Episode 167 - You Will Never Look At Illinois The Same Way w/ Jessica Mlinaric

Guest: Jessica Mlinaric, Author of *Secret Illinois: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure* A fire-breathing dragon you trigger with a token. A cemetery sitting quietly inside the sprawl of O’Hare. A real Viking ship that crossed the ocean and somehow ended up in Illinois. If any of that made you stop scrolling, you’re our kind of traveler and you’re going to love this ride through the state’s most unexpected corners. We’re joined by author Jessica Mlinaric to talk about her book *Secret Illinois* and the 6,000 mile road trip it took to make it real. We dig into how she chooses a “secret” worth sharing, the joy of finding a backstory that changes how you see a place, and why the best travel moments still come from talking to the people who live there. Along the way, we hit Illinois hidden gems you can actually visit, including a haunted-themed mini golf course in a funeral home, Opera in Focus puppet performances, Bishop Hill’s Swedish roots, and a Frank Lloyd Wright home in Rockford designed with accessibility in mind. We also lean into pure roadside wonder, from Route 66 Illinois favorites like the American Giants Museum’s muffler men to Casey’s Guinness World Record “world’s largest” attractions. Then we zoom out to the deeper history many people skip, from Cahokia Mounds to stories tucked into tiny towns that deserve a detour. If you’re planning an Illinois road trip, looking for Chicago day trips, or just craving fresh travel inspiration, you’ll leave with a long list of stops and a bigger sense of what’s possible close to home. Subscribe so you don’t miss the next adventure, share this with a friend who loves a good detour, and leave a review to help more travelers find the show. ## Chapter Markers - 0:00 Welcome, Kitten, And A Tease - 3:57 Route 66 Giants And Record Town - 8:10 Viking Ship And Airport Cemetery - 15:34 Prohibition Clues And Prairie Oddities - 23:20 What Makes A Place A Secret - 26:33 Rapid Fire Illinois Favorites - 31:07 Where To Get The Book Videos and images courtesy of Jessica Mlinaric For more information: secretillinois.com @urbnexplorer Follow us & Subscribe! FIND ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA: ► IG: @roundtripcolleenkelly ► FB: @roundtripcolleenkelly ► Tik Tok: @roundtripcolleenkelly GET IN TOUCH! ► Website: roundtripcolleenkelly.com ► Email: roundtripcolleenkelly@gmail.com #roundtrip #roundtripcolleenkelly #travelpodcast #illinois #illinoistravel #secret #roadtrip #midwesttravel #roadside #southernillinois #rurallife #author #travelwriter #historicalfacts #illinoishistory #guidebook #chicago