Great Events Taking Place Now & Through the Year

CHICAGO'S EVENTS

New Attractions, Tours, Hotels, Exhibitions and World Renowned Theater Make Chicago a Premier Destination in 2010

With its stunning architecture, acclaimed museums, lakefront parks and vibrant ethnic neighborhoods, Chicago is a city of world-class status and unsurpassed beauty. In 2010, new tours, exhibitions and hotels, and an array of Tony award-winning theater productions make Chicago the perfect year-round destination.

Explore Chicago’s 31 miles of lakefront, 48 museums, 77 neighborhoods, more than 200 theaters, and over 6,000 restaurants. For more information about planning a trip, call 1.877.CHICAGO or visit www.explorechicago.org.

Here is what to look for in 2010.

The Loop Riverfront Buses are Launched in the Quad Cities

Called The Loop, these bright orange retro-style buses snake along both sides of the Mississippi River year-round giving tourists and residents a way to hop from city to city and easily take advantage of the area’s many entertainment venues, attractions, and restaurants.  For more information, call 563-344-4110 or visit www.qctransit.com

Lincoln Park Zoo’s Nature Boardwalk

In the summer of 2010, Lincoln Park Zoo unveils its newly renovated man-made pond which has been completely transformed and restored into a natural revitalized ecosystem. A haven for native birds, frogs, turtles, fish, insects and mammals, it also serves as an outdoor classroom for students of all ages. A boardwalk surrounds the entire pond, providing new opportunities for the public to enjoy and experience nature. This revitalized 14-acre outdoor wilderness classroom features naturalist interpreters and a wide range of educational programs and mobile labs designed to promote hands-on learning about the city’s native wildlife and the importance of preserving wetlands and freshwater ecosystems. Admission is free.

The Ledge at the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower Skydeck

provides never-before-seen views of Chicago and a new Chicago experience where visitors can see the city literally beneath their feet. From 103 floors over Wacker Drive and the Chicago River, a series of glass bays extend out more than four feet from the side of the building, providing visitors with unobstructed views - 1,353 feet straight down. The famed Skydeck also offers additional attractions including new interactive and educational museum-quality exhibits that celebrate the city. www.theskydeck.com.

Renzo Piano Modern Wing Opens at The Art Institute

The newly-opened, 264,000-square-foot Modern Wing designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano houses the Art Institute’s collections of 20th century European painting and sculpture; contemporary art; architecture and design; and photography on three floors of galleries. The $300 million project also features an outdoor sculpture terrace; a garden courtyard; and a 600-foot-long pedestrian bridge, the Nichols Bridgeway, linking the museum directly to Chicago’s popular Millennium Park. www.artic.edu

Chicago's New Hotels

Tours

Museums

Theatre

66 East Randolph Street: Chicago’s Downtown Farmstand
Mondays – Fridays, 11am – 7pm; Saturdays, 11am – 4pm

Chicago’s Downtown Farmstand offers edible local products, all produced within 250 miles of Chicago, including fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs in season; a full range of condiments, preserves, seasonings and other dry goods items; baked goods and seasonal items as available. The Farmstand is the perfect place to find locally produced holiday gifts, and to buy ingredients for preparing holiday meals.

NOTE: Visitors and Chicagoans planning to entertain out-of-town guests can receive Chicago brochures, reserve hotel accommodations and receive trip-planning assistance by calling toll-free 1.877.CHICAGO (1.877.244.2246), or visiting www.cityofchicago.org/tourism. Brochures and information on Chicago’s exciting events and activities are also available at the Visitor Information Centers. The centers are located at Chicago Water Works, 163 East Pearson Street at Michigan Avenue and the Chicago Cultural Center, 77 East Randolph Street. For those calling from outside the United States, Mexico and Canada, please call 1-312-201-8847. The TTY toll-free number for the hearing impaired is 1.866.710.0294.

The Chicago Office of Tourism, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, is the official City agency dedicated to promoting Chicago to domestic and international visitors and to providing innovative visitor programs and services.

