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A mid-1800’s architectural wonder helped make Chicago the city it is today. The 96-mile Illinois & Michigan Canal (I&M Canal) connected the Great Lakes in Bridgeport, Chicago to the Illinois River at LaSalle-Peru, and amazingly unique towns sprung up that maintain their authentic charm to this date.
READ ON!Freedom. The Open Road. The American Dream. All are still alive on The Mother Road. The nostalgia of diners, museums, tourist stops and neon lights are there for you to visit as you make the drive from Chicago to Santa Monica, CA. You can still get your Kicks on Route 66!
READ ON!A visit to Starved Rock State Park consists of many sights to behold, including breathtaking views of its many canyons and awe-inspiring scenes of eagles flying during the winter month.
READ ON!The Heritage Corridor is filled with events that are waiting just for you. Live music, fun festivals, learning programs, and active adventures await.
READ ON!Are you looking for a specific type of place to visit in the I&M Canal Heritage Corridor? If you're a craft beer fan, you will love the Heritage Corridor Ale Trail? Seeing a thrilling journey or just an escape, check out Adventure Outside Chicago. We've got all the info to unlock your next trip right here.
READ ON!The Illinois Office of Tourism (Enjoy Illinois) entered a float in the historic Rose Parade for the second straight year in 2024. This year's float highlighted iconic roadside attractions along the 301+ miles of Route 66 in Illinois, including Wilmington's own Gemini Giant. The float also served as a performance stage for the popular a cappella group, Straight No Chaser, to sing a medley of hits from The Blues Brothers.
Fans online and in person couldn't stop talking about the float and the performance, ranking it #4 in the Pasadena Star-News article "Top 5 moments from the Rose Parade 2024 that had people talking."
Representatives from the Illinois Office of Tourism, Heritage Corridor Destinations, and Great Rivers & Routes accompanied the float to Pasadena and talked with attendees of the two-day Floatfest that saw over 65,000 people on January 1st and 2nd. At the Enjoy Illinois tents, guests could speak with Route 66 experts, pick up travel guides, and grab an Enjoy Illinois Rose Parade pin.