Here is the information I said I would send. It tells a lot about the area also. (Towards the end). ------------You're Invited! Welcome, Welcome, Welcome! On Sunday, July 26th, the White Pines State Park in Mt. Morris, Illinois will be the site of our first ever Keicher/Kiker/Kyker "Kissin' Kousins" Reunion & relations! Make plans NOW to be there no later than noon! We have already heard from relatives in Texas, Iowa, Utah, and other far-flung locales: they're comin'! And they want to meet YOU. Whether you're already well-acquainted or have not yet had the pleasure, meet up with your alleged family members- and theirs. Bring along family photo albums and memorabilia to share! We will reserve the park shelter and provide charcoal and grills. We ask that you bring your own meat to grill, or pack a picnic or sandwiches for your group. A dish to pass is not necessary, especially if you're coming from a long distance. Chips, munchies, or other snacks (even fresh fruit) will suffice. Dessert: marshmallows? Bring your own soft drinks. Alcohol is not allowed at the state park. There will be hiking, frisbees, volleyball, croquet, football, fishing (get a temporary fishing license from the nearby conservation office), baseball, sunning, skipping rocks, story-telling, and good old-fashioned country fun. Bring your sports gear along and dress for comfort. Don't forget the sunscreen and insect repellent.... Throw a few lawn chairs in the car if you've still got room. And pack the camera or camcorder, too! The White Pines State Park is a lovely wooded setting, located between Polo, Oregon, Dixon, and Mt. Morris on the "Pines Road" and featuring our beloved, meandering Pine Creek (pronounced "Crick"!) Shelters, parking lots, restrooms and even a few hiking trails are handicapped-accessible. Campsites with utility hookups are available by reservation: call (815) 946-3717. Rustic (but recently renovated) cabins are probably already reserved for the summer, but inquire and/or get on a cancellation list by calling (815) 946-3817. There is a restaurant and dinner theater in the main lodge. Other nearby tourist sites include Lake LaDonna (with a large waterslide), the White Pines Deer Park (a little zoo, very popular with youngsters), and the White Pines Roller Skating Rink (still with its original imported marble floors; roller blading is allowed). Beautiful Lowell Park, just outside of Dixon, IL has a history that includes Ronald Reagan's stint as a lifeguard. Here, specially-trained naturalists nurse injured wildlife back to health and release them into the wild. Also in Dixon, "Dutch" Reagan's boyhood home is open for touring. Lowden Park, in nearby Oregon, IL, is the Laredo Taft campus of Northern Illinois University. Stroll its bluffs high above the beautiful Rock River and gaze in awe at the huge statue of Chief Blackhawk. Campsites are also available here. You can get information on the very-popular Blackhawk CHOCOLATE Trail from the Blackhawk Waterways Convention & Tourism Bureau at 201 N. Franklin Street, Polo, IL 61064 or call (815) 946-2108. If you're a chocoholic, you've just found heaven. Call the BWC&TB at the above number for information on Bed- and-Breakfast accommodations; there are several in Oregon, IL and at least one in Grand Detour, IL. Area hotels include the Ramada Inn in Dixon: (800) 288-2828; The Presidential Inn in Dixon (815) 284- 3351; the Best Western Brandywine Lodge between Dixon and Sterling (800) 528-1234; the Holiday Inn in Rock Falls: (815) 626-5500; Super 8 Motel in Rock Falls (815) 626-8800; and the Village Inn Motel in Polo (815) 946- 2229. If all of these are booked up, call the toll-free number of any major hotel chain to get a reservation in their Rockford location (about a 50 mile drive from the White Pines State Park). Need any more enticement? Are you coming yet? WE SURE HOPE SO. We're anxious to see you! We always have plenty of weather (of all kinds), so you won't have to miss that which you've left behind. If it rains, we'll simply stay inside the shelter or come up with Plan B (possibly the lodge) - but we will not be canceling! So bring the foul-weather gear and come anyway. Make copies of this and forward it to all the Keichers/Kikers/Kykers and relatives you know, and encourage them to come along too. We're ALL friendly. What's more amazing, we're probably all "family." Will you see any resemblances? Check it out! See you there! >>> <ILOGLE-L@rootsweb.com> 5/7/98 8:53:12 AM >>> Hello all, I'm Jeannie Parkinson, I live in Baltimore Maryland and am researching ancestors from Washington County, MD who moved to Ogle County, IL and then on the Nebraska. I am thinking (very tentatively at this point) about a possible trip to Ogle County in the summer. Without going to too much trouble can you tell me the basic layout of the place. How far from the airport to the library and place to stay that is very close. I'm mainly interested in the library but I'm sure I'd rent a car and try to find the places where my ancestors lived. Last year I went to Nebraska just on a quick day trip from Indep. MO while visiting my mom, and earlier this year I went to the old homestead in Washington County, saw the gravesite etc. It seems that there is so much information to be had in Ogle Co. and I really want to get my hands on it!! Any info is greatly appreciated, but please don't go to any trouble, just off the top of your head info. Thanks a lot, Jeannie jparkinson@rocketmail.com POFFENBERGER, MALONE, AUSHERMAN, POWELL _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com