The Art Institute

Art Institute's modern wing celebration with free admission and open access to inaugural exhibitions, music, performances, lectures, gallery talks and family programs

Picture Perfect: Art from Caldecott Award Books, 2006-2009
Continuing
Ryan Education Center

The inaugural exhibition in the Modern Wing's Ryan Education Center features original paintings, drawings, and prints from 17 picture books that have received a Caldecott Medal of Honor Award between 2006 and 2009. Named for the 19th-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott, this prestigious annual award recognizes "the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children." Children and parents will all enjoy seeing the illustrations in their favorite books come to life as works of art.

MUSEUM HOURS
10:30 am-5:00 pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
10:30 am-8:00 pm Thursday
10:00 am-5:00 pm Saturday, Sunday
TARGET FREE THURSDAY EVENINGS AFTER 5:00 pm

SUMMER HOURS (from Memorial Day to Labor Day)
10:30 am-5:00 pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
10:30 am-9:00 pm Thursday, Friday
10:00 am-5:00 pm Saturday, Sunday
TARGET FREE SUMMER EVENINGS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AFTER 5:00 pm

Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.
Please check www.artinstituteofchicago.org before your visit.

ADMISSION
Adults $18.00 Includes all special exhibitions and coat check
Children 14 and over, students, and seniors $12.00 Includes all special exhibitions and coat check
Chicago residents receive a $2.00 discount with proof of residency
Children under 14 free
Members always free

Free Evenings are free to all. City of Chicago residents with Chicago Public Library cards can borrow a "Museum Passport" card from any library branch for free general admission to the nine members of Museums in the Park, including the Art Institute of Chicago.

The Art Institute of Chicago is a museum in Chicago's Grant Park, located across from Millennium Park. Visitors can enter the museum via the Michigan Avenue entrance or the Millennium Park entrance on Monroe Street.

A Conversation with Chicago: Contemporary Sculptures from China

Large-scale public sculptures by leading Chinese artists will be exhibited in Chicago’s renowned Millennium Park

Through October 2010

The City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs is excited to announce the exhibition of four large-scale sculptures by four leading Chinese sculptors and installation artists in Millennium Park this spring. Organized especially for the celebrated venue, the presentation brings works by Sui Jianguo, Zhan Wang, Shen Shaomin, and Chen Wenling to Chicago through October 2010. The exhibition is available for all to enjoy free of charge.

In recent years, contemporary Chinese art has emerged from a domestic avant-garde movement into one of the fastest growing and most dynamic components of the international art scene. Representing the current stage of contemporary Chinese art, the four large sculptures, never before seen in the United States, bring the global conversation into one of Chicago’s most popular public spaces. Coming from different regions and educational backgrounds, the artists each employ different materials and visual styles, but they also show commonalities. Each work is intensely engaged with important contemporary issues such as the energy crisis, materialism, and globalization. They also share inspiration from traditional Chinese art, commercial culture, folk art, and industrial machinery as they explore ways to react to a public space.

The sculptural works will be on view in Millennium Park’s outdoor Boeing Gallieries. The piece by Shen Shaomin will be presented in Millennium Park’s North Gallery, while the South Gallery will feature works by Chen Wenling, Sui Jianguo, and Zhan Wang. The exhibition is curated by Wu Hung, University of Chicago Harrie A. Vanderstappen Distinguished Service Professor of Art History and a Consulting Curator for the Smart Museum of Art, and by Millennium Park staff. Contemporary Sculptures from China is presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, Millennium Park, in cooperation with Millennium Park Inc., and is sponsored by The Boeing Company with support from the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation.

Millennium Park is located in the heart of downtown Chicago. It is bordered by Michigan Ave. to the west, Columbus Dr. to the east, Randolph St. to the north and Monroe St. to the south. The Boeing Galleries are located along Millennium Park’s midlevel terraces, just east of Michigan Avenue. Millennium Park is open every day from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Millennium Park is an award-winning center for art, music, architecture, and landscape design. The result of a unique partnership between the City of Chicago and the philanthropic community, the 24.5-acre park features the work of world-renowned architects, planners, artists and designers. Among Millennium Park’s prominent features are the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the most sophisticated outdoor concert venue of its kind in the United States; the interactive Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa; the contemporary Lurie Garden designed by the team of Gustafson Guthrie Nichol, Piet Oudolf and Robert Israel; and Anish Kapoor’s hugely popular Cloud Gate sculpture. Since its opening in July 2004, Millennium Park has hosted more than 15 million people, making it one of the most popular destinations in Chicago

For more information about Contemporary Sculptures from China and Millennium Park, call 312.742.1168 or visit www.millenniumpark.org.

