Quincy, Illinois is the nucleus of a tri-county area populated by family farms and wineries. The beautiful city shoulders the Mississippi River to its west, and extends north, south, and east to rural land and delightful village destinations.  

Summer’s freshest picks include the Farm Stand Kitchen. Cozy café, retail shop, and organic blueberry & flower garden? CHECK. The Farm Stand began as a hobby farm and has evolved into a true experience into the heart of a couple’s love of gardening and cooking. Rebecca and David Bobier share their culinary passion by sustainably growing all the fruits and vegetables onsite and creating menus from scratch. Rebecca has authored four cookbooks and the couple recently penned the Dutch Oven Adventures after spending the summer of 2019 creating and cooking 75 Dutch oven recipes.

Breakfast and lunch are offered at the café, with menu items like Cheesy Egg Toast– signature egg salad with fresh herbs, piled high on country white bread and topped with cheddar cheese, broiled to perfection. Carnivores are in for a treat with David’s signature BBQ sauce. The Chopped Beef Sandwich is created with wood fired brisket piled high on a potato roll, finished with sassy sauce and homemade pickles. 

Outdoor Adventure

The Farm Stand has wide-open barn doors, front porch rocking chairs overlooking blooming flowers and fields, and fantastic nearby neighbors. Village Vineyard & Winery also calls Camp Point home. The winery offers a tasting room with 24 wine varieties to sample and an inviting outdoor patio facing the vineyard. The kitchen is open weekends with an extensive menu of appetizers, sandwiches, and classic Midwestern entrees. 

On the northern edge of Quincy lies a sixth-generation, 1870s family homestead. Four Winds Farm is owned by Dr. Deborah Lee and has evolved into a chemical-free growing area for herbs, vegetables, fruit, and flowers. It’s complete with a cozy Bella Luna Patio and Bella Sol Teaching Center, constructed from recycled materials. The facility offers a classroom and kitchen, where students learn hands-on about healthy cuisine and herbs: medicinal, culinary, and wild edible. 

In 2015, Terripin Farm Stand and Co-op merged with Four Winds Farm, overseeing 15 acres of produce crops. The Co-op includes 15 different farms within a 50-mile radius. While at the Farm Stand, guests are free to tour the fields, stroll the flower gardens, or find a peaceful spot to soak in nature. ”U-Pick Passes” are available to pick flower bouquets, and  a variety of vegetables, fruits, honey, pickles, jelly, herbal products, fresh cut flowers and fresh bakery items are for sale from Terripin Bakery. Late summer at the farm treats visitors to a glorious sight to behold. Boisterous fields of hundreds of sunflowers saturate the vista with yellow hues. The popular Sunflower Maze might be the most cheerful experience of the season.

 Spirit Knob Winery

Further north the road leads to Spirit Knob Winery. Nestled on the bluffs with the vineyard nearby, the sweeping backdrop of this family-owned winery is an evolving panorama of the Mississippi River Valley. With 170+ medals, Spirit Knob is one of the most award-winning wineries in Illinois. Estate wines from French-American hybrids are produced onsite and live music is offered most weekends of the summer, enjoyed from the wrap-around deck or a blanket on the grassy knoll. Spirit Knob is one of seven wineries of the Mississippi Valley Wine Trail, reaching from Nauvoo to Rockport, Illinois.

Flavor Tours

Summers in downtown Quincy welcome Flavor Tours. Designed for the curious foodie, Flavor Tours are guided eats & sips adventures to five locally owned venues. Chefs prepare seasonal brunch and lunch fare each Saturday, all summer long. This year the tour includes a new charcuterie experience, a swanky retro lounge, and dessert Italiano. Along with culinary delights, tour-goers learn of Quincy’s notable past, see awe-inspiring architecture, and shop the Farmers Market and a boutique. Flavor Tours include house-roasted coffee, refreshing cocktails and local micro brews. 

Read Also: The Philosophy of Farm-to-Table

For more travel inspiration, download or request the 2023 SeeQuincy Travel Magazine. Explore Green Quincy, Food & Wine, and the new Pet–Friendly Quincy Guide to over 50 locations welcoming fur friends. Experience the city’s trail system, 30 parks + free bike rentals & Tesla Charging Stations. 

Dive into magnificent architecture through three tours:  
  • Abundant Architecture Guide to 48 distinctive locations with an 18-point walking tour in Quincy’s East End Historic District 
  • Mid Mod Quincy featuring 30 premium examples of this marvelous era. Culminating at the recently re-imagined Quincy Regional Airport Welcome Center
  • Private Home Tours offer custom residential tours for groups of six or more, including a portfolio of 17 historic homes 

Visit SeeQuincy.com to see 25 Guides + 8 Self-Guided Driving Tours, or call for your copies today. 

Flavor Tours are Saturdays, June-Aug and require 24-hour advance reservations.

 800.978.4748 | seequincy.com