Exploring Illinois Beach State Park

Hiking Illinois Beach State Park (Zion/Beach Park, IL)

March 26-28, 2014

Jill and I stayed two nights/three days at the resort hotel located in the park and on the Lake Michigan waterfront dunes. The “resort” (broadest sense of the word) was fine: nothing special, but comfortable. We had a nice view of the lake and dunes from our window. We decided to stay here because of a Groupon deal that included lodging and food credits at the restaurant.

The place could use some updates and renovations. To their credit, the main restaurant and bar was being renovated while we were there and the pool/health club complex (open for memberships) was decent enough. There were some families with kids enjoying the amenities, and I am sure the place is packed in the summer months. It might be the closest thing to a (salt water) beach vacation you can have in the Midwest. The food at the restaurant was good but nothing spectacular. The server said the resort is the second busiest wedding venue in Lake County (behind Marriott Lincolnshire).

But we were there to spend a few days away from our kids, hiking and enjoying each other’s company. We took four separate hikes, each about 3 miles long. The weather was crappy: 35-40 degrees, very windy and at times rainy.

Here’s what we saw on our hikes:

Old beach shelter in foreground; nuclear power plant back

NORTH OF RESORT, TOWARD POWER PLANT: On our hikes through the vacant campground (opens for camping on April 1) and toward the shuttered nuclear power plant, we saw at least two dozen deer grazing on the acorns in the oak stands just off the dunes. The acorns had no doubt been there since the previous fall, but due to the extended snow cover, they were just now exposed for the deer to eat. The deer did not spook easily and are accustomed to human presence: not a good thing. I mentally noted the perfect spots for deer hunting tree stands.

Deer carcass on lake shore near Dead River 

SOUTH OF THE RESORT, THROUGH THE NATURE PRESERVE: On our hikes south of the resort, through the nature trail, we didn’t see any wildlife save for a few species of ducks on the protected-from-the-wind Dead River, which drains the wetlands around the resort and flows into Lake Michigan. We did come upon the skeletal remains of a buck whitetail on the beach, about 50 yards from where the Dead River flows into the lake. Coyotes probably devoured the flesh, but a human definitely sawed off the antlers. The dunes are most interesting on this side of the park. We even spotted prickly pear cacti growing among the dune grasses and other plant cover. Many oak trees were down/knocked over, most likely from the tornado that destroyed much of the park a few years prior.

TRIP TO KENOSHA: We hit Rustic Road brewery in old town Kenosha. Both seasonal stouts were delicious (a dry one at 7 % and a double chocolate milk one at 5.5%). We got a growler of Kenosha Pale Ale to go. We ate dinner at Uncle Mike’s Top Shelf Pub in Pleasant Prairie, a roadhouse right on Sheridan Road after you cross through the Cheddar Curtain into Wisconsin. Solid pub food and an outstanding tap and bottled beer selection.

Bottom line: Although the weather was dreary and cold, the getaway was fun due to the interesting dune terrain and waterfowl and deer sanctuary.

Dead River flows into Lake Michigan.

Album Review: Jonny Two Bags

Check out my latest music review in the March 2014 issue of Illinois Entertainer magazine.
Click on the link and navigate to page 32 to see my review of the debut album from Jonny Two Bags (Social Distortion guitarist).
http://www.joomag.com/magazine/illinois-entertainer-march-2014/0118428001393706459

Jonny Two Bags

*Salvation Town*

(Isotone)

Jonny Two Bags (aka Jonny Wickersham) shatters expectations: One would expect the debut solo album from the guitarist of Social Distortion to be guitar-driven. Wrong. The 10 tracks on *Salvation Town* are solid roots rock offerings (another surprising deviation from his SoCal punk rock resume) where vocals and other instruments are just as important as the six-strings. Guest musicians abound, with Jackson Browne adding backing vocals on the upbeat “Then You Stand Alone.” “Clay Wheels” is melancholy country highlighted with accordion, and “One Foot In The Gutter,” ringing with pedal steel guitar, elicits toe-tapping during the instantly sing-able chorus: “I’ve got one foot in the gutter/and one foot kickin’ in the door to heaven.”