The following artists’ works will be featured:

Sui Jianguo (b. 1956)
Professor and head of the Department of Sculpture at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Sui Jianguo emerged as one of the leading Chinese experimental artists in the early 1990s. His sculptures often respond to China's social and political transformation, and reflect on cultural clashes in the process of globalization. With 'Made in China' engraved on their chests, his larger-than-life toy dinosaurs reference the cheap, mass-produced goods that have become a foundation of the booming Chinese export economy. Witty and incisive, such work questions the source of China's economic prowess as well as a stereotypical image of China in the West.

Zhan Wang (b. 1962)
Having graduated from Beijing's Central Academy of Fine Arts in 1988, Zhan Wang has become world famous for his stainless steel copies of "scholars' rocks" found in classical Chinese gardens. By applying a pliable sheet of steel over a scholar's rock and hammering it thoroughly, he achieves a form that reproduces every minute undulation on the surface of the stone. To him, both the original rock and his stainless copy are material forms created for people's spiritual needs; their different materiality suits different cultural environments at different times. With their glittering surface, ostentatious glamour, and illusory appearance, his stainless rocks symbolize how the Chinese cultural tradition has adapted to today's postmodern conditions and acquired new aesthetic qualities.

Shen Shaomin (b. 1956)
An energetic sculptor, installation-artist, and film maker, Shen Shaoming has been pushing the boundaries of Chinese experimental art through various daring projects. Kowtow Machines---his contribution to this exhibition---is inspired by his childhood experience of growing up near one of China's major oil fields, where numerous oil pumps (which local people call 'Kowtow machines' because of their rhythmic, up-and-down movement) stand next to schools, hospitals and residential compounds. Squeezing the last drops of oil out of the soil, their silent, incessant movement generates anxiety, as if the ground beneath one's feet were being hollowed out. By refitting the mechanical transmission, Shen changes the pumps' stable, uniform motions into twitching, convulsing gestures; the result is like an old man suffering from constricted blood vessels and atrophied nerves, struggling to complete the task before him. Moved from Beijing to Chicago, Kowtow Machines forges a contemporary allegory for the dangerous dependence of modern society on oil production.

Chen Wenlin (b. 1969)
The youngest among the four artists, Chen Wenlin also most acutely responds to the heightened commercialism and materialism that has seized Chinese society in recent years. Made of stainless steel and painted red and gold, his sculptures frequently consist of blissful, self-indulgent human and animal figures, who embrace one other to form a tight, three-dimensional cluster. Chen derives the pig motif---one of his signature images ---from the folk art of his birthplace in Fujian, but he turns this local symbol of wealth into a humanized icon of contemporary Chinese society. His human figures, on the other hand, are often animal-like, absorbed by the simple delight of material possession. Displaying a highly organic style, these images are at once fantastic, ironic, satiric, and comical.
Upcoming Museum Exhibitions

Theatrical Highlights

Dirty Dancing, the worldwide musical smash is having its pre-Broadway US premiere in Chicago! The movie is an entertainment phenomenon with an unforgettable soundtrack. Re-imagined for the stage by the original screenwriter, Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage, explodes with heart-pounding music, breathtaking emotion and sensationally sexy dancing. Step inside the classic story of Baby and Johnny, two fiercely independent young spirits from different worlds, who come together in what will be the most challenging and triumphant summer of their lives told by a tremendous cast of 39 and featuring 35 hit songs, including "Hungry Eyes", "Hey Baby", "Do You Love Me?" and the heart-stopping "I've Had The Time of My Life". www.broadwayinchicago.com

Visitors and Chicagoans planning to entertain out-of-town guests can receive Chicago brochures, reserve hotel accommodations and receive trip-planning assistance by calling toll-free 1.877.CHICAGO (1.877.244.2246), or visiting www.cityofchicago.org/tourism. Brochures and information on Chicago's exciting events and activities are also available at the Visitor Information Centers. The centers are located at Chicago Water Works, 163 East Pearson Street at Michigan Avenue and the Chicago Cultural Center, 77 East Randolph Street. For those calling from outside the United States, Mexico and Canada, please call 1-312-201-8847. The TTY toll-free number for the hearing impaired is 1.866.710.0294.

