Giant City Lodge

So, after riving around Southern Illinois a bit and shopping in Makanda, we got hungry and made the quick drive back to Giant City State Park to eat at the Lodge. I have to say, thought Makanda is small and has only a few shops, you can literally spend all afternoon in them. Do. Talk to the locals and shop till your starving, then head the 5 minutes back uphill to the lodge and have a chicken dinner.

The food at the Lodge is not necessarily the best Ive had, but it is very good, and you get alot. It is a beautiful place, and people came in fresh from hiking, out of town, and dressed up on dates, all intermingled with one another (which no one seemed to mind, we were all too interested in that chicken!)

The lodge's season is the first Friday in February through mid-December, starting at 8:00 am and running through 8:30 pm. They ask that parties over nine set reservations on weekends.
So back to the chicken. haha. That is what they are famous for. I actually didn't get it, but my husband and father did, and between them had 3 servings. My husband doesn't really like fired chicken, so that must mean it is a s good as they say it is. You also get mashed potatoes and gravy, scratch dumplin's, green beans, corn, coleslaw, and biscuits. the table was full, I'm not kidding. They have a full menu and a large selection of local wines.

Outside the lodge was also a few things I recommend doing. They have a gyroscope right behind the dining room, its ring always holds the North Star, and at the beginning of each season, directly at Noon, the sun shines through the ring onto a brass plaque on the ground announcing the beginning of the season. It a really neat statue and then my son found one of the hundreds of little lizards running about, so that was neat, too.
They also have a climbable water tower, and from the top you can see forever. I don't like hights, but it is a mild climb and an easy one. The view is definitely worth it.

As a photographer, there is an immense wealth of trails and locations in the area that are just ripe for shooting.  I've taken pictures both in the lodge and in surrounding area.  No matter what time of year you go the views and wood look great, and unless your from the Makanda area, no one else is going to have senior portraits at the top of that tower.  It's a fantastic shooting experience and you can easily make a family day of it as well.

For more information about the lodge and surrounding park, view their webpage at
http://giantcitylodge.com/

Giant City Lodge — 460 Giant City Lodge Road — Makanda, Illinois 62958
1-618-457-4921.

From Route 13: Travel on Route 13 until Giant City Road intersection (on east side of Carbondale). Turn south on Giant City Road approximately 12 miles into the park.
From Route 51: Travel on Route 51 south of Carbondale to the Makanda exit. Travel approximately 3 miles to Makanda and proceed to the main entrance of the park.