Illinois
7 Illinois Towns that Were Ranked Among US Favorites in 2024
Boasting some of the nation’s most unique states and biggest cities, the American Midwest is a mesmerizing tapestry of landforms with all kinds of small towns. Whether you’re hankering for an escape from Chicago or out of state, Illinois’ top gems offer a unique medley of the region’s history, culture, and nature. Echoing the past through civil war sites, Lebanon is a former stop along the Underground Railroad, as is Princeton, home to the painting-like Hornbaker Gardens.
Rockton offers another natural sojourn amid preserves, with its charming shops for knick-knacks and treats, as well as the “Historic Auto Attractions,” while the serene Fabyan Forest Preserve Japanese bestows a sensual experience in the Dutch-settled town of Geneva. Venturing beyond the cityscape, you will discover picturesque meadows and river towns that compel even worldwide travelers, starting with Galena, an architectural jewel of the Prairie State.
Galena
Once home to President Ulysses S. Grant, wandering the cobblestone streetscape of Galena frames your discoveries in a vintage painting. Resonating tales of the bygone era against the preserved 19th-century architectural marvels, Galena’s legacy from lead mining comprises your “historical experiences” and the charming Main Street with its inns, local shops, and eateries. Visitors can browse for one-of-a-kind gifts, home decor, and antiques, among the other miscellanea that catch your eye at Tin-Pan Alley Antique Mall and handmade crafts at the Country Crafts & Store. Cross the scenic Galena River for an insightful tour of the Civil War general’s and then the 18th US president’s residence. In addition, the Galena & US History Museum vividly displays American history for every age, while the Old Blacksmith Shop offers a live demonstration of age-perfected skill.
If you love root beer as much as this north Illinois town with an affinity for these non-alcoholic suds, stop by the unique Museum of Root Beer, and after, enjoy a frosty mug of sweet suds at the adjacent Root Beer Revelry. Others know Galena as a wine destination with plentiful quality wineries, like the iconic Galena Cellars. Vineyards Winery is at its prime for the harvest season to receive visitors for a stroll before taste testing at Rocky Waters Winery and settling with a glass at Massbach Ridge Winery. Galena on the Fly offers an unforgettable sunrise experience to see the town and patchwork landscape under the first rays, lighting the Mississippi River horizon. Extinguish the hunger bug with an empanada or a box of macaroons, both of which Bakehouse excels at, while Klein’ Market Bakery sells homemade pies and Bread & Vine—perfect to stock up for a picnic by the river.
Geneva
Geneva, a small urban town along the Fox River shores, greets visitors with a vibrant spirit and a festive feel along its Dutch-inspired streets. Waking up early one day is worth the crowd-free landscape that transports you straight overseas with meticulously crafted houses and a calming atmosphere. The Fabyan Windmill stands as a symbol of the charming culture—a whisper of a time gone by and the promise of a day filled with cultural attractions. For lunch, settle for a sense of the culinary scene at Fiora’s restaurant, where delectable Italian cuisine is made from locally sourced ingredients, or at the farm-to-table Atwater’s by the river, both sporting European digs.
From tasty treats and fun family pursuits to town greens and golf courses, revealing the town’s true character and love for entertainment, St. Peter Catholic Church is an absolute must-experience during a service. Dryden Park features a playground, while magnificent experiences continue at the serene Fabyan Forest Preserve Japanese Garden, a real retreat for the senses that throws you into the Far East. After a stroll along the picturesque riverside from the Trailhead, Illinois Prairie Path, Geneva Spur, or Gunnar Anderson Forest Preserve with cultural landmarks, make a stop at the treasure trove of history, the Geneva History Museum, with interesting artifacts that narrate Geneva’s up-and-coming.
Lebanon
Just about 30 miles from St. Louis, Missouri, Lebanon is one of the state’s prettiest college towns. The McKendree University campus is largely responsible for this aura. Narrating its backstory through an architectural neverland, a walking tour of the historic district discloses the tales behind these lovingly preserved buildings from the time that Lebanon was a stop along the Underground Railroad. Enjoy the youthful vibe and the small town appeal, including the nearby university bookstore and the Looking Glass Playhouse. Flaunting Horner Park in the northern corner, this cozy wildlife spot under an old-growth canopy features a vast fishing pond, nature paths, and sports fields.
