Under Rocks

The coldest, snowiest, most miserable time of year means one thing for many of the hardiest folk in Wisconsin – time to drag your ice auger and a bucket of shiners out onto the nearest lake.

Another year, another dozen opportunities to explore what’s cool, what’s interesting, what’s weird in your own backyard. It’s Under Rocks, where you help us send our adventurous correspondents out to discover those hidden gems in northern Illinois. This time, Jason Cregier and Dan Libman, with a big assist from tech giant Spencer Tritt, visit with some of the people who transform Old Places into New Spaces. Rehabbing an old building can be an expensive, overwhelming commitment. Imagine taking on

On this episode of Under Rocks , we don't turn over any stones, but we take you face-to-face with a massive chunk of concrete along an Ogle County roadside. Like many northern Illinois residents, Dan Libman was worried that when a certain DeKalb bookstore closed, he might never again be able to use the word “Grotto.” But that was before he made a discovery on a bike ride. On an ordinary corner in Stillman Valley stands something quite extraordinary: A concrete shrine, complete with arches and a

On the second episode of the Under Rocks podcast, host Dan Libman, tech wiz Spencer Tritt and WNIJ correspondent Jason Cregier visited the Shabbona Barber and Hot Shave Parlor in Shabbona, Illinois, where Jason would receive the closest shave of his life. This was back in late February, before the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic swept across Illinois. Now the thought of getting a haircut, let alone a close shave, seems almost foreign. The Shabbona Barber and Hot Shave Parlor is currently

On our inaugural Under Rocks podcast: We celebrate the weirdness of winter in northern Illinois. Dan Libman and Susan Stephens hit the slopes (the sled slopes), pedal icy backroads, traipse through freshly-fallen snow with a trail groomer, and find out just what that brand new mountain in the middle of a DeKalb park is made of. Grab your mittens and hop on! Highlights of this episode: It's a wintry mix! Your favorite local sledding spots. We visit two of your favorite sled hills in DeKalb County