When people think about exciting places to travel to, Illinois usually doesn't come to mind. Maybe that's because the majority of the state is taken up by farmland, and driving through you can regularly find yourself surrounded by corn for miles. But look beyond the placid exterior, and you find a state rich in history and attractions. For the price of a short car trip, you can get to some of the best cultural and historical spots in the midwest, as well as the best urban hotspots in the country.
As expected, the best place to go for a trip in Illinois is the city of Chicago. With a virtually endless amount of restaurants, theatres, and attractions, you can never run out of things to do in the Windy City. Whether it's a night out to the clubs with friends or a family picnic in one of the cities large parks, Chicago is definitely the place to be.
The first destinations that come to mind are Chicago's great museums. You can examine up close the bones of dinosaurs at the Field Museum of Natural History, or view the works of Picasso and Monet at the world famous Art Institute of Chicago. Also located conveniently in downtown Chicago are the Museum of Science & Industry, the Adler Planetarium, the Shedd Aquarium, and dozens of other museums dedicated to the arts and sciences.
If sports is your thing, perhaps the most enjoyable day you can have in Chicago is getting together with a few friends to go to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field, Bears game as Soldier Field, Bulls game at the United Center, or to watch the Sox, Blackhawks, Fire, Rush, or any of Chicago's major league teams, or college teams for that matter. The city has several schools with Division I and Division II teams in all sports.
Of course, there's more to the state of Illinois than just Chicago. Another great trip to plan is to the state capital. Located in the heart of Illinois, Springfield is both the political and historical center for the state. If you're interested in politics, you can tour the old capital building, or even view a session of the state congress in the current capital building. A few miles out from the city you can find the tomb of President Lincoln, built under a large monument that is truly amazing to see. And if you really want to take a trip back in time, a little further out is the town of New Salem, a complete reconstruction of the town Abraham Lincoln lived in. Touring the log cabins and in the wooded area, you can really get a feel for what it was like to live in the 1800's.
Speaking of life in a simpler time, one of the best and most unique tourist spots in Illinois is the town of Arthur, the self proclaimed "Heart of the Illinois Amish Country". Not only can you experience the rich land upon which families have chosen to live the Amish lifestyle for generations, there are also a bevy of shops where you can purchase various hand made goods. They carry everything from quilts to organic foods to wood furniture--you can find some of the best quality goods at very reasonable prices.
One feature of Illinois is that it really takes advantage of that "midwestern" feel. There are dozens upon dozens of out of the way places that, while they don't draw huge crowds, offer a wide variety of things to do. For instance there's the Starved Rock State Park in the Northwest part of the state. Set along the Illinois River, the park is simply breathtaking. There's nothing like going horseback riding along the shore or having lunch beneath a stunning waterfall. You can find the same type of beauty along the Ohio River in southern Illinois, or the Shawnee Forest, or Wildlife Prairie Park.
So if you're an outdoors man or are looking for the city nightlife, it's all available to you in Illinois. Tourist attractions are relatively cheap compared to other states, and everything is accessible by car or public transportation. For more information you can contact the Illinois Bureau of Tourism.
