Spreading haphazardly along the leafy banks of the Rock River, Rockford (pop. 150,115) is a big, somewhat sprawling, post-industrial city five miles west of the busy I-90 toll road from Chicago. US-20 bypasses the down-at-heel downtown area that, if the denizens wore more hats, would look like a film set on Main Street of industrial America circa 1949. Unfortunately, many of the classy office buildings and storefronts here have been abandoned in favor of anonymous office parks and shopping malls closer to the I-90 corridor.
After exploring Rockford’s nooks and crannies, including many nice parks, reward yourself with lunch or dinner at one of Illinois’ great road-food haunts, the Rathskeller (815/963-2922) at 1132 Auburn Street, off Main Street a mile north of downtown Rockford. Since 1931, this Teutonic institution has been serving up skillets of sausage and potatoes, corned beef sandwiches, and very good desserts. If you’d prefer something a bit more healthy and contemporary, try the new downtown bistro, Paragon on State (815/963-1660) at 205 W. State Street, which has great pastas and grilled meat dishes, a nouvelle sense of style—and microbrews at reasonable prices.
Rockford has lots of places to stay, from all the main chains along the Interstate to old US-20’s characterful Sweden House Lodge ($55 and up; 815/398-4130) at 4605 E. State Street, a still-thriving icon of 1950s roadside Americana.