The Chicago Office of Tourism, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, is the official City agency dedicated to promoting Chicago to domestic and international visitors and to providing innovative visitor programs and services.

MUSEUM HOURS
10:30 am-5:00 pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
10:30 am-8:00 pm Thursday
10:00 am-5:00 pm Saturday, Sunday
TARGET FREE THURSDAY EVENINGS AFTER 5:00 pm

SUMMER HOURS (from Memorial Day to Labor Day)
10:30 am-5:00 pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
10:30 am-9:00 pm Thursday, Friday
10:00 am-5:00 pm Saturday, Sunday
TARGET FREE SUMMER EVENINGS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AFTER 5:00 pm

ADMISSION
Adults $18.00 Includes all special exhibitions and coat check
Children 14 and over, students, and seniors $12.00 Includes all special exhibitions and coat check
Chicago residents receive a $2.00 discount with proof of residency
Children under 14 free
Members always free

Free Evenings are free to all. City of Chicago residents with Chicago Public Library cards can borrow a "Museum Passport" card from any library branch for free general admission to the nine members of Museums in the Park, including the Art Institute of Chicago.

The Art Institute of Chicago is a museum in Chicago's Grant Park, located across from Millennium Park. Visitors can enter the museum via the Michigan Avenue entrance or the Millennium Park entrance on Monroe Street.

Chicago's Special Events

Upcoming Events at Chicago's Other Museums

Museum of Science and Industry

Fans of the blockbuster Harry Potter movies will enjoy Harry Potter: The Exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry. Featuring displays of props and costumes used during the filming of the movies, the exhibition allows visitors the opportunity to experience a piece of movie magic. Visitors will also get a first-hand look at items from the new movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, due in theatres July 2009.

Chicago Cultural Center

World's Largest Tiffany Glass Dome Restored

Chicago's lakefront beaches

The Chicago Park District manages the city's 29 lakefront beaches for the enjoyment of Chicago families and visitors. Chicago's lakefront is also home to the lakefront trail, volleyball, soccer, concessions, golf courses, harbors, bird sanctuaries, and natural areas. Admission to Chicagos beaches is free and open to the public. Lifeguards are on duty daily between Memorial and Labor Day weekends. For more information, please visit www.chicagoparkdistrict.com .

Chicago baseball

Chicago boasts two Major League baseball teams, the Cubs and the White Sox. No summer trip to Chicago would be complete without a visit to Wrigley Field (home of the Chicago Cubs) or U.S. Cellular Field (home of the Chicago White Sox). Enjoy a history lesson while at Wrigley Field, the nations second oldest major league baseball park. U.S. Cellular field offers unique entertainment and authentic ballpark food with a twist. Both ballparks are accessible by rapid transit, which is part of the overall experience. Catch the Cubs on May 26th against the Los Angeles Dodgers and the White Sox on May 24th and 25th against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. For more information, please visit www.chicagocubs.com or www.chicagowhitesox.com .

Garfield Park Conservatory - Sugar from the Sun

The Garfield Park Conservatorys new permanent exhibition, Sugar from the Sun, features 1,850 plants, 200 tons of stone, and 3,900 linear feet of steel. Built in the former Sweet House, this ground-breaking immersion experience will plunge visitors into the life of the Conservatorys tropical collection - from mangos and bananas to oranges and papayas. Visitors will use all five senses as they experience how a plant uses air, water and light to make sugar -- the energy source not only for plants, but for all life on earth. The Conservatory is free and open to the public seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, please visit www.garfield-conservatory.org .

Avenue Q

Avenue Q, an award-winning Broadway musical about trying to make it in New York City with big dreams and a tiny bank account, is opening at Chicagos Cadillac Palace Theatre on May 22nd. This Tony award winning musical was largely inspired by the PBS program Sesame Street and features puppets as most of the main characters. Be among the first theatre-goers to see this performance during its run in Chicago. For more information, please visit www.broadwayinchicago.org .