7

- Jason Scales

Big Daddy's BBQ reviewed

Restaurant recommendation: Big Daddy's BBQ in Gary, IN
http://www.bigdaddysbarbque.com/

I finally had a chance to stop and eat here today (Sunday, March 9). It's about 2.5 miles off I-80, and worth a stop for dine in or carry out. We got there right around noon, so the strip mall lot was full of cars for the flea market and next door car-dealership-turned-mega church.
I ordered the Sunday soul food special: one meat, three sides, a drink (a can of red soda), peach cobbler and cornbread. I got the 1/2 chicken BBQ, dressing, collard greens, black eyed peas, an extra order of mac and cheese, and side order of jerk chicken wings (which also came with fries). It only came to about $20, and it fed two adults and two kids.
I had to wait about 10-15 minutes to order and get the food, but it was worth it.
The BBQ sauce on the chicken was outstanding--really sweet and included pineapple chunks. The jerk chicken was mild, with a slight sweet flavor and lots of cinnamon. The mac and cheese was rich, the greens were salty and only slightly bitter; the peas were fine, as was the corn bread. The dressing was the best side. Although a bit salty, it contained large pieces of white-meat turkey. It was Thanskgiving-dinner worthy.
The cobbler was solid, but small in size. The crust was a little soggy and the cinnamon was prominent. 
Most of the people there were getting carry-out. Big Daddy himself was there. He walked out from the kitchen and out the front door, apparently on his way to church next door.

Coyote hunting--it's a great way to spend a February night outdoors

On Friday, Feb. 21, 2014, a friend and I hunted from 6 p.m to 9 in the field just across the street from the clubhouse, working our way back to field 21 at the furthest spot (Des Plaines Conservation Area).

We set up in three different places and coyotes answered my howl call in every spot. It was the most action I've had in 6 times hunting there. I attribute that to the perfect weather--the previous night was a major winter storm (50+ mph winds), so I figured the coyotes would be out in force due to the weather calming down. I was right.
The lighting was really poor--no moon and high puffy clouds. We could clearly see the stars (including Orion) through breaks in the clouds. But a coyote would've had to come within 20-30 yards of us to see it.
The first spot we set up was about 300 yards west of the road in a cut-out trail in the treeline. Brad set up to watch any approaching from the south, and I set up to watch for any approaching from the north. A lone coyote howled back at us directly west of us in the treeline. Brad and I estimate it must've been only about 50 yards away. After trying to coax it closer for 20 minutes, with no luck, we picked up and moved closer to where we heard the howl.

We set up in another cutout of the treeline (spooking a deer that we at first thought was a coyote), this time looking into field 21. Again, a coyote responded to my howl call within 5 minutes. This one was a lot closer--less than 50 yard, and just behind us--unfortunately downwind from our position. But another coyote joined in the vocalizing about 500 yards to our west--across field 21. At one point, my howl call was joined by the close coyote and the far coyote--it was a trio of howling. Adrenaline was pumping.

The howling stopped, and nothing came closer, so we packed up and set up for a third time, along the same treeline but more to the south--where we heard the closer coyote.

Once again, coyotes answered my howl call, this time back where we had set up the first time. Some howls sounded like laughter--I thought it was coming closer and I raised my gun to my shoulder just in case one came into view. It did not ...

At that point it was 9 p.m., and we decided to pack it in. It seemed we were calling to and pushing around multiple packs of dogs, but all were too wary to come into view. It was thrilling nonetheless.

Night hunting for coyotes in Illinois ends at 12:01 a.m. March 1. Looks like we might have to wait until next year to commune with the Call of the Wild.

Link to map site: 

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3858659,-88.1943013,12z?hl=en

Album review: Clover

Check out my latest review, this one by New York hardcore outfit Clover--in the upcoming issue of Illinois Entertainer.
http://www.joomag.com/magazine/illinois-entertainer-february-2014/0357740001391284079

CLOVER

*Vultures*

(Self-released)
New York hardcore is alive and well, and if Clover gets established, as it should, the future looks bright too. On its first full-length release, this Kingston, N.Y., three-piece throws down as hard as the likes of Hatebreed. The result: 10 bristling tracks of hardcore metal, financed through a $1,500 Kickstarter campaign. Back-to-back tracks “Berserker” and “Ragnarok” juxtapose frenetic metal with sludgier stuff. Every track is fierce and raw yet moments of groovy riffing abound, especially on the otherwise brutal “Catalyst.” Clover is clearly a band to notice early.

7

- Jason Scales