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Groundhog Days-2007


RoadDog
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For any of you who might be up Chicago way in the early days of February, you should get yourself out to Woodstock, about 45 miles northwest.

 

Woodstock is where the movie "Groundhog Day" starring Bill Murray was filmed and if you're a fan of it, you will notice a large number of the sites featured in it.

 

Highlights include the Feb. 1st Lighting of the Groundhog and Feb. 2nd Groundhog Prognostication and Breakfast.

 

On Feb. 3rd, Saturday, there will be 10 AM showing of the movie in the actual theater where Murray did his Eastwood impersonation, chili cookoff, walking tour of filmsites as well as plaque dedication, movie symposium, and dance.

 

For more information:

 

www.woodstockilchamber.com

 

Keep on Down that Two Lane Highway. --RoadDog

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I have never been to Woodstock IL, nor have I spent Groundhogs Day in Puxatawney PA, but I have attended a very pleasant small town festival, Puxatawney's Groundhog Festival in the summer. It uses the Town Park with rides, crafts, wonderful foods, and a great small town atmosphere. And the townspeople had a great assortment of teaching pamphlets for teachers in the Chamber of Commerce building that my wife used for years with her 3rd grade students. Definitely worth a look!

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Woodstock is your perfect town square kind of a town. The roads around the square are paved in bricks dating back to the 1850s. There is an old courthouse and jail on one side (complete with a Dick Tracy museum as the creator lived in Woodstock), the old town hall, now called the Opera House with lots of shows and entertainment throughout the year, and specialty stores.

 

The square itself has a spring house, a huge gazebo, and a statue honoring McHenry County's Civil War dead. This is where the movie's snowball fight took place.

 

This is worth a trip at any time of the year.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I Came, I Saw, I Froze

 

What did the Groundhog Say?

 

 

Well, I was out there on Woodstock Square, nice and early at 7:07 AM. pretty early for these retired old bones, to see what Woodstock Willie had to say about the next six weeks.

 

We were serenaded by a German oompah band, one of whom had liederhosen (in the 5 degree weather). Of course, they played the "Pennsylvania Polka" in honor of our neighbors to the east, Punxsutawney, Pa., and then, a rousing rendition of "Bear Down Chicago Bears" in honor of our Super Bowl bound football team.

 

The mayor said a few words. Then the deejay who gave his voice after "I Got You, Babe", "Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don't forget your ______ 'cause it's cooooold out there today." did his bit. (See if you're a Groundhog Day movie fan and fill in the blank.)

 

The unhappy groundhog was then pulled out of his nice warm stump (he wasn't much happy about it) and after a consultation with the main man, said, he definitely did not see his shadow. That means an early spring. Despite the frigidity, a round of applause and cheering went up into the wintry air.

 

As I sit here, with the subzero winds howling outside, I have to wonder about that overgrown rodent.

 

Keep on Down that Two Lane Highway. --RoadDog

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  • 1 month later...

I see that Woodstock was just named as a top distinctive destination for travelers by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It represents "the best of smalltown America."

 

Of course, a lot of this has to do with the historic square with its 1857 courthouse and 1889 opera house, formerly the city hall.

 

Congratulations to Woodstock, Illinois.

 

 

 

 

Keep on Down that Two Lane Highway. --RoadDog

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