Certified Illinois Expert

Ravine Bluffs subdivision in Glencoe, designed in part by Frank Lloyd Wright across the small suburb’s ravine. One of two bridges Wright ever designed

Classic small town wikipedia. "Don't get me started on elevators in Steward, IL, we'd be here all day!"

Green Bay Trail in Glencoe on a foggy day last week. Maybe a little like how it looked to travelers in 1832 (when it became a federal post road) or even in the Middle Ages when travelers were following a well worn trail along the glacial ridge here.

Alert! An Australian/NZ bakery has open on US 20 in Roselle. Sausage rolls, meat pies, and delicious sweets aplenty at this delightful little place. Hard to find these puppies in Chicago. Red’s Rolls. Very much worth a stop if you are in northern dupage county.

Here we have a small monument in glencoe to the judge who sent Al Capone to prison. We need more boulders out there dedicated to people for jobs well done.

There are some neat midcentury chapels tucked away at senior living facilities, the trouble is finding a way to get in them. Here is an old Sisters of St. Joseph chapel in Bartlett.

Attention attention!!!! Mr. Illinois has made his worldwide TV premiere! Tune into Prairie Fire on PBS passport or YouTube and let’s all see how I did.

White Pines Forest State Park

A view of the Rock River from Dixon’s scenic Lowell Park. A teenaged Ronald Reagan lifeguarded here and supposedly saved 77 lives over 7 summers working 7 days a week. For obvious reasons I find this story a little fishy.

Some great art deco in Sterling, IL

A look at Misericordia and a sneak peek at my idea for a basketball fundraiser

Earlville’s Route 34 Drive In (and mural)

The Stucco-clad St. John the Baptist in Somonauk. Mass happened to be letting out when I drove by so I was able to get inside, look around, and even visit the restroom 🙏

Had dinner in a Pullman dining car in Sandwich IL. (No i didn’t have a sandwich, I had the Caramel Apple Burger.) This car was at the world’s fair and was also used by Teddy Roosevelt’s campaign.

Libraries in Amboy, Mendota, Earlville, and Somonauk I checked out today.

The olde Sandwich library at sunset

Blob of pelicans at sinnissippi dam, Sterling/rock falls. Saw cormorants too.

Another gem of a theatre in northern Illinois

I have been inside 129 Illinois public libraries and don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this in Sterling: three-story stacks with glass floors to let in more light, original to the 1904 Carnegie building.

Coffee at historic white pines lodge

Egyptian Theatre in the ancient kingdom of DeKalb

White Pines Forest State Park. Visiting to remember my late grandparents Pat and George Brixie who brought me here as a kid.

Now that’s a fuckin ’ clock

Butter chicken burrito and tikka masala fries at this incredible Indian/“south side” fusion spot in DeKalb, Burger Naan

Presented at St. Charles Library in papal jersey and mitre tonight, will continue to do so until the Sox win the World Series and/or I am elected pope

Presenting on cemeteries at the gorgeously updated/expanded St. Charles Public Library this evening. See u at 7!

I will be presenting my Route 66 in Illinois lecture ONLINE tonight for Wheaton's library. I think there will be a LOT of cyberattendees, wish me luck. Join me at the link below. OR hear me talk cemeteries in person in StCharles tomorrow, Geneva and next week!

A very successful, very well respected friend of mine, he calls me Sir, sent me this image from Peoria requesting the lore behind it.

Wauconda

The nameless grave of Victor Lawson, publisher of the Chicago Daily News, supported by the great Loredo Taft. I will be presenting on Illinois cemeteries tonight in Wauconda and Thursday in St. Charles!

Sullivan’s grave and the Getty tomb he created, both at Graceland

Schoenhoffen pyramid at Graceland Cemetery. A glorious day for a walk.

Very cool dome imagery at Ascension showing the apostles and Mary around Jesus and the Father, who sports a rare triangular halo here.

I will be in Naperville at their 95th St. library branch giving my phenomenal Great Graves of Illinois lecture at 1 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday). C'mon down and say hello! Pictured below is Springdale in Peoria, one of my featured cemetery picks.

Perhaps the only time i have felt some form of national pride in six years or so, sounds great and feels right

I’m really pleased to announce my county/town naming game now has an addiction reduction mode. Colors turn to grayscale, and you’re prompted to take a break if you are playing too much. This is how my website is different than every other trash website on the internet. Play safe!