Illinois Travel Guide 2008 - (Page 38) SUMMER • Taste your way along the Shawnee Hills Orchard Trail, made up of a string of Carbondale-area farms that have been operated by the same families for several generations. Sample the fruits of their labor, including peaches, white nectarines, strawberries and apples. • In June, the town of Woodstock celebrates Dick Tracy Days, honoring the cartoon detective with a Main Street block party, family activities and a parade. Be sure to visit The Chester Gould–Dick Tracy Museum. • Every June Ravinia Festival in Highland Park begins its summer-long series of blockbuster musical performances. Pack a picnic and experience music under the stars at this leafy outdoor venue. • Ride a wild roller coaster, then hurtle down a splashy water slide at Six Flags Great America/Hurricane Harbor in Gurnee. This huge theme park offers something for everyone, from pint-sized rides at Wiggles World to Skull Island, the world’s largest interactive water playground. • The annual Superman Celebration, held each June in Metropolis, features look-alike contests, superhero-themed games, celebrity appearances and a car show. Pick up super souvenirs at the Super Museum, right across the street from the town’s towering Superman statue. • Chicago is known for its free summertime festivals in lakefront Grant Park. Some of the biggest include the Chicago Blues Festival in June, the Taste of Chicago from late June to early July, and the Chicago Jazz Festival in August. • The National Road Festival, held in June, celebrates the historic highway in towns that line the Illinois leg of the Historic National Road Scenic Byway, from Marshall in Central Illinois to East St. Louis in the Southwest. SCOTT BELL • From July to early August the river town of Nauvoo presents the Nauvoo Pageant. This nighttime musical drama about Nauvoo’s Mormon settlers takes place along the Mississippi River. • Every August in Springfield you’ll find the Illinois State Fair, a 10-day celebration of the Land of Lincoln, offering up everything from agriculture and livestock showcases to tractor pulls and auto races, carnival rides and conER LM certs. Regional fairs, such as the PA ARK M Du Quoin State Fair, are also popular during this time of year. • If you’re a fan of NASCAR or drag racing, get out to Route 66 Raceway/Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet. You can even make like a race star and take a few laps around a state-of-the-art carting facility. COURTESY OF SIX FLAGS GREAT AMERICA FALL • Celebrate Illinois Wine Month in September by taking a trip along one or more of the state’s scenic wine trails, where autumn harvest fests and special events abound. Check out the Shawnee Hills, Northern Illinois, Heartland Rivers, Western Illinois and North Central Illinois wine trails. • From September 1 through October you can follow the twisted Trail of Terror through several Northern Illinois towns, where you’ll find Halloween attractions and events, including haunted houses, terrifying train rides, pumpkin patches and fun fall festivals. • The Alton and Grafton areas offer loads of fall fun. Pick up the Fall Color Caravan for an insider’s guide to local scenic drives, take a spooky walk through Alton with Antoinette’s Haunted History Tours and conquer the corn at The Great Godfrey Maze. Top to Bottom: Family fun at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, pulse-pounding rides at Six Flags Great America, confusing corners in The Great Godfrey Maze 38 ILLINOIS. MILE AFTER MAGNIFICENT MILE. enjoyillinois.com http://enjoyillinois.com
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