Goodbye, Rockford!

August 3rd, 2008 at 11:01pm Cathryn Vaulman

We began our “Go Girls” blog in March of 2006. And now almost two and a half years later it seems crazy that we are still finding things to write about! Unfortunately, it has come to that point where we both are going off to college in different cities next year so we will no longer be able to continue this. So in recognition of our abundant searching through the area we have come up with a list of “Go Girl favorites.”

Favorite Place to Go Get Coffee: Zambuca

Zambuca satisfies us in many ways.  We head there for an occasional lunch of their delicious flatbread pizzas, sometimes dinner accompanied by their live music, and most importantly, at night when we want to hang out.  There aren’t a lot of places to hang out that are open past 10 or 11, so Zambuca is a really convenient place to go for some coffee later at night. On the weekends they’re open up past midnight, which is a rarity for coffee shops in the area!

Favorite Restaurant: Brio

While we eat dinner here pretty frequently, dessert is still our favorite part of Brio.  We cannot beat their chambord crepes with fresh raspberries and a pot of their assorted black teas.  We’re going to have to figure out a way to get Brio to mail an occasional box of them to our colleges because we won’t be able to live without them!

Favorite outdoor activity: Anderson Gardens

We love walking through these beautiful gardens in the perfect spring and summer weather. This garden is one of Rockford’s gems and unfortunately it is really easy for us residents to overlook. Make sure to stop by if you haven’t yet this season. It’s a perfect place to go on a light walk, clear your mind, or take in the amazing surroundings.

Favorite “ ‘90s hang out that is still really fun”: Skateland!

Okay, we know our category is a little bit of a stretch, but we had to find some way to include Skateland in our favorites. When we came back after years of abandonment we had such a great time we couldn’t believe we hadn’t been there sooner. We still highly recommend going here if you get the chance! But go on a Saturday, when they play the good music - 90’s music!

Favorite Place of Entertainment: Starlite Theater

We’ve seen shows here every summer for a while now, and they just keep getting better.  This season, we saw Thoroughly Modern Millie and Little Shop of Horrors, which were both really enjoyable.  The entertainment is awesome, and so is the setting of the beautiful outdoor theater.

Favorite Store: Crimson Ridge

This has been one of our favorite accessory stores for a while now.  Their one-of-a-kind jewelry room is always a good bet for the perfect gift (to a friend or yourself.)  Purses, bath products, decorative pieces, jewelry, plants…. They couldn’t have a better selection. And it keeps expanding too so make sure to keep stopping in so you don’t miss the new items!

This is our little list of some of our favorites in Rockford. But there are so many more places that we are so grateful we got the chance to explore! We are so thankful not only to the Rockford Register Star for giving us the opportunity to do this, but also to our readers for their suggestions, loyalty, and for maybe taking a recommendation or two from us. It was really awesome to have people come up and tell us they actually tried out a place we recommended. So if we have learned anything from our blog over the past two and a half years it’s that there really are lots of things to do in Rockford if you just take the time to explore!

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