SVM_Lake Lifestyle_March 2026

Also inside ...

All lead ROADS to

friendships

Tim Throop - On the job for nearly 50 years at Lake Carroll

Come out to enjoy a night at the museum in Savanna

Take a drive off the beaten path from Mount Carroll to Scales Mound

Frank O’Dowd’s Irish Pub and Grill brings the feel of Ireland to Galena

When a Lake Carroll couple decided they wanted to get to know their community, they didn’t just talk the talk, they walked the walk

CONTACT INFO

PUBLISHER Jennifer Heintzelman

EDITING & PAGE DESIGN Rusty Schrader

PUBLISHED BY Sauk Valley Media, 113 S. Peoria Ave. , Dixon, IL 61021

STORY IDEA FOR LAKE LIFESTYLE? E-mail rschrader@saukvalley.com FOR ADVERTISING

Contact Jill Reyna at 815-631-8774 or jreyna@saukvalley.com

ADDRESS CHANGE FOR LAKE LIFESTYLE? E-mail info@golakecarroll.com

MARCH 2026

All roads lead to friendship

When a Lake Carroll couple decided they wanted to get to know their community, they didn’t just talk the talk, they walked the walk

Forty-seven years!

Tim Throop - the longest-serving employee at Lake Carroll still likes being in the swing of things

Night at the museum

Savanna Museum and Cultural Center comes alive after dark with melodies and verse

Driftless Driving

Drift off the beaten path and take a drive from Mount Carroll to Scales Mound, and there’s something for everyone.

Authentic Irish Pub

Frank O’Dowd’s - Irish wood shipped overseas, crowd-pulling music, historyrooted stories and a sense of welcome that treats strangers like family.

After nearly 50 years of staying the course, the longest-serving employee at Lake Carroll still likes being in the swing of things

Whether Lake Carroll’s golf course is covered in green or white, Tim Throop is on the job — and he has been for nearly 50 years. “I’ve not lost the passion at all,” he says of the place he’s worked at since he was a teen.

Golf course superintendents are like a silent partner for every golfer on their course. They may not be playing every round, but they’re with them every step of the way.

Without them, there wouldn’t be much of a course to play. They keep the greens green, acting as a doctor when disease threatens, a landscaper who knows the lay of the land, and a master of mowing who stays on top of turf tech.

In Lake Carroll, that’s Tim Throop.

Before most golfers arrive, before the first tee time is called and carts scatter across 220 acres, Throop is already watching the course breathe, having been doing that for 47 years at Lake Carroll’s Golf Course.

The course typically opens around April 1 and closes just before Thanksgiving, though some seasons stretch longer, depending on what nature allows. For Tim and his grounds crew, those dates are only markers. The real work never fully stops.

Throop came to Lake Carroll as a teenager in 1979 looking for summer work, starting at the bottom with weed eaters and hand tools on what was then a ninehole course, and ending up at the top, as the course’s superintendent — but he’s more than just the that: He’s also Lake Carroll’s longest serving employee.

He became superintendent in 2002, stepping in to golf shoes Duane Kloepping had filled for more than 20 years before him. Since his first days on the job as a high schooler, Tim has seen decades of change: the addition of nine more holes, homes rising around fairways, technology transforming equipment and irrigation, and a course that continues to demand constant vigilance.

A typical day at work, he says, is never quite typical: There is mowing; scouting for disease; managing water; and reacting to storms, humidity, wildlife and whatever else shows up overnight. Helping him is a crew of two full-time assistants and seasonal help that ranges from college students to retirees, and even occasional volunteers from the Lake Carroll community who step in because they care about the place.

Lake Lifestyle recently caught up with Throop to reflect on his rise through the ranks, what it takes to keep Lake Carroll’s course in shape, and why, after all these years, he still comes to work fired up every morning. So turn the page to see what he had to say ...

Have you been a golf enthusiast all of your life?

I would come out to play golf with my stepfather, and the superintendent out here, Duane Kloepping, asked me if I was looking for any summer work, and I said, “Yeah.” That’s how it all started. I came out here that first year, and you start out at the bottom weed eating and doing all of the hand stuff. I didn’t get to see much mowing. At that time, it was only nine holes. Sticking with this as long as you have, was that a plan, or did it just happen?

It just happened that way. It wasn’t a plan. When you’re in high school, 16-17 year old, you don’t know what you’re going to do yet; you’re still running around and playing sports, stuff like that. I just love it every day, from sunrise to sunset. It’s always a different day. We have a lot of wildlife I enjoy seeing. When I first started here, there was one home on the whole golf course, and now there’s over 40. It’s a gorgeous atmosphere. What did you learn from Duane that still helps you today?

He taught me a lot of good stuff, and he suggested that I get the job when he retired. He knew he taught me enough that I’d get at it. [Course pro] Jason [Hill] — because Duane was very old-school — Jason would sometimes say, “You’re sounding like Duane today.” Old-school was the way you did it.

THROOP cont’d to page 7

Tim Throop has cared for all that is green and growing at Lake Carroll Golf Course for 47 years, and has served as superintendent since 2000. “I’ve not lost the passion at all” he said.

THROOP cont’d from page 6

What was the course like when you first started, compared to now? It was in rough shape. We had probably four employees and old, old mowers, nothing like the new technology today. It was mostly a lot of hand work. There wasn’t a lot of cash flow to buy a lot of new equipment.

Do you remember when the back nine was built?

In 1989 they started it. We got lucky on that because we figured it would be two years before we could open it. We had a great fall and a great spring with rains, and everything filled in nicely to where we got to open early. What makes the course at Lake Carroll one-ofa-kind?

With the way it’s laid out, most courses are probably 90 to 100 acres, but we have 220. It’s spread out and aligned, and that makes a difference.

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Do you have a favorite hole?

My favorite hole is No. 14. It’s down in a valley and has a creek that runs through it. It’s lovely. It was a pasture back in the day before we developed it. To me, it’s a gorgeous setting. It’s very nice. Does playing on the course help you see things differently? It helps when you’re out playing. And I play. I never thought I would again after having a stroke in 2004. I didn’t get my whole left side back, but Jason said, “I’ll teach you how to play again.” And he did. I thought it would be something I’d never do again. The community out here is wonderful.

