One of the great things about Peoria is all the smaller towns that surround it. They all have their own unique flavor and style to them and I thought that I’d start visiting some of them and feature an MBIP tour of some of these towns and record how long it takes to get there from Peoria. Most of us don’t venture out of our comfort zones and this will show you some new options in different nearby towns.
I first visited Lacon, Illinois when I visited Julie’s Corner Store back in August of 2013 and I’ve been back several times since then and I’ve really gotten to like that town. So let’s go take a little tour of Lacon and let’s see how fast we can get there from Peoria!
We are off and it's exactly 11AM in the morning. Let's see how long of a journey it is to the fair town of Lacon, Illinois.
We're getting close, just a white-knuckled trip over this bridge and we'll be there.
Okay, it's 11:27AM, it took us just 27 minutes to get here. Welcome to Lacon!
As you can see from this First National Bank sign, it's just 18 degrees outside, we need to fortify ourselves with something warm before we start walking around Lacon town...
I've seen reports on facecrack that The Coffee Hub is now serving homemade soup and that sounds like a perfect start for this chilly tour of Lacon, let's go inside and check it out.
I love the wooden look and warm vibe in here. I'm feeling toasty already!
There's Coffee Hub owner Mike with Hannah and they said that the soup of the day is cheddar broccoli. Bring it on!
The soups come in three options, a cup, bowl or a homemade edible bread bowl. I went for the cup as I don't want to get filled up so I can sample some other food options here in Lacon.
Wow, this is so good. Nothing like hot, homemade soup to start a winter day of touring a small town.
Across the street is Columbia Antiques, which sadly is closing because the owner recently died. Let's go take a look inside while it's still open.
There's lots of interesting antiques inside of here...
I found out that all of the items in the store are going to be auctioned off at the American Legion here in Lacon this Sunday starting at 10AM, so if you want a deal on some vintage antiques, that's the place to go this Sunday!
Sweet treats are available here, but I'm still full from the soup, so maybe next time.
Let's go check out the Marshall County Historical Society.
Standing in front of a vintage map of Lacon is John Wabel, the Managing Director of the museum.
This place is loaded with historical artifacts from Lacon's past.
Pages from the Lacon Home Journal line the wall over here.
You can check out their website for hours and information by clicking right here.
I better not stop in LInda Lou's 119 bar because I have to go to work later this afternoon. But you can take a virtual tour of this tavern by clicking here and checking out a past post on MBIP when we visited Linda Lou's.
I love the log cabin look of this store. It's called Lela's Resale Shoppe, let's go check it out...
Wow, it's huge in here and quite the varied inventory!
Here's Lela herself who owns the store with her husband Gary. She said business has been good and she said she's a reader of MBIP, always love to hear that!
The walls are filled with art and vintage signage like that Pabst Cold Beer sign. Very cool!
I could spend all day in here but we must move on. Check out Lela's facecrack page here.
I've walked the soup off and I'm hungry for some lunch. I thought about stopping in this bakery but then...
I noticed this colorful building with the sign, "Burrito Builders" on it. A burrito sounds perfect on this chilly, winter afternoon!
Wow, that's a massive counter in here!
Here's the owner of Burrito Builders, Jeff, with his partner, Silver.
I ordered the cheeseburger burrito and check it out, it comes with a liberal dose of spicy mustard. That's my kind of burrito! All the entrees in here are custom made when you order and you can select all of your toppings and ingredients. Jeff told me he grew up around here and developed his culinary skills by working at a restaurant in Henry for years. He spent three years in San Diego via the military and moved back to Lacon a couple of years ago and purchased this building and Burrito Builders was born. It's the only Mexican restaurant in Lacon.
Lettuce and cheese are added to the spicy beef and homemade hot sauce was added to the mix as well. All the sauces in here are house made and there's over a half a dozen of them to choose from.
Jeff told me he designed the restaurant with a warm California vibe and that's evident over here at this corner booth where I'm going to sit, relax and enjoy this burrito!
This is one of the best burritos I've ever had! The beef is spicy and savory and the cheese and mustard really give it a unique cheeseburger taste that's just south of the border. Delicious! Check out Burrito Builders on facecrack right here. Okay, let's continue this tour!
"The Packrat's Nest." That certainly sounds interesting, let's go and take a look inside.
Holy freaking moley, there's a library-like amount of used books in here! I could do a whole post on this section alone!
This is the owner of Packrats, Dan, doing a separated at birth pose with a Santa Claus doll.
This place is filled with fun little treasures all at bargain basement prices. A great place for stocking stuffers for sure!
Of course no trip to Lacon is complete without stopping in at Julie's Corner Store!
Oh the fudge at Julie's! It's made from scratch by her elves in the basement and if you buy a pound you get the next half pound for free! Such a sweet deal for this holiday season!
There's the manager of Julie's, Patty standing next to big, bright yellow Christmas tree.
Here's Julie herself and this is as merry as it gets in here...well that's pretty damn merry if you ask me!
Let us now pause for this Harry Nilsson "Joy" moment at Julie's Corner Store.
Julie's has it all from homemade fudge to festive toys to...
A full wine and beer bar in the back to relax at after your shopping is done. Check out Julie's website and facecrack page for specials and happenings at the store this holiday season.
The question now is do we Jazzercise or...
Get a skillet cookie at The Coffee Hub?
I went with the skillet cookie! Thanks to everyone in Lacon for a great day and a tour of their fair town which is just 27 minutes from Peoria! We'll see you all tomorrow!
Related posts: Shop Hop—Julie’s Corner Store in Lacon, Illinois and A First Visit To The Coffee Hub and Spitting Wine Into A Bucket At Julie’s Corner Store in Lacon—Oh What A Glorious Day