- You know, it's rainy today, but summertime, just around the corner.

- It's putting us in the mood for a nice frosty beverage, and we are brewing something up, special for you.

- You gotta see this.

- No, you gotta taste this!

(upbeat music begins) (upbeat music continues) - First though, let's start on a patriotic note.

- That's true.

We visited a naturalization ceremony in Peoria, where 250 people became new US citizens, and it helped remind us that we're proud to be Americans.

Over 130 years ago, the Pledge of Allegiance was written as an oath to America.

It is just as relevant today, as 250 new citizens are being sworn in at this naturalization ceremony, held on Bradley's campus.

- First of all, I enjoy them because I'm the grandson of immigrants.

And so I could tell my story, and, you know, I can't imagine what my grandparents thought I would be, or my cousins, but I think they knew that we would do our part to help build a nation.

And that's what these new citizens are doing.

- [Julie] These new citizens come from over 60 different countries, looking to start a new life here in the US.

- So, today, important day.

I'm very glad, and very happy to become US citizens.

- Well, being overseas, you can see how the US is the developed country in the whole world, and the biggest economy in the world, and you dream like, live a better life.

So, definitely then, and I also keep hearing the people that it's the land of opportunity.

So, looking for more opportunities in life, so we can live a better life.

- [Julie] For many, like Eva Lugo, this has been an event years in the making, but all the struggle is worth it, to live in a place that stands for one thing in particular.

- It means freedom, well, obviously, coming from my country, Venezuela, that is under a dictatorship.

It is, it means a lot.

Like, I can have a space to speak, and speak my mind, and have a freedom of having a job, and my daughter can grow in a safe environment.

- [Julie] This is more than just a ceremony.

For most, it's a family celebration.

- Whole families, we got a group here with all, they have their t-shirts, about their mother being naturalized.

And, right, this, it brings people together.

I love that our community supports this.

- Oh, they're all proud.

We came, the daughters came from Florida.

- Florida, from over here.

- Florida, from over here.

Arrived two hours ago.

- I mean, I'm proud of my Nana.

I think she's come a long way, and she's definitely an awesome Nana to have.

So, I appreciate her a lot.

- Please raise your right hand, and repeat after me.

I hereby declare on oath - [Audience] I hereby declare on oath - that I absolutely and entirely - [Audience] that I absolutely and entirely - renounce and abjure - [Audience] renounce and abjure - [Judge] all allegiance and fidelity, - [Audience] all allegiance and fidelity, - [Judge] or purpose of evasion, - [Audience] or purpose of evasion, - so help me God.

- [Audience] so help me God.

- Congratulations, you're now citizens of the United States of America.

(audience applauds and cheers) - [Julie] Many of these new citizens came here not knowing what to expect, but have been pleasantly surprised.

- When she came here, to the US, we thought we were going to Florida, which would be more like our Jamaican climate, but we were blessed with corn and soybean, (chuckles) and stuff, so, we gladly accepted it.

And, yeah, we feel welcome here in the United States, being people of color.

We were a bit skeptic about racism, and all of that, but, gratefully, we have not had that experience, any at all.

- This community that we live in here is a very tolerant and open-minded community, and they embrace this.

It may be more important today, and in my remarks, I'll highlight that, because of the ideals that we long for, and that we believe in, and today's groups may be more important than ever, in helping us reengage and reinstill the faith that we have in our institutions, and in our democracy.

- [Julie] The sentiment is clear at this naturalization ceremony.

(speaking in foreign language) - Okay, I love United States.

- Do you like to be American?

- I mean, yeah, I guess it's more, like, free sometimes, except for gas prices.

(parents chuckle) - Mark Welp's gonna take us to a unique place to stay in Lincoln, and it's straight out of "The Addams Family."

- It's creepy, and it's kooky.

It's mysterious, and spooky.

♪ They're altogether ookie, the Addams family ♪ ♪ Da da da da (both snapping fingers) ("The Addams Family" theme) - Hey guys, we are in Lincoln.

We're outside of the famous black house, which is now known as Wednesday's Lair, and I'm excited to get a tour.

(mysterious music) I dressed all in black, just for this occasion.

We're gonna talk to Liz Ritter.

She just bought this house, and it is gonna be a hot Airbnb.

Can't wait to hear about it.

(knocks) Hi!

(mysterious music) Wednesday?

- Yes.

Can I help you?

- Oh, I was here for a tour.