What does it take to be good at what you do?

Know someone at Lake Carroll — A friend or a staffer? A business owner or board member? — who might make a good topic for our Q&A feature? Let us know. Contact Cody Cutter at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia. com.

Just keeping up with technology and listening to other people about what they experience. Your [turf] diseases and problems start in the south and then heads north, and you just have to follow it in order to be ready for it

when it gets here. There’s a lot of understanding nature. Humidity is one of the worst things, you hate it when it gets hot and humid. Humidity kills a lot of grass, so you have to do a lot of scouting and having preventative chemicals ready. It’s a challenge. Is there anything a casual golfer may not notice on the course, but that you think about constantly? It’s got to be in good condition. We mow every day and rake traps. They don’t know what goes in chemical wise. One of the diseases is pythium [severe water-mold infections], where you’ll come back the next day and the grass will be dead. When people drive through it, or people walk through it, they’ll carry the host to other areas, and it will keep going. It’s difficult in the summer time. We try to beat them out. On the weekends we’re here at 5:30 a.m. and through the week we’re here at 6 a.m., and we try to get everything done before they get here, and then we go to other projects: raking, clearing trees, pulling weeds around the clubhouse flower beds.

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How has technology evolved since your first days here? It’s

that. It’s like everything else that keeps up with the times.

Have things been particularly challenging in recent years?

Last year we had to dump a water on because we were in drought conditions. We put 24 million gallons on the golf course. That’s a lot of water. Our irrigation system ran every night. It’s all computerized now; when I first started here, you’d have to go out at night, put the heads in the ground and turn them on yourself. We had a morning and night shift.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve had to deal with over the years?

Our back pond that we water out of has a dam in it, and we came out one morning and the whole dam was gone, and we’ve had to rebuild that a couple of times over the years. We’ve had heavy winds that have come here and have had to clean up 50 to 100 trees — and you got to get it done in a hurry to get it back open. It’s all about getting cash in the door so that the golfers can go. Animals do a good bit of damage, too. You see deer run across the green and scuff it up. Then the skunks in the fall. They’re usually after the white grub (a high-protein food source for them) and they’ll dig it up very good. You got to put your chemicals on to keep them away. During the fall, we’ll trap around the whole course and catch them to keep them off. If you don’t trap them, they’re just going to keep coming.

Lake Carroll Golf Course superintendent Tim Throop consults with assistant superintendent Josh Amenda on a welding project with one of the maintenence vehicles at its shop. Amenda has worked for Throop for nearly 10 years.

THROOP cont’d to page 10

What has it been like to have dedicated help — from your staff and the community? There are two main jobs besides mine. My assistant supervisor is Josh Amenda. He’s more of a new-school technology guy because he’s younger. My mechanic is Robbie Frazer, and he does a super job of keeping the equipment in great shape. He comes in about an hour before we come in and does all of the greasing and everything. So when we show up, we’re ready to roll. page 9

What are some of the major projects you and your crew have worked on in recent years? We’ve been involved in a lot of reconstruction of the golf course since 2008, building all new bunkers, tee complexes, and the driving range. We once took one hole out of play and built a whole new par-3 hole. It’s just like owning a house: You know when it gets worn out. We try to rebuild five sand traps a year. Once they’re originally put in, then all we have to do is take the product out of them, edge them a little bit, freshen the pea gravel and the drain lines, and add new sand

THROOP cont’d to page 11

Get in touch with Tim

Course superintendent Tim Throop can be reached at 815-493-2808.

Carroll Golf Course

2911 Ironwood Blvd, Lanark 815-493-2808

Online: golflakecarroll.com and on Facebook

A few years ago, we started an Adopt-a-Tee program, and players go out and plant some flowers, bushes and mulch around out tee box areas where we have our signs to describe the hole. Then we went with a divot program, where when they make a divot in the fairway, they’ll go out and fill them. It’s really helped a lot. Having good help helps.

Is there anything on the course that you’re especially proud of?

I love seeing our members out there every day, and they always come and tell us about having a great time. We have a lot of outside outings here, and I like to listen to the people tell our staff members how it’s in great shape and how they had a great day. I love, when I’m mowing the fairways, looking back at them and seeing them perfectly striped.

Does it get busier for you during the winter months?

It depends on the weather conditions. Last year, we worked outside until February cutting trees, and we had a lot of equipment to take care of. We stay busy throughout the winter. Normally we take December off to prepare for January and February to clean up from the winter and having the course ready. We start in March and early April getting it ready to go, and we’re on it from April to November during the playing season. It’s a 7-day-a-week job.

Does every day still feel exciting, or does it ever feel like just another shift?

My wife, Debra, says that she never knew anyone who enjoyed going to work every day, doing it as long as I do. I’m always fired up every day. Sometimes when you come out and have some storm damage, it’s like, “Ugh, son of a gun ...” I’ve not lost the passion at all. Not too many people who have carried a job [as long as I have] can say that. I’ll be laying in bed at night and my wife will come in and tell me that the humidity is 97 percent. I’ll tell her, ‘Yeah, dear, I know.” I know someone’s going to be out there in the morning. When your wife knows your job, you’re really into it.

What do you hope people take away from experience of coming here?

I want them to come here and say they had a great day. That means a lot when they say they shot good and the course is in great shape. We like to hear that. To ourselves, we know at the end of the day we did our best job. When people tell you that, that adds a little more. A guy likes to hear he’s going a good job. n Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

The future is fiber internet.

When

a Lake Carroll couple decided they wanted to get to know their community, they didn’t just talk the talk, they walked the walk

by CODY CUTTER sauk valley media

here are plenty of ways for newcomers to meet their neighbors at Lake Carroll. They can do it in a club or at The Clubhouse.

They can strike up a conversation on the golf course or make a friend at the farmers market. Or they can socialize at a social event.

When Steve and Kim Solimini set out to meet people, they took things a step further.

They decided to hop aboard the shoe leather express and take a trip around their community, and not just their own neck of the woods, but every stretch, curve and cul-de-sac of the place their new home.

