Illinois Travel Guide 2009 - (Page 34) COURTESY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM tricky twists and turns, shop for groceries or play cashier at the Main Street Market, hang out in the tree house at the Toddler Backyard and splash around in the Sugar Creek Water Play area. Open for the season in August, Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch in Rantoul houses a resident herd of friendly Alaskan reindeer. In the fall, families flock to Hardy’s to conquer the Cornfusion Corn Maze, pick pumpkins and take hayrides. Around the holidays visitors can cut their own Christmas trees (and see if reindeer really know how to fly!). WESTERN Wake up with the animals at Wildlife Prairie State Park near Peoria, home to cougars, bison, black bears and other animals native to Illinois. Explore the 1800s Pioneer Farmstead, complete with farm animals and a one-room schoolhouse. Spend the night in a renovated caboose or the cabin on the hill, with a sweeping view of the bison range and a log cabin playhouse for the kids. Head to the Peoria RiverFront for specialty shops and waterfront restaurants. Take a sightseeing or dining cruise aboard the Spirit of Peoria, an old-fashioned paddlewheeler that plies the mighty Illinois River. The RiverFront also plays host to Peoria’s most popular fests, including the Steamboat Festival in June. In Moline start at the John Deere Pavilion, housing vintage and modern Deere equipment, along with hands-on farm exhibits. The pavilion attracts guests from around the world and is widely regarded as the most comprehensive agricultural exhibit on the planet. The next-door John Deere Store carries everything from T-shirts to collectibles. Close by is the John Deere Collectors Center, where antique machines are restored. Enjoy a dinner cruise with live entertainment as you sail the Mississippi River aboard the Celebration Belle, an 800-passenger riverboat that docks in Moline. The Black Hawk State Historic Site in Rock Island pays homage to the Sauk and Fox Indian tribes who occupied the area 12,000 years ago, ancestors of the famed warrior Black Hawk. The site includes a 200-acre nature preserve with hiking trails along the scenic Rock River. From December through March you can snow tube, snowboard and even do some night skiing at Ski Snowstar Winter Sports Park in Andalusia. One-hour lessons are offered daily during the season. The day lodge offers dining, two fireplaces to cozy up to and patio cookouts on sunny days. Wander through Decatur’s Scovill Park, home to the Children’s Museum of Illinois (ranked one of the top 25 children’s museums in the country by Child magazine) and the Scovill Zoo that overlooks Lake Decatur, featuring animals from throughout the world, the Z.O.&O. Express train and the Endangered Species carousel. Find three floors of fun at the Children’s Discovery Museum in Normal. Here kids can make their own works of art on the Paint Wall, climb the two-story suspended Luckey Climber that’s full of KIM KARPELES COURTESY OF BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL AREA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU ©2006, ONE HAT DESIGN STUDIO Top to Bottom: Trace the life of Lincoln at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, cruise the Illinois River on the Spirit of Peoria, explore three floors of exhibits at the Children’s Discovery Museum, see a movie outdoors at the Route 66 Twin Drive-In Theatre CENTRAL Trace the history of one of the most beloved presidents in U.S. history at the nation’s most visited presidential museum, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield. Be dazzled by the two special-effects theaters featuring historical ghosts and the rumbling of cannon fire on a Civil War battlefield. Dress up like Abe and play with Lincoln logs in Mrs. Lincoln’s Attic. View artifacts that range from the Lincolns’ personal items to an original copy of the Gettysburg Address. Spend the day at Knight’s Action Park & Caribbean Water Adventure in Springfield. The Action Park offers miniature golf, go-karts, batting cages, carnival rides and a lively arcade. The Caribbean Water Adventure features a wave pool, bumper boats, water slides, pedal boats and a lazy river. Catch a movie at the old-fashioned Route 66 Twin Drive-In Theatre, adjacent to Knight’s. SOUTHERN Strap on your hiking shoes and make the trek to Giant City State Park in Makanda, named for its sheer sandstone walls that create the feel of soaring city streets fit for a giant. Or get in the saddle and join Giant City Stables for a guided horseback ride. The Giant City Lodge cooks up Southern dishes, and is famous for its family-style fried chicken dinners. enjoyillinois.com 34 ILLINOIS. MILE AFTER MAGNIFICENT MILE. http://www.enjoyillinois.com
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