Chicago's Specific Activities

National Vietnam Veteran's Art Museum

The National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum inspires greater understanding of the real impact of war with a focus on Vietnam. The Museum collects, preserves and exhibits art inspired by combat and created by veterans. Located in the Chicagos South Loop neighborhood, the museum houses over 1500 works of art, including paintings, photography, sculpture, poetry and music. All the works in the Museums permanent collection were created and comprised by more than 100 artists who chronicled their individual experiences from the Vietnam War. The Museum is open Tuesday - Friday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, please visit www.nvvam.org .

Chicago War Memorials

Memorial Day is a day to remember those who served, fought, and died in defense of America. Within Chicago are more than 30 war memorials located throughout the city, giving visitors an opportunity to honor those who served their country while learning about Chicagos rich history and diversity along the way. For more information, please visit www.cityofchicago.org .

HYDE PARK

The Chicago Office of Tourism, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, is the official City agency dedicated to promoting Chicago to domestic and international visitors and to providing innovative visitor programs and services.

It's fine art that visitors are encouraged to touch! "Steelroots: Tobin at The Morton Arboretum," are 12 monumental sculptures - up to 40 feet high - from the influential, contemporary artist, Steve Tobin. His soaring, abstract tree root sculptures seem to burst forth from the earth where they can be seen, to connect visitors with the importance of trees in our environment as well as the metaphorical power of roots. The artist's work allows all to see nature in a new way. All ages, Conifer Collection Area.
Through December 31: 7 a.m. to sunset

Events

SHOWTIME AT THE MORTON ARBORETUM!

Robin Hood, Peter Pan, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Grace the Tree-Lined 'Stage'

Romance, suspense, and adventure are all on the program in the exciting, 2010 'theatre-hike' season that promises to give the whole family a good time this summer at The Morton Arboretum.

'Watching a theatre-hike unfold under a canopy of wondrous, lush summer trees really
gives the audience a new appreciation for trees and theatre,' says Marilyn Baysek,
Arboretum Special Events Manager.

The season began in July in 'the English forest,' where thrilling sword fights erupt in
Robin Hood. When King Richard leaves for war in a foreign land, those in charge of his
kingdom turn out to be cruel and unjust. Amid the tyranny of the High Sheriff of
Nottingham, Robin Hood and a group of loyal friends launch a revolt. Robin also meets a
young maiden, the Lady Marion of York and the two fall madly in love. Will Robin be able
to protect the people of England in Richard's absence? What will become of him and
Lady Marion? Find out when this classic tale comes to life. This show is directed by Dan
Scurek of Aurora, a veteran of several professional theater companies, including Noble
Fool Theatricals, Theatre-Hikes, Steel Beam Theatre, and EverGreen Theatre Ensemble.

J.M. Barrie's classic tale Peter Pan flies to the Arboretum in August. The story unfolds when Peter sneaks into the bedroom of Wendy, John and Michael Darling to retrieve his shadow. With the aid of his fairy friend, Tinker Bell, he finds his shadow, but in the process wakes the Darling children. Peter sprinkles the kids with fairy dust and they are off to Neverland for fantastic adventures with Peter and his crew of Lost Boys. Join Peter, Tinker Bell and the Lost Boys as they fight Indians and the infamous Captain Hook and his pirates. Peter Pan will delight all ages. It's directed by Lavina Jadhwani of
Chicago, who is Artistic Director of Rasaka Theatre Company.

Our Town is in your town! In September, Thornton Wilder's Our Town will take visitors along with the Webb and Gibbs families as their children fall in love, marry, and
encounter many of life's early 20th century issues. Our Town is directed by Adam
Webster of Chicago, who has directed the past Arboretum theatre-hikes Frankenstein,
Dracula, and the theatre-bike The Duck Variations. Currently Webster is the artistic
director of the Rogers Park company: The Side Project.

Just in time for October, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde stalk the woods of the Arboretum. Dr. Jekyll is searching to find a potion that will eliminate the 'bad' in people. He mixes a concoction that he believes will work and tests it on himself. Instead of removing his 'bad,' he actually brings out an alternate „bad‰ persona, Mr. Hyde. Around the same time, a series of murders occurs in London. Coincidence? Come find out! Directed by a familiar face on the Theatre-Hikes˙ circuit, Bradley Baker has acted in and directed previous shows including, Key Exchange, Treasure Island, Little Women, Mountain Days, and Jackie, An American Life. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is recommended for children ages 13 and older.

