Amanda PhillipsWhy Illinois is the perfect destination for every travel persona
When you’re asked to imagine Illinois, it’s probably Chicago that springs to mind first. It’s a great city and is well known around the world for good reason. With bold skyscrapers looking out onto the beautiful Lake Michigan, with a flurry of shops and restaurants, it embodies everything a thriving US city should be.
Outside the metropolis of the Windy City however, Illinois is home to other holiday destinations that all kinds of travellers will enjoy. Located within the Great Lakes Region, with 1,100 historic sites and approximately the same size as England and Wales combined it’s not short of an eclectic amount of attractions.
For the adventurous road-tripper…Route 66
An American road-trip is on many travel enthusiasts bucket list, with Route 66 being the most famous route through the American planes. The historic road starts off in Chicago with 400 miles inside Illinois state boundaries. Before passing over the state line you’ll drive past numerous classic American diners, Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum, the Cozy Dog Drive In (it’s famous for selling hot dogs on a stick) and Shea’s Gas Station, owned by Bill Shea who has a large collection of Route 66 memorabilia and a guest book with signatures from around the world.
For the relaxed nature lover…Grafton and Alton
With a nickname liked Prairie State you know Illinois is going to have some beautiful landscape to awe at. There’s 1.5 million acres of state parks to explore as well as 3,000 miles of rivers and streams. While there’s beauty across the whole state, nature lovers are best to head to the towns of Alton and Grafton, the meeting point of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway. This is where the Mississippi River meets the Illinois and Missouri Rivers. These two towns are also near the largest state park in Illinois, Pere Marquette State Park where visitors can enjoy fishing, hiking, and scenic drives among 8,000 acres of natural beauty.
For the curious history buff…Springfield
The capital of Illinois is where visitors looking for politics and history should book themselves a trip to. Explore the life of Abraham Lincoln at his 200,000 square foot namesake library and museum before visiting the only house he ever owned that is now a National Historic Site. Springfield is also the location of the Illinois State Capital building where all state law is debated and decided on.
For beautiful gardens and even more history…Rockford
Located an hour from Chicago, Rockford is a city for those looking for natural history and a city-centre garden with an oriental twist. Come face-to-face with the world’s most complete juvenile t-rex in the Burpee Museum of Natural History, while also learning about Native American history. Stop by the Midway Village Museum as well to view 125,000 objects that all relate to the city’s history. Afterwards, stroll through the Anderson Japanese Gardens and wonder at the waterfalls, ponds, rock formations and colourful species of fish, ducks and minks. Remember to also stop by the garden’s tea house.
For the wine appreciator…Galena
It’s not just the west coast that offers wine lovers the chance to sip wine fresh from the vineyard, the Mid-West is also a good place to fill up your glass. The town of Galena in the North-West corner of the state is famous for its vineyards where wine lovers can delight their palate on various wine tours.
For the enthusiastic city-lover…Chicago
It’s not Illinois’s most famous destinations for nothing. Chicago has everything you would imagine a well-known American city would have. It has some of the world’s tallest towers, dollar-dropping shopping, a massive landscaped park and foodie delights. Couples can take in romantic views at the top of the John Hancock Observatory and families can run around Navy Pier and ride the 150-foot Ferris wheel with views of Lake Michigan. People looking for the perfect holiday selfie should head to Millennium Park and take a picture of their distorted reflection in the Cloud Gate – a curved bean shaped sculpture.