Plan to include a friend or spouse, and board our charter bus at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, October 4, to visit a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Kankakee that was designed for B. Harley Bradley. Beautifully set on the banks of the Kankakee River, guests will tour the home, stable and gardens.

The former owners, Sharon and Gaines Hall, had painstakingly restored the home before turning it over to the Wright In Kankakee Foundation. As a special treat, our tour will be conducted personally by Mrs. Hall, who is a friend of Ingrid Hutchings (one of our members). This house is acknowledged as Wright's first Prairie Style design. It also is next door to another Wright design, the Hickox House, a private residence. In addition, the stable is now a gift shop.

After the tour, we will enjoy a lovely lunch at the Kankakee Country Club. The drive to the club will afford us another personal tour, led by Mrs. Hall, of some of the other historic sites in Kankakee. We should be back in Champaign before 4:00 p.m. Cost will be $55 for members and $60 for non-members for lunch, tours, and travel. Mark your calendars now for this fun trip!

New Press Box Area, Memorial Stadium
Friday, January 20, 2012
1401 S. First Street, Champaign, IL at 4:00 p.m.
Houlihan's, 1900 S. First Street, Champaign, IL at 5:00 p.m.

Join us for a tour of the newly-renovated press box and premium seating area of Memorial Stadium, also called the BSL Building. After our 45-minute tour, we will head over for an optional dinner at Houlihan's where we can enjoy a good meal and great company, or if you prefer, just some appetizers and drinks if you have other plans for the evening but would like to extend your time visiting with friends.

There is no charge for the tour, but it's important to have an accurate count for both the tour and the restaurant, so please RSVP by January 16th via email tours@theillinoisclub.org. Please make it clear if you will be attending the tour only or both the tour and meal (meal at your own cost) and indicate the name(s) of all attendees for whom you are registering.

Equinox House Tour (Ty & Deb Newell, owners)
Friday, April 13, 2012
2908 Haydon Dr., Urbana, IL at 4:00 p.m.
Po'Boys at 5:30 p.m.
202 E. University, Urbana, IL

Calling all engineers, home decorators, environmentalists and anyone interested in new technology! Sign up now for the tour of the "Eco House" or Equinox House as it's called by its owners, Ty and Deb Newell, at 2908 Hayden Dr. in the Beringer Commons addition of Urbana.

Ty Newell will talk with us about efficient home construction, solar energy, rainwater harvesting, indoor fresh air control, and other relevant topics as he shows us around his eco-friendly home for about an hour. For more information in these areas, visit Ty Newell's website, http://newellinstruments.com/equinox.

If you would like to continue the fun, let's meet at Po'Boys at 202 E. University (in the mini-mall near the NW corner of Cunningham Rd. and University) in Urbana (367-2255) immediately following the tour, for drinks, appetizers or dinner. Please indicate if you will be attending only the tour, or both the tour and Po'Boys when you RSVP. Also, please list the names of any guests you will be bringing. There is no charge for the tour but your meal and beverages are on your own.

Please RSVP to Julia Schmidt at tours@theillinoisclub.org. by April 7 (Easter Saturday).

Bus Trip to McLean County
Friday, October 5, 2012, 7:45 am to 5:00 pm
Bloomington, IL
Sign-up Deadline, September 21, 2012

Join us on a bus trip to McLean County. Whether you are a history buff, a gardener, a wine enthusiast or an environmentalist, this multifaceted trip to McLean County is just for you. Enjoy a full day of information that begins at the Twin Groves Windmill Farm and ends with a tour and wine tasting at the White Oak Vineyards. In between we will spend 2 hours at the historical David Davis Mansion where the group will have three separate tours featuring the house itself, the out buildings and Sarah's Garden. We will enjoy lunch at CJ's near the airport with accommodations for vegetarian and gluten free diets. All of our tour stops have great sites on the web, so check it out before you decide. You'll discover that you won't want to miss this trip.

Itinerary

7:45 am - Meet at SW corner of County Market parking lot between Mattis Ave. and Country Fair Dr., 1914 Glen Park Dr., C..
8:00 - Departure (coffee, juice & breakfast treats)
9:00 - Windmill Farm
10:15 - David Davis Mansion
12:45 - Lunch at CJ's Restaurant
2:15 - White Oak Vineyard
5:00 pm - return to County Market in Champaign

PayPal address for registering online: http://theillinoisclub.org/pay_pal/2012_McLean.php

Buzard Pipe Organ Builders
Friday, February 8, 2013
112 W. Hill St., Champaign, IL at 3:30 pm
Destihl, Champaign, IL at 5:00 pm

Did you think that pipe organs were a blast from the past? Did you ever wonder how or who maintained some of the fabulous organs at our local churches and the magnificent Virginia Theater? Well, here is your chance to find out. Meet at 3:30 in the entrance of the Buzard Pipe Organ building for a thorough tour of this amazing facility. Their staff includes founder and artistic designer, John-Paul Buzard, himself, who is also the curator for the organs at the University of Illinois; Charles Eames, chief engineer; Brian Davis, tonal director; Keith Williams, service department director; three cabinet makers, and more. Who would have thought that one of the world's premiere pipe organ builders would be here in eastern Illinois?

If you work up an appetite on the tour, please join us afterwards for drinks and/or dinner at Destihl (301 N. Neil). Please RSVP for dinner as well as the tour because I need a head count so Destihl will know how to set up the tables. No need to pre-order because you can order from the menu after you are seated. If you park in the "new" parking ramp behind the M2 building (at Randolph and Hill), you can walk to both Buzard Organs and Destihl.

Call Julia Schmidt (403-1110) or Linda Lopez (367-7200) for reservations. More details will follow in the November newsletter. Reservation deadline Tuesday, February 5, 2013.