Having once welcomed Charles Dickens, the unique Mermaid House Hotel is a charming bed and breakfast and a historic landmark steeped in folklore about hosting Abraham Lincoln around the same time. Catch an exciting game at Leemon Field, in the heart of town, while the nearby McKendree Metro Rec Plex offers a whole itinerary in chance of forecast, from swimming to ice hockey, diving, and water polo. Many get excited by the opportunity to browse through manuscripts and artifacts for insights into the town’s evolution at the McKendree University Archives and Special Collections, and all gather to enjoy the impressive views from the Bell Tower.
Nauvoo
The serenity of this small town is ironically loud, making Nauvoo unmissable along the banks of the gushing Mississippi River. As the former home of an early Latter-day Saints community, Nauvoo’s allure lies in its expression of this historical significance through charmingly preserved buildings. Upholding a piece of forgotten history, the eye-catching Nauvoo Temple and the Joseph Smith Historic Site offer the literal embodiment of Lebanon’s culture. Its heirloom, the breath-taking temple, is an edifice of enduring faith, while the latter site features restored homes, workshops, and gardens that transport you straight back to the 1840s. Disappear amid natural sights and sounds at Nauvoo State Park, a beautiful outdoor space to relax mind, body, and soul, with trails for the active.
Promising a fun time to unwind, Baxter’s Vineyards & Winery offers a tranquil ambiance through its lush vineyards that yield exquisite wines. At sundown, enjoy a quiet conversation with a loved one over a glass at Press House Winery. Many experience a gush of feeling alone on the Trail of Hope while retracing the steps of driven-out pioneer saints, while the Nauvoo Historical Society continues the journey through its artifacts and stories from the past. The exquisite hand-painted murals and period antiques at Rheinberger House Museum will surely lift your spirits, while the freshly baked aroma from Nuvoo’s Scovil Bakery of delicious cookies beckons visitors in for a tour of an 1840s chef lifestyle while successfully filling your stomach with delights and treats for family back home.
Princeton
Home to a landmark red-covered bridge and the Lovejoy Homestead, Princeton bursts with character and charisma. Tour the Owen Lovejoy House, a stop on the Underground Railroad, and find not one but two covered bridges just on the outskirts. The old-timey main street poses a backdrop for selfies while browsing through shops and antique malls. A trademark of remarkable preservation of its rich heritage as an essential Amtrak station, the vintage town feels lost amid yet complements its surrounding natural beauty. Boasting numerous scenic bike trails to seek solace in nature, the picturesque Matthiessen State Park is a real playground for adventures and photography, with its stunning canyons, waterfalls, and scenic hiking trails.
Nearby, the painting-like Hornbaker Gardens frames nature lovers and couples in with flowers, water features, and various plants, like daylilies and hostas, to saunter along on a peaceful afternoon. The vibrant Art District showcases local artworks and unique crafts, while the Bureau County Historical Society Museum delves into the region’s past, including pioneering exhibits and tales as well as Native American heritage. Commemorate your visit to Princeton, a cradle of history, with a selfie across the Red Covered Bridge spanning Big Bureau Creek. The whimsical serenity at Soldiers and Sailors Park transports you to a fairyland with art installations and memorials, while the nearby Hennepin Canal Parkway offers a picturesque hike for the active type.
Rockton
Drenched in the greenery of the surrounding preserves like Roland Olson Forest Preserve and Kinnikinnick Creek Nature Preserve to the east, Rockton is steeped in history. Most known for its “Historic Auto Attractions,” this eclectic collection of famous cars, TV memorabilia, and artifacts from American presidents delights families, car lovers, and historians alike. After a stop at the iconic Blackhawk Farms Raceway, take a stroll back in time through Macktown Forest Preserve, with its brick buildings in the heart of town. The sprawling Hononegah Forest Preserve across the river offers a delightful place to escape the midday heat. Why not make this woodland on the Rock River, just a hop from downtown, your summertime natural retreat with sports fields, a boat launch, picnic shelters, and even campsites?
Filled with local shops for gifts and treats like candy and chocolate at Sugar Britches and ice cream stores, Deedee’s Mn. Street Coffee will become your morning tradition to browse through decor for sale while enjoying a locally procured high-quality coffee. Don’t miss the family-owned Gem Shop in a custom design studio and Ric-Rac Embellishments & Gifts. Families enjoy a quick detour just north to Riverside Park in Beloit, with charming and comic large-scale creatures painted in vibrant colors, as well as a pond with fountains, paddle boats, picnic facilities, a playground, and live lawn events. From the open trails through Atwood Homestead Forest Preserve by the Rock River to the lush footpaths at Carl and Myrna Nygren Wetland Preserve, you’ll be ready to unwind in affordable luxury at DC Estate Winery to the east.