The Soliminis have spent the past three years getting to know their neighborhood and their neighbors by walking Lake Carroll’s nearly 45 miles of roadways.

The couple came to Lake Carroll after spending a large part of their life in the Chicago metro area, deciding it was time to leave the urban grind behind and retire to a quieter countryside community. They had visited friends there before and saw what they liked, but when they finally made the move, they decided that they wanted to see a lot more of it.

“You drive through Lake Carroll for the first time and think, ‘Wow, this is beautiful,’” Steve said. “When you walk it, you really see every stretch of it. You see it from different dimensions. When you go up a hill, you see one landscape, and when you go down that hill, you see a whole different landscape.”

When the Soliminis set out on their mission to get know Lake Carroll, fleet feet weren’t the goal: They decided to take leisurely strolls, preferring not to rush things. As of January, the couple has pounded pavement on nearly 90 percent of Lake Carroll’s roads, from the 11-mile loop of the main road, Lake Carroll Blvd., to the solitude of the out-of-the-way cul-de-sacs.

“Slowing it down to walking level, you get a deep appreciation for what’s around here – the ravines, the views, there’s spectacular views that you don’t see,” Steve said.

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Steve and Kim Solimini of Lake Carroll have walked nearly every mile of of Lake Carroll’s roads over a nearly three-year period. “Slowing it down to walking level, you get a deep appreciation for what’s around here — the ravines, the views, there’s spectacular views that you don’t see,” said Steve.

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

WALKING cont’d from page 13

Keeping active through walking and running has been a big part of Steve and Kim’s lives. Steve ran in the 2009 Chicago Marathon and Kim has taken part in a pair of half-marathons. Their passion inspired them to meander the varying terrain of Lake Carroll.

When they first boated on the lake, they saw many lakefront homes, but only the backs of them. Kim wanted to change that and meet the people behind the homes.

“We wanted to discover the rest of Lake Carroll and what it looked like,” Kim said. “We’re kind of in our own little area out here, and a lot of times when we go out on the lake, we see these beautiful homes, but just the back of them. We thought, ‘You know, we should discover other areas while we’re walking, just to see what the other sides look like.’”

What they discovered was a lot of new sights and friends to go along with them — and the ripple effects of their walks around the lake have led to meeting even more people. Walking around was how Steve and Kim met Mitch and Sue Manden, who started the Lake Carroll Recreation Club in early 2024. It was a chance encounter during a walk that led to taking part in club activities such as Beanbag Baseball and its four-day Beaches and Buggies trail exploration trip in Grant County, Wisconsin.

“We decided to park and walk down [their street] and we get to the empty lot right next door to them, and thought it was beautiful, with not many lake lots available,” Kim said. “We’re just kind of looking around, and [Sue] was on their deck and said, ‘Are you interested in that lot?’ I was like, ‘We’re just looking,’ and then she says, ‘Come on over!’ That was the start of a friendship right there. They were very welcoming.”

WALKING cont’d to page 16

When Steve and Kim Solimini moved to Lake Carroll a few years ago, they deicded to explore their new community on foot. Today, they’re pretty close to walking every road in, and Steve has a map in his office to trace their steps with ballpoint pen.

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

The interactions continued: They met a man who was pulling out of his driveway one day and needed someone to talk to, and another encounter led to an immediate invitation to a Christmas party. They also found out where the new friends they were making lived: “We knew them [through activities at Lake Carroll], but didn’t know where they lived,” Steve said. “That’s happened twice.”

The Soliminis had friends in Lake Carroll and would visit them on occasion before they decided to retire there. The former Fox River Grove couple retired in 2021 and bought their lot in 2022. They temporarily lived on a rental property at Lake Carroll before moving into their home in late 2023.

After nearly 37 years living in the same town, the Soliminis have embraced Lake Carroll in many ways. “We wanted to be away from the ‘burbs and the congestion,” Kim said. “Life is wonderful out here in the country. We met a lot of people, a great group of people out here.” As they were awaiting their current home to be completed, the couple set out to walk around Lake Carroll a little at a time. They would drive to a certain spot and walk about 3 miles before returning to their car. At first, all of the walking around was simply exercise, but after a while they realized that they were well on their way to doing something far more than that: exploring every mile of Lake Carroll from the road. When they began, Kim was doing so at a little faster than Steve, but he’s since picked up the pace. And even when the weather gets too cold for walking outdoors, they still stay active, swapping the asphalt for their home treadmill.

Steve Solimini

, seen here with his wife Kim

“We wanted to be away from the ‘burbs and the congestion,” Kim said.

“Life is wonderful out here in the country. We met a lot of people, a great group of people out here.”

As they were awaiting their current home to be completed, the couple set out to walk around Lake Carroll a little at a time. They would drive to a certain spot and walk about 3 miles before returning to their car. At first, all of the walking around was simply exercise, but after a while they realized that they were well on their way to doing something far more than that: exploring every mile of Lake Carroll from the road. When they began, Kim was doing so at a little faster than Steve, but he’s since picked up the pace. And even when the weather gets too cold for walking outdoors, they still stay active, swapping the asphalt for their home treadmill.

“It’s a challenge for sure,” Kim said. “I think we’re up for the challenge because we’re excited to see what lies ahead on all of these roads, and we’ve discovered some very beautiful areas.”

While most people don’t travel much of their beaten path, the Soliminis soon found it was a great way to learn more about their lakeside community. This past November, they decided to make it a goal to walk on every stretch of road at Lake Carroll. Steve has a map in his office and traces their steps with ballpoint pen.

“We would park at different areas and walk, just to change it up,” he said. “I’m really goal and milestone oriented. At some point, we got the idea to walk all of Lake Carroll. We thought, let’s make this a concerted effort and have a goal to do the whole thing.”

With their goal almost complete, they are exploring other ways to take in their community’s sights. They hope to ride e-bikes throughout Lake Carroll one day, as well as walk each of the golf course’s 18 holes.

The Soliminis are proof that something as simple as taking a walk can make a big difference. Every step and stop along way, every wave during a walk to say “Hi!” — they’ve all added up to a sense of belonging and a feeling of friendship in their home at the lake.

