Joliet homeowner converts 1852 farmhouse into family vacation rental

Sarah Skerston Walczynski opened her childhood home to vacation guests in December 2025. The property operates as a full-house rental named Lazy 8 Ranch. It is located in Tonica, a rural community near the Illinois Valley state parks. The 1852 farmhouse serves as the central structure for the operation.

The property has a long history as a family gathering place. Walczynski grew up in a family of 10 on the farm. Her parents first named the site Lazy 8 Ranch in the 1960s. At that time, they raised American saddlebred horses on the land. The site retained this family focus through recent decades. Walczynski and her husband, Mark, lived a short distance down the road. For several years, they used the farmhouse as a guesthouse for visiting relatives before converting it into a paid rental.

The current management reflects the property's heritage. The home features three bedrooms that accommodate six guests. The grounds cover approximately three acres of yard. A gravel driveway provides free parking for visitors. The nearest neighbor resides almost a half-mile away. This separation places the rental in a secluded setting among farm fields on a rural side road. The interior includes a furnished patio, full kitchen, dining room, and living room.

Walczynski initially expected the rental to attract women in their late 20s and early 50s for trips to wineries and Starved Rock. She noted that the actual bookings have differed from this prediction. Families now constitute a large portion of the guest base. She stated, "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. Instead, I’m getting a lot of families."

The interior is stocked with items to facilitate group activities. A cupboard in the library contains dozens of board games and puzzles. The basement holds video game consoles. Outdoor play options include croquet, bocce, and volleyball. A specific cabinet holds a collection of feather boas, which guests frequently use. Walczynski observed, "I always find feathers. Everybody plays with the boas." The library also features seven books by Mark Walczynski, who serves as a regional and Starved Rock historian. The collection includes other local history texts, westerns, mysteries, and science fiction.

The home integrates historical artifacts with modern comforts. The kitchen features contemporary appliances and lighting. Some wood floors creak and slope due to age. Part of the structure dates to 1852, while an addition was completed in 2025. Antique farm elements such as horse collars and hooks hang alongside leather couches and fur accents. Walczynski noted, "When my mom bought the place in 1961, she got furniture from Clydesdale Furniture in Oglesby, so there’s that little bit of rustic cowboy feel. But it’s a little more curated, too. I try to add a little bit of luxe, a little bit of shine. Lots of leathers, velvets and furs to add that modern farmhouse glam."

The owners repurpose original farm items throughout the property. They converted a hand-hewn wooden beam from the kitchen floor into an outdoor bar on the patio. Old farm tools decorate the exterior walls of a shed. Cast-iron rendering cauldrons, previously used for butchering livestock, now serve as flower planters. A wall in the house displays family height marks from the past 60 years. An adjacent wall invites guests to mark their own names and heights. Walczynski said, "I put a note up that we encourage the kids, although the adults love to do it, too, to put their name on the new wall."

Guests share the property with three permanent animals. Two horses named Rein Dance and Contessa live on the premises, along with a miniature pony named Thor. Visitors may watch the animals from outside the fence. Physical contact is prohibited unless Walczynski is present. The owners do not offer riding lessons on site. Walczynski stated, "We don’t have people ride here. We send them to Cedar Creek Ranch in Cedar Point. Our horses are here for photo ops." The address is 2135 E. 675th Road, Tonica.