St. Charles
This historic riverside town, neighboring Geneva to the north along the Fox River, has something for your impromptu escape year-round. Revealing its artsy character and significance in American history with an architecture-filled downtown, find nature nearby at the waterfront Pottawatomie Park with full and mini-golf, a pool, boat rentals, and a native garden. Across the river, take a stroll along the accessible boardwalk at the Ferson Creek Fen Nature Preserve or the Ferson Creek Park with a playground, where Ferson Creek flows into the river. The scent from Alexanders Cafe 64, a daytime cafe and bar, will beckon you in for breakfast or a sandwich to-go, serving cocktails in a contemporary space with a fireplace. Whether you’re in for the easily scenic St. Charles River Trail or aiming at St. Charles Trail Head to hit the Great Western Trail, don’t miss the town’s most iconic cultural attraction.
Arcada Theatre, a 1920s gem, delights patrons with performances, cabarets, musicals, and classic movies, along with a full-service bar serving up homemade sangria. Don’t miss Hoarders Trading Post, a record store, and see what piece of furniture catches your eye at the top-rated Trend + Relic. After checking off landmarks like the Beith House Museum and the iconic Hotel Baker, take a horse-drawn carriage ride with Noble Horse. Snug against a wide part of the river, the canopied Norris Woods Nature Preserve is drenched in serenity, while Garfield Farm Museum displays 1840s farming life through interactive experiences. Just north, the 67-acre Fow River Bluff West Forest Preserve offers an off-leash dog area, trails, and access to fishing. Take the Fox River Paddlewheel Riverboat or embark on a relaxing riverboat cruise when the city lights paint the water’s surface.
From the Arcada Theater in St. Charles to the Mermaid House in Lebanon, which hosted Dickens, Galena on the Fly captures the essence of the patchwork over the Mississippi as the horizon bears the sun into the heavens. Nauvoo, the salt of the earth town, adds yet another dimension to the mélange with its breathtaking temple and the Trail of Hope. Together with Geneva, these two towns have leverage as favorite wine destinations in Illinois, just in time to visit for harvest season!
These towns, tangled within prairie lands, state parks, and rivers, pulse with authenticity through every brick and cobblestone. In St. Charles, take a horse-drawn carriage ride, the Fox River Paddlewheel Riverboat or a relaxing riverboat cruise as the sunset paints the water’s surface. Each town, worthy of a spot among the best, is just a puzzle piece of the state and the greater Midwest mosaic. The neighbors of St. Charles and Geneva will get you two towns down in completing the picture.
The National Weather Service has teams of storm surveryors in the field April 18 investigating several reports of severe storms and tornado touch downs across eastern Iowa, northwest Illinois and northeast Missouri.
According to the weather service’s website, windgusts of up to 60 to 70 mph along with teacup-sized hail and several tornadoes were reported April 17.
Many homes and outbuildings were damaged, trees were uprooted and power lines were downed in Lena, Illinois, where the most significant damage occurred, the site pointed out.
Very strong winds also were reported near Washington, Iowa, and Colmar, Illinois, where several outbuildings and grain bins were destroyed.
The weather service received reports of confirmed and possible tornadoes in the areas of Lena, Pecatonica, Shirland, Rockton, Roscoe and Capron.
The teams will be assessing damage this weekend into next week along with county emergency management teams to determine what types of storms occurred and their paths.
Dozens of power outages were reported, as well.
As of the afternoon of April 18, ComEd was reporting 85 active power outages across northern Illinois, down from 241 on April 17, and 6,751 customers affected, down from more than 18,000.
The bulk of those outages and the most customers impacted are concentrated in Jo Daviess and Stephenson counties.
Freeze Watch
from MON 12:00 AM CDT until MON 9:00 AM CDT, Lake County, Kankakee County, La Salle County, DuPage County, Northern Will County, DeKalb County, Southern Will County, Kendall County, Southern Cook County, Northern Cook County, Grundy County, Eastern Will County, Kane County, McHenry County, Lake County, Newton County, Jasper County, Porter County
Illinois
‘Credit card chaos’? Financial institutions bet big on repeal of first-of-its-kind Illinois law
“Credit cards may not work for sales tax or tips starting July 1.”
