Saturday, August 19, 2006
The Rockford Files
By Henrylito D. Tacio
A CITY of Gardens, a Region of Four Rivers, and Smile Capital of the United States. These are just some of the descriptions bestowed to Rockford, the third largest city in Illinois -- after Chicago and Springfield (at least in population). Rockford in the city where stayed for a day on our way from Ohio to Minnesota.
Rockford is considered a world-class family town. From a beautifully restored T. rex with a dangerous grin to a fun-filled children's museum to the largest water park in Illinois, it's all right here in Rockford.
If you happen to visit this city, your first stopover should be the Burpee Museum of Natural History.
Established in 1941, it opened to the public the following year. The current complex is made up of four buildings: the Solem Wing, the Manny Mansion, the Barnes Mansion, and the Water Lab. One of the museum's most recent additions is Jane, a 65 million year old tyrannosaur. "Jane is one of the top ten finds in the history of paleontology," says Dr Peter Larson, who led the team that discovered Chicago's Sue.
Right next door to Burpee Museum is the Discovery Center, the only museum rated in the Top Ten in the state of Illinois. Boasting 18,000 square feet of interior exhibit space and an 8,000 square foot "Outdoor Science Park," it is full of over 250 exciting hands-on exhibits for children and adults alike.
If swimming is your liking, then go to Magic Waters Water Park, the second-largest publicly owned water park in the United States. Whether it's slithering down eleven slides, tubing in the lazy river or just soaking up rays, fun is the order of the day.
In fact, if fun were measured in gallons, the total would be impressive: 1,000,310 gallons of fun, to be exact.
The favorite attraction is "Breaker Beach," the 650,000-gallon wave pool (yes, you read it right!), with its rhythmic undulating waves that send heads bobbing like buoys and ripples of laughing swimmers towards shore.
Equally important is the Klehm Arboretum and Botanic Garden. From humble beginnings as a nursery planted from scratch by the Taylor family in 1910, it has grown to a one-of-a-kind haven for plant life boasting over 1,000 various species of trees, shrubs and perennials.
The centerpiece is the entire collection is what staff members call the Century Oak -- the tallest and one of the oldest oaks at more than 150 years old. So unique and precious is the treasured bur oak that it is wired with lightning resistant cable for protection. Other relics include 300-year-old cherry trees, which were a part of the grounds before the nursery was started.
For golf enthusiasts, Rockford is a haven. It's often said that there's a church -- and a golf course -- on every corner in Rockford. Among the famous ones are the Sinnissippi, Elliot, Atwood Homestead, Macktown, and The Ledges.
Aldeen Golf Club, the city's crown jewel and a true championship track, was rated 4.5 stars by Golf Digest magazine.
Outside Rockford, you can visit the breathtaking Tinker Swiss Cottage. A rare example of Victorian exotic architecture, it was built by early Rockford industrialist and Rockford mayor Robert Tinker.
Parquet floors, ornate woodwork, murals, sculptures, spiral staircase, with the family's original furnishings and belongings in place. Recently, the Cottage completed restoring the suspension bridge first built across Kent Creek in 1870.
The Rockford City is located smack dab in the middle of America at the top of Illinois, just 20 miles south of Wisconsin border. Coach USA provides 17 shuttles daily between Rockford's major hotels and Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and 7 shuttles daily between Rockford and Midway Airport.
Yes, the city rocks!
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