Tag: illinois


May
2015

Thomas Woods Campsite – Marengo Ridge Conservation Area

categories: Babies & Kids, Campgrounds

Recently, we took our first family camping trip with our 9 month old baby. We weren’t sure if he’d enjoy his first camping experience, so we decided to camp for one night at Thomas Woods Campsite, less than an hour from our home. Thomas Woods is in the Marengo Ridge Conservation Area in Marengo, IL. If you’re looking to camp somewhere scenic and close to the Chicago area, I’d highly recommend Thomas Woods.

Thomas Woods Campsite #39

Marengo Ridge is just over 800 acres with five miles of hiking trails. Thomas Woods campground offers both car camping and hike in sites. On the early May weekend we camped there were only a handful of sites taken. We chose site 39, but there wasn’t a bad site in the campground.

We had a hard time keeping our baby on the blanket we laid out for him. At this age he just loves to explore and hates being confined (getting him into his car seat is a challenge). He spent a lot of time crawling around on the soft moss that covered the ground. He had a blast playing with the rocks, sticks and pinecones scattered about our site.

We took a couple hikes and spotted a good variety of early spring flowers. There were a few lookout points with sweeping views of the grasslands and surrounding farms.

We brought along our clip-on high chair and tray, which worked well with the picnic bench at mealtimes.

To our surprise, the baby slept better in our tent than he does in his crib at home. I guess he liked being snuggled up between us in our double sleeping bag.

We packed light for this camping trip and managed to fit all our essentials plus our pup Lacy in my Jetta Sportwagen. We did bring our huge sleeping pads to make sure that the baby got a good night’s sleep. We kept our meals simple as well. We made veggie quesadillas in our pie iron for dinner and egg and cheese sandwiches for breakfast.

Judging by his smiles, I think our baby had a great time. We’re looking forward to our next family camping experience.

  • Thomas Woods Campsite website
  • Location: 3100 IL-23, Marengo, IL 60152
  • Reservations: Call (815) 338-6223, ext. 1200 by 11 am on the Thursday before you camp, or register with the camp host when you arrive.
  • Camping fees:
    Non-Electric Site: $10 Residents / $15 Non-Residents
    Electric RV Only Site: $20 Residents / $30 Non-Residents
    Holiday weekend surcharge: $2 Residents; $5 Non-Residents
  • Firewood: No outside firewood permitted. Good quality firewood available on-site for $5 a bundle.
  • Things to know: Dogs are welcome, though it is not mentioned on the website.

Aug
2013

Thomson Causeway – Camping on the Mississippi

categories: Campgrounds

This past weekend we camped with Billy’s grandma and her husband at Thomson Causeway in Thomson, Illinois. They are members of an RV club called the DuPage Drifters. It was my first taste of RV camping. Now I’m keeping my eye out for vintage campers…just in case.

Camping on the Mississippi - Thomson Causeway.

If you live in Illinois, you probably recognize Thomson for it’s prison, which was built but never occupied due to lack of budget. Thompson Causeway is a US Army Corps of Engineers campground located on the Mississippi River, 2.5 miles west of Chicago. It’s really set up for RV’s more than tent camping, mostly grass dotted with trees. The campground is located on the widest point of the Mississippi.

Camping on the Mississippi - Thomson Causeway.

We visited Lock & Dam #13, which is about 20 minutes south of the campground. It was cool to see how it opened and closed to let boats through. If you’re camping at Thomson Causeway and see a Barge pass in the distance, you can hop in you car and drive down to the Lock & Dam to see it pass through. I was surprised to see pelicans on the Mississippi River. The American White Pelicans that we saw on the Mississippi are related to the Brown Pelicans that live by the ocean.

Camping on the Mississippi - Thomson Causeway.

We also saw lots of frogs.

Camping on the Mississippi - Thomson Causeway.

And turtles.

Camping on the Mississippi - Thomson Causeway.

On Saturday night, the DuPage Drifters had a Luau. Billy’s grandma made Blue Hawaiians, which were a big hit. Everyone dressed in Hawaiian shirts and leis. It was a lot of fun. I look forward to camping with them again.

Camping on the Mississippi - Thomson Causeway.

Before we left on Sunday, we checked out the Windmill in Fulton. It was built in Holland, then shipped piece by piece to Fulton.

Thomson Causeway Recreation Area:

Camping on the Mississippi - Thomson Causeway.