And they’re keeping fit while they’re at it.

“It’s been a part of our life for quite some time,” Kim said. “When we moved, we wanted to continue that, and what better way to see what Lake Carroll is like than to get out there and walk.” n

Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

mFor people who like some culture with their history, a visit to Savanna is music to their ears,

m seum

thanks to a performance series that brings people together, and brings the city’s museum alive after dark with melodies and verse

By\CODY CUTTER /Sauk Valley Media

Most musicians will tell you that in order to write a song, you need a muse. But in order to perform one, you need a museum — at least you do if you’re part of the Friday night lineup at the Savanna Museum and Cultural Center’s concert series, where the emphasis is on the cultural part of the museum’s moniker. That’s when history waits in the wings while music takes center stage at the museum in the city’s downtown. Live Music at the Cultural Center, now in its fifth year, has become one of Savanna’s most anticipated cultural traditions. On the final Friday of each month, from January through October, the museum’s Community Room is filled with people and music in a candlelit, nightclub-style space.

Each evening offers a 90-minute performance featuring a mix of local favorites and accomplished Chicago-area musicians. Chicago cultural icon and Poetry Slam founder Marc Kelly Smith hosts the night, often sharing his own poetry and inviting audience members to read during intermission.

Museum events coordinator Juliene McCormick said the heart of the program lies as much in the atmosphere it creates as in the music itself.

“The joy comes not just from the excellent musicians’ performances, but also from watching the community come together in mutual enjoyment and appreciation,” McCormick said. “[I enjoy] working alongside dedicated volunteers and the concert series’ incomparable host … Marc Kelly Smith.”

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MUSIC cont’d from page 21

The series is rooted in a sense of togetherness in sound and spirit, with a variety of various genres performed. The goal for each performance, Smith said, has always been to bring something different to Savanna. Rock and blues have made plenty of appearances over the years, but Smith said the series is intentionally broad in blending musical genres with spoken word. Smith’s poetry is sometimes woven directly into some songs as spoken interludes between verses.

This year’s series opened Jan. 30 with Mount Carroll musician Marques Morel sharing locally inspired tales through song, and the Feb. 27 concert featured Switchback — the duo of Brian Fitzgerald and Marty McCormack — performing its Celtic-American blend of songs. Naomi Ashley will take the stage April 24.

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Mark Kelly Smith of Savanna hosts the Live Music at the Museum events at the Savanna Museum and Cultural Center. Smith founded the Poetry Slam movement 40 years ago in Chicago, and has used his performing arts connections to bring musicians to Savanna for a unique night of entertainment. “The intention is to bring different kinds of entertainment here,” Smith said.

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@ SHAWMEDIA.COM

Savanna Museum and Cultural Center events coordinator

Juliene McCormick works on a fill-inthe-blank poem at January’s Live Music at the Museum. During the intermission between music sets, guests are invited to take part in a Poetry Slam hosted by Mark Kelly Smith. “Every gathering turns 406 Main into a place where community comes together and connections grow,” she said.

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@ SHAWMEDIA.COM

MUSIC cont’d from page 22

While the line-ups may change, the emphasis on variety remains consistent year to year. Switchback also performed during last year’s series; other musicians from last year included singer/songwriter Barb Bailey; The Avanti Trio guitar trio; an Andy Williams tribute; musician/ historian Barry Cloyd; Ann Stewart and the Banjo Buddies Dixieland Trio; guitarist/singer Joe Solitz; singer/songwriter Sophie Coyote; and jazz duo Anne Burnell and Sami Scot. Performers are announced about a month in advance on the Savanna Museum and Cultural Center’s Facebook page.

“The intention is to bring different kinds of entertainment here,” Smith said. “We’ve had classical, we’ve had a Mexican dance troupe. It’s an effort to bring out here access to a lot of different musical styles that we don’t normally get out here, and that maybe you’d have to go to Dubuque or the Quad Cities.”

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situation.

Beyond the performances themselves, the evenings are designed to feel intimate and inviting. With the lights dimmed and the soft glow of candlelight providing a relaxed ambiance, guests can sip wine, enjoy coffee and baked treats, and enter door prize drawings.

They can also be part of the show. During intermission, audience members are invited to participate in a fill-in-the-blank poetry game, a recurring feature that’s become a favorite among the regulars.

Smith likes how these opportunities can add to the event’s mission.

“It gives people the opportunity to be creative,” Smith said. “There are usually around five to eight people who do it. What happens with that is, all of a sudden you have a different glimpse of your neighbors that you’ve known, but they’ve now opened up a little more. You get a little peek into their lives and what they’re doing,

their sense of humor and what they’re passionate about.”

Smith brings that philosophy of creative wordsmithing to Savanna with a deep personal connection to the movement he helped create. Originally from the southeast side of Chicago, and having worked in construction, Smith has lived in Savanna for the past few years and has carried with him the legacy of Poetry Slam – a performance art form he began in 1986 at The Green Mill in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, where the original show is still held once a month.

Poetry Slam is a form of performance poetry in which poets recite original work with emphasis on both writing and delivery. The style blends the art of writing with live performance, encouraging interaction and energy between performers and audiences. What started as a local experiment in spoken word grew far beyond Chicago. With roots in live performance and audience participa-

tion, Poetry Slams spread across the United States and eventually around the world. Today, Smith said, roughly 2,000 cities globally host shows modeled after the original Green Mill format.

“Poetry readings up until then were very boring,” Smith said. “They were academic exercises, kind of snooty and kind of exclusive. Being an ex-construction worker, I didn’t quite understand why this passionate art form was presented in such a pretentious, passionless way. They weren’t performing, and it was just monotone.”

Through his presence in Chicago’s performance arts scene, Smith made connections with many musicians and artists, which came in handy when he moved to Savanna. Aspiring to enhance a culture of arts in his new community, Smith saw the Museum and Cultural Center as an outlet to bring more culture to the area.

MUSIC cont’d to page 25

understand your needs

Mount Carroll’s Marques Morel performs during the Jan. 30 Live Music at the Museum concert series, sharing locally inspired tales through song. Go to marquesmorel.com for more information on him.

