Guests from all over the world come to see the beautiful sandstone cliffs that stretch for miles along the Fox River. Rent your canoe or bring your own, and then just float for hours or even days, taking in the sights and sounds of nature. Beautiful!

This historic Victorian farmhouse bed and breakfast was once a stay over for the famous Charles Lindbergh. Built in (1901). Our historical home is located just above the beautiful Fox River and is nestled in 17 wooded acres. Relax in one of five unique guest rooms, enjoy a warm fire in our large living room as you look through antique leaded glass windows, or spend time wandering the ancient paths of the Stations of the Cross and then see the historical Sulfur Lick Springs (Al Capone's and William Hale [Big Bill] Thompson's wishing well and hangout) by the Beautiful Fox River. All of these things can be found right here on the grounds of Fox River Bed and Breakfast!

Visit Ottawa for a unique weekend getaway. Inn packages include, romantic weekend, dinner & theater, small weddings, family reunions, social gatherings and our all-inclusive packages.

Your host, Maria Wakeford, serves as your entertainer and caters to a variety of travelers who meet at the Fox River Bed & Breakfast in Ottawa, Illinois, for business, pleasure, or to visit Starved Rock. International visitors have stayed and many come for their first skydive ever at the best skydiving in the world... Skydive Chicago.

Our inn caters to weekend getaway couples, plus parents and alumni of IVCC, along with canoers traveling the Fox River using the best canoe services available in the Midwest.

Business travelers, who are tired of hotels and motels in LaSalle County, enjoy the hospitality and home-like atmosphere offered by Fox River Bed and Breakfast.

We serve a full, hot, made-to-order breakfast 7 days a week. Our beds have comfortable mattresses. Fox River Bed and Breakfast is fully air conditioned and is the only B&B within seconds of the Fox River and canoe rental. We can easily arrange for your visit to be totally fun filled and action packed. Maybe you would like to just bring all your friends and camp in our woods in tents. We have parking and space for 250 fun-seekers.

• Satellite TV
• Free parking
• Clock radio
• Free local calls
• 5 comfortable rooms
• 100% air conditioned
• Queen and full size beds
• Antique cast iron bathtub
• 1800's wood burning fireplace
• Free hot country style breakfast
• 17 wooded acres for you to relax in
• A wide variety of restaurants within 7 miles

There is so much natural beauty and wildlife to see, you will have no choice but to relax and just take it all in. You have the chance to watch bald eagles, hawks, owls, red fox, squirrel, rabbit, deer, butterflies. A wide variety of beautifully colored birds and so much more along the Fox River. A canoe trip down the Fox will make you feel good!

The breathtaking views from these sandstone cliffs along the beautiful Fox River help relieve stress! Everybody has fun on the Fox River!

Nearby Starved Rock offers year round natural beauty. Come see the eagles and frozen waterfalls this winter!

Our bed and breakfast is the perfect place for private parties, private quick getaways, or business meetings and retreats.

Rooms:

La Madrid:

• Satellite TV
• CD/DVD player
• Antique full size bed
• Refrigerator in room
• Thick warm comforter
• Large leaded glass window
• 9' high ceilings, original woodwork

This is a Spanish Style room decorated to make you feel like you are warming in the sunshine of Spain.

Knotty Pine:

• Comforter
• Satellite TV
• Twin size bed
• CD/DVD player
• Refrigerator in room
• Queen size canopy bed

The Knotty Pine has a cabin feel to it with our largest TV and is located on the ground floor. It has a queen size bed and a twin size bed.

Tribal Room:

• Comforter
• Satellite TV
• Comfortable queen size bed
• Kanga and bongo drums to play
• American Indian and aboriginal art on the walls

This room is decorated in an American Indian/African art sort of theme and the walls have a leathery look about them to make you feel sort of primal.

Lindbergh:

• Comforter
• Satellite TV
• CD/DVD player
• Comfortable full size bed
• North, east and south side views
• Comfortable twin size bed (great for dad or mom with kids!)

