Institute for Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurial Education Partner
GRAFTON FIELD TRIP DAY
STOP 8 - Aerie's Resort
“If it were easy everyone would do it.” - JD Lorton
Did you know - The name Aerie’s defined is the nest of a large bird/eagle in a place somewhere high up.
We ended the day in the most fun way - with the Aerie’s Coaster & Skytour. If you have not been to Aeries since these recent additions - you must! It is beautiful this time of year with all of the green leaves.
JD spoke with the students and we loved how highly he spoke about his parents, Jeff & Sandy Lorton. His mom drove up as we were on the tour and he said, “there is the hardest working woman you will ever meet”. He said his parents have always been entrepreneurs and one of their first businesses in Grafton was the Ruebel Hotel. They fixed it up and brought it back to life.
The building that is now the winery and zipline check-in was originally a cottage that Jeff & Sany purchased as their home. If you’ve been to Aerie’s, it is truly impressive what all has been accomplished starting with that small cottage.
He took us on a quick tour up top showing us the Terrace and even gave us a sneak peek of a new area they are working on to provide more attractions for their customers. They have over 60 overnight stay options.
The Aerie’s Coaster was the first one in the state of Illinois. Every car has a computer in it, making this coaster one of the safest amusement rides you can find. There were only five built in North America last year. This attraction is open all year. The pricing for all of their attractions are very reasonable for a day of adventures for the entire family!
JD not only is working in some capacity at Aerie’s seven days a week, but also coaches football in Calhoun. He truly loves what he does and it shows.
Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to get a behind the scenes tour of Aerie’s! We are still talking about how much fun the Skytour and Coaster were!
If you are looking for an enjoyable place to work, look no further!
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