The countryside escape / 2 nights

Friday escape.
Sunday stories.

Here’s how I’d spend a weekend around Princeton and Tiskilwa: gardens, good food, small-town browsing, and time to settle in. Choose the overnight stay that fits your people, then make this rural road trip your own. Hungry World Farm is my top recommendation, alongside three other local stays to explore.

Choose your overnight stay

For twoA couples’ countryside escapeGardens, local dining & time together With the familyA weekend full of curiosityFarm experiences & a flexible pace The original planA little of everythingYour Friday-to-Sunday countryside guide

Hungry World Farm and surrounding countryside seen from above

Friday / Arrive & settle in

Leave the rush behind.

Visitors enjoying an evening walk at Hungry World Farm

Settle into your overnight stay

Plan your Chicago-area departure around traffic and the check-in time for your accommodation. Keep the first evening simple: settle in, unpack, and let the weekend begin.

Pick up pizza along the way.

Order ahead from Sticks and Bricks Wood-fired Pizza in Tiskilwa, just two miles from the farm. They’re my friends and an easy pickup stop along your route. Swing by for your pizza, arrive with dinner ready, and settle into your weekend. Check their current hours and ordering details before setting out.

Saturday / Gardens & small towns

Follow your curiosity.

Morning: start slowly

Leave time for breakfast and a slower start. If you’d like an animal encounter or guided farm tour, check the farm’s current schedule and arrange it ahead of your stay.

Late morning: Hornbaker Gardens

Spend part of the day exploring the gardens. This stop is seasonal; check current opening days before you plan around it.

Afternoon: take your time in Princeton

Browse downtown, stop at True Leaves Bookshop, and choose somewhere for lunch or a sweet treat. Leave the afternoon flexible enough to follow a recommendation or linger over a book.

Evening: settle back into your stay

Head back to your overnight stay with time to enjoy your accommodation. If a workshop or event catches your eye, check whether it requires a separate reservation.

Sunday / One more discovery

No need to hurry home.

A morning that belongs to you

Enjoy breakfast and pack up at your accommodation’s agreed checkout time. Then make one last stop before heading back toward Chicago.

Covered bridges or a canal walk

Choose Princeton’s covered bridges for a short scenic outing, or explore the Hennepin Canal. Pick a specific access point and check the drive before leaving.

Make it yours / An outdoor alternative

Trade the shops for trails.

Canyon and waterfall at Matthiessen State Park

For a hiking-focused weekend, swap Saturday’s gardens and browsing for a dedicated visit to Starved Rock or Matthiessen. Allow time for the drive, parking, and your chosen trail rather than squeezing both plans into one day.

Starved Rock visitor information · Matthiessen visitor information

Make room for a weekend away

First, find your kind of stay.

Campsites, yurt-glamping tents, affordable on-farm apartments, inn rooms, and boutique cabins—choose your kind of countryside stay.

Choose your stay

Leave the evening open

Pizza. Campfire. Stars.

Bring your pizza back to your overnight stay, settle in, and make time for campfire conversations and stargazing. Campfires depend on weather and current conditions; confirm the setup for your accommodation before arrival.

Planning a future weekend? Hungry World Farm’s new workshops are in development. Ask about upcoming plans before building your trip around a workshop.

Stay for the evening

Before the day’s adventures

Wake up. Head out for breakfast.

Two of my favorites: Copper Kettle Café in Sheffield for breakfast, or Spoons & Forks in Princeton for Sunday brunch. Copper Kettle is at 129 S. Main Street in Sheffield. Check current breakfast service before heading out.

Explore breakfast & brunch