Texan Room:

• Comforter
• Comfortable Full size bed
• CD/DVD player with TV

Tent Camping:

• 2 large fire pits
• Grills available for use
• Secluded in the woods
• Wood for sale on premises or bring your own
• Play washers, bolas, beanbags or any game that's fun
• Inn bathroom included in the deal with shower and full use of bath (bring your own towels, soap and shampoo please)

Whole House:

You can rent the whole house. Get all five rooms, use of kitchen, camping area and use of the 17 acres for family reunions, anniversaries and parties!

Things To Do:

2,630 beautiful acres of thick forests, 18 lush canyons and sparkling waterfalls! Breath taking views from a wooded bluff overlooking the picturesque Illinois River. Miles and miles of beautiful hiking trails! Theatre and so much more to relax and inspire your senses!

There are many kinds of wildlife within the thick forests between Starved Rock and Fox River Bed and Breakfast!

Eagle watching is another get-back-to-nature winter event at Starved Rock.

Matthiessen State Park:

Canyons, streams, prairie and forest, 1,938 pristine acres combine to delight visitors at Matthiessen State Park. Located in central LaSalle County, approximately four miles south of Utica and three miles east of Oglesby, Matthiessen is a paradise for those interested in geology as well as recreation. Visitors can expect to see beautiful rock formations in addition to unusual and abundant vegetation and wildlife. All of this, along with park and picnic facilities, make Matthiessen State Park a popular choice for a special outing. Only 30 minutes from Fox River Bed and Breakfast!

Silver Springs State Park:

A pool of clear bubbling water which sparkles like silver on sunny days provides the basis for the name "Silver Springs". Visitors marvel at the bordering beds of watercress. Majestic Oaks and prairie grasslands provide a panorama of natural beauty to park visitors. Picnicking, fishing, and hiking are popular pastimes in summer, with ice fishing, sledding, ice skating and cross-country ski trails available for the winter sports lover.

Daily Sightseeing and Lunch Cruises on the Illinois River:

• Offering dinner cruises for 10 or more guests, 7 nights a week.
• Dinner is served at the fabulous Captain's Cove restaurant.
• Ask about our sightseeing cruise / Tudor cottage and garden tour.

Canoe the Fox River and More:

Experience the natural beauty and tranquility of the Fox River... follow the path taken centuries ago by pioneers and Native Americans - by canoe.

Aerobatic Plane Rides:

The Pitts S2C is the world's leading high performance aerobatic aircraft! With a Maximum speed of 220 MPH and G limits of +6/-5, the S2C has the ability to perform incredible aerobatic maneuvers that will encourage you to bring your own toilet paper next time! Rides are offered everyday with a variety of packages to choose from.

Vermillion White-Water Rafting:

Known for offering you the challenge of Class II and Class III waters! Much more to mention. Only 30 minutes from Fox River Bed and Breakfast!

Skydive for the First Time:

Skydive Chicago™ offers the best in first time tandem skydives. Tandem jumps are unsurpassed for someone wanting to experience it all in one jump. During this experience you will be harnessed to the front of a fully licensed tandem instructor. Their twin engine turbine aircraft will take you up 13,000 feet (above the ground), where you and your tandem master will exit. After falling for one minute at 120 MPH you will pull the cord and your parachute will open. After that you will enjoy 5 - 7 minutes of breathtaking views of the earth as you descend safely to the ground.

Fox Valley Off-Road:

The Ultimate Off-Road Experience.

Enjoy Trails by Horse-Back:

Offering one to three hour rides for beginners and advanced riders. Everything from group walks along beautiful timberline to trots, canters and lopes. Also offers hayrides led by two giant Belgian Draft horses! Only 25 minutes from Fox River Bed and Breakfast!

Intense-Karting:

Are you a racing fan or someone who always dreamed of being behind the wheel of a hi-performance vehicle? Want the thrill and excitement without the initial investment? Then the Arrive and Drive is for you! Super-Fast Go-Karts! Only 5 minutes from Fox River Bed and Breakfast!

