Southern Illinois vacation spot? (Chicago, Springfield: rentals, hotels, house) - (IL) - City-Data Forum

millshre · 03-02-2014, 02:27 PM

My husband and I, along with our 20 month old son, are in desperate need of a get-away. We've never really had one. My husband is laid off right now (indefinitely) and looking for work, so we figured we might as well go before he gets a new job. We're, of course, on a tight budget but my husband does work for a hotel chain part-time so we can usually get a discount. We don't want to spend a lot on touristy things so we're hoping for a place with enough indoor (late March) activities that are fun, but not costly. We don't mind paying a few entrance fees to things like zoos or aquariums.

We're thinking about going to Metropolis but I don't want that to be the only thing we do. Would you recommend anything else in that area for a laid back, but fun trip? We thought about going to St Louis also but I'm not really comfortable doing a lot of driving around in the city.

I appreciate your help!

Maintainschaos · 03-03-2014, 07:58 AM

Maybe hard with a near 2 year old, but maybe a night camping in the Shawnee National Forest? The hikes are pretty easy (if you're into that sort of thing) and it is cheap! It's not indoor, but the weather can be nice in that area late March/early April

1Prairiegirl · 03-03-2014, 11:43 AM

My vote would be for the Shawnee National Forest also. I dont know how your son would get along at the Garden of the Gods because there are no railings...but you could take turns holding him, and Cave in the Rock state park is a nice park that is way under used! Also if the ferry is running you can drive to Paducah KY and the National Quilt Fest might be going on. It is a pretty drive and there is a nice Amish Store on the way and in Marion KY there are some neat antique shops and a nice little restaurant that has the best Pie and coffee I have ever had.
Of course if you are more interested in indoor activities this might not work. My DH and I did this a couple years ago and really enjoyed ourselves at not much expense, we also camp so hotels were not an issue for us.
best of luck!

linicx · 03-04-2014, 12:38 PM

Late March not all zoo animals are outside too much, and it is still cold for much outside fun. Tourist sites like Wheels O'Time aren't open. For this, mid-May is better as days are warmer and nights are still cool we're moving into summer.

The options you might like is Bass Pro Shops. ?? It has an indoor aquarium of native fish. Divers hand feed the fish at 4pm on Monday and 2pm on Saturday. It's a sportsman's store that features boats, camping, hunting, fishing, and more. Free admission: Opens 8am.

Wildlife Life Prairie State Park opens 10am. Illinois state animals like fox, wolf, cats, bagers are out. Bear may still be in hibernation. Admission: $7 for adults. Children under 2 free. Cabins $90 includes admission fees.

The zoo is open 10-4:30 daily. The inside/outside animals in Africa! exhibit except the gazelle are seen through windows if they are not outside. Admission is about the same price as the state park. The Botanical Gardens are open 10-5 Tues - Sun. It is near the main entrance to the zoo. If there is an admission price it will be low.

River front museum / planetarium. Admission: Adults $10 Under 3 free.
CAT museum: Adults $7 Under 12 free.

Rabflmom · 03-04-2014, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by millshre

My husband and I, along with our 20 month old son, are in desperate need of a get-away. We've never really had one. My husband is laid off right now (indefinitely) and looking for work, so we figured we might as well go before he gets a new job. We're, of course, on a tight budget but my husband does work for a hotel chain part-time so we can usually get a discount. We don't want to spend a lot on touristy things so we're hoping for a place with enough indoor (late March) activities that are fun, but not costly. We don't mind paying a few entrance fees to things like zoos or aquariums.

We're thinking about going to Metropolis but I don't want that to be the only thing we do. Would you recommend anything else in that area for a laid back, but fun trip? We thought about going to St Louis also but I'm not really comfortable doing a lot of driving around in the city.

I appreciate your help!

Are you coming South from Chicago? Maybe check out Lincoln's home, the old capitol building, and his tomb and other sites in Springfield. Springfield Sites Associated with Abraham Lincoln

May be warm enough to end of March to even spend some time New Salem the town where he lived as a young man which is close to Springfield(maybe 20 miles drive). It is a reproduction of the 1840s town. http://www.lincolnsnewsalem.com/

You go in and out of the log cabins and it is even fun in the winter. We were basically the only family there one year when we went to my parents house for Thanksgiving. It was a lot of fun. They had bread baking, warm drinks, etc.

CShel24 · 03-23-2014, 05:32 PM

Southern Illinois is a pretty broad area. Metropolis is OK, you can see everything there is to see in that town in a day (or less). They have some Superman stuff, casino, and a park. Across the river there is Paducah, KY it offers a little bit of stuff too. Paducah offers A LOT more places to shop and eat than Metropolis.

It all depends on what you are into really, the only real "touristy" things Paducah would really offer is that quilt stuff (which if you are under the age of 80, you might not be interested). They also have that "artsy" downtown district too. Southern Illinois also has a number of wineries along the way, again it is all in what you are into. Evansville Indiana (which is close to southern, IL but a good ways from Metropolis) has a zoo.

*As mentioned in the previous post, if you are passing through central IL to get there, Springfield is well worth the stop. The Lincoln stuff is great.

HannahTravels · 04-01-2014, 06:38 PM

There are some cool spots to vacation in Southern ILL but it definitely depends on what you are looking to do! I agree that Metropolis is alright…I'm not sure I'd plan a whole vacation there though…maybe just a day-trip? Shawnee National Forest is beautiful and there are a ton a fun and easy hikes to do. Giant City State Park is another cool spot for hiking/camping. If you don't want to camp there are some nice cabin rentals in the area. I recommend the Carbondale-area or the Paducah-area. There's a ton of hiking, fishing, and cheap or free stuff to do. Near Carbondale there are nice wineries within driving distance. The Paducah downtown is cute and it offers a bit more in the way of artsy and touristy-type stuff. Both are good options! Hope that helps a bit

Alarmz · 05-01-2014, 08:40 AM

There are no fun family things to do here except outdoor activities like camping, hiking, fishing. There are no theme parks, zoos, or any kind of indoor entertainment here.

linicx · 05-01-2014, 12:00 PM

What everyone needs to understand about Illinois and summer activity. Because Illinois is a green state with many lakes, forests, rivers and streams, it has a large mosquito, wasp, bee, and spider population. You will also find an abundance of tick, snakes and turtles. Snapping turtles are dangerous. And southern IL is noted for its annual rattlesnake roundup.