Consider a romantic getaway to close, affordable Rockford

What are can't-miss ingredients for a memorable romantic getaway?

Besides each other, these might include cozy lodgings, a candlelight dinner, a crackling blaze in a fireplace, a visit to an art museum and tickets to a show or concert. Add a pampering spa treatment, Swedish sauna, bottle of champagne, flowers and perhaps a box of chocolates. Put all of this into a locale that offers plenty of fun things to do (and at reasonable cost).

But where? Those who think of Rockford, Ill., only as a drab industrial city are in for a pleasant surprise. As a weekend getaway destination, it not only offers good value (with many free attractions), but you can get there in a short time. Along with decidedly romantic accommodations, Illinois' second-largest city offers quiet walks along the riverside, cross- country skiing through the woods, one-of-a-kind shops to explore and affordable theater.

Retreat to a bi-level suite with views of the Rock River, a fireplace and loft sleeping quarters. Find it at Cliffbreakers, an all-suite hotel, and pay only $136-$156. Tucked into a bluff, the hotel overlooks the Rock River and Martin Park, with its outdoor skating rink (bring your own blades). The hotel offers an indoor pool, whirlpool, Swedish hot-rock sauna, fitness center, restaurant and lounge. Suites are equipped with microwave, refrigerator and coffeemaker. Of 104 suites, 87 offer river views. (A Winter Weekend Getaway package, priced at $99 per couple, includes suite, champagne, cocktail, continental breakfast and $20 restaurant credit.)

The restaurant, connected to the hotel and also with river views, is a longtime local favorite and a popular spot for an excellent Sunday brunch. Both properties incorporate antique fixtures gathered from around the world, such as a 19th-century carved walnut canopy that once served as a ticket booth in New York's Grand Central Station as well as pieces from Barclay's Bank in London, the McCormick Mansion in Chicago, the Cole Porter mansion and an 1850s German Beer Hall.

Other lodging options include a number of bed-and-breakfasts. The Barn of Rockford, an 1886 barn converted into a home, contains four guest rooms, two with private baths. The $95 price includes a country breakfast. If you enjoy beautiful quilts, you will find a collection here - and they are all for sale.

The Victorian Veranda, on four acres at the west edge of town, offers five guests rooms, each with a private bath, priced at $60-$70, including a country breakfast. At River House, with the Rock River flowing past its windows, you'll find a hot tub, Southwest-style living room with fireplace and two large suites, each with private bath and TV/VCR. The $135 rate includes a full breakfast.

Among Rockford's theater choices you'll find the Clock Tower Dinner Theatre (show-only tickets available). quot;Sugar,quot; a musical based on the movie quot;Some Like It Hot,quot; is currently playing.

In downtown Rockford, the New American Theater, a professional regional Equity theater with two stages, offers the Oscar Wilde comedy quot;The Importance of Being Earnestquot; on the MainStage. Playing on the SecondStage is quot;Flyin' West,quot; a story of African-American women pioneers who flee the south in the late 1800s to settle in an all-black Kansas town. quot;Two Pairs, All Acesquot; at Midway Theatre in downtown Rockford presents the Rockford Symphony Orchestra and guest conductor Ben de Ligt performing Bach, Haydn, Handel and Mozart (on Feb. 13).

There's no admission charge to the Rockford Art Museum, largest in Illinois outside of the Chicago area. Current shows include quot;... and Everything Nice,quot; a collection of artworks by a variety of women artists who depict or comment on our culture's definition of femininity.

Take a coffee break and shop for fine gifts in a romantic setting at Crimson Ridge (735 N. Perryville Road). It stocks fresh flowers, Godiva chocolates, Waterford crystal, Aspen Bay candles and coffees and has an indoor cafeacute; around a pond with a waterfall and lush greenery.

With a huge fireplace, gray Italian marble floors and pretty floral pink tablecloths imported from north of Milan, Trattoria Fantini provides a romantic setting for fine Italian dining. Start with imported buffalo mozzarella baked with mushrooms, or choose from a variety of bruschettas. Move on to well-rendered osso buco (roasted veal shank) or wood-grilled duck breast with almonds in a prune, apricot and honey sauce. A wood-burning grill is used to prepare chicken, steak and veal. Pasta dishes include tortellini with diced ham and artichokes hearts in tomato sauce with fresh mozzarella. Breads are made on the premises, as are desserts that include an excellent cherry-and-walnut tart.

Adjoining the restaurant (and with the same owner) you'll find Zazine's Salon amp; Day Spa. This is a great spot for a little pampering before a romantic evening. It offers manicures, pedicures, massages, aromatherapy and other spa treatments.

Rockford also offers a variety of outdoor diversions including skating on frozen Sinnissippi lagoon, which is lighted for evening skating (bring your own skates). The adjacent greenhouse contains floral displays, iguanas, parrots and a children's secret garden.

Rock Cut State Park maintains a system of cross-country ski trails and Sinnissippi Golf Course provides cross-country trails across level and rolling terrain. If you need to rent skis, you can do so at Sandy Hollow Ski Center, which offers rolling and level cross-country trails around and across a golf course (rentals cost $3.50 an hour). Admission is free to all of these venues.

Want to pick up an old jazz LP - perhaps for just a dollar or two? Or a vintage movie poster? Or an obscure book you've been looking for? Check out Toad Hall Books amp; Records (2106 Broadway). Housed in the rambling rooms of three buildings, it contains an incredible collection of books, music, art and nostalgia items. An amazing collection includes more than 200,000 records (33s, 45s and 78s), hundreds of old cookbooks, Oz and Tarzan collectibles, political buttons, baseball cards and sports magazines and thousands of general-interest magazines ranging from 1870 to 1970. Movie fans will find posters (originals and reprints), plus lobby cards and stills, publicity photos and press books. Jazz enthusiasts will find 50,000 records, books, photos, postcards, autographs, jazz calendars, sheet music and jazz magazines from around the world. Toad Hall offers more than 50,000 comics and pulp magazines, large collections of westerns and mysteries, and books about the Civil War and military history.

Around the Midwest appears Sundays in Going Places. Mike Michaelson is a travel writer based in Chicago and the author of the guidebook, quot;Chicago's Best-Kept Secrets.quot;

If you go

Information: Rockford Area Convention amp; Visitor Bureau, (815) 963-8111 or (800) 521-0849, www.gorockford.com; Cliffbreakers Comfort Suites amp; Conference Center, (815) 282-4965; the Barn of Rockford, (815) 395-8535; Victorian Veranda, (815) 963-1337; River House, (815) 636-1884.

Upcoming events: quot;Two Pairs, All Aces,quot; Rockford Symphony Orchestra (Bach, Haydn, Handel, Mozart), Midway Theatre, Feb. 13; quot;Sugar,quot; Clock Tower Dinner Theatre, through April 10; quot;The Importance of Being Earnest,quot; MainStage at New American Theater, through March 14; quot;Flyin' West,quot; SecondStage at New American Theater,quot; through March 28.

Go to Home Page