The arts should have a more prominent place in Savanna and Carroll County, Smith thought, so he utilized his professional connections to help the museum bring unique musical visitors to the monthly event. He also had help from community members he got to know through the Bridges of Carroll County community gathering place in downtown Savanna.

“I got involved with people who were connected with the museum, and the Bridges community center,” Smith said. “I looked at this beautiful room that really wasn’t being used

much, and I suggested to them that I have a lot of friends in the music and show business in Chicago, and I leaned on them to have them help with starting a series here. They owed me some favors, and they came out to get the concerts going.”

With its mix of musical styles, spoken word and audience involvement, the series creates a welcoming atmosphere that keeps people coming back, events committee member Penny Brown said, and helps the event resonate beyond Savanna’s borders, drawing both longtime locals and first-time visitors.

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Don’t just spend a night at a museum …

… Spend a day at one, too. Local museums are a vital link to our past, and it’s up to the public to support them so that they’ll be a vital part of our future, too. Any day is a good day to visit a museum, but if you’re looking for an excuse to drop by one, May 18 is International Museum Day, an annual event spearheaded by the International Council of Museums to celebrate museums and the important role they play in communities big and small. Participating museums hold events on or around this day — some as short as a day and some all week. Last year, more than 37,000 museums took part. If you’re looking for other museums in Carroll County, check out our roundup of local museums in our Spring 2026 issue of Carroll County Living, at XXXXXX.

“I like the variety and the talent, and the camaraderie of all of the people in the community who come together to enjoy it,” Brown said. “It’s a good time. It’s a wonderful thing that we have going on here, thanks to Marc for starting it up, and it’s a great thing for our communities. It’s wonderful that we have this in our small town. We have people from outside Savanna come to these events.”

Opened in 2011 inside a restored mid-1800s building, the Savanna Museum and Cultural Center has three floors of permanent and rotating displays of exhibits on the city and its history, as well as artifacts from Savanna’s prominent residents. Highlights include the Civil War Soldier Gallery and Hometown Heroes Exhibit. Collections of instruments and other music

materials from “America’s Waltz King,” Savanna-born Wayne King, are displayed, as well as exhibits about local World War I Red Cross nurse Helen Scott Hay. Savanna’s railroad history with the Milwaukee Road and Chicago, Burlington and Quincy is here, too, displayed through a 1,000-square-foot HOscale model railroad track.

The Community Room also hosts other programs and events, including the family-friendly Scavenger Hunt evenings, the Creativity on the Move artisan and crafter showcase in April, and the Festival of Trees during the holiday season from the day after Thanksgiving through mid-December.

McCormick attributes much of the museum’s successes to the dedication of the people who make it all possible.

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“What makes the Savanna Museum and Cultural Center special isn’t just the amazing events and exhibits, it’s the dedicated volunteers, financial supporters, and our historical society that make them possible,” McCormick said. “Every gathering turns 406 Main into a place where community comes together and connections grow.”

For Smith, the music series reflects the same belief he had when he launched Poetry Slam decades ago: a belief that art works best when it brings people together in real time.

“It’s wonderful to see people come alive creatively,” Smith said. “The events committee is a real good, tight committee that works together to do something for their community, and they give back. For me, connecting with the local musicians has been a joy.”

Smith said sustaining that sense of connection is what ensures the series continues to grow and thrive.

“Once you get something like this going out here, it’s important to keep it going,” he said. n

Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

CONCERTS for the Savanna Cultural Center and Museum’s Live Music series begin at 7:30 p.m. on the final Friday of the month from January to October at the museum, 406 Main St. A $10 suggested donation for concertgoers helps keep the series going.

THE MUSEUM is open noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday May through October. Find it on Facebook, go to savannamuseum.org or call 815-275-1958 for more information.

PHOTO: CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

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Driftlessdri vi ng

Sometimes a trip off the beaten path can give people more things to learn and talk about. Take a drive from Mount Carroll to Scales Mound, and there’s something for everyone.

By CODY CUTTER

Taking a trip? Sure, planning has its perks — determining your destination and mapping out all the stops and shops you want to visit along the way.

But sometimes, it’s more fun to just point your car, or handlebars, the direction you want to go and let yourself drift on down the road, and the area around Lake Carroll offers some great places to go.

Detours from the daily routine offer more than just a change of scenery; they provide a chance to discover places we’ve overlooked or reconnect with ones we may have forgotten.

These quests can be as easy as simply picking a direction to take from the Lake and following it, be it off the beaten path or along a well-traveled road, such as one that takes road trippers in a north-northwest direction, traveling along the eastern edge of the Driftless Region.

Just what is a Driftless Region? Thousands of years ago, during the Last Glacial Period, massive ice sheets covered much of the northern continent, scouring and reshaping the land, but part of the Midwest was left out of the cold — about 15,000 square miles. As a result, the area wasn’t transformed by the glacial deposits known as drift — the clay, gravel, silt, sand and boulders left behind — creating a region marked by significant differences in topography, and some of the area’s most beautiful scenery.

Just how scenic is the route? Ask motorcyclists who’ve been on it, and there are plenty — it’s a favorite for two-wheeled travelers. The website greatmotorcycleroads.com ranked much of the stretch as one of its top seven Best Motorcycle Rides in Illinois in 2025.

In addition to all the scenery to be seen, we’ve mapped out a day trip route across two states that hugs curves and heads over hills, taking travelers on a winding journey through an area that offers everything from a haunted house to a mystery hill.

Mount Carroll

U.S. Route 52 and state Routes 40, 64 and 78 lead to Carroll County’s seat, where the courthouse is in the center of town and surrounded on two sides by brick streets and mom-and-pop businesses, including the vintage-1886 Bridgewater Inn hotel. The town also is home to an oddity that made it to the annals of Ripley’s Believe It or Not: The Civil War statue in front of the courthouse has an annex statue next to it — the only such war memorial of its kind.

Other unique places in town include the Shimer Square Apartments (formerly the Shimer College campus until 1978), Raven’s Grin Inn, a haunted house open by appointment for small groups throughout the year, and a restored pony truss bridge over Carroll Creek that once was part of a stagecoach route from Peoria to Galena.

