Rockford Photo Diary

The final part of my Illinois road trip was Rockford. Rockford is the third largest city in the state. It was a lot more spread out than the previous places we visited, everything was just so big! We were only there for two days but we packed a lot in!

One of my favourite activities we got to do was a visit to the Burpee Museum of Natural History. Here we were given an amazing tour of the dinosaur section of the museum. I'm a sucker for a dinosaur - they're just so magnificent aren't they? The museum is home to the most complete juvenile t-rex - named Jane- in the world.

We were taken back in time to the roaring twenties to the ornate Coronado Theatre. Built in 1927, this glamorous looking atmospheric theatre is a feast for your eyes. With elaborate chandeliers, gaudy gold decoration and exquisite detailing, it truly is like taking a step back in time. If only I could go to a similar movie theatre here at home!

I also had some of the best food of my trip in Rockford. The city is well known for it's Swedish heritage so obviously we had to sample the Swedish pancakes at Stockholm Inn. These thin crepe-style pancakes were absolutely delicious with sweet lingonberries piled high. I'm also still dreaming about the incredible macaroni cheese pizza I scoffed at Alchemy. It's something I'm going to try and recreate back home - you can never go wrong with double carbs right?

Next up will be Luxembourg in June for a weekend - I can't wait to jump back on a plane and explore somewhere new!

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Galena Photo Diary

Galena charmed the pants off me. It was one of the most quaint, picturesque towns I've visited. Everyone was so friendly and were keen to have a chat as soon as you walked into their shops. Very different to London! The beautiful weather just seemed to make the town glow. We were treated to weather in the 20s which was such a lovely shock to the system after surviving 0 degrees in Chicago. I'd forgotten what warmth felt like!

We had a tour of the historic Main Street led by such an enthusiastic tour guide. I love it when someone really knows what they're talking about especially when they through a little ghost story into the mix. After we had a few hours free time so I wandered up the hill to take in the town in all it's glory. Stunning!

Suited Downtown, we stayed in the charming Farmer's Guesthouse. Full of incredible knick kacks and a magical cookie jar that was filled up every day, it was such a joy to stay in. They even had an incredible daily event called Wine Time every day with cheese - can we please implement it at 5pm every day? It was by far my favourite place I stayed throughout the trip. The bed was very hard to leave in the morning! Just look at that breakfast below - perfection.

One of the things I was looking forward to the most was the tour of Blaum Bros. Distillery. It was set up just a year ago but has been a roaring success. The tour didn't disappoint! I managed to sample some Hellfyre vodka that very nearly blew my head off. I'm not the best when it comes to shots let along when they contain chilli. Not an experience I'm keen to repeat again.

We were also treated to a tour around Ulysses Grant's home - the 18th president of the United States. A man I admit I didn't really know but it was interesting to learn a bit about him. This history geek never turns down the chance to find out about the past.

It was such a shame not to spend longer in Galena - they had some cracking restaurants - but it was time to move on. Rockford, the last part of the trip, is coming soon!

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Starved Rock State Park Photo Diary

After we spent three days in Chicago, we fuelled up on the biggest breakfast known to man then hit the road. I'm still sulking that I only pathetically managed a quarter. Our next destination was Starved Rock State Park. The legend goes, two Native American tribes were fighting and one was forced up a huge rock. Once they were up there, the other tribe cut off their food and water supply. Eventually they all starved to death. Lovely story eh?

We arrived a little early for our historic trolley tour so we went on a short walk around the park where we came across a frozen waterfall. After clambering across jagged rocks, we eventually landed just underneath a stunning waterfall. It was very surreal to stand on thick frozen water. Mother Nature can be really beautiful at times! Sometimes there's nothing better then popping on some trainers, wrapping up warm and getting out in the fresh air. It's made me want to do some more exploring a bit closer to home.

Feeling like Clint Eastwood was about to challenge me to a stand off at any minute, we popped into August Hill Winery and Illinois Sparkling Company in Downtown Utica. It was incredible - you could have been in any city in the world. Crazy to think it's in such a tiny town. It was so stylish and sleek - the ladies certainly knew their wines!

I was completely blown away by Hegeler Carus Mansion. I've never been given a tour by such a knowledgeable guide - it makes a trip so much more interesting when you're being told stories by someone with such passion. It was such a beautiful building, inside and out. The fact the paint was peeling off, the floorboards creaked and the stairs crumbled all added to it's charm. In fact, it reminded me of Wilton's Dance Hall if you've ever been! I adored the story of Mary Hegeler who was such a pioneer of her time. She put the power into girl power!

After just one night we were on the move again, listening to Kelly Clarkson and B*Witched as we drove on the open road! The only way to do a road trip eh?

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Chicago Photo Diary

I'm going to be honest and hold my hands up - I was a bit worried about going on this trip. It was my first time I'd ever gone on a press trip, the first time I'd ever left the UK on my own, the first time I'd flown on my own and I was going to be spending a hell of time with five people who I'd never met. No matter how many times you google someone, you don't really know them. Funny that. Plus some people just don't get my sarcastic humour - I know, strange right?! I like to think that I can talk the ear off anyone but who knew, this could be the time I'd fail. I camped last year with around 12 people at Glastonbury and only knew three. So although I was thrown into the deep end, I still had someone to cling on to if I got out of my depth.

By the time I'd snuggled into my enormous bed on the first night after a glass of prosecco whilst admiring the Chicago skyline, I knew I had absolutely nothing to worry about. The trip was going to be a corker. I don't think I stopped laughing for the entire eight days. It was one of the best holidays I've had - it's hard to put into words just how much fun I had. In a silly way, I'm so proud of myself that I managed to travel solo without any catastrophes. I didn't even lose my passport! Let's forget about the minor detail that I left my phone charger in a hotel room.

On the first night the bar was set high with a gigantic burger oozing with gooey cheese and sweet bacon, the rest of the trip I just ate and ate. And ate and ate. After a quick mooch around the Harry Caray Sports Museum, we headed for a night cap at the Signature Lounge - a definitely highlight of the trip for me. The view was absolutely stunning. Chicago knew how to win me over!

The next three days were a whirlwind of buying too much make up, eating too much fried food, sore feet and a neck ache from spending too much time looking at the sky. I even took myself over to a neighbourhood known for it's vintage and made it back in one piece. I went to see an amazing band whose lead singer was ironically from Brighton. Just can't get away from those pesky Brits! I battled the crowds to seek out the Bean. I ate a Mexican dish that nearly blew my face off. I attempted a Man Vs Food dish and failed miserably. I went on a boozy dinner cruise around Lake Michigan. I stood 1,353 feet in a glass box overlooking the city with a severe case of jelly legs. I sampled the foodie delights of the city thanks to a culinary tour. God bless the person who invented deep dish pizza.

I only have New York and a day in Washington DC to compare the city too, but Chicago has my heart hook, line and sinker. It's skyline is gorgeous - New York is just tall, tall and tall. Whereas Chicago has so many different, interesting shapes. There's a lot less hustle and bustle and the people seem a lot more friendlier. It's very easy to navigate around the Downtown area and it's a fantastic place to just wander and soak up the atmosphere.

I know the lens of some of my pictures is dirty - I'm kicking myself!

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