St. Charles, which is an hour-drive due west of Chicago, is home to
more than 30,000 people and a favorite getaway spot for visitors from
throughout the area. The scenic Fox River provides the draw.
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On Main Street overlooking the river, the Hotel Baker serves as
the historic centerpiece of the town.
Colonel Baker spent about a million dollars building the hotel
-- a hefty price tag for the time considering that rooms went for
$2.50 a night. Renovations within the past decade cost $9 million
and now rooms range from about $140 to $500 a night. Several of
the hotel's 53 guest rooms include whirlpool hot tubs.
The Rainbow Room's glass block dance floor dazzled guests in the
1920s-- just as the 2,600 lights in the still-functioning floor
do today. The waterfront restaurant inside the hotel lives up to
its name with an outdoor patio.
Downriver about a quarter-mile, Erik and Me Restaurant offers
another riverside dining experience. In St. Charles for more than
20 years, Erik and Me serves American fare and a few specialties
from the owner's Danish homeland.
Head across the river to the Century Corners Shopping District
and you'll find Town House Books and Cafe. The books reside in a
home built in 1853 where a former town mayor once lived.
The popular cafe attached to the bookstore gives the literary
place a special flavor, literally.
Also in the Century Corners District, Panache provides shoppers
a glimpse inside yet another historic home -- this one was built
in 1850 by the Town Butcher. At Panache, owner Cheryl Herman doesn't
limit herself to offering just one category of merchandise.
From recreation on the river to shopping and dining, St. Charles
itself gives visitors an eclectic range of reasons to check out
this quaint community along the Fox River.
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