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Old 01-29-2009, 06:33 PM   #1
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Our New Governor Pat Quinn was asked in the first few questions what about the state parks? He said the State parks should be opened with dispatch!
YES! Three that were closed are my favorite Illinois State Parks.

Hopefully things will start to improve in Illinois with other things also.
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Old 01-29-2009, 07:46 PM   #2
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This last August on the way back west I stayed at Sangchris Lake SP south of Springfield. I had wished I had more than one night, it would have been a great lake for my kayak.

Then 5 years ago while on my Ozark trip I went into Illinois and stayed a Beaver Dam SP south of Carlinville my Grandmothers birthplace.

I must say I liked the Illinois SP's.
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Old 02-02-2009, 11:42 AM   #3
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On our trip last fall, just over the border EAST of Chicago, we stayed in Indiana Dunes State Park. VERY NICE.

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Old 02-05-2009, 06:20 AM   #4
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The Indiana Dunes was one of our absolute favorite places when I was a girl living in Whiting. Lots of trips in the summer, and always at least one trip in the winter.
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Old 02-05-2009, 11:09 PM   #5
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When I was Full Timing, I would stop at Indiana Dunes Natl Lakeshore -- I could easily walk down to the Beverly Shores rail station and get a train into Chicago to visit my kids -- Camping stay limits are suspended in the Fall from after Labor Day until closing (around Halloween) -- The only drawback was that the site could only be registered one day at a time (to prevent weekend abuse), so I had to come back every night.
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Old 02-25-2009, 10:05 PM   #6
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FYI

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_...tate-parks.html

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Old 02-26-2009, 02:59 AM   #7
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When I was growing up my Aunt & Uncle moved to Beverly Shores from Chicago and built an A-Frame house right on the sand.
He was an Architect and she an Artist who was slowly dying of M.S.

Back then the State would lease you the land and building rights for a fixed term and you could build on the Dunes but with the understanding that the Dunes owned the land,not you. As though it could ever work any differently anyway?

So they built this house and it was hundreds of yards of sand from the lakes edge.
There were houses all along the sand then all built "On the Clock" to be enjoyed and then removed.
Even more amazing were the houses built into the bluffs high above the Dunes where the owners had to park at the bottem and ride their own little Tram Cars sideways up the Bluffs to the houses.
These were also on fixed term land leases but they were longer termed than the Dune homes on the sand.

My Sister and I would take the Train from STL to Chicago and then into Beverly Shores every summer to come stay with them and help my Aunt along.
We lived entirely outdoors really and were sort of banished from being in the house too. Back then it never even occured to us to be indoors in an environment like this.
My Aunt stayed right inside the wall of doors leading to the beach and we stayed in a screened room and ate and showered there too.
My Uncle had designed a really neat Bedroom Nook right into the main part of the house so that she could do everything she needed to without needing Stairs or Doors ever and she could always see the water.
I do not remember there being a TV even but back then there was nothing to watch anyway.......sort of like now!

Anyway we used to stay on the dunes all night long with other kids and terrorize the residents in little packs,riding the Trams and spying on people and just doing childhood mischief as we could find it.

My Aunt lost her battle of course and passed on and was scattered into the Dunes for eternity.
The house was taken apart and now there are almost no signs there were ever any homes there.
Where there had been hundreds of yards of Dune before,the waves were within 30 yards of the house at the end.
It was common for several homes to be returned to the lake ahead of mans schedule each summer too.
One morning we would wake up and look down the beach and there was a newly broken house being swallowed by the lake.

A few years back I bought a truck via the Internet that was located in Michigan City,justnext to Beverly Shores and so I was anxious to return and try to revisit the dunes.
I had a hard time recognizing any of it of course as both the Dunes and I had changed too much.
It might be interesting to camp there sometime?

It was a different time back them for sure and I do not really think of it too often anymore but I sure had it all come flooding back when I read this thread.

Thanks
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Old 02-26-2009, 06:34 AM   #8
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Best news I've heard so far this year..
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Old 02-26-2009, 12:35 PM   #9
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It's official!!!!!

From Illinois DNR


02/26/2009

The following seven parks ARE NOW OPEN! There may be some seasonal closures of certain areas, visitors are encouraged to call the park directly for the latest information.

Castle Rock State Park - Ogle County - (815) 732-7329
Lowden State Park - Ogle County - (815) 732-6828
Illini State Park - LaSalle County - (815) 795-2448
Hidden Springs State Forest - Shelby County - (217) 644-3091
Moraine View - McLean County - (309) 724-8032
Weldon Springs - DeWitt County - (217) 935-2644
Wolf Creek - Shelby County - (217) 459-2831
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