Tour of Wisconsin Day 13
We’d had a very full trip in the Badger state. We experienced some beautiful parks and lakes, ate some really good food, and of course drank lots of coffee. Wisconsin is a wonderful state which might explain why more and more of our friends and family are taking up residence there. But it was time to head back home to Illinois.
An hour into the trip, we stopped for coffee at a familiar shop, Little Castle Coffee in Clinton, WI. This building is a really cool re-purposing that I wrote about a few posts back. We had the house coffees to-go and were back on the road.
Photo: Little Castle Coffee Shop
At that point we realized that we’d be home by noon. That seemed like a little too early after the ‘tour’ we’d just finished up. We weren’t ready for it to end. So we decided to get some hiking in at Starved Rock State Park in Utica, IL.
We’ve been to Starved Rock a bunch of times: paddling, hiking, even staying a few weekends at the Lodge. It’s a beautiful park with kind of dark origins.
In 1673, French explorers Louis Jolliet and Jesuit missionary, Father Jacques Marquette passed through the area on their way up the Illinois from the Mississippi River. Known as “Pere,” the French word for “Father,” Marquette returned two years later and founded the Mission of the Immaculate Conception, Illinois’ first Christian mission, at the Kaskaskia village.
French built Fort St. Louis atop Starved Rock in the winter of 1682-83 because of its commanding strategic position above the Illinois River. Pressured from small war parties of Iroquois in the French and Indian wars, the French abandoned the fort by the early 1700s and retreated to what is now Peoria, where they established Fort Pimitoui. Fort St. Louis became a haven for traders and trappers, but by 1720 all remains of the fort had disappeared.
Starved Rock State Park derives its name from a Native American legend of injustice and retribution. Chief Pontiac of the Ottawa tribe was slain by a Peoria brave (the Peoria were a sub-tribe of the Illinois Confederation) while attending a tribal council in southern Illinois. According to the legend, during one of the battles that subsequently occurred to avenge his killing, a band of Illinois, under attack by a band of Potawatomi (allies of the Ottawa), sought refuge atop a 125-foot sandstone butte (today’s Starved Rock). The Ottawa and Potawatomi surrounded the butte and held their ground until the hapless Illinois died of starvation- giving rise to the name Starved Rock. From: dnr.illinois.gov
There are miles and miles of trails that extend east along the Illinois River. There are numerous canyons, waterfalls, and lookout points. During the week, it’s not real busy. But on the weekends, it can become packed very quickly. Thursday was a slow day at the park so it was not very crowded.
While the overall view is great, this particular view is not. If you look carefully, you can see hundreds of fish-Asian Carp. These fish have become a major problem for this and other rivers. Not only do they chase out other desirable species, they are a menace to boaters and yes, paddlers. They like to jump when you paddle by and hit our boats, some even try to get a free ride. It’s one of the reasons we don’t paddle in the Illinois River anymore. 
We spent a few hours in the park, enough to work up an appetite. Now we can’t go to Starved Rock without stopping in Utica at Skoogs. It’s not a rule that we go there each time but it might as well be.
We first found Skoogs when there was only a handful of restaurants in the town. But as Utica has become more of tourist destination, there are now many more restaurants, ice cream parlors, and even a coffee shop.
We are especially fond of Skoogs’ jumbo wings and prefer the non-breaded type. We’ve now settled into a routine of a split order of Kamikaze and Bourbon with blue cheese. We also have been known to place a carry-out order at the end of our meal, heating them up the next day. We can highly recommend this place. During the summer, there is plenty of outdoor seating too.
We waited for our take out order and were back on the road home. What a great PPC tour.
So where do we go next year?
We’ve been to South Dakota, Iowa, and Wisconsin the last three years. Do we go back to one of these state? We left a lot on the “table” in each place. There’s plenty to do and re-do. Or do we try yet another state.
If you have any recommendations, make your case in this post thread.
Wyoming/Montana! Would recommend the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. Plenty of challenging hikes and biking, and go out on Jenny Lake in grand tetons for a beautiful view and maybe some moose sightings.
Go to Ohio! I visited a friend there and we hiked at a state park. The water is clear and perfect for kayaking without the smelly muddy water of Illinois. I saw for the first time a Bell Pull which was a long narrow tapestry used for dinging the bell in a church belltower. If you find yourself near Lexington Ohio you need to stop at Relax It’s Just Coffee and get some amazing pour over.