Can you gimme a tour?

- I guess.

(whimsical music begins) - [Mark] Okay, this is obviously not Liz.

We'll meet her in a minute.

First, young Wednesday, of the Addams family, is going to take me for a not-so-grand tour of the viral Airbnb named after her.

- Living room.

(whimsical music continues) Bedroom two.

(whimsical music continues) - [Mark] Boy, is she straight to the point.

This home, built in the early '90s, is shaped like an octagon.

But it wasn't until Lincoln realtor, Seth Goodman, bought the house in 2021, that it really took shape.

- I just knew I wanted a black roof.

So they started with the black roof, and then, that was all it took for me to get hooked on the black color.

So, the contractors then had to custom order the siding because that color siding is hard to get.

Then I asked them to paint the walls black, and then they were not too keen on that, and left the ceilings white.

I came in here and said, "There's no way.

Somebody paint the ceilings black."

And then, here it is today.

(whimsical music continues) - Bathroom two.

(whimsical music continues) - [Mark] Seth lived here a few months, then put the house up for sale in late 2021.

That was the first time the home went viral, with more than 400,000 shares on social media.

It sold quickly, and the new owners turned it into an Airbnb.

Just a year later, they asked Seth to put it back on the market, and right away, someone was ready to jump into the octagon.

- I messaged him that, like, probably within five minutes, and I was like, "Seth, I want it."

And he's like, "Are you sure?"

You know, that type.

And I was like, "No, I, yeah, I really do want it."

(whimsical music continues) - Master bedroom.

- It is.

It's a master bedroom.

Liz Ritter's love of "The Addams Family," and the popularity of "Wednesday" on Netflix, made branding the unique Airbnb a no-brainer.

- There's weddings coming up here.

There's two weddings, one with 85 people.

There's, I think, four to five birthday parties coming up the next couple months, and a lot of, just people, like, that are going to shows in Peoria or somewhere, that want to just have somewhere to stay.

(whimsical music continues) - Bathroom.

- Nice.

The house has everything you need for a comfortable stay.

- [Liz] And I wanna keep it really happy and family friendly, so I make sure the rooms stay, like, I don't want anything scary, or anything like that.

I want it to have, like, a fun feel.

- [Mark] Liz plans on opening up Wednesday's Lair on Halloween, for people to trick or treat and take pictures.

And if you decide to rent the Lair, just remember, Wednesday is not included.

- Finally, my favorite part, the crawl space.

("The Addams Family" theme begins) - Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope.

("The Addams Family" theme continues) - Ho ho ho!

♪ It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ♪ - Wait a minute.

It's a little bit early to start celebrating the holidays.

- Oh no, it's perfect time to start celebrating, if you're already hugging and cuddling a baby reindeer.

- That's true, we did go out to Snowman Reindeer Farms, outside of Canton, to celebrate their newest adorable little arrival.

- Love it.

- Oh man, this is like rocking grandchildren to sleep.

- [Tracy] It really is.

- [Phil] Just call me the reindeer whisperer.

Meet my new buddy, Igloo.

Hello.

- There you go, you got him.

- Hello, my honking friend.

Or Iggy, for short.

He is the littlest reindeer at Snowman's Reindeer Farm, outside Canton.

Wow.

This baby reindeer arrived in late March.

Santa Claus hasn't met him yet, but Iggy spent some quality time with "You Gotta See This" recently, because, well, where else are you gonna see a baby reindeer?

We last visited the reindeer farm during the holidays.

In 2015, Tracy and Scott Snowman, yes, snowman is their real surname, opened a modest exhibit of two reindeer.

The retired art professors then decorated their 11-acre spread in a festive North Pole swirl of barns and shops.

The reindeer farm has become a new holiday tradition in central Illinois, drawing 14,000 guests yearly at Christmas time.

- People ask, "Well, what do you do all summer?"

We do this.

- Right.

- This is our life.

We take care of them.

They own us.

We don't own them.

- [Phil] But lately, the off season has been extra busy, thanks to Iggy, the farm's 11th reindeer.

Now, Rudolph might've had an easy time as a baby.

- Rudolph.

- Hey, he knows his name already!

- (whistles) Papa, Mama.

- [Phil] But things didn't go as easily with Iggy.

(gentle guitar music) The mama reindeer, Marshmallow, gave birth to him in the wee hours of March 27th.

At first, things seemed okay, but then Mama started to shun her baby.

- She was a little afraid of the baby.