Take Route 78 north of town for two miles and turn left on Elizabeth Road.

Derinda Road offers plenty of scenic views on this leg of the Elizabeth Blacktop.

Bicentennial city

Elizabeth Blacktop

This 20-mile stretch of curves and hills, referred to by locals as Elizabeth Blacktop, carries travelers from the south into the Driftless Region toward the Jo Daviess County town of Elizabeth. The views become more scenic the farther north you travel. Interesting sights include an old pony truss bridge over the Plum River and a small maple tree at Trinity Lutheran Church that turns a fireorange color in the fall. Detours from the path include the Rocky Waters and Massbach Ridge wineries, as well as the Schurmeier Teaching Forest — a walking path with kiosks featuring information about the forest.

The Blacktop takes three jogs along its path: 7 miles on Elizabeth Road to a right turn at Zion Road, which becomes Massbach Road at the county line; 5 miles to a left turn on Albrecht Road; and less than a half-mile to a right turn on Derinda Road, to be followed for 7.5 miles to a left turn on U.S. Route 20. Green road signs will point travelers in the correct direction to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth, founded in 1825, turned 200 years old in 2025. Its historic charm has its origins in stagecoach travel from Chicago to lead mines in Galena, as well as the Apple River Fort in the Black Hawk War of 1832; a replica of the fort is now a State Historic Site. The staffed visitor center there has several exhibits, a 16-minute film about the place, and a gift shop. The outer shell of the former fort is open for selfguided tours, with its interior open during special events.

Destinations in Elizabeth include the Highway 20 Brewing Company, the Chicago Great Western Railroad Museum and Paul’s Vintage Bikes bicycle museum. The town’s former school building, built in the late 1800s, now is home to Elizabeth’s Grand Antique Co., featuring more than 200 vendors across nearly 30,000 square feet.

Head west on Route 20 to the edge of town, and turn right on Elizabeth-Scales Mound Road. 1

1. Plum River makes its way under an abandoned bridge which used to carry a former alignment of the Elizabeth

northwest of

Apple River Fort, Elizabeth. 3. The bright colors of fall are a sight to see at Trinity Lutheran Church along the Elizabeth

south of

store, but rather a collection of vintage cycles from all over the world that’s on display at Paul’s Vintage Bikes in Elizabeth.5. Raven’s Grin

It’s not a

Carroll

There’s only one gas station in Scales Mound, and it serves up Sinclair gasoline – well, actually, the attendant does it for you, just like old times. It’s a full-service gas station, a rarity these days.

“At the top in Illinois”

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

The village of Scales Mound isn’t near a state or federal highway — the closest being the 13 miles it takes to get there from Elizabeth — but it’s worth the trip, with scenery similar to the drive on the aforementioned Elizabeth Blacktop. Scales Mound’s slogan, “At the top in Illinois” doesn’t just refer to its place at top of the state’s map, but also its proximity to the state’s tallest natural point, Charles Mound, which is 1,235 feet above sea level. Located a mile northeast of town, the mound itself is on private property, but its owners open it up for hiking during the first full weekends from June to September, as well as President’s Day weekend.

Scales Mound has a couple of throwbacks to everyday life from several decades ago: It has a full-service Sinclair gas station — where you can still drive over a hose that rings a bell for the attendant — and the vintage-1859 Country House Grocery store, where customers can still hear the creaks of those old wood floors.

It’s a Scales Mound tradition: Save for a few brief times when it was closed, the village’s grocery store has been around since 1859. Today, it is Country House Grocery.

Gravity Hill: Where vehicles coast in mysterious ways. Between these two road signs south of Shullsburg on County Route U is a spot where cars can stop, shift into neutral, and watch as their ride drifts in a direction opposite of what they may think. Looking southbound, as this picture is, switching from drive to neutral will make the vehicle appear to move up the hill instead of down it. Seems odd? It’s worth a try.

A brief sojourn into Wisconsin

If you’re itching for more travel, just a few miles beyond Scales Mound, the area south of Shullsburg, Wisconsin, has a couple of places to check out: The historic Berry Tavern, and a spot on a country road that seems to defy the laws of physics. To get to these places, take ElizabethScales Mound Road north from Scales Mound cross the state line, where the road turns into LaFayette County Route O, and proceed two miles from the state line to turn right at County Route W. Go 1/4-mile and turn left on Sedgwick Lane to the Berry Tavern.

The Berry Tavern actually ceased being a tavern more than a century ago, but it was a stop along a Chicago-to-Galena stagecoach trail in the early-to-mid-1800s. Although its days as a food and drink spot are long gone, local historians have preserved the building and host events onsite — including the annual Concert at the Berry Tavern, which features local musicians performing outdoors (this year’s is July 11).

Backtrack to County Route W and turn left, and proceed a half-mile to turn left at County Route U. Head a half-mile and navigate through a set of curves to Gravity Hill, one of a few such hills in the world. There are spots where the surrounding terrain and lack of a clear horizon create an optical illusion to make a slight downhill slope appear to be uphill. A road sign at the spot instructs motorists how it works. When stopped at the spot (look for the painted “GH”) shift the car into neutral and release the brake. The vehicle will appear to roll backward “uphill,” though the road actually slopes downward.

Follow County Route U north a couple of miles to explore Shullsburg (and use our day trip article on it from June 2023’s Lake Lifestyle to guide you: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/svm_ll_060723/12).

Who knows, maybe there is something else interesting to spot along the way. There’s only one way to find out: Take a nice, scenic drive. Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

Featured stops

Bridgewater Inn, Mount Carroll: 116 E. Market St.; go to ourbridgewaterinn.com, email ourbridgewaterinn@gmail.com, 815-244-0201 for reservations. (Featured in Shaw Media’s Fall 2025 Carroll County Living magazine: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/svm_carroll_county_ living_fall_winter_2025/20)

Raven’s Grin Inn, Mount Carroll: 411 N. Carroll St.; open by reservation; Facebook; 815-244-4746. (Featured in part in October 2025 Lake Lifestyle: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/svm_lake_lifestyle_october_2025/30)

Apple River Fort, Elizabeth: 311 E. Myrtle St.; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday from April to October, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday from November to March; dnrhistoric.illinois. gov/experience/sites/site.apple-river-fort.html, 815-858-2028.

