The holiday season is upon us! But don’t let winter keep you away from Illinois’ parks. Many have fun things to do during the colder months of the year.

Located near Danville in Vermillion County, picturesque Kickapoo State Recreation Area is one such place. It features a variety of family-friendly activities when snow is on the ground.

Cross country skiing, sledding and ice skating are popular attractions.

Born in California, Cat Clausen spent her childhood as a budding artist, making her own jewelry, pottery and clothing.

After graduating from college, Clausen worked in marketing, public relations and art direction for 10 years. She left her career in 1993 to become a stay-at-home mom and moved with her husband and 3-year-old son to Dwight.

It was here in the Land of Lincoln where Clausen would pursue her passion for art. She took up oil painting and has made portraits of musicians and education and political leaders, including her beloved Abraham Lincoln. Clausen is known for her Lincoln paintings, which have been featured on the cover of magazines and on banners throughout Chicago.

One of the best times to visit Pere Marquette State Park is during the fall when the leaves are changing colors and falling from the trees. Car rides are popular this time of year around the park’s riverside roadways.

Numerous tales of spirits and unexplained phenomena have been recorded in various locations across Illinois. To find out ourselves if some of these tales were true, we visited three places said to be haunted.

Pop artist John Kettman of LaSalle became interested in art at the young age of 3. He became a serious artist in high school and has gone on to complete portraits of many famous individuals, such as Abraham Lincoln. Kettman is also vying for his painting of Streator native Clyde Tombaugh – the famed astronomer who discovered Pluto – to be accepted as a U.S. Postal Service stamp. Kettman has a petition online attempting to persuade the Stamp Advisory Committee to use his artwork on a stamp. You can view the petition here.

One of Kettman’s latest endeavors includes painting pumpkins with political candidates’ faces. You can check out this article to learn more about this interesting project.

Read an interview with the native artist below.