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Illinois

We’re coming a little late to the game, but the state’s tourism bureau held an Internet voting contest in March to determine the official “Seven Wonders of Illinois.” The bureau announced the results the other day…

* Wrigley Field, Chicago - One of baseball’s oldest and most beloved stadiums in the nation is best known for its charming ivy-covered walls and its die-hard Chicago Cubs fans.

* Baha’i House of Worship, Wilmette (Chicagoland) - One of only seven Baha’i temples in the world, the Baha’i House is an architectural marvel featuring a nine-sided dome surrounded by beautiful fountains and gardens.

* Starved Rock State Park, Utica (Northern) - Offering visitors a destination rich in history and natural beauty with lush forests, Starved Rock State Park features 18 magnificent canyons, spectacular ancient rock formations and numerous sparkling waterfalls in a breathtaking setting along the Illinois River.

* Allerton Park and Retreat Center, Monticello (Central) - This National Natural Landmark invites guests to explore a sprawling 1,500-acre estate with picturesque gardens, unique sculptures, winding trails, nature areas and a stunning mansion.

* Black Hawk State Historic Site, Rock Island (Western) - This historic site pays homage to the Sauk and Mesquakie (Fox) Indian tribes who occupied the area as far back as 12,000 years ago. The site features a tree-lined park with walking paths along the scenic Rock River.

* Rend Lake, Benton (Southern) - Rend Lake is the state’s second largest reservoir, and one of the premier vacation spots in Illinois offering travelers boating, water skiing, swimming, shopping, nature trails, golf, fishing and hunting.

* Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway, Alton (Southwest) - The 33-mile stretch of highway where the Mississippi, Illinois and Missouri rivers meet to flow to the ocean, offers onlookers majestic views, natural wildlife, river attractions and quaint villages.

Question: What do you think of this list? What, in your opinion, should be on it instead?

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 9:18 am

Comments

I wonder how many of us have been to all of these places. I’ve made four of them but some not since I was a kid.

I’d add the skyline of Chicago from Lake Michigan.

Comment by Bill Baar Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 9:35 am
I think it’s at best an average list, nothing really that sets Illinois apart from a lot of other states. One thing I find amusing is that there are no Lincoln-related sites on the list. Not that I have anything against Abraham Lincoln, but Springfield’s absolute fascination and reliance on him is not unlike the coworker who only talks about their fabulous son/daughter ALL THE TIME! We get it; move on. Having said that, I think it is somewhat surprising that there isn’t at least one Lincoln-related thing on the list.

Comment by schroedk Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 9:52 am
I just got back from Starved Rock and it is really a great time. The water falls are really flowing right now from all the rain. Lots of mud in the canyons for kids to wallow around in. We saw 3-count em-3 copperheads.

I have some tips. Take the kids to the Grizzly water park right outside of Starve Rock during the week so you get the discount price and avoid any lines for the slides.

In Earville, just a few minutes north is a drive in theatre which we went to Saturday night. It was great fun for my son who has never been to one and cool for me as well.

There are actually 3 State Parks all in the area and we had as much fun at Mathiason as we did at Starve Rock

Comment by Garp Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 10:13 am
These are “Wonders?”

How about reversing the flow of the Chicago River? The Western hemisphere’s tallest building? The Deep Tunnel system? Cook County Hospital’s billing system.

Comment by Bryan Baier Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 10:16 am
this list seems to be balanced geographically. i wonder if that makes it less wonderful…

Comment by bored now Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 10:27 am
Dickson Mounds - It was much better before the PC police took it over - but still a wonder of how life was here in central Illinois many years ago.

Comment by Mr. Ethics Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 10:43 am
How about the Museum of Science and Industry. It’s the only building left from the World’s Fair and is a great place to take kids and adults.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 10:44 am
Interesting how so many are natural sites with recreational opportunities — while the state is gutting DNR’s budget and this gov has repeatedly sought to raid the funds dedicated to acquisition and preservation of open space. IL ranks near the bottom in funding to preserve and protect natural areas.