She kind of looked at it, and kinda walked around him, and wasn't sure what to do.

- [Phil] The baby was a bit weak.

With many livestock, instinct kicks in, and a mama won't nurture a weak baby.

- One added factor here with reindeer is that, you know, their DNA tells them that if that baby isn't strong enough to get up and follow the herd, he's a danger to the herd, and therefore, they leave it.

- [Phil] So, the couple stepped in, as surrogate parents.

The first order of business, getting milk for baby Iggy.

- We just tied Marshmallow up, and yes, you can milk a reindeer.

It's not easy.

- [Phil] Fed by bottle, Iggy began to thrive in the pen.

But when Mama Marshmallow started to show signs of stress, the couple brought Iggy inside their house.

- And one of the things that people have asked about is, you know, "Why'd you have to bring him in the house?

Why couldn't you just leave him out there?"

Well, it was stressing her out.

And so, really, it's for the betterment of both the baby and the mom.

So, by bringing him in the house, it helped him disconnect from her, and her to disconnect from him.

- [Phil] Inside the home, Iggy learned to walk stronger.

- [Scott] And what we're doing is crawling on the ground right now, in front of him, building his strength, 'cause you can see, he's wobbly.

(Igloo honking) Yesterday, he couldn't stand or walk.

- [Phil] And he has been curious, looking here, and there, and everywhere.

Meantime, absence made Mama's heart grow fonder.

She's getting more attentive to Iggy.

- [Tracy] Kinda following her baby, keeping an eye on things, and it's very sweet.

- [Phil] At a month old, and on a steady diet of lamb's milk, Iggy weighed about 20 pounds.

At 12 months, he'll be around 200 pounds.

And as an adult bull, he'll weigh as much as 500 pounds.

No more bottles then.

He'll eat with the rest of the herd eats, reindeer chow, plus snacks of willow leaf.

Meanwhile, Iggy is thriving and growing.

He's doing so well that the Snowmans are talking about opening the farm to the public for the first time outside the holiday season, to do baby events, starring Iggy.

- Where people can come and get in the pen with him, and pet him, and get pictures, and help feed him.

And then, we are also thinking about maybe doing some fall festival stuff in October.

- [Phil] That way, visitors can learn what the couple discovered long ago.

Reindeer are, more or less, cuddly dogs with antlers.

- The affection that you get from the animals - Right.

- is absolutely - Right.

- the best part of it.

The connection that they make with humans is absolutely astounding.

- Are we sleeping?

Aw, we gotta nap now.

This is ridiculous.

(chuckles) - We recently visited Bearded Owl Brewing, not just to taste the beer, but to help make the beer!

- I don't know if we helped a ton, but maybe a little, but we put our distinct spin on it, and we're gonna give you a taste, in just a little bit.

- [Julie] Have you ever wondered what it would be like to brew a beer that is made just for you?

(owl hoots) The "You Gotta See This" team, that's who.

So we joined up with Bearded Owl Brewery of Peoria.

- We like to do collaborative beers.

It's, you know, it shouldn't be about us just in the back, coming up with our own stuff, and making whatever we want.

We do that too, but it's fun to see other people's opinions.

Or maybe someone has a good idea, that just doesn't know how to make the beer, or doesn't know how to execute on it.

So, the collaborative aspect with outside people is also very, very rewarding and fun.

And we usually jump at the chance to work with just about anybody.

- [Julie] Just about anybody?

We definitely qualify for that title.

So with Nick and Cassy taking the lead, we started brewing up a Norwegian kramm vossaol.

We added lots of secret ingredients, but some may surprise you, like an entire branch of a juniper tree.

- We're pretty open to using weird things like spruce and juniper branches.

We use a lot of different herbs.

We even use sourdough in our beer.

So, that's something that's not seen anywhere else.

And it's just like, each month, we're doing something that's, some would say, weird, but I think is exciting.

- [Julie] Okay, now the beer is brewing, and doing all its fermentation science stuff, (machinery whirring) but we somehow have to let people know about it.

- Word of mouth is huge.

Getting people to come in and like your product, sitting at the bar, enjoying the service they're getting, all those things play a huge role.

We also do small, limited canning and bottling runs, and those help as well, 'cause we don't make a lot of money.

We're so small, with the canning and the bottling, it's not cost efficient, but, somebody has a can in their hand, and they see the marketing, they like the beer, it's good marketing.

