Hungry for nature? Check out Starved Rock

There's no doubt that a tornado strike on a community is immediately devastating and leaves lasting scars. Lots of communities, though, find the resiliency to rebuild and carry on.

One such is Utica, Ill., hit by a twister in 2004. Although the community is small (population 995), it welcomes thousands of visitors who travel there to enjoy the pretty state parks that sit on its doorstep, notably Starved Rock.

They also find plenty of diversions in Utica's small but zesty downtown. These include fashionable galleries, interesting restaurants and a pair of tasting rooms representing two local wineries: August Hill Winery and Illinois River Winery (with a third tasting room -- the Starved Rock Wine Company -- located out of town at U.S. Route 6). Find live entertainment at a number of establishments along with plenty of places to shop for unusual gifts.

Typical of downtown Utica's trendy new persona is the stylish tasting room of the August Hill Winery, opened in 2005. This long, narrow storefront on the village's main street occupies space that once housed a store selling Amish furniture. There's a deck out back where it is not unusual to find entertainment on warm evenings.

A well-balanced wine list includes Chardonnel dry white and Chambourcin dry red. In its first year of competition, the winery took medals for 16 of the 17 wines it entered. The tasting room offers cheese and chocolate for pairing -- both eminently compatible partners. Back labels on wine bottles suggest food pairings.

Sharing this space is the work of local artists, including vibrant hand-blown glassware, vivid abstract paintings, woodworking, pottery and jewelry, as well as artisan cheeses and gourmet chocolates. It makes this a good spot for a little shopping as well as wine tasting (cooling off, perhaps, with a refreshing wine slushy).

A bit down the street, the tasting room of the Illinois River Winery offers such classics as Pinot Grigio and a full-bodied claret that is an international award winner. It also creates fun products such has "Hallowine," an apple wine spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, sold in an orange bottle with a green capsule. For chocoholics (you know who you are), chocolate raspberry port is a tempting dessert wine. The winery, which has a Jacuzzi in its landscaped garden, is open for tours on Saturdays.

You can order wine from both wineries at nearby Nodding Onion Cafe, named for an Illinois plant (which blooms out front by the restaurant's sign). For breakfast, order an omelet, eggs Benedict or a version of a New Orleans favorite, Eggs Hussarde. Dinner entrees include grilled tuna, porterhouse pork chop and grilled steaks. The cafe bakes its own breads and desserts that include pies and cheesecake.

Old traditions linger, too. For close to 40 years, one of Utica's fun annual events has been its Burgoo Festival (Oct. 7 this year). The town dishes up some 200 gallons of beef stew, thick with vegetables. The secret is to marinate the beef in wine, beer and spices and slow-cook it for at least 12 hours.

Burgoo is a pioneer dish that traditionally incorporated a melange of meats and fowl -- whatever was available (although Utica's version uses only beef) -- seasoned and simmered over an open fire. Many believe the name originated with 17th-century English sailors who used "bulgur," a type of cracked wheat, to make porridge. Others say it is a corruption of ragout, the French word for stew (pronounced "ra-goo").

Starved Rock's odd, tragic name derives from an incident during tribal warfare of the 1750s. The Illinois tribe slew Chief Pontiac of the Ottawa band and retreated to a strategic 125-foot-high bluff overlooking the Illinois River, confidant that the sheer sides of the rock would enable them to repel superior numbers of enemy.

The tactic misfired. Instead of mounting a direct attack, Ottawa warriors surrounded the rock and patiently waited for dehydration and starvation to do their work.

Today, Starved Rock State Park is spread over 2,816 acres of thick forest cut with 18 lush canyons sprinkled with sparkling waterfalls. Hiking trails meander past waterfalls to lookouts atop sandstone bluffs that soar high above the Illinois River. Oak and cedar more than a century old grow on the tops of bluffs and provide refuge for chickadees and yellow-bellied sapsuckers. Flocks of wild turkey roam through the woods; beaver and muskrat are seen along riverside trails.

Overlooking the river on a high bluff is a stone-and-log lodge built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The lodge offers 72 hotel rooms and 22 cozy cabins. The original Great Room is furnished with decorative rugs and art and is centered around a massive stone fireplace.

A wide range of park events includes photography workshops (next one is Sept. 29). Trolley tours focus on park history and showcase fall colors.

When a tree dies in the park, it lives on as a sculpture. Currently, there are close to two dozen of these chainsaw creations. On Sept. 30, the Valley Carvers Woodcarving Expo will showcase their talent.

Another lodging choice is Grand Bear Lodge & Indoor Water Park. This popular family attraction is close to Starved Rock State Park.

If you go

Information: Village of North Utica, (815) 667-4111, www.utica-il.com; Starved Rock Lodge, (800) 868-7625, www.starvedrocklodge.com; Illinois Tourism, (800) 226-6632.

Mileage: Utica is 90 miles southwest of Chicago.