While we were in Illinois this summer visiting family, we made the trek over to the city of Peoria to watch our niece play in the state softball tournament and hang out a bit with the fam.
This was only a couple of days and we didn’t do a whole lot besides have fun watching some softball, but here we go nonetheless!
Big thanks to the Holiday Inn Express in Morton, IL, for Louis’ welcome treats!
Ang and I got into town before everyone else, so we made a bee-line for Bearded Owl Brewing, which came about after the split of Peoria Brewing Co. (which we visited last year).
My goodness, their beers were so good. Big thanks to Terrance, Shelbi, and Shay for the hospitality!
We also hit up Rhodell Brewery, which I believe is the oldest craft brewery in Peoria. They brew up some tasty beers as well. Thanks to Matt for the good times there!
I need to get that tattooed on me. ;)
Once the family arrived, we headed over to Seasons Gastropub in Morton, IL, to eat some yums, have some drinks, and hang out for a while. This is our go-to spot whenever we’re in town for softball.
We watched a lot of softball on this particular weekend, as our niece’s team made it to the high school state finals. Woooo! They didn’t win, but taking third place in the state is a huge accomplishment and we’re endlessly proud of her and her teammates for not only entertaining us (!!!) but for their hard work and dedication.
While she went out to celebrate with her team, we headed to Blue Duck BBQ with Mom and Dad to celebrate on our own with amazing smoked meats.
Ang also found a fossilized peanut? Haha.
Dad and I also tried to reenact this huge sculpture, but I totally ruined it by trying to be shorter than him. Haha. #fail
And that’s that! We didn’t really do any touristy things here as our mission was softball, but it was still a great time. Love watching Grace play softball, and love hanging out with the fam. You can read more of our Illinois posts right here. Also, be sure to check out our Hopsmash project on Instagram and Facebook.
A very special thanks to everyone at all of these establishments for their delicious concoctions and hospitality. Cheers!
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Have you ever been to Peoria? If so, what’d you think? If not, what say ye? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!