Windmill on the Mississippi

The town’s main street, with its late 1800’s architecture and friendly locals, has played a significant role in the life of the community for over 150 years. In the early 1900’s, only a few shops and businesses lay along Main Street. Today, shoppers can peruse a quilt shop, several florists, antique stores, a pastry store and more, and can quench their thirst or satisfy their hunger at any of nearly a dozen restaurants. Local residents will greet you with a smile and a warm welcome.

Fulton has a strong Dutch heritage, and the city is so proud of this connection that several years ago they arranged to purchase their own windmill. An authentic Dutch windmill, "De Immigrant" was prefabricated in the Netherlands and shipped to its new home in the heart of Fulton. Serving as the town’s official Welcome Center, the windmill is arguably the highlight of Fulton’s annual Dutch Days festival the first weekend in May. Booths selling homemade fudge, toffee, elephant ears, pizza, pretzels and more abound, tempting all who pass by. Vendors from nearby towns attract shoppers with all manner of crafts and goods, while the gift shop in the windmill sells Dutch souvenirs and authentic ground flour.

Quick Tips:

To walk off some of the calories from the plethora of enticing goodies at the Dutch Days festival, take a bike or hike along the Mississippi. There’s a paved pathway along the river, with strategically placed benches along the way to rest and relax. Sit in the warm spring sunshine and inhale deeply as the smell of the flowering trees near the river mingles with the aroma of onion rings and brats, and admire the windmill’s white sails against the cerulean spring sky.

Best Way To Get Around:

Once in Fulton, you can walk to the windmill and enjoy the Dutch Days festivities on foot. Parking places are at a premium during the festival, though, so get an early start. For more information, check out Fulton on the web at www.cityoffulton.us.

Located on the historic Lincoln Highway, the Hillendale was built and named in 1891 by E. A. Smith. When proprietors Barb and Mike Winandy purchased the Hillendale in 1989, they devoted much time to research, wanting to restore the property to its earlier Victorian elegance. Two years later, Hillendale was opened as a bed and breakfast.

Walking through the property is a voyage of discovery, a sort of living travelogue. The Winandys have traveled far and wide and have decorated the property with many of the keepsakes of their journeys. The global feel is carried out in the ten guest rooms, each of which has a different theme. The Welkom, or Dutch room, has a lace canopied king size bed, fireplace, private bath with shower, TV/VCR, and a sitting area. Photographs of the Netherlands grace the walls, and Delft pieces carry through the predominant blue and white tones of the room. The Aloha room, with its tropical motif, and wicker furnishings, brings to mind soft island breezes, and features a king size bed, private bath, fireplace, TV/VCR, sitting area and whirlpool spa. The Failte room recalls the verdant richness of Ireland, with its predominant green and white tones. All rooms are air-conditioned; baths have Neutrogena bath and body products and a stack of soft, plush towels. The grounds of the property match the interior in elegance, with a water garden, lovely gazebo, an authentic Japanese teahouse, and a pond with Japanese Koi.

Every effort is made by the Winandys to ensure that guests enjoy their stay. A hot breakfast is served at whatever time a guest requests, and is guaranteed to delight the taste buds. On Saturday morning, breakfast was Dutch pancakes with sliced apples, bacon, juice, coffee, and blueberry cake. Barb and Mike are gracious hosts: Mike has a legion of stories to share about their travels, drawing everyone into the breakfast conversation, which more often than not revolves around travel. There is a small exercise room (much needed after Barb’s morning repasts!) on the second floor for guests’ use, as well as an area where guests have access to a coffee maker, ice machine, a small fridge, an iron and ironing board. Don’t forget to stop at their chocolate and gift shop, chockfull of unique food and gift items. Room prices range from $67-$156. Check-in time is 3pm; check-out is 11am. The Hillendale Bed and Breakfast is no smoking property.

Visit the Hillendale's website for more information.

The Isle of Rhodes is not a Greek restaurant as its name might suggest, but instead serves standard Italian favorites for good value. This popular spot on Main Street offers a casual atmosphere, with friendly, energetic servers. The menu is not extensive, but does feature a nice selection of Italian favorites and other staples including lasagna, spaghetti, sandwiches, and burgers. Pizza is also served, and is available in a "baby" 10-inch pizza. Topping options include the usuals: pepperoni, sausage, onions, peppers, mushrooms, and so forth. I tried my favorite veggie combination: cheese, mushrooms, onions, and black olives. It was served piping hot with ample cheese, fresh mushrooms, and onions, and a thin crispy crust. Isle of Rhodes does not serve alcohol, but a large diet Coke went down fine after a long drive in Friday rush hour traffic.

This is a favorite gathering spot with the locals, where most patrons are greeted by name by the friendly staff. Though I was a stranger in town, I soon felt right at home. A little girl at the next table, who’d been eyeing my pizza, started a debate on the merits of mushrooms with me. She was strongly anti-mushroom, despite her parents, siblings and I trying to convince her to give them a try. Mushrooms or not, the pizza here is a popular selection, as throughout my meal I noted a number of people coming in to get pizzas for takeout. Isle of Rhodes is a very casual spot, but a good bet for a pizza or other Italian favorites that won’t break your budget.

The Forest Inn one of the area’s most noteworthy dining spots, and after my Saturday evening dinner there, it’s not hard to see why. The restaurant has several dining areas, and is tastefully furnished with dark wood tables and chairs, brass lighting fixtures and brass walls sconces. Deep green tones in the carpet and on the booths add to the elegant ambiance. Tables are graced with a single red rose in a crystal vase.