By now, you’ve heard that claim, but whether it’s true depends on who you ask.
The ads — funded by the Electronic Payments Coalition of banks, credit unions and card companies — argue that Illinois lawmakers must repeal the state’s first-in-the-nation Interchange Fee Prohibition Act, slated to take effect July 1. That law prohibits financial institutions from charging “swipe,” or interchange, fees on the tax and tip portions of consumer bills and bans them from making up the fees elsewhere.
If it’s not repealed? “Credit card chaos” may ensue, the ads warn.
While the financial institutions are quick to cite a list of things that could hypothetically happen if the law isn’t repealed, it’s harder to pin down what’s being done and by who to comply with the law two years after it was signed.
“The global payment system is not set up to where any one party to a transaction can make this happen on their own,” Ashley Sharp, of the Illinois Credit Union Association said at a Capitol news conference Wednesday. “There are multiple parties to every electronic transaction.”
The financial institutions are adamant that the global payment system as it exists today can’t discern the difference between tax, tips and total, and it would need to be retooled at a heavy cost to banks, card companies, merchants, point-of-sale companies and more.
Instead of complying, they say, the card companies could decide to stop serving Illinois or drastically alter the way the consumer interacts with merchants at the point of sale.
An alternate reality
But as with all matters in Springfield, there’s another big-monied and powerful group on the other side of the issue. The Illinois Retail Merchants Association says the credit card companies already track all the information they need, and it’s a “complete fabrication” to say that it would take more than a mere coding change to implement the state law.
Take your restaurant receipt, for example.
“You have the subtotal, the sales tax, the tip, if it’s applicable, and then the grand total, right? All they have to do is move their fee from the grand total to the subtotal,” Rob Karr, president of IRMA, said.
While card networks operate in over 200 countries with as many different laws, they say the only information the card processors ask for in any of them is the grand total. The receipt example, they say, erroneously conflates the point of sale with the actual processing of payments.
In short, the two sides present starkly different realities — a muddying of the water that’s not uncommon at the Capitol.
But there is one concrete truth: The financial institutions have a lot to lose, and not just in Illinois.
The tax and tip prohibition would shave approximately 10% off the revenue that banks and credit unions receive from retailers via interchange fees — a transfer of wealth likely to number in the hundreds of millions. It would also create massive noncompliance fines.
And then there’s the issue of precedent. The banks challenged the law but lost in court. Absent a successful appeal, the remaining battlefields would be other state legislatures.
If the card companies implement Illinois’ law, they’d be providing a blueprint for states across the nation to emulate — driving potential revenue loss into the billions.
Thus far, Ben Jackson of the Illinois Bankers Association said, it hasn’t opened the floodgates, although some 30 states are considering similar action.
Still, it’s no wonder then, that the Electronic Payments Coalition has pulled out all the stops in its seven-figure ad campaign to repeal the law.
How we got here
To fully understand the ongoing slugfest between banks and retailers, you have to go back to May 2024.
But first, an explanation of interchange fees. Each time a shopper swipes their credit or debit card, it sets off a complicated string of payments between banks. The retailer’s bank pays an “interchange fee,” typically around 1% to 2% of the transaction cost, to the consumer’s bank. The fees include both a set amount and a percentage of the transaction, but the credit card companies, namely Visa and Mastercard, control how they’re calculated.
The financial institutions say interchange fees help fund credit card reward programs and security upgrades and provide compensation for bearing the risk of fraud. The hit to interchange revenue, Jackson said, would inevitably lessen reward program offerings. Sharp said credit unions, as not-for-profit cooperatives, use the revenue to offer lower rates to customers.
But the fees have long drawn the ire of retailers and small businesses, which sometimes pass the costs directly to consumers via a surcharge on bills.
It comes down to this: The retailers don’t think they should have to pay a fee on the tax and tip portion of a transaction that they don’t keep. And the financial institutions say if they’re handling those funds, they should be compensated for doing so via interchange fees.
As for the Illinois law’s passage, it was, as the ads claim, tucked into the budget two years ago, giving little time for the bankers et al to mount an opposition campaign.
Gov. JB Pritzker and lawmakers agreed to raise about $101 million in revenue to plug a budget hole by putting a $1,000 monthly cap on the “retailer’s exemption,” a tax break retailers claim for being the state’s de facto sales tax collectors.
