Illinois Travel Guide 2008 - (Page 14) INTERSTATE 57 The Tuscaninspired Blue Sky Vineyard, a scenic stop on the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail in Southern Illinois You may find yourself driving along I-57, the longest interstate in Illinois, stretching nearly 400 miles from Chicago all the way to Southern Illinois. But that’s no excuse for missing some of the interesting sights that are mere miles off the exits. In the Southern region of the state you’ll find unique attractions worth stopping for, from yearround golf courses to award-winning wineries and some of the best biking in Illinois. • An unexpected find in Mt. Vernon is the impressive Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, located on 90 wooded acres. Currently undergoing expansion, Cedarhurst offers a sculpture park with more than 60 large-scale pieces and the Mitchell Museum, featuring contemporary art exhibits and a permanent collection that includes works by American artist Mary Cassatt. • In Whittington, Rend Lake (voted one of the Seven Wonders of Illinois) offers loads of outdoor fun. Play a round at the Rend Lake Golf Course, take aim at the Rend Lake Shooting Complex, hit the trails of the Wayne Fitzgerrell State Recreation Area and recharge at Rend Lake Resort. Plus, the Southern Illinois Arts and Crafts Marketplace houses the Art & Artisans Center, which sells the works of Illinois artists. • The Southern Illinois Golf Trail starts in Marion and ends in the rolling hills of Vienna. Take a swing at one of the five courses, which include Kokopelli Golf Club in Marion, Crab Orchard Golf Club in Carterville, Hickory Ridge Public Golf Center in Carbondale, Stone Creek Golf Club & Resort in Makanda and The Gambit Golf Club in Vienna. • Strap on your hiking boots and tackle the trails at Giant City State Park in Makanda. Nestled in the Shawnee National Forest, Giant City gets its name from the sheer sandstone walls that create “city streets” a giant could stroll through. Don’t miss the popular family-style fried chicken dinner served at the rustic Giant City Lodge. • Taste your way along the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, made up of nine wineries located along a picturesque 25-mile drive through the Shawnee National Forest. Relax with a glass on the outdoor terraces and decks provided by the wineries that are located not far off of I-57, including the Tuscan-inspired Blue Sky Vineyard in Makanda, as well as StarView Vineyards and Owl Creek Vineyard in Cobden. • Bikers will want to make time to travel the Tunnel Hill State Trail, a 45-mile-long gravel path through the Shawnee National Forest that stretches south from Harrisburg through Vienna to Karnak. Tunnel Hill runs along an old rail bed, with a 540-foot-long train tunnel and several railroad trestles as markers. Vienna City Park is a favorite starting point for bikers, offering lovely grounds and a small railroad museum. • Canoe Illinois wetlands at the Cache River State Natural Area in Belknap, home to a magnificent cypress-tupelo swamp that boasts trees more than 1,000 years old. Learn about the area at the Barkhausen Wetlands Center, which features nature exhibits and a brief film about the Cache River wetlands. MARGARET DOYLE Mt. Vernon Whittington Makanda Marion Vienna Harrisburg Cobden Belknap Karnak FREE You don’t have to break the bank to have a good time in Illinois. Here are 33 fun things you can do around the state for free. 33 FOR CHICAGO Millennium Park Lincoln Park Zoo Navy Pier Chicago Cultural Center CHICAGOLAND McDonald’s #1 Store Museum, Des Plaines Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art, Evanston Bahá’í House of Worship, Wilmette NORTHERN Northern Illinois Wine Trail (most wine tastings) Sinnissippi Gardens, Rockford The Chester Gould–Dick Tracy Museum, Woodstock Illinois Waterway Visitors Center, Ottawa De Immigrant Windmill, Fulton CENTRAL Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Springfield Krannert Art Museum, Champaign Rock Springs Conservation Area, Decatur Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site, Lerna Allerton Park and Retreat Center, Monticello WESTERN Joseph Smith Historic Site, Nauvoo John Deere Pavilion, Moline Bishop Hill State Historic Site, Bishop Hill Reagan Museum, Eureka Dickson Mounds Museum, Lewistown SOUTHERN Shawnee Hills Wine Trail (most wine tastings) Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, Mt. Vernon Southern Illinois Art & Artisans Center, Whittington Bald Knob Cross, Alto Pass SOUTHWEST Heartland Rivers Wine Trail (most wine tastings) Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, Collinsville National Great Rivers Museum, Alton Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, Hartford National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, Belleville enjoyillinois.com 14 ILLINOIS. MILE AFTER MAGNIFICENT MILE. http://enjoyillinois.com
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