Paul’s Vintage Bikes, Elizabeth: 137 N. Main St.; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday or by appointment; 815-238-0930. (Featured in May 2024 Lake Lifestyle: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/ll_050124/14)

Elizabeth’s Grand Antique Co., Elizabeth: 300 West St.; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; Facebook, Instagram, grandantiqueco.com; 815-858-9477. (Featured in July 2020 Lake Lifestyle: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/ docs/svm_lake_lifestyles_070120/32)

Chicago Great Western Railroad Museum, Elizabeth: 111 East Myrtle Street; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday from May to October, weekdays by appointment; Facebook; elizabethhistoricalsociety@ gmail.com

Scales Mound Sinclair Service, Scales Mound: 310 Franklin St., 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday; Facebook; 815845-2217.

Country House Grocery, Scales Mound: 501 Main St., 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon Sunday; Facebook, countryhousegrocery.com; 815-845-2316. (Featured in Feb. 2022 Lake Lifestyle along with all else in Scales Mound: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/svm_ ll_020222/28)

Berry Tavern, Shullsburg, Wisc.: 21527 Sedgwick Lane, open by appointment; Friends of Berry Taven on Facebook; email cory.ritterbusch@gmail.com or Facebook Messenger.

More tourism information

Mount Carroll: mtcarrollil.org

Elizabeth: elizabeth-il.org

Scales Mound: scalesmound.com

Shullsburg: shullsburgwisconsin.org

•

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Céad Míle Fáilte (a hundred thousand welcomes):

By CODY CUTTER

Push open the door at a Galena pub and Illinois quietly disappears. What’s inside? Irish wood shipped overseas, crowd-pulling music, history-rooted stories and a sense of welcome that treats strangers like family.

Frank O’Dowd’s and The Irish Cottage general manager Matthew Campbell-Nollen makes sure guests at both the pub and hotel get the most out of their Irish experience. The bar counter and hotel lobby’s oak and mahogany wood were crafted overseas and reconstructed piece by piece in Galena. “We’re kind of in the middle of nowhere in Illinois, and you get transported to Ireland,” he said.

GALENA – In Northwest Illinois, cornfields and timbered hills do most of the scenic talking, but there is a moment – right after you push open a heavy wooden door at a Galena tavern – when Illinois drops away and a glimpse of Ireland comes to full view.

The light is a little softer. The woodwork of the bar and decor is a little darker. Conversations hum beneath the clinks of glasses with tin whistles of Irish music in the background. For a moment, it feels less like Jo Daviess County and more like somewhere across the Atlantic, where pubs are takenfor-granted extensions of daily life.

It’s a sense of transport that makes Frank O’Dowd’s Irish Pub and Grill a unique destination in the region. It is housed within The Irish Cottage Inn and Suites, a place built deliberately to make guests feel as if they have wandered into Ireland without ever leaving northwest Illinois.

Opened in 2003, Frank O’Dowd’s and the adjoining hotel were conceived by Basil Conroy, his cousin Jack, and Debbie Coulter. Conroy and Jack were born and raised in Malahide, Ireland, and when they began scouting locations in the late 1990s, the rolling terrain east of Galena struck a familiar chord. The setting reminded them of the Valley of Glendalough, a scenic region in Ireland known for its lakes, ruins, and quiet grandeur.

As to Mr. O’Dowd? He’s a relative in the Conroy family tree. Hungry and thirsty folks and hotel guests won’t find him there, however – general manager Matthew Campbell-Nollen oversees its staff and makes sure its guests at both pub and room get the most out of their Irish experience.

That starts with the bar and lobby’s oak and mahogany wood: The wood, etched glass, carved panels and murals were crafted overseas and reconstructed piece by piece in Galena.

“Customers love the woodwork,” Campbell-Nollen said. “It’s very much how it is like walking into a pub or a place in Ireland.”

The culinary offerings center on a fusion of traditional Irish favorites and elevated pub fare. The menu includes staple Irish dishes such as Shepherd’s Pie, with charred mashed potatoes and served with Irish soda bread; bangers and mash with beer-braised sausages and caramelized onions; fish and chips with Guinness beer batter; and fried chicken with Guinness stout gravy – which Campbell-Nollen said is a top favorite among customers. Sandwiches and pub grub include a Reuben, “Paddy” melt and a breaded fried chicken sandwich, each served with seasoned Irish chips. Appetizer selections range from mussels in cider broth and sticky ribs with local blackberry bourbon barbecue to a rich poutine with stout gravy and scotch egg.

“If you leave hungry, it’s your own fault,” Campbell-Nollen said. “Our chef did a real good job putting these recipes together to try and make it feel authentic.”

As far as the drinks go, there is a rotating draught beer system and an extensive liquor selection. Nearly 50 whiskeys, scotches, and bourbons are featured, including a broad representation of Irish whiskeys that complement the food and enhance the overall Celtic pub experience. Drafts include locals like Haymow Molly amber lager from Lena Brewing Co., and imports such as the pilsner-style Harp lager from Dublin; the premium bitter Old Speckled Hen from St. Edmund’s, England; and Smithwick’s Irish amber ale, also from Dublin.

Guinness’ dry Irish stout remains a popular seller, and it also can be served in mixes: such as the Black and Tan with English brown ale, Black Velvet with sparkling wine, and a half-and-half of Guinness and Harp. The “Keltic Kocktails” are mixes conceived in-house, with an Irish Mudslide of vodka, Kahlua, Irish cream, heavy cream and chocolate syrup being one of them, and The Waldorf (Elijah Craig rye and sweet vermouth and bitters) as another. A selection of spiked coffees, teas, wines and domestic beers also are sold.

What ultimately sets Frank O’Dowd’s apart, though, is not just how it looks, but how it functions. Live music fills the pub Thursday through Sunday, with rotating performers who include traveling Irish musicians, local acts and regular features like Irish dancers on Saturdays and sea shanty singers on select Sundays. Major holidays feature large events, including – of course – St. Patrick’s Day, where the place becomes packed with music and crowds inside and outside.

