My coverage territory primarily is the four-county area of Whiteside, Lee, Ogle and Carroll counties. With Lake Carroll being on the northern border of Carroll County, I find myself going north of that for stories I write for the monthly “Lake Lifestyle” magazine for that private community.

Since I came back to work for Sauk Valley Media in 2014, most of my readers are used to me telling stories and sharing places within the four-county coverage area. With some of the magazines I write for, sometimes stories from those get republished in the Daily Gazette and Telegraph newspapers, where readers from other parts of the area get to see them for the first time.

With “Lake Lifestyle,” I have tried to cater to the community’s interest by exploring more than just the four-county area. A good portion of the Lake Carroll community is made up of retired or semi-retired people, and it saw an uptick in part-to-full-time residency conversions since the coronavirus pandemic.

Since traveling is one of my favorite things to do, I have incorporated that into the magazine’s content. I figured that a comfortable “day trip” experience for Lake Carroll residents was within a 1-hour radius. That circle includes some places that make my job a tri-state focus with Iowa and Wisconsin included. So, yes, I’ve done work in places like Monroe, Wisconsin and Maquoketa, Iowa – and everywhere else within that northern part of the radius.

Stories involving places in Iowa, Wisconsin, Jo Daviess County and Stephenson County don’t make it to our other publications, whether they are recycled for the newspapers or for the other “Living” magazines.

Magazine writing is what I do now, and I understand that readers from Sterling and Rock Falls only get to see a minimum of 15 stories a year through its “Living” magazine. They may wonder, “Is that all Cody does?” They don’t think of the 15 stories I write for things in Dixon, the 10 each for the rest of Whiteside and Lee counties, the 10 each for Ogle and Carroll counties, etc.

Or even yet, the 60 stories I write each year for “Lake Lifestyle.”

I have put together in this post some of the neat “road trip” and destination stories that I have written about places in Eastern Iowa, Southern Wisconsin, and Jo Daviess and Stephenson counties. If you’re looking for places to go on a road trip, here are some recommendations:

Kellogg’s Grove, Kent: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/ll110420/12
A nearly-140-year-old monument to the Battle of Kellogg’s Grove during the Black Hawk War of 1832 sits at this park on the backroads of western Stephenson County. That’s where war dead are buried. Helping to dig the graves? None other than future president Abraham Lincoln.

Barrel and Brie, Eleroy: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/lake_lifestyle_010621/14
Most drivers just fly by this small village between Freeport and Lena on U.S. Route 20, but there’s plenty of shopping that can be done there. Barrel and Brie is a family-run meats and cheeses store off the highway, carrying products from regional farms and companies. Plenty of cheese-based sandwiches also are served.

Nature’s Treasures, Woodbine: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/svm_lake_lifesyle_020321/26
Another place to stop and see along Route 20, Nature’s Treasures is a big believer in healing crystals and how other pieces of art can brighten one’s day.

Route 73 Brew & Chew, Pearl City: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/svm_lake_lifestyle_april_2021/24
This restaurant with unique foods and burgers has become very popular throughout the 1-hour radius drive of Lake Carroll. I even suggested it to a friend, and it’s since become one of her favorite places to eat at. There’s going to be a new addition to the place that I will feature soon, so stay tuned.

St. Donatus, Iowa: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/svm_ll_070721/28
It’s a historic Luxembourg village on U.S. Route 52 between Sabula and Dubuque at the southern end of the winding and hilly Driftless Area. Stop by the Kalmes Restaurant and General Store for some of its Luxembourg sausage.

Sweetie Me candy store, Lena: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/svm_lldec21/4
Candy stores and confectioneries were a part of America’s past, but creative business owners such as the couple who own Sweetie Me in downtown Lena are bringing it back. Enjoy candies you haven’t seen since the 80s or 90s, sugar sticks taller than you, and a whole lot more.

Scales Mound: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/svm_ll_020222/28
This is a step back in time. The corner grocery store with the creaking wood floor. The Sinclair full-service gas station. No state highway in sight. Scales Mound has a pair of bars and a quality high school basketball hoops program.

Down on the Farm toy store, Lena: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/ll_070622/22
I also wrote this for our Northern Illinois Ag Mag magazine. This place is filled with farm toys for children made by the leading toy companies, so if your child wants to build an imaginative toy farm property, here’s the place. Collector “toys” for adults also are in stock.

Shullsburg, Wisconsin: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/svm_ll_060723/12
This is one of Wisconsin’s oldest towns, from 1828, and the downtown looks like a mini-Galena in a way. Shullsburg is known for its cheese, and there’s a lot more to the town that has plenty of mining history.

The Old Chicago Trail, Polo to Chicago: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/ll_080223/32
This one is different from the others in this list as it is a journey to or from Chicago; this article shares how that journey was like during the stagecoach days of 1832. There’s some Underground Railroad sites and more to scope along the way.

Woodbine Art Museum, Woodbine: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/svm_ll_090623/28
Another Woodbine stop on Route 20 (there’s also an old auto repair shop building and train depot in town), the Woodbine Art Museum is open during the weekends and features all sorts of art glass from all over the world. A gift shop also is on site.

Ensign Jade Acres, between Pearl City and Freeport: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/ll_100423/34
A young couple new to the area bought an old barn and have renovated it to be a wedding and event venue. The barn look takes people back in time to when farming was dominant in the region.

Let Us Out Escape Rooms, Stockton: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/ll_010524/12
Escape rooms are becoming a popular tourist destination. This one in Stockton is a little smaller than the usual ones people see, but it makes up for its size with plenty of difficulty.

Chubz Pub & Grub, Warren: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/svm_ll_020724/32
I’ve known the owners for more than a decade from when they lived close to home, and their bar and grill in Warren is a place where people will not leave hungry. If you have a huge appetite, try its “Chunky Challenge.”

•• I also have written city compilation stories on the following, which are pretty much lists of “things to do” in them …
Freeport: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/smv_ll_030222/16
Maquoketa, IA: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/svm_ll_040523/4
Monroe, WI: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/svm_ll_010423/16
LeClaire, IA: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/svm_ll120823/10

•• I have also put together themed road trips, with multiple places to visit …
Breweries: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/svm_ll_020222/12
Railroad spots: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/ll_050422/28
Drive-ins: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/ll_070622/4
Local Museums: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/ll_090722/10
Baseball sites: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/ll_030123/24
The Driftless Area: https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/svm_ll_050323/24

In conclusion, if you’re wondering if I’ve actually been to all of these places to put these stories together – that’s an absolute YES!

I’m a believer in seeing things with my own two eyes before writing about them. Phone interviews and online regurgitation just doesn’t make these stories pure. I have enjoyed my travels, and will enjoy the many more that I have planned for “Lake Lifestyle” in the future.