Pine Hills Golf Club:

Pine Hills Golf Club is located 1½ miles south of Ottawa, Illinois. Just off Route 23. It is a challenging 9 hole course and one of the most scenic in North Central Illinois. This beautiful course gives meaning to the phrase... "Golf as it should be". Designed by Thomas Bendelow (designer of the famed Medina and Olympia Fields, Illinois) and opened in 1924. It is well known for its natural scenic beauty! Only 8 minutes from Fox River Bed and Breakfast!

The Bourne:

This truly is one of the best golf courses in Illinois! Marseilles, Illinois.

Court Street Cabaret Theatre:

There's no place like this showplace! Catch the electric excitement of dazzling musicals, hilarious comedies, fast-paced revues, Las Vegas and Branson style productions, and so much more! Includes children's theatre matinees and the amazing Court Jesters Comedy Improv Troup! There's always something for everyone, year 'round at the new Court Street Theatre!

Common Grounds Book Café:

“...for an extremely pleasant coffee break, stop at Common Grounds Book Café, 723 S. Clark St., on Illinois Highway 178, about four blocks south of downtown Utica. There is a small selection of unique books, and when we visited, a guy giving a guitar lesson at one table.” — Barbara Brotman, The Chicago Tribune, Feb 16, 2006.

Washington Square:

Walk where Lincoln walked! Hear the echoes of a memorable speech that catapulted him to national prominence! The date was August 21, 1858, and tens of thousands of people gathered in Washington Park to hear Sen. Stephen Douglas and his upstart rival, Abraham Lincoln, in the first of seven debates! Only 8 minutes from Fox River Bed and Breakfast!

Weber House:

The Weber House is a storybook, Tudor cottage sitting in a beautiful English garden of meandering paths, Foxglove, Hollyhocks and old oaks. Located in Streator, IL just minutes from Starved Rock and downtown Ottawa! Only 25 minutes from Fox River Bed and Breakfast!

Reddick Mansion:

Constructed in 1858 by former LaSalle County Sheriff and Illinois State Senator William Reddick for $25,000, The Reddick Mansion is the oldest surviving building in Ottawa's historic Washington Square. Today, Reddick Mansion is open for tours, and houses the Ottawa Visitors Center, a stop which all LaSalle County visitors are encouraged to make. There, the staff will assist visitors with information on all of Ottawa's other historic sites! Only 8 minutes from Fox River Bed and Breakfast!

Winter Activities:

There are many winter activities from snowmobiling, to cross country skiing, ice fishing, bird watching, scenic ice caverns and more all within minutes of Fox River Bed and Breakfast!

Bird Watching:

Watch all wildlife throughout the area, and in late winter - early spring its "Flock to the Rock" Come and watch eagles soar over the Illinois River at Starved Rock.

Snowmobile Riding:

Trail along the Illinois and Michigan Canal or other areas designated for snowmobile enthusiasts.

Cross Country Skiing/Rental:

Matthiessen State Park - Dells Area on weekends when snow permits. December - March.

Ice Caverns:

Explore the beautiful ice caverns throughout Starved Rock State Park during the winter.

Restaurants:

In Ottawa, there are nearly 70 local restaurants, 11 bars and pubs and more nightclubs to choose from... all just minutes from Fox River Bed and Breakfast.

Or maybe you would rather bring your own and just relax . You grill or let Bobby Joe grill for you over open fire and taste his world class BBQ!

Your Hosts:

Maria Wakeford, born in London, England:

Maria has been the operator of Fox River Bed and Breakfast Inn since May of 2003. Previous to that she lived in Bolingbrook, Illinois and emigrated to this country in 1990. From a family of hospitality, she has traveled Europe extensively and brings the flavors of lands afar to her home here. Still very British at heart with a "twist of Ole" her family has roots in Spain, she adds authenticity to this Victorian retreat.

Bobby Joe, born in Edinburg, Texas:

Sometimes, Bobby Joe from Bobby Joe's Smoke Shack BBQ will be here to entertain you with his award winning BBQ. Born in Edinburg, Texas and world traveled (Amsterdam, Philippines, China, Mexico, and almost all of the United States including Alaska). You are sure to get an entertaining story, excellent BBQ or the best Mexican breakfast tacos in the world any time you meet him.