Each theatre-hike presents a different scene at a different location on the Arboretum
grounds. Audience members hike to each location to enjoy the unfolding story. Regular
hikes are on Saturdays and low-impact hikes (suitable for strollers, walkers and
wheelchairs) are on Sundays. Hikes begin at the Thornhill Education Center. Tickets $8-
$19 with discounts for Arboretum members.

Peter Pan: 14-15, 21-22, 28-29, from 1- 3:30 p.m.
Our Town : September 11-12, 18-19, 25-26, from 1 - 3:30 p.m.
Dr. Jeykll and Mr. Hyde: October 2-3, 9-10-11 (Columbus Day), 16-17, 23-24, 30-31, from 1 - 3:30 p.m.

The Morton Arboretum gratefully acknowledges our sponsors: ComEd; Illinois Arts
Council; Edy's Ice Cream, sponsors of Youth and Family Programs; and Blue Cross and
Blue Shield of Illinois, sponsors of Healthy Living.

More Events

See beautiful gardens, woodlands, wetlands and prairies in a tram tour. This 50-minute
tour aboard the open-air Acorn Express explains the rich Arboretum history, and
describes the trees and plants you'll see. There's also an opportunity to see lovely wildlife
in a native habitat. Tickets are $6 for adults, $5 for those aged 2-17; Arboretum member
discounts are available. Call 630-968-0074 for times.
Daily through October, (weather permitting)

Unless otherwise specified, all Arboretum events and destinations including the Children's Garden are free with Arboretum admission. The 2010 rates are:
$11/adult, ($7 on Wednesday), ages 18-64
$10/senior, ($6 on Wednesday), ages 65 and over
$8/child ($5 on Wednesday), ages 2-17
Under age 2 is free
Parking is free

Rockford’s First-Ever Indoor Water Resort Opens at the Clock Tower Resort

CoCo Key Water Resort is one of the state’s first major indoor water resorts. Virtual tours of Rockford’s new 60,000 square foot indoor waterpark are now being given at www.cocokeywaterresort.com. 

To make a reservation visit www.cocokeywaterresort.com or call The Clock Tower at (815) 398-6000.

CoCo Key is a multi-million dollar attraction with a tropically inspired theme. Brightly colored cabanas, swaying palms, fragrant hibiscus, native artwork and thatched roofs complement the resort’s casual Key West theme.  Dubbed by Nick Jr. Magazine as one of the top family destinations for 2007, it showcases three thrilling water slides, a Coral Reef activity pool, “dip-in” floating movie theater, adventure river, indoor/outdoor spa, Parrot’s Perch interactive play island, outdoor splash pad, Pizza Hut™ and A&W® snack bar, arcade, SunDial Restaurant and Bar, and five event/birthday party rooms.

The event/birthday party rooms feature murals painted by renowned Rockford artist, Lee Rogers.  All four party rooms are open now and so is the resort’s new 10,000 square foot arcade, the Key Quest Arcade. This state-of-the-art arcade features more than 75 games and a swipe and play card system, so guests don’t have to carry around large pockets of change.

In addition, there's the SunDial Restaurant and Bar.  The SunDial’s executive Chef, Michael Sefton, hosted a holiday event and menu tasting when it opened with samples of Chef Sefton’s mouthwatering menu specialties, including Homemade Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes. 

Clock Tower Resort is a one-of-a-kind property featuring 247 spacious guest rooms, 14 loft suites and three whirlpool suites. All guest rooms have been updated with new bedroom packages.  The Clock Tower’s spectacular 50,000-square-foot racquet and recreation center includes: multiple tennis, volleyball and racquetball courts; outdoor pavilion and gardens. The Clock Tower also completely transformed its lobby, ballrooms, meeting spaces and public areas. 

Its 30,000 square feet of versatile conference and banquet space and the new WetRooster Restaurant make the Clock Tower a favorite destination for leisure and business travelers, as well as meetings, events and weddings.

Reservations and consumer information are available at (815) 398-6000 or www.cocokeywaterresort.com.