But the retailers weren’t going to take that lying down, and IRMA successfully lobbied for the long-sought tax and tip exemption.
After the law passed, the financial institutions quickly sued.
To avoid uncertainty as the case played out, lawmakers delayed the measure’s effective date from July 1 last year to the same date this year.
U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall ultimately determined in February that Illinois is within its right to regulate the fees. She partially rejected a portion of the law that prohibited banks from sharing certain data, which the credit unions say creates different rules for different institutions and further uncertainty.
The case is now pending appeal, and the legislative process is starting anew.
This time, the financial institutions have mounted a dual front in the court of public opinion.
The cost of compliance
Karr estimated the prohibition would bring in “north of $200 million” for retailers — essentially letting them pocket that sum instead of transferring it to the banks. A study by the Electronic Payments Coalition pegged the number at $118 million, estimating that about 40% of the interchange windfall would go to the 40 largest retailers.
Even so, Karr said, the largest retailers are subject to the $1,000 monthly retailer exemption cap that accompanied the swipe fee ban, while smaller retailers don’t reach that mark. Add in their cut on reimbursed swipe fees, and it amounts to what Karr calls “the largest small business relief that Illinois has ever passed.”
But Jackson argued the cost of retailers complying could eat up any benefits for smaller retailers.
As for compliance, Kendall wrote in her February opinion that “It is an open question whether the transaction process could adapt to the impact of the IFPA in time.”
“The Interchange Fee Provision is indisputably disruptive, requiring additional investments, hires, and new procedures to replace the current process for authorizing and settling debit and credit card transactions,” she wrote.
The financial institutions argue it can’t all be done by July 1. Kendall said the parties involved know what’s required of them.
“But those procedural changes are the product of an ecosystem built by Payment Card Networks and financial institutions to facilitate consumer transactions,” she wrote. “And these entities understand the onus of IFPA compliance is on them.”
Per the coalition, compliance “would require coordination across the industry and regulators worldwide,” including with the International Organization for Standardization. It would also require more data collection, creating privacy concerns, they say.
Those global changes would require testing and certification of new equipment. Depending on their card companies or point-of-sale vendors, retailers may need to invest in new equipment, software and training.
Banks and credit unions may also have to add staff to process rebates under the law. It allows retailers or their processing companies to petition their financial institutions for reimbursement on fees charged on tax and tips within 180 days of a transaction.
If financial institutions don’t comply within 30 days, the law provides for civil penalties of $1,000 per each transaction — and hundreds of millions of these transactions happen annually.
So will that chaos come to fruition?
Instead of complying, according to the coalition’s literature, the card companies could just stop processing cards altogether in Illinois. They could also stop processing tax and tip portions or require two separate swipes for the subtotal and the tax and tip portion of bills.
Such claims aren’t uncommon in the legislature’s annual adjournment push.
Sports betting companies, for example, threatened to leave Illinois when the state raised its gambling taxes in the same budget cycle that yielded the interchange fee prohibition two years ago. Instead, they adapted, because Illinois has a lot of bettors — and there’s even more card users.
Karr accused the coalition of ulterior motives in their use of hypothetical language.
“There is no need for chaos,” he said. “The only chaos is if the credit card companies impose it themselves on their consumers.”
Ultimately, lawmakers will have to weigh how compelling the arguments are, if the courts don’t intervene first.
It’s possible that the 7th Circuit appellate court — or even the U.S. Supreme Court — gives the banks a win. But oral arguments are slated for May 13, meaning the appellate court might not rule by the time the law is slated to take effect.
Adding a new wrinkle on Wednesday, the federal office of the Comptroller of the Currency, a subset of the U.S. Treasury Department, appeared poised to issue an order preempting Illinois’ law. It hadn’t been published as of late Wednesday, making its impact unclear.
“While the office has failed to explain their reasoning or allow public review, it’s clear the goal is an end-run around the legal process after a judge recently upheld the law,” Karr said.
As for the legislative prospects, state Rep. Margaret Croke, D-Chicago, says she’s seen enough to be concerned. The Democratic nominee for comptroller is sponsoring a bill to fully repeal Illinois’ interchange fee prohibition.
But as of last week, she said she wasn’t planning to move it. Instead, she finds it more likely that lawmakers once again delay the law’s implementation.
“If this is a policy that the state of Illinois decides they’re going to want to have, then we need to make sure we’re doing it properly,” she said.
___
This story was originally published by Capitol News Illinois and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
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