, in Effingham, Illinois

This 198 foot Cross stands tall at the intersection of Interstates 57 & 70 in Effingham, Illinois. It truly is the “cross at the crossroads.” Built at this major road it’s estimated that 50,000 travelers see the cross each and every day.

Cross at the Crossroads, the world's largest cross, in Effingham, Illinois

At the base of the cross are ten rock-shaped stone tablets that recite the Ten Commandments at the push of a button.

Ten Commandment tablets at the Cross at the Crossroads, the world's largest cross, in Effingham, Illinois

Site: Cross at the Crossroads — The World’s Largest Cross
Location: 1900 Pike Ave, Effingham, IL (at the intersection of Interstates 57 & 70)
Cost: Free to see.
Hours: Always visible.
Date: May 9, 2008

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Leaning Tower of Niles

Posted by Val on December 10th, 2008 at 8:45 pm | Permalink | 2 Comments » |

The Leaning Tower of Niles is about a half-size replica of its sister structure in Pisa, Italy. It combines roadside attraction with historic Italia…and that, my silly American friends, is worth a drive from anywhere.

Leaning Tower of Niles.

Flopsy the Jackalope at the Leaning Tower of Niles.

Leaning Tower of Niles.

Flopsy the Jackalope at the Telefono booth across from the Leaning Tower of Niles.

Val in front of the Leaning Tower of Niles.

Site: Leaning Tower of Niles
Location: 6300 W. Touhy Avenue, Niles, IL
Cost: Free to see.
Hours: Always visible.
Date: November 29, 2008

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Woodstock – Groundhog Day Movie Town

Posted by Val on December 1st, 2008 at 9:17 pm | Permalink | 1 Comment » |

Have you ever seen a little movie called Groundhog Day? Despite the fact that the movie is fifteen years old and despite the fact that it was Thanksgiving Weekend, I can see no better place to go then to see all the places the movie was filmed!

If you’ve never seen the movie (cough, go rent it/buy it/Tivo it, cough) it’s about a bitter weatherman covering Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, PA. He’s snowed into the town and ends up reliving the day over and over and over until finally he learns to appreciate life and gets everything “right.”

The movie was filmed in Woodstock, IL, and even fifteen years later the town still proudly displays plaques highlighting where different scenes were filmed. Here are the highlights…

“Woodstock Square” AKA “Gobbler’s Knob”

Flopsy sees his shadow

The Pennsylvania Hotel

Movie Theater

Tip Top Cafe

Site of the infamous puddle

Ned’s Corner

Alley where Phil finds the old man dead

Bowling alley

Piano teacher’s house

“Cherry Street Inn”

Your Silly American Adventurer and Flopsy at the “Cherry Street Inn”

Site: Groundhog Day Movie Town
Location: Woodstock, IL
Cost: Free to see!
Hours: Always visible!
Date: November 29, 2008

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