Illinois

A visit to Springfield, Illinois is an opportunity to dive into the long history of this Midwestern region. With only three days to soak in as much as possible, we found ourselves bustling between stops. As we approached the end of our visit, we found ourselves facing our final day of exploration. With daylight burning, we approached an evening of horseshoes and ghost tales. This last night in the Land of Lincoln would be filled with historic stories of food and fun. We want to thank Visit Springfield, Obed & Isaac's Microbrewery, and Springfield Walks for their hospitality. Rest assured all opinions are [...]

When you travel to Springfield, Illinois, you will find yourself transported to the Land of Lincoln. While he may not have been born in Illinois, much of his formative years were spent in this Midwest state. I have to tell you that I have been fascinated with the life of the 16th President since my youth. An opportunity to visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum was not to be missed. We set aside plenty of time, since we knew we would be immersing in history during our tour. It only seemed fitting that we should start our visit on a day [...]

While we are not experts in architectural design, that doesn't mean we don't appreciate beautiful designs. Springfield's Dana-Thomas House gave us a chance to see one of the homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Unlike many of the homes Wright built from scratch, this home was a redesign. That small detail will come in play a little farther into this article.  We want to thank Visit Springfield and the Dana Thomas House Foundation for their hospitality. Rest assured all opinions are our own.  Springfield's Dana-Thomas House Springfield socialite, Susan Lawrence Dana, inherited the Italian style home after her parents passed away. Along with [...]

One of the great things about dining at locally owned restaurants is that you will often find eclectic menus. Since these eateries are managing a supply chain that only needs to cover one or two locations, they can be a lot more flexible with their ingredient choices. They also often carry the most intriguing names, which is the case with Long Nine Junction, in Springfield, Illinois. Located across the street from the old state capitol building, it's a perfect location for a lunch stop, while exploring nearby sights. We want to thank Visit Springfield and Long Nine Junction for their hospitality. Rest assured [...]

One of the benefits of visiting state capital cities is the opportunity to tour the state museums. Most every city and town will have a historical stop that showcases the local history. It is the state museum that will fill out the details on the entire region. In Springfield, we discovered the Illinois State Museum sits in close proximity to the capitol, and both of these were easy walking distance from our downtown lodging. We dropped by the museum to see how their displays are piecing together the past.  We want to thank Visit Springfield and the Illinois State Museum for their hospitality. [...]