That's just an easy way to get your product out there.

- [Julie] Marketing and word of mouth?

Hold my beer.

I got this.

We came up with a snazzy label that would entice everyone to wanna take a sip, check.

(liquid pouring) Now what about those people who say, "Well, I really don't like beer"?

- Have you tried them all, though?

(chuckles) I think that that's just, like, a common misconception because this is such a diverse world now, with how many styles there are.

There's something for everyone.

There's so many beers that you wouldn't think exist, based on their flavor profile, and they are out there.

Like, there's sours that kind of lend a hand to wine drinkers.

There's seltzers, which is technically a malt beverage, so I think it still falls under beer.

And that's for someone that's not wanting, like, that old-style dad beer, or something like that.

And then stouts for coffee drinkers.

There's really something for everyone.

It's just whether someone wants to put in the time to keep trying.

- [Julie] Now the beer's ready, time for the moment of truth, the first tasting.

- Look at that.

- Ooh!

I love it.

- It's foamy.

- It's foamy and delicious.

- I know you're a domestic beer fan, that's okay, I do too, but you don't- - Proud to be an American.

- You don't normally go off - I don't!

- of that type of root, - I don't.

- but you are today.

And how do you like this stuff?

- I know, I was a little nervous, because I saw all the ingredients going in, including, like, a full juniper branch.

- You were totally scared.

- I didn't say that.

- (chuckling) Scared.

- I said nervous.

- But you had some beer.

- But I had some, and it's really fresh, and it reminds me of springtime, and I think this would be great to, like, out on the back porch.

- And plus, the beer soothes your nerves.

Medicinal, if you will.

- It does, it is.

It's delicious.

- Do you think our health plan at work covers this?

- Let's go ask.

- Let's go try.

- After this.

(glasses clank) (soothing music) ("Take Me Out to the Ball Game" begins) - (whistling) Hey, how ya doing?

Thanks for coming along.

If you've driven around Peoria at all, there's a good chance you might've sped by one of the most iconic sports structures, configurations, ever in the city's history.

And right at the beginning of baseball season, let's give it a little look-see here.

Go back in time here.

We're turning off Adams, onto Grant, to Woodruff Park.

("Take Me Out to the Ball Game" continues) And the wall, which has survived 100 years because, well, who's gonna knock that thing down?

(upbeat music begins) (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues) So imagine way back when, and, crack of the bat, you know, and here comes the ball, and you're out in the outfield, and you're like, "Uh-oh, uh-oh, uh," and you're coming, you're coming, and coming.

(triumphant music) Wham!

Okay, you know I caught that one, right?

But imagine, I'm not looking at the wall.

Imagine I'm running full-bore into this thing.

Your head, against this wall?

Man, that's a doozy.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues) During the '50s especially, they had some really huge names here.

Unfortunately for Peoria, they were mostly in the visitor's dugout.

And it was popular for a little while, but not popular enough to keep the team.

So after the mid-'50s, baseball left Peoria until the '80s.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues) Well, what's the big deal about a wall?

It's just rock, and concrete, and pebbles, and all that stuff.

Well, for 100 years, it's been here, and it bore witness to some of the greatest names in baseball, Luis Aparicio, Phil Cavarretta, and a lot more.

And it may be even more poignant is it bore witness to a lot of guys who never went beyond this field.

You know, this was their field of dreams, and that's all they had, was dreams.

It's still here, and that's kinda cool.

♪ Ball game In the middle of nowhere, up rises a landmark.

The Lone Tree School, though just one story tall, commands attention amid the vast crop lands of southern Bureau County.

The pupils are long gone, as is the surrounding community, but the one-room schoolhouse remains, still in service to a scattering of rural residents.

And in an area where landmarks have been vital for hundreds of years, the school is still important.

The school is almost 40 miles north of Peoria.

The area once hosted Lone Tree Corners, now a ghost town.

But long before the settlement of Peoria or Lone Tree Corners, and long before Illinois became a state, up rose an oak tree.

It was unusually tall, stretching up 100 feet.

And up top, it boasted a wide impressive spread of leaves.

During the 1700s, it was the only tree, the lone tree, amid the surrounding flatlands.

It was visible, so goes the legend, from 40 miles away.

Back then, before many maps of the Illinois territory, the lone tree served as a key reference point to soldiers and frontiersmen trudging through the area.

The lone tree was also a vital landmark when the Galena Trail connected northwestern Illinois to Peoria in 1825.

