Funks Grove, IL
The Funks have been making maple sirup at Funks Grove since 1891. It is open only March through August. The sirup is made in February each year from the sap of over 3,000 maple trees the Funk family has harvested for over 100 years. They ship the sirup all over the world, and it is the house sirup in a restaurant in Carmel, California.
It is a family run operation, and if you visit, you'll enjoy chatting with the Funks. The matriarch of the family admonished me in a friendly way for not wearing my helmet. They are extremely nice folks, so stop in if they are open.
The sirup operation gets most of the attention in Funk's Grove these days, but there also is a quaint little village that's worth a visit. In addition to relics of an old gas station and cafe', it features the Funk's Grove Church, which was built by Issac Funk and Robert Stubblefield in 1864. The Funk Prairie Home, built by Marquis de LaFayette Funk in 1864, also is available for weddings and other events.
From Funk's Grove, follow Frontage Rd toward McLean - Frontage Rd will become Carlise as it approaches town - Go left on Main St - Go right at the Stop sign - Go a few hundred yards and go left back onto the Frontage Rd just before the RR tracks and head toward Atlanta
From Funk's Grove Store, stay on Route 66 - Pass by the small village of Funk's Grove (about 1/4 mile past the store) and continue on Route 66 (Frontage Road) to a Stop sign - Go right at the Stop sign to Veterans Parkway - Go left on Veterans Parkway - Take the Main St Exit and go left on Main St/Bus 51
View Route66mc.com - Funks Grove to Bloomington in a larger map