Comment by mother nature Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 10:44 am
Wow. I just had a huge flashback. When I was at U of I back in the late 70’s we must have gone to Allerton Park. I have always kind of remembered going to some huge estate type park out in the boonies, with statues all over the place. We were really, really, high and drunk so my memory has always been fuzzy. Everyone once in a great while, when I thought I remembered going to this place, I wasn’t even sure it existed or if I was just remembering some funky 70’s movie. I hadn’t realized I was traveling through one of Illinois’s Wonders at the time. It has my vote.

Comment by anon Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 10:55 am
No Lincoln. Then we should take land of Lincoln off the licensce plates. Give the Presidential Library to the Feds.
To overlook Lincoln to honor a ballpark that has not hosted a world series winner.

Comment by what Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 11:16 am
For its location and design, Lincoln Park Zoo merits being on the list.

Comment by True Observer Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 11:57 am
I think southern Illinois has all of the natural beauty (save for Starved Rock and parts of the northwestern corner, such as Dixon’s Rock River bypass and Galena). Areas such as Rend Lake, the Garden of the Gods, Monk’s Mound, the bluffs along the Mississippi, the convergence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, Cave-in-Rock State Park…it’s all beautiful. I would add all of those items to the list.

Comment by Team Sleep Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 12:04 pm
I’m surprised that Rend Lake beat out the Shawnee National Forest’s Garden of the Gods.

I’m also amazed that Cahokia Mounds didn’t make the list. They’re a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Wrigley field is a bit stupid. It is an old ballpark and nothing more. One quick alternative is Sears Tower, the world’s tallest building for a significant time period.

Comment by Objective Dem Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 12:29 pm
I would nix Wrigley Field for Sears Tower, Robie Home or Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio on architectural merits.

And you could replace Wrigley Field with the Michael Jordan statue on athletic achievement merits.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 1:21 pm
Wrigley Field has atmosphere. Sears tower is sterile. Not sure about all these natural areas and how they would really compare to states with a lot more natural beauty. The idea is to promote tourism and pc dictates they get one site per region so this is the outcome. I think Wrigley Field deserves to be on the list but so does the Chicago lakefront. However, heaven forbid Chicago gets TWO things on the list!!

Comment by Way Northsider Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 1:25 pm
The list is average. I would put the state capitol building on the list - a wonderful and beautiful building to work in. Several people have mentioned Lincoln sites - certainly his burial place.

Illinois has so many, so the ther seven picked qill automatically call attention to those not chosen.

I think the list is fair, but doesn’t include all of the best sites.

Doug Dobmeyer
dobmeyer.com

Comment by Doug Dobmeyer Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 1:35 pm
I found Lincoln’s tomb to be awesome in the old-fashioned sense of the word. My first instinct would be to replace Wrigley Field with that.

Comment by yinn Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 1:55 pm
Cahokia Mounds is one of the most important archaeological sites in the Western Hemisphere. Unfortunately,the state continues to allow development encroachment on it and has done little to preserve the site.

Of course, the new find of the underground petrified forest should also be one,but hardly anyone knows of it yet.

===Dickson Mounds - It was much better before the PC police took it over - but still a wonder of how life was here in central Illinois many years ago.

Yeah, it’s like when we don’t display Lincoln’s bones in his tomb. What’s wrong with these PC people who think the dead deserve respect.

Comment by ArchPundit Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 1:58 pm
How about the Old State Capitol?

I suppose I have visited most of the sites mentioned, but I was expecting a bit more of the list.

Comment by Shelbyville Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 2:13 pm
Giant City State Park in Makanda (that’s near Carbondale for you northerners), Mississippi River Bridge at Alton, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Dana Thomas Home in Springfield, and Lincoln’s New Salem State Park in Petersburg. I agree completely with Allerton. It’s a gorgeous place and hard to believe it is a crown jewel of Illinois that Blago has not tried to sell.