Rocky Glen OHV Park

(US 20 & South Main Street, Rockford, IL) is a 120-acre site featuring miles of trails along the Rock River.  In addition, Rocky Glen offers three scramble areas of different difficulty levels.  There is a lake on the property, plenty of open terrain and winding courses full of jumps and mature trees. The park is designed for four-wheel off highway vehicles, all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles. No snowmobiles, dune buggies, passenger jeeps or SUVs are allowed. You must have your own vehicle; there are no rentals. Cost: Daily ride $20. Kids under 12 years old are $8. Call 815.963.8081 or log on to www.rockyglenohv.com for more information.

Rock Cut State Park

(7318 Harlem Road, Loves Park, IL 61111)  is the place for outdoor adventure! Two lakes set off the park’s 3,092 acres. Pierce Lake, with 162 acres, is a retreat for fishing enthusiasts. A second 50-acre Olson Lake is especially for swimmers. Rounding out the park’s recreational options are biking, camping, hiking, horseback riding trails and cross-country skiing. For more information call 815.885.3311 or log on to http://www.dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/R1/ROCKCUT.HTM.

Rockford is located in north-central Illinois, just a 60-minute drive west of Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, at the juncture of I-90, I-39 and US Highway 20. For more information about weekend getaways in the Rockford Region, log on to www.gorockford.com, e-mail info@gorockford.com or phone 800.521.0849.

Discover the Secret Gardens of Rockford

Stroll an exquisite Japanese Garden…purchase exotic hybrids from a daylily grower…explore 150 acres of unusual trees, shrubs and perennials.

If you think this sounds like British Columbia or North Carolina, think again! It’s Illinois’ Rockford Region…one of Illinois’ three largest cities, just 60 minutes west of Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.  Incongruous?  Well, take another look at the “City of Gardens” and its 10,000 acres of parks and public gardens. Here’s a tiny sample of what you can experience:

Anderson Japanese Gardens was voted the best Japanese garden in North America in 2004, by the readers of the Roth Journal of Japanese Gardening. The 12-acre treasure is open for self-guided tours daily May through October and features waterfalls, ponds, paths, quiet corners and 16^th Century Sukiya-style structures, including a guesthouse, teahouse and gazebo.  New visitor center with restaurant, gift shop and art gallery to open in Summer 2007. Hours are 10 am to 5 pm Monday-Friday, 10 am to 4 pm Saturday and 12 noon to 4 pm Sunday, with special early-morning hours for those seeking a quiet place to meditate or pray.  Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for students. Guided tours for groups are available by appointment. Log on to www.andersongardens.org.

Ellison Perennials --

is world-famous for creating more than 50 daylily hybrids. Ellison also specializes in hosta cultivars, shade plants and sun-loving perennials. People travel to Rockford from all over the world to buy Ellison’s plants.  The retail gardens are open April through October. Hours are 8 am to 5 pm Monday-Saturday April-July, and 8 am to 5 pm Thursday-Saturday August-October. Admission is free, including several annual events.  (Ellison’s private residential garden is open for group tours by appointment, for a nominal fee.) Log on to www.gardensights.com/ellison.

Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden --

began in 1910 as a 150-acre nursery, planted with unusual trees, shrubs and woody plants from the owner’s world-wide trips.  Today, the Northern Illinois Botanical Society (NIBS) operates the site, which showcases spring blossoms, summer flowers, fall foliage and winter evergreens, plus themed gardens, sculptures, mazes and fountains. When an international team of botanists inventoried the site, they said there was only one other place in the entire world with such diverse and mature plant specimens…in France! Echoing the botanical theme are an art gallery, gift shop, library and spacious education center. Hours are 9 am to 4 pm daily year-round. Admission is $2 for people age 16 and up; admission to special events is additional. For more info, logon to www.klehm.org.

Sinnissippi Gardens --

Rockford’s river-side garden spot includes an annual garden meticulously planted with colorful bedding plants, a floral clock planted each year with thousands of annuals, an accredited rose garden plus a lagoon and fishpond graced by Mute Swans. The gardens are a favorite spot for outdoor weddings and the nature path along the river is a popular jogging and walking site. Admission is free.