The shanties – traditional working songs once sung aboard boats –are a particular favorite. “They do authentic old Irish sea songs that they used to sing on the boats,” Campbell-Nollen said. “It just sets the tone. People get transported, and then they get authentic Irish music, too, on top of it. It’s the cherry on top.”

Andreas Transø, one of the pub’s regular performers, brings another layer to the performances. He blends Irish music with folklore, storytelling, spoon percussion, and Irish and local history woven into his sets. He invites audiences to sing along to familiar choruses, punctuates rhythms with spoons and boot-stomps against the stage.

“It’s a real gem in the crown of the Irish identity for the area,” Transø said. “I’m just trying to keep the tradition and culture alive with the global humanity that’s found in Irish music. It’s a great stage to play

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When Frank O’Dowd’s opened in 2003, Transø was a student at the University of Wisconsin–Platteville with a deep love for theater, music and history. His ties to the area run even deeper: some of his ancestors were from Galena, including a fifth-great-grandfather buried in the city’s old cemetery. His Irish family arrived in the region in 1847, escaping hard times overseas, while his upbringing near Gays Mills, Wisconsin, kept Irish music alive through his mother’s side of the family.

In 2004, Transø helped launch the pub’s first sea shanty–themed weekend, and today his sets often include songs rooted in the lead-mining history of southwest Wisconsin and Jo Daviess County – where miners, once known as “badgers,” worked the hills above the Mississippi River. His path has carried him to the Irish World Music Academy at the University of Limerick, a year of study in London, and Celtic Studies at UW–Milwaukee, all in service of refining his craft.

He credits Frank O’Dowd’s as both a classroom and a community.

“It’s a very important place for me,” Transø said. “It’s a fun way to talk about local Galena history. I really like getting to meet new people here.”

The place’s Irish sense of welcome carries upstairs and down the hallways of The Irish Cottage Inn and Suites. Guests also encounter the bar’s familiar Irish wood shelving in the front lobby, and the same wood is found lined in an extensive library of old books, while an exhibit details the story of the property and its founders. Many guests book rooms specifically for the Irish atmosphere, drawn by photos, reviews, and a promise of something different, Campbell-Nollen said. Amenities like an indoor pool, hot tub, and shuttle service to downtown Galena are among its popular features, but hospitality remains the core offering.

Frank O’Dowd’s Irish Pub and Grill is located at 9853 West U.S. Route 20 in Galena. It is housed within The Irish Cottage Inn and Suites

“Irish hospitality is very well known,” CampbellNollen said. “It’s basically being friendly to everyone, like you’re their kin. It’s very much like your friends and family are one, which I think is really cool.”

Winding paths, both out in the open and into a grove of trees, in the back of the property add to the Irish experience. A faerie ring sits quietly on the grounds, and a cross nearby bears a plaque explaining a small ritual: place a stone upon it, and tradition says it brings good luck.

“We offer an authentic Irish experience that nobody else does,” Campbell-Nollen said. “Musicwise, with the Irish dancers every weekend, big St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, and we’re all in one building. We’re trying to be a one-stop shop.”

The combined pub and cottage experience is like going to Ireland without buying a plane ticket, he said.

“We’re kind of in the middle of nowhere in Illinois, and you get transported to Ireland.”

Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

Photo

Frank O’Dowd’s Irish Pub and Grill, 9853 West U.S. Route 20 in Galena, is open from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, and noon to 10 p.m. Saturday. Food is served at 5 p.m. each day it is open, and at noon on Saturday. Find it on Facebook, go to theirishcottageboutiquehotel.com/pub-grill or call 815-776-0707 for reservations or more information.

Frank O'Dowd's is housed within The Irish Cottage Inn and Suites. Find it on Facebook, go to theirishcottageboutiquehotel.com or call the phone number above for booking.

Jennifer Sturtevant 105 S Broad St Lanark, IL 61046-1203

https://www.countryfinancial.com/jen. sturtevant jen.sturtevant@countryfinancial.com 8154932544

America isn’t the only place celebrating a big anniversary this year (its 250th). Galena is celebrating the 200th anniversary since its founding in 1826.

A town founded when thriving lead mines nearby brought workers and families to the area, Galena grew to became an Illinois town that once rivaled Chicago in the mid-1800s. Galena’s early economic boom led to a vibrant downtown and it being the home to a number of important business people and senior military staff, including Ulysses S. Grant, who lived in Galena in the years before serving as a Union general during the Civil War, and later the 18th President of the United States.

The town’s oldest building, the Dowling House, survives from the town’s founding 200 years ago and is now a local history museum; it is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and noon to 3 p.m. Saturday from May to October.

The fortunes of the areas lead mines eventually waned, but the city has evolved since then as one of the state’s top tourist destinations. The scenic downtown is a labyrinth of small, mom-and-pop stores and casual and fine dining options located on the ground levels of large brick buildings, and historic sites such as the Ulysses S. Grant Home, attract tourists from around the world. Go to granthome.org for more information.

Anniversary events include the Galena History Symposium from May 15-17 at the DeSoto House, a French Choir performance June 27 at Turner Hall, a corn boil and music festival Aug. 29 at Recreation Park, and and outdoor birthday party and drone show Dec. 27 along the Galena River. Go to galena2026.org for more information.

For all else Galena, the town’s tourism center, housed at a former Illinois Central railroad depot, provides information that goes beyond what online research can deliver, with staff guiding visitors to attractions they might otherwise miss. Local brochures, maps, and insights are offered to enrich any itinerary. Go to visitgalena. org for more information.

A Guide To Lake Carroll Real Estate

Are you looking to enjoy the Lake Lifestyle? The following pages will show you the properties available to you right now!

VACANT LOTS

Country View | 12-50 Birchbark Lane | $1 Country View | 18-16 Lake Carroll Blvd. | $1,000 Wooded | 13-102 Quail Hollow Dr. | $2,000

Wooded | 12-245 Birchbark Ct. | $3,900 Country View | 17-73 Lakeview Drive | $4,500

Wooded | 26-18 Westwood Ct | $10,500 Country View | 31-65 Wakonda Dr. | $25,000