Small Hassles, Great Escapes

New Website Tracks Adventures Close to Home

By Victoria Scott

Neil Cogbill (left) and Alan Barney (right) recently launched a website featuring colorful commentary on getaways within 150 miles of Chicago.

The holidays are a dim memory, and summer is a lifetime away. Bailing out the basement may precede shoveling the walk.

Ah, January.

Cheer up. A couple of local travel buffs have found some ways to beat the blahs - without scrambling for e-fares or braving security lines and remote parking.

In the schema of Neil Cogbill and Alan Barney, water bottles, liquid cosmetics, tie shoes and holey socks all pass muster. The fascinating but overlooked destinations on their new website, www.getaway-chicago.com, are mostly within a three- or four-hour drive of Chicago - good for a day-trip, a weekend or a detour on a longer vacation.

"There are very interesting places here - not too far, not too much money - and a lot of people don't know about them,” says Mr. Cogbill.

Having traveled with their wives and now-grown children, the two say they want to "inform, educate and make people appreciate” these places without boring them. Though they "like to have fun and laugh,” they admit to a "pretty serious” goal.

Last fall the self-described "Getaway Guys,” both semi-retired, began assembling data on their first eight destinations, six in Wisconsin and two in Illinois.

"It took more time than we anticipated,” says Mr. Cogbill, a computer novice who writes most of the website content. "It's easy to find places, but we have gone to look twice,” says Mr. Barney, who has brought years of computer experience - and many recent hours - to the pursuit of a site they can call "simple and elegant.”

Their online travel guide exudes personality, starting with introductions: "Neil: educator, artist, tradesman, spender ... guiltless dessert eater” and "Alan: librarian, singer, writer, desultory spender, worrier (about everything, including his waistline).”

On the advice of a friend with public relations expertise, they carry on a dialogue, a sort of Roeper and Ebert repartee that serves up serious information with a dash of humor and plays on their oft-divergent opinions.

They bring to their travels the backgrounds of Renaissance men. Mr. Cogbill talks about his "checkered career” as a woodworker, a crater of art exhibits, an artist and a blacksmith. Mr. Barney has published a science fiction book and rehabbed five or six houses.

The two met at Millen's Hardware in Wilmette, where part-time employee Mr. Cogbill of Evanston began assisting his less-experienced Wilmette customer with construction projects.

They have used their educational expertise (Mr. Cogbill taught art for 17 years; Mr. Barney was an academic librarian at several area colleges) in crafting a compelling website.

"Now Showing” is a scrapbook-like page with a photo and a cryptic teaser for each of the eight destinations. One reads, "No Bishops, Just Rolling Prairie - They're gone, but their buildings remain.... A gripping story”; another, "Physician and Architect - Was the end result worth a broken heart? We think so.”

Another click solves the riddles, one destination at a time. The Getaway Guys' wide-ranging curiosity and extensive research bring local color and back-stories to light. The phantom settlement of Bishop Hill, for instance, unfolds as "a subdued and melancholy place ... that tells a familiar American story ... of hope and sacrifice, reward and disillusion ... [a town that] once flourished and then all but vanished within a decade or so.”

Swedish Janssonists built this "City of God” on the prairie in 1847-48, devoting it to prayer and collective ownership, according to the website. But external realities and internal problems combined to topple it by the time of the Civil War.

Mr. Cogbill, the artist married to an art historian, and Mr. Barney, the former contractor married to an architect, admire the town's architecture while disagreeing on its style.

They beg to differ with the local Heritage Association, which describes the restored buildings as Greek Revival. "Neil thought [the buildings] more Federalist, and Alan thought Neil (Mr. Wise Guy) was splitting hairs,” goes the narrative.

Getaway-Chicago.com is based on the belief that a trip's success depends in part on some homework. "It you don't take something to a museum, you won't get anything out of it,” says Mr. Cogbill.

Their criteria for choosing a destination go beyond the academic. The possibility of a good (though not necessarily fancy) meal - say, Swedish pancakes in Bishop Hill - is one prerequisite.

Another is that the place offer more than one point of interest in return for a tank of gasoline. The proximity of the Hennepin Canal bike path (Mr. Barney is a serious cyclist; Mr. Cogbill, a sometime rider) and Starved Rock State Park, for example, make Bishop Hill a more desirable destination.

Milwaukee's Third Ward; Mineral Point, Door County, Racine and Genessee Depot (Ten Chimneys), Wis.; and Woodstock, Bishop Hill and Plano (Farnsworth House), Ill., are their current picks.

They keep a list of "outtakes” - places they like but that do not yet seem to provide enough incentive to drive for several hours. The prairie restoration project at the former Joliet arsenal is one such destination; Kenosha, Wis., is another.

"Coming attractions,” a nod to movie previews, hints at what is in store for 2007. To date that does not include a financial reward for the Getaway Guys. Though they are entertaining ideas about how to make money, including sponsorship ("This site brought to you by ...”), they are opposed to commercializing their website - or compromising its credibility with ads.

For now they say they are content to maintain a quality site - and have fun.

Photographer Featured at Synovate

Photographer Miriam Kravis of Evanston is one of eight artists selected to display her artistry by Synovate, a global market research firm with offices in Chicago.

Ms. Kravis's works will be featured in "Faces, Places, Spaces,” a six-month exhibition of oils, sculptures and photography on display at Synovate's offices, 222 S. Riverside Plaza, Chicago. In addition to viewing at the offices, all of the artists are featured on the Synovate website, www.synovate.com, along with a brief description of the artists' backgrounds and honors.

For the past two years Ms. Kravis has earned acclaim in the "Faces of Evanston” photography contest. She is also featured in the book "Spires of Faith-Historic Churches of Chicago.”

Mud Pies Relocating

After 30 years at 2012 Central St., Mud Pies children's clothing store has lost its lease. Mud Pies will be close its Evanston location and move to 1905 W. Division St. in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago on Jan. 27. Select items are now on sale for 25-50 percent off. Mud Pies will host a "Farewell Thank You Party” with treats for the kids and refreshments from Jan. 25 through its last day on Jan. 27.

In its new location Mud Pies will change its name to Goldilocks and Gremlins.

Call 847-644-5187 for hours and information.

Chinese Classes at Dream About Tea

The increase in economic and cultural exchanges between China and the United States is fueling the demand for more Chinese speakers in America, say the folks at Dream About Tea, 1011 Davis St. To meet this rising demand, Dream About Tea will launch itss Mandarin Chinese - Level I classes on Jan. 14. This program is designed for beginners with no Chinese experience, and will be conducted in a strong cultural context for a comprehensive understanding of the language and the culture. The well-balanced classes will cover three main aspects: The Chinese phonetic system, reading and writing of Chinese characters, and Chinese culture, which will set a solid foundation for further advanced study.

The program's instructor will be Hong Wu, the co-owner of Dream About Tea, who has 15 years of training experience in the hospitality industry after receiving her B.A. in English. In addition to her authentic Mandarin Chinese pronunciation and her teaching experiences, Hong will also bring a unique perspective about Chinese cultures and traditions to the class to help students understand the language in depth.

The class runs from 2 to 3 p.m. Sundays, Jan. 14-April. 8. The cost is $298; text and workbook not included. To register, call 847-864-7464 or e-mail info@dreamabouttea.com.