For more information about the Rockford Region’s garden spots, log on on to www.gorockford.com, phone 815.963.8111 or fax 815.963.4298.king site. Admission is free.

In the first two months of her opening, Jane saw more than 20,000 visitors, including renowned paleontology experts. “Jane is certainly one of the top paleontological finds in my lifetime,” says Peter Larson, Founder/President, Black Hills Institute of Geological Research, Hill City, SD.

Ever since her discovery in 2001 by a Burpee team of amateur dinosaur-hunterson an expedition to the southeast Montana Badlands, Jane has stirred world-widedebate among paleontologists. Was she a Nanotyrannus, a “pygmy tyrant” related toTyrannosaurus rex? A juvenile T.rex? Or something else? After much consideration, Jane was found to be a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex.

“She was only 11 when she died, at a crucial stage in her life cycle…just before a dramatic ‘superpuberty’ growth spurt transformed her into the massive, lumbering adultwe know as T. rex,” says Michael Henderson, Museum Curator. For three years, Henderson, the leader of Burpee’s “Jane Team,” journeyed throughout the US and Canada, conferring with expert paleontologists and scientists to determine Jane’s identity and her proper place on the dinosaur family tree.-

 “Jane is the gold standard by which every other juvenile T. Rex will be measuredfrom now on,” explained Henderson. “Her skeleton is in fabulous condition and is 80percent complete by bone mass. All the important bones are there.”Diary of a Dinosaur not only reveals Jane’s true identity, but also traces heramazing life story via a 2,000-square-foot permanent exhibit that delights and fascinatesdino-afficianados of all ages. It features colorful graphics, computer-generated animations and hands-on inter-actives.The exhibit’s magnificent centerpiece is Jane herself, a statuesque 7.5 feet tall at the hips and a slender 21 feet long from nose to tail-tip. She is a perfect example of the three qualities paleontologists value most: rarity, completeness and quality of preservation. Her fossilized skeleton is in exquisite condition, from her skull containingsix-inch-long razor-sharp teeth and tiny channels for nerves and blood vessels, to her long, powerful legs and graceful tail. The surrounding exhibit is arranged in four “chapters:”

• Jane’s World: A flat-screen TV shows the barren landscape where Jane was found. With the press of a button, it transforms into the lush forest of 66 million years ago, and Late Cretaceous creatures appear, along with Jane.

• While Jane Lay Buried: A time-line spans the 66 million years from Jane’s life to her discovery, and interactive stations explore the possible causes of extinction of dinosaurs, the rise of mammals, the spread of grasslands and the Ice Age glaciers.

• Discovery: Visitors to a replica of Camp Needmore (the expedition’s base camp) can watch “home movies” about Jane’s discovery and excavation, flip through photo albums, see other Montana fossils and pick up a phone to hear Burpee benefactor Jane Solem talk about how she felt about loaning her name to Jane.

• Stories Written in Jane’s Bones: The piece d’ resistance is a fully-restored skeleton of Jane, zeroing in on her prey, a smaller, plant-eating dinosaur called Thescelosaurus neglectus. A pterosaur glides by overhead, and a full-grown T.rex lurks in the shadows.

Burpee Museum of Natural History is located on the west bank of the Rock River at 737 N. Main St. in downtown Rockford’s River District. It began in 1941 as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) program in two historic mansions. Today, a modern three-story addition includes exhibits such as The First People (life-sized Native American dwellings), Windows to Wilderness (wildlife of the Rock River Valley), a Carboniferous Coal Forest, an Ordovician Sea Floor, life-size skeletal casts of a T. rex and a Colombian Wooly Mammoth, plus many more fossils and mineral specimens. Museum hours are: Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 12 noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and $4 for students/children ages 3-17. Wednesdays are free days for everyone. (Admission is always free for members, and the $55 annual family membership fee includes free admission to the Chicago Museum of Science & Industry and more than 200 other science museums throughout the United States.)

For more info, phone 815-965-3433 or log on to www.burpee.org.

For those who wish to fly, both Northwest Airlines and Hooters Air serve Rockford’s Northwest Chicagoland International Airport, along with several charter airlines. For details, log on to www.flyrfd.com. Car rental is available at the airport.

ROCK ISLAND