Just to the east, in 1833, the Peoria Galena Coach Road also used the lone tree as a reference point.

In the 1840s, a small community sprang up nearby, with a post office.

It was called Lone Tree Corners.

Meantime, the tree survived years of vicious Midwest winds and winters.

But on June 21, 1866, brutal winds rocked the oak to and fro all day, finally toppling it.

In a rare obituary for an oak tree, the Bureau County Republican Newspaper bemoaned that the tree, quote, "is now numbered with things that were."

As a town, though, Lone Tree Corners pressed on.

In 1878, Wheatland Township erected the Lone Tree School.

The one-room schoolhouse was lit with kerosene lamps.

It had no indoor plumbing, even as classes pushed into the 20th century.

A teacher tended to as many as 49 students at a time.

- Well, we had numerous rows of desks, and two little kids could fit in one seat, and you had a lot of cooperation, where you would behave yourself, or do homework, while the other classes did their studying.

- [Phil] Some students lived on farms three miles away.

Some rode horses to the school.

Others walked, a challenge come wintertime.

- That was a big problem because, some years, you had a lot of snow, and the teacher, at that time, was hired to, she had to come and turn the furnace on, and put coal in it, or wood, whatever they had.

- [Phil] The one-room setup continued until 1940.

Students were absorbed by schools in nearby Tiskilwa, and the Lone Tree School was shuttered, but not forever.

The building is in sharp shape, maintained by Wheatland Township, and it's on the National Register of Historic Places.

At election time, it serves as a polling place.

Plus, the schoolhouse can be rented for weddings and other functions.

And school kids often take tours into yester year.

- I know it's been a joy for us to bring the fourth generation of our children here, and just kinda see how things were back in Grandma Dorothy's day.

- [Phil] Passersby often stop to take photos of one of the few one-room schoolhouses still in operation in Illinois, and area residents use the school when giving directions.

- It's a landmark.

If you're out on the county and township roads, you notice a Lone Tree School, head north.

- [Phil] In that way, the Lone Tree School functions much like the original lone tree, long, long ago, a trusty landmark for wanderers and travelers.

(bright music begins) - Carrot cupcakes are an Easter treat at our house, and I love to gussy these up with some mascarpone frosting, and some edible marzipan carrots on top.

These are just too cute.

For the cupcake batter, I start with the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

I have the flour, I'm adding baking soda, baking powder, a blend of spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and some salt.

(bright music continues) Give it a little mix.

In the bowl of our stand mixer, we'll beat together our wet ingredients, our canola oil, our buttermilk, eggs.

I've already grated my carrots.

They're going in too.

(bright music continues) (mixer whirring) Now I'm gonna lower the speed to my mixer, and gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet.

(mixer whirring) Make sure not to over-mix the batter.

(bright music continues) (mixer whirring) I like to fill the muffin tins about 2/3 the way up to the top.

And using a cookie scoop makes this job real easy.

Oh, the buttermilk in these cupcakes make them super tangy.

I'll put these in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 to 18 minutes.

In the oven they go.

A mascarpone cheese frosting is perfect for these cupcakes.

I use mascarpone cheese in place of cream cheese because it has a richer flavor.

And when we cream the butter into the mixture, it just adds to that richness.

(bright music continues) (mixer whirring) The mixture is nice and fluffy.

I've got my speed on low.

I'm gonna slowly add the confectioners' sugar.

(bright music continues) (mixer whirring) I'm adding a splash of vanilla.

(bright music continues) (mixer whirring) This is when I check the consistency of the frosting.

If it seems too soft, I'll add a little bit more confectioners' sugar until it gets to the right consistency.

This is perfect.

I'm ready to put it in my piping bag.

I use a star-shaped pastry tip on my pastry bag, just to give that frosting a little extra flair.

(bright music continues) I've already made carrots out of marzipan to decorate these too-cute cupcakes.

(bright music continues) I'm not sure these are gonna make it to Easter, because, boy, do these smell good.

(bright music continues) - That was an amazing episode, but I think I could use one of those Bearded Owl beers right about now.

- And I could use one of those reindeer, just to cuddle and have fun with.

But we won't let the reindeer have a beer, 'cause it's a baby.

I don't know how many years you have to be in reindeer years to have a beer, but not for that baby reindeer.

- Okay, well, we'll see how that all works out, and I'll tell you all about it on the next "You Gotta See This."

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues)