A sock monkey is what really piqued my interest in Rockford, Illinois, a city of just under 200,000 people.  Southern neighbor of Beloit, Wisconsin, Rockford is about an hour and a half drive from Chicago, Milwaukee, or Madison (coincidence confirmed by Mapquest.com).

Small enough to measure summer by the height of corn, but large enough for shopping, industry, and tourism, Rockford reminds me a lot of my hometown, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Even the Rock River, meandering through a re-vitalizing downtown and remnants of early Native American inhabitants had me double checking the map.

Linked to their industrial past, someone in Rockford, Illinois put a patent on the red-heeled sock and the rest is just monkey business. In the spirit of the primate, we monkied around in Rockford last weekend and here’s how the fun went down.

Sock Monkeys at the Midway Village Museum

Our first stop, of course, spotting Nelson, the world’s largest sock monkey at the Midway Village Museum. A 19^th century village, the museum is set on 137 acres and features 26 historical buildings, many of which you can go in. We arrived first thing in the morning, and our patient tour guide led us through the most toddler-friendly buildings in the village (school, fire station, police station, general store, and pump house). We could have stayed in The Old Doll’s House building for hours. A building full of doll house displays from around the world, I’d go back here on a rainy day or in the winter in a New York minute.

Eventually we became hungry. Restaurant choices in Rockford are plentiful and range from chain to family-owned, sit down, stand up, drive through, and carry out. Click here to read about where we dined and get some ideas for family-friendly dining in the area.

Outdoor WaterWorks Interactive Exhibit at Discovery Center Museum

If you haven’t been to the Discovery Center Museum in downtown, you’ll soon see why the museum has been recognized as one of the Top 10 children’s museums in the nation by The National Geographic Society. We were lucky enough to visit the Discovery Center Museum during a grand re-opening, featuring the brand new Ag-Zibit and Air and Flight displays. A perfect day to cool down in the WaterWorks area of the outdoor Rock River Discovery Park, we continued the splashing indoors in the wonderful Tot Spot water table play area upstairs. The most fun we’ve ever had climbing stairs, come to the Discovery Center Museum just to watch your kids scramble up what one other mom described as “the mouse holes.” Day passes and annual memberships to the museum are reasonable.  Parking is easy. Not to mention, the Burpee Museum of Natural History is located next door.

Burpee Museum of Natural History

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that we then ventured over to the Burpee Museum of Natural History to meet Jane, the dinosaur (mental note: based on size of “young Jane’s skeleton,” I’m once again glad dinosaurs are extinct). We looked at fossils and rocks, felt tree bark, and learned about mining. On the third floor, the kids were absolutely fascinated with the Native American exhibits and the different dwellings. Here we are seen hunting deer from the safety of the museum canoe. I’m also now pretty sure my apartment in Houston, Texas was home to a long-lost relative of the trilobite. Clean, open, and not too big or too small for younger children, Burpee and Jane were gracious hosts.

Magic Waters Waterpark

When our brains became full and the natives were restless, we happily donned sunscreen and bathing suits (towels: total afterthought) for a wonderful afternoon at nearby Magic Waters Waterpark. The most stress-free and least crowded outdoor waterpark we’ve been to this year, the life guard-to-patron ratio had to be close to 1:1. Even though the overnight rain had continued into the morning, the water was warm and we enjoyed plenty of different areas for younger kids (including the gated Little Lagoon, for kids shorter than 42 inches tall). Tied for “coolness” was Tsunami Bay (Illinois’ largest wave pool) and Splash Magic Island. Although, my vote was strongly in favor of Tsunami Bay, after failing to notice a 1000 gallon splash “bucket” coming to full meniscus directly above my head. Toddler-friendly water slides, dippin’ dots, and a few more freckles later, we left Magic Waters with kids too tired even to beg for a round of miniature golf at nearby Volcano Falls Adventure Park. Success!

Fairfield Inn & Suites

Modern, clean, bright, and vibrant, the Fairfield Inn & Suites graciously hosted our family while we explored Rockford. Conveniently located near the I-90 interstate corridor (but far enough from the hum of traffic), our room was decorated in “Austin Powers groovy” and we even had two flat-screen TV’s (yeah baby!). With Hannah Montana in the bedroom and Sponge Bob in the sitting area, it’s a miracle we left the hotel at all. Traveling on a budget, we always appreciate an on-site breakfast buffet and freshly-brewed coffee always available in the lobby. Because I was traveling alone with three kids (playing zone defense) I appreciated a smaller swimming pool. Heads falling onto no less than 10 pillows, we collectively fell asleep without any little monkies jumping on the bed.

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