Photos: The Great Illinois Road Trip

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A chocolate chip cookie at the Flour House Bakery in Princeton
Photo: Lucy Hewett
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Moroccan accents in the foyer of the Chestnut Street Inn in Sheffield. The co-owner is, among many other things, a cultural anthropologist specializing in Moroccan tea-drinking rituals.
Photo: Lucy Hewett
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The tiled façade of Pittsfield’s long-closed Zoe Theatre, which once had a “cry room”
Photo: Lucy Hewett
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A souvenir shop in Springfield.
Photo: Lucy Hewett
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A cracker tray at the Dome on Madison in Pittsfield
Photo: Lucy Hewett
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Taxidermy at the Dome on Madison in Pittsfield
Photo: Lucy Hewett
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The Villa Kathrine in Quincy, one of dozens of architectural marvels in the city
Photo: Lucy Hewett
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Teenagers not using social media at the Maid-Rite in Quincy
Photo: Lucy Hewett
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A cold drink at the Red Onion in Equality
Photo: Lucy Hewett
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An ice cream stand at the Pink Elephant Antique Mall in Livingston (fiberglass elephant not shown)
Photo: Lucy Hewett
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Hotelier Karen Khamee at the Ruebel Hotel in Grafton
Photo: Lucy Hewett
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The McGrady Inn (formerly a church) in Charleston
Photo: Lucy Hewett
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Artist Dave Dardis, a.k.a. the Rainmaker, in his studio in Makanda
Photo: Lucy Hewett
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A fried chicken supper at Eckert’s Country Restaurant in Belleville
Photo: Lucy Hewett
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Timber Ridge Outpost
Photo: Lucy Hewett
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Remnants of an ancient civilization at Cahokia Mounds, a UNESCO World Heritage site east of St. Louis
Photo: Lucy Hewett
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The author in her treehouse at Timber Ridge
Photo: Lucy Hewett
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A distinctive water tower outside Collinsville
Photo: Lucy Hewett
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Camille enjoys a hearty breakfast on the sun porch at the Chesnut Street Inn in Sheffiled, IL. Voted one of the Top 10 Culinary Inns in the country by bedandbreakfast.com.
Photo: Lucy Hewett
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Downtown Charleston is walkable and built around a city square. Stop for coffee and peruse several antique stores and used bookshops.
Photo: Lucy Hewett
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The Will Rogers Theater in Charleston was built in 1935 and is registered as a historic place in Illinois. The theater was purchased in 2016 and the new owners plan to restore the Art Deco building back to it's original beauty.
Photo: Lucy Hewett
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The charcuterie board at the Firefly Grill in Effingham. A nice break from diners and fast food along the highways, Firefly Grill offers steaks, seafood and flatbreads.
Photo: Lucy Hewett
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The Cross at the Crossroads claims to be “America’s Largest Cross,” built along interstate 70 in Effingham.
Photo: Lucy Hewett
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A sign for community dinner in Livingston along Route 66.
Photo: Lucy Hewett
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Twistee Treat Diner along Route 66, near Livingston, has a vintage rock ’n’ roll theme throughout the interior and neighbors a huge antique store complete with large lawn sculptures of Paul Bunyan and a pink elephant.
Photo: Lucy Hewett
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The upstairs foyer at the Grafton Hotel. The hotel claims to be haunted by children of early American settlers traveling West.
Photo: Lucy Hewett
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Detail from the Rainmaker’s studio in Makanda. Peruse the artist’s tiny trinkets and jewelry and head to the back to walk through his sprawling sculpture garden.
Photo: Lucy Hewett

A novelist and photographer discover the state in 1,000 small-town miles. Check out the main story here.

May 15, 2018, 9:00 am

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