The Top 10 Hidden Benefits of Vacation Planning

There is joy in anticipation. As Illinois residents, we know how much we hope that spring comes quickly after winter. When we had a 53 degree day in February, we were ready to plant our gardens! Here are my top 10 benefits of vacation planning:

1. Planning a vacation not only gives you and your fellow travelers something fun to look forward to, it creates a sense of hope because your time off should be spent at a happy place where you are going to have fun.
2. You’ll have a better selection of rooms when you book in advance. The “Bay King” rooms in Starved Rock Lodge are my favorite because they are spacious and authentic to the 1930s. We only have 3 of this style room and they book up quickly.
3. You can pack for the weather and bring what you need with time to reorganize, if needed.
4. You can have a countdown to your departure date to add to the excitement.
5. You can explore what you want to do in advance and get tickets ahead of time.
6. As you explore our website, you’ll see what you don’t want to overlook (like our indoor pool). Kids love to play with an inflatable beach ball in our pool. You can buy pool toys in our Café.
7. You can get familiar with the layout of the property before you arrive by looking our grounds map. This way, you can decide whether a family cabin in the woods or a lodge room by the pool.
8. You can plan your day by looking at our “Calendar of Events” so if you want to take a trolley tour (offered on weekends) you can leave at noon and have lunch afterward or depart at 1:30pm and have lunch before you go.
9. You can see a hiking map and learn how the “West Trails” include Aurora, Sac, Kickapoo and St. Louis Canyons (distance from the Lodge is 1.5 miles). The “East Trails” will take you to Starved Rock (a must see), Wildcat Canyon, Lover’s Leap and Eagle Cliff. If you have children, we recommend driving to Parkman’s Plain to park if you want to hike to LaSalle Canyon. Drive to the Ottawa Canyon and Council Overhang parking lot if you want to hike on the east side of the park.
10. If you plan a mid-week getaway, you can take advantage of one of our “Overnight Packages” and still have the weekend to yourself to unpack and do your household jobs.