Is there anything in Illinois outside of Chicago? (Peoria, Springfield: 2010, camping)

[linicx]

Springfield is NOT an easy town to drive in unless you are familar with the grid. Most people do not want to drive four blocks out of the way to go one block.. That's what you get when one street is blocked for sewer repair. I went to the libary last year. I wanted to find the historical society and DAR. Streets were being repaired and the libary guy gave me a map. He had no clue how to get from point A to point B. Parking is at a premium. I didn't want to walk four blocks in the heat. The only money I spent was wasted in a parking meter. The Springfield Clinic was just about as much fun as surgery. The most helpful places in that town are restaurants. They have phone books and employees who can actually give great directions.

[cubssoxfan]

What is there outside of Chicagoland? Hmmm, where should I start?

Apple River Canyon State Park
Castle Rock SP
Nachusa Grasslands
Starved Rock SP
Buffalo Rock SP
Mattheissen SP
Garden of the Gods SP
Shawnee National Forest
Mississippi Palisades
Illinois Beach SP
Chain O' Lakes SP
Braidwood Dunes savannah/grasslands
Galena
Fults Hill
Cahokia Mounds
Feryne Cliff SP
Illinois Caverns
Lowden SP
Volo Bog Natural Area
Lake Shabbona

Many, many, many others Im forgetting. That should be a good base, though...

Great suggestions Steve. However some of these parks were closed by Blagof*&#vich. Don't forget Starved Rock. And if you like bicycling the I&M canal path is worthwhile. If you like trains, The Illinois Railway Museum in Union, IL is very worthwhile. This is off of I-90 and US 20. Depending on where you are in Iowa and how much time you have, try coming in via US 20 and I-90. US 20 through northwest IL is a pretty drive and takes you through Galena. Dubuque is a cool little city, I like the Mississippi River museum.
Have fun and safe travels!

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by cubssoxfan

Don't forget Starved Rock.

Of course not! That was my 4th suggestion on the list.

[cubssoxfan]

Your right. And I went through your list 4 times. You should be a "fly on the wall" when I try to find something around the house- it get's humorous.

[Central Illinois 1]

In terms of "urban" areas, nothing in Illinois or the rest of the midwest obviously compares with Chicago. Period. Chicago is THE premeire city of the central US. However, the Metro East area of Illinois (i.e., Belleville Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Collinsville) has most of the amenities of a larger metro area and is essentially a part of suburban St. Louis. Springfield, Champaign-Urbana, and Peoria also have most of the amenities that you would find in larger metro areas (restaurants, shopping malls, universities, etc.) but are not very diverse demographically. Many areas of downstate Illinois also have beautiful terrain including the Galena, Quincy, Grafton/Alton, and Peoria areas as well as much of far Southern Illinois (lots of large bluffs, rivers, etc..). Relative to Chicagoland (which is a GREAT place by the way) downstate offers less expensive living, nicer terrain in many spots, and MUCH better weather. With possible exception of the Metro East area, it is also generally much more conservative than Chicago (which, of course, can be a good or bad thing depending on your political leanings).

[linicx]

When speaking of demographics, if age and income are the only criteria, Peoria is no less diverse than other sections of the state. Central Illinois is farm land and cattle operations as is the rest of the state, excepting Chicago and the East St.Louis araa. Peoria is culturally, racially and religiously diverse; all faiths are welcome as in Chicago. Unlike Springfield and Bloomington, Peoria is part of the Illinois River Valley. It offers flora, fauna, high bluffs, scenic views and ancient history. What most visitors never learn about Central Illinois is that it has the oldest country club east of the Missisippi, the oldest and maybe the only Dutch Reform Church in the Midwest and an active archaeolical dig that began on a farm some 70 year ago. Other central Illnois citys don't have a river casino, or one of the largest lighted night time parades and Xmas displays in America. And central Illnois has parks.

Peoria own a large sprawling park district (including and award wining zoo) that encompasses thousands of acres of land and is perhaps patterned after Chicagoland parks. Peoria is also not boxed in and therefore it is able to grow, diversify and reinvent itself as one era ends and a new dawning becomes of age.

Chicago hunters think they have to go to Wisconsin to spend their money when they can come downstate to the 7000 acres that have just opened for sportsman. I suppose there will always be a rivalry, but it shouldn't exit.. Chicago is no more unique than the rest of the state. The difference is, downsate it is not promoted equally by the Il. Department of Tourism. And this is wrong!

[ihynes]

Why are some dolts comparing Des Moines to Chicago? That's like comparing apples and oranges. Iowans are some of the nicest people on earth. Outside of Chicago, there's Starved Rock State Park and Matthiessen State Park near Utica, Dickson Mounds Museum in Lewistown, and the architectural diversity of Quincy, which includes pre-Civil War buildings that Chicago cannot boast of. As for Chicago, I find that people here are some of the most provincial, do-nothing people in any metro area.

[Frank the Tank]

Originally Posted by coldwine

You'll find in Illinois everything you find in every state, including Alaska.

Chicago is just radically, completely unique in comparison.

That's probably the most accurate statement here. It's not that there isn't anything to do downstate or can't be a nice place to live (I spent 4 of the most fun years of my life in Champaign), but I don't believe that there are many places so unique that a similar locale/attraction/type of town couldn't be found in Iowa. The two exceptions to this would be (1) the Lincoln-related sites in and around Springfield and (2) Galena with its historic district.

[BUalumni]

Originally Posted by Frank the Tank

That's probably the most accurate statement here. It's not that there isn't anything to do downstate or can't be a nice place to live (I spent 4 of the most fun years of my life in Champaign), but I don't believe that there are many places so unique that a similar locale/attraction/type of town couldn't be found in Iowa. The two exceptions to this would be (1) the Lincoln-related sites in and around Springfield and (2) Galena with its historic district.

You can't be serious? You must have never been to Peoria. River City is in my opinion far more interesting and important than anything in Iowa, outside of Des Moines, and even then...

[Frank the Tank]

Originally Posted by BUalumni

You can't be serious? You must have never been to Peoria. River City is in my opinion far more interesting and important than anything in Iowa, outside of Des Moines, and even then...

I've been to Peoria and I'm sure that it's a perfectly fine place to live for many people while having an economic impact with the presence of Cat. However, I just wouldn't put Peoria on a list of places that an out-of-state visitor would find to be a vastly unique place compared to other towns that are of a similar size. Even the old line about "How will it play in Peoria?" for marketing and politics is a reference to how the town is a representative of average and middle-of-the-road America. This sincerely isn't a knock on the place - living in a place that's a tourist attraction doesn't necessarily equate to a great quality of life, either. I've been fortunate to travel to a lot of places due to my family's penchant for road trips while I was growing up, so saying that a place is merely "nice" is a whole lot different than calling a place "unique".