Big old tractors come to Rantoul

While many are gearing up for the Decatur Farm Progress Show Aug. 30-Sept. 1, lovers of old iron are bent on heading to the former Chanute Air Force Base to see machines built 50 years ago work the so

Fall is for meandering on the Spoon River Drive

In the dead of winter we hope for summer, in the summer heat and humidity we long for snow, but fall is perfect and everyone just wishes it would linger. To fully experience the beauty of fall, load u

The farm that McCormick’s Reaper built

Visit St. James Farm, a place to tour and wonder

Thinking about gardens and summer and checking out new sights and sounds? Why not head north this summer and check out St. James Farm? For years the locals only saw the gate of the lovely farm where t

Visit Benton and the Shawnee National Forest

Check out antique cars and Beatles memorabilia before heading on to the natural wonders of the Illinois Ozarks

You can find information about almost any kind of history in the small town of Benton. This is where Charlie Birger, the Prohibition-era criminal, was the last person to be hanged in Illinois, as well

Surprising Greenville

Visit the fun and quirky DeMoulin Museum

About an hour and a half south of Springfield, meandering down highway 127 to where it intersects Interstate 70, is the town of Greenville. According to the town fathers it has been hailed as “a

Explore central Illinois

For a memorable summer, take these day trips close to home

The sun is shining, the sky is blue and it’s time for summer family fun. Pack for a picnic and head out in the car for a fun day under the Illinois sky. Let Illinois Times and a black ribbon of

Isaac Ellwood, Illinois king of the barbed wire

Most of us know the song “Don’t fence me in.” For those in the late 1800s who owned cattle, fencing them in was part of the ever shrinking range mentality and the “stay in your

Visit Missouri’s Hermann and Hannibal for river lore

For a river adventure with a bit of history, fiction and mystery, take a weekend and hit two Missouri landmarks, Hermann and Hannibal. Start with the farthest point and head for Hermann,

Things will be great when you’re downtown . . . Chicago

Remember Petula Clark? She used to sing, “The lights are much brighter there, You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares. So go downtown, things’ll be great when y

Hollywood close to home

For a winter adventure, visit movie sites in southern Illinois

Tired of the same ol’, same ol’? If so, maybe it is