Comment by Little Egypt Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 2:33 pm
And they don’t mention “Mario’s Italian Lemonade in Chicago’s Little Italy”…tsk.tsk.tsk…

Comment by Taylor Street Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 2:58 pm
There was a huge push by students to get Rend Lake as a “Wonder” in hopes that it could bring a water park to the region/lake area. The group even showed ways to vote more than once per day, so it may have been a bit rigged. 59 members to this group.

The link (hope you can open it): http://uis.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2248473522

Description:

If you live in Southern Illinois you have gotten used to driving for two hours to do anything exciting. Why should we have to drive that far when Rend Lake has so many natural resources that we have not tapped. Rend Lake has a chance to bring in a water park excluding the factor of money and a bogus board member.
Go to

http://www.enjoyillinois.com/sevenwonders/southern.html

Scroll down and vote for Rend Lake. The winner receives grant money, and Rend Lake could finally get a Water Park!!!

To Vote more than once a day, clear all your history and go back to the site and vote again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again,

You get the point VOTE NOW….

We may not beable to change to mind of the board members but we can change the money situation for Rend Lake by bringing in this grant money.

Comment by Jeff Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 4:09 pm
How about the Boyhood homes of Lincoln, Reagan and Obama? Oh, and the grave of Illinois most famous resident, Al Capone, at Mt. Carmel in Hillside.

Comment by pickles!! Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 4:31 pm
Rend Lake? A big muddy water hole. Try Garden of the Gods!!!!

Comment by NIEVA Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 5:02 pm
Kind of a technicality, especially coming late to the game, but regarding the Baha’i House: How is it possible to have a nine-sided dome? I’m no math major, but I was under the impression that a true dome was just half of a sphere?
Discuss/enlighten, if you please.

Comment by Guy Montag Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 5:25 pm
What a crock! This is the safe, geographically-balanced, offend no one (except Sox fans) list. It would be interesting to see what the votes really were. I imagine that this list was put together before any votes were recorded.

Comment by Decatur Dave Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 5:38 pm
My seven wonders:

1> Blago’s hair: never out of place, never grays, deflects meteors and FOIA requests.

2> The wait for indictments: everyone feels they’re inevitable, yet the administration acts like they extrude almond bark, as scandal afer scandal erupts.

3> A budget. A REAL budget.

4> Emil Jones: dancing the funky chicken on the third rails of politics like he’s Nureyev, with his blatant nepotism and electric utility shilling.

5> “Bill”: His unflagging devotion to Blags in the face of reality puts Molly Brown and Polyanna to shame. He could start a religion.

6> Chicago hot dogs; made just like our legislation.

7> The Cap fax for being the one-stop source for getting a handle on what’s being done to us or for us by state government.

Comment by Gregor Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 6:08 pm
The state capitol building as the biggest repository of empty, talking heads.

Comment by Disgusted Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 6:26 pm
Allerton really is a wonder. We live near by and visit many times every year and it always fills me with wonder and awe. When I go on a weekday I often have the place all to myself which is magical.

Comment by Rayne of Terror Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 8:26 pm
Besides Chicago, Galena is beautiful with lots of history. A wonderful weekend vacation. I’m also fascinated with the I and M Canal. Great for hiking and biking with many small town to visit along the trail.
I know this Governor has gutted DNR but what few employees that are left do a great job with our state parks. A few come to mind near Chicago. Kankakee River State Park, Silver Springs FWA, Moraine Hills, Volo Bog and Goose Lake Prairie.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 8:34 pm
Guy Montag - the 9 sided “dome” is not really a dome. Imagine 9 pointed leaf or petal shaped sides coming together at the top.

Comment by Way Northsider Wednesday, May 2, 07 @ 8:56 pm
“Way Northsider” ===Wrigley Field has atmosphere===

You mean it stinks? lol

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, May 4, 07 @ 9:23 am