Lazy 8 Ranch offers a secluded getaway near Illinois Valley state parks

When Sarah Skerston Walczynski opened her childhood home as a vacation rental in December 2025, she envisioned it as a destination for girls’ weekends and buddy trips.The 1852 farmhouse ticks multiple boxes for group getaways. It’s secluded among farm fields on a rural side road, with the nearest neighbor almost a half-mile away. The grounds include plenty of gathering spaces, including a furnished patio, full kitchen, dining room, living room and about three acres of yard. The three bedrooms can accommodate six guests, and a gravel driveway offers free parking. “I thought I was going to have more of the girl and buddy weekends to go to the wineries and Starved Rock – more of that late 20s to early 50s gals getaway,” Walczynski said. “Instead, I’m getting a lot of families.”That continues Lazy 8 Ranch’s history of being a family place. Walczynski grew up in a family of 10 on the farm, which was first named Lazy 8 Ranch in the 1960s when her parents raised American saddlebred horses. Wa