The menu is comprised of a good selection of ribs, steaks, and chops, plus a number of fish and seafood offerings as well. Entree prices are mostly in the $9.95-$14.95 range, and include the ample salad bar, choice of potato, rolls and corn bread. My entree selection for the evening was Chicken Chesapeake, a delicately fried chicken breast, stuffed with red pepper, green pepper, onion, mushrooms, and cheese, and topped with a luscious mushroom sauce. My entree was served with broccoli and rice, and some of the tastiest cornbread I’ve eaten. Many mouth-watering desserts are offered, but I decided to settle for ice cream. Service was friendly and efficient, which on this particular evening was no easy feat. It was prom night for an area high school and the restaurant was packed with prom-goers, as well as locals out for an evening on the town.

The Forest Inn is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 4 to 10pm, and Sundays, 4 to 9pm. Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends.

Dixon, Illinois’ history includes links to many of the nation’s presidents. Until a few years back, Dixon’s Nachusa House was believed to be one of the country’s five oldest hotels. The hotel was the venue for 34 United States presidents to take office, a tradition that went back to the time of James Van Buren. Presidents Lincoln and Grant both stayed as guests at the hotel, which was named in 1983 to the National Register of Historic Places. But Dixon is perhaps proudest of its ties to former President Ronald Reagan, who claimed Dixon, Illinois as his hometown.

Ronald Reagan was born in Tampico, Illinois, on February 6, 1911. His parents and older brother, Neil, lived in an apartment at 111 S. Main. Today visitors can see the family’s Tampico residence as it looked when the Reagans lived there: the apartment has been restored and decorated to the style of that time. After several interim moves, the family moved to 816 South Hennipen in Dixon in December of 1920. At the time, Ronald was nine and his brother Neil was 12. This is the only house Reagan mentions in his autobiography. Reagan said, "Everyone should have a place to go back to, and Dixon is that place for me."

The tour of Reagan’s home starts in the Visitors Center where a video of Reagan’s 1984 visit to his boyhood home is shown. On the walls, numerous pictures from Reagan’s childhood (school photos) and his later years are displayed. My favorite was an oil painting by a local artist that shows Reagan on the bank of the nearby river. In 1984, to celebrate his birthday, Reagan visited the home, which had been completely renovated, though the house does not have any of the Reagan’s actual furniture. When Reagan became successful in Hollywood, his parents moved out to California to a house he bought for them. They were storing their belongings in a storage facility that burned down. When the house in Dixon was being renovated, Reagan and his brother Neil looked through catalogs to find things as close to what the family had as possible. The house, which was originally built in 1891, was restored to its 1920 condition and decorated with furniture typical of the period.

An interesting bit of trivia is that the former President used to hide pennies in a loose tile near the fireplace when he was a young boy. When he visited the home in 1984, he found the loose tile and left some pennies behind. (Since presidents don’t carry money, it was one of his staff that provided the coins.) Check out the Dixon website for further information.

Fulton celebrates its Dutch heritage with its annual Dutch Days festival the first weekend in May. Among the many activities and events during the festival are an authentic Dutch dinner, Dutch Klompen Dancing, the ceremonial scrubbing of the street, windmill tours, and tours of Heritage Canyon. The parade brings an early visit from Sinterklaas, or Santa Claus, a guest the children eagerly await. Booths sell all sorts of mouth-watering delights, including brats, cotton candy, elephant ears, pizza, pretzels and more, while vendors woo shoppers with various handcrafted items.

Pet Parade:

The Pet Parade is definitely a crowd-pleaser, as local pets (this year all dogs, except for a solitary cat) vie for titles in the largest pet, smallest pet, prettiest pet, and other categories. Spectators enter into the spirit of the occasion, rooting for their favorite four-legged contestants. This year, the smallest dog category winner was Shorty, a teacup Chihuahua. I was sure an English Mastiff named Tie Rod was going to win the largest dog award: after all, how could a dog larger than minivan possibly lose? Tie Rod did lose, however, to an Irish Setter/Golden Retriever mix, obviously a crowd favorite. Duchess, a seven-week old St. Bernard puppy, won the prettiest dog title paws down, with a little red kerchief tied around her neck and red bows on her ears. I figure in another year or so, she’ll be in competition with Tie Rod in the largest dog category.

Heritage Canyon:

Once a limestone quarry, the site comprises 12 wooded acres, and take visitors on a walk into the past. In 1967, Harold and Thelma Wierenga purchased the property, which had been abandoned for more than a decade. They built their home on the property and then decided to recreate local history by erecting authentic structures from times past. Visitors to the canyon can visit the one room schoolhouse, a blacksmith shop, church, an 1860’s house, and a general store, which is outfitted with authentic furnishings. Shuttle buses to the canyon leave every 15 minutes or so from just beyond the Main Street stage area.

The Windmill:

"De Immigrant" is an authentic Dutch windmill, prefabricated in the Netherlands and shipped to its new home by the Mississippi. Imagine the feat of shipping the windmill from the Netherlands, as the four sails alone weigh many tons! Touring the windmill was perhaps my favorite part of Dutch Days, as in all my visits to the Netherlands, I’d never had the opportunity to get this close to a working windmill, much less go inside one. Flour is ground in the mill and is for sale in the mill’s small gift shop, along with Dutch-themed souvenirs. For Dutch Days, the windmill is open to the public 9am to 5pm Friday and Saturday, and 1 to 5pm on Sunday. For tours at other times of the year, call (815) 589-4545.