Starved Rock State Park is often called "the Grand Canyon" of Illinois. I'd only begun hearing about five or so years ago. The name always intrigued me. It seemed like such a sullen name for what was supposed to be a beautiful place. From their website, the name derives from "a Native American legend. In the 1760s, Chief Pontiac of the Ottawa tribe, was attending a tribal council meeting. At this council of the Illinois and the Pottawatomie, an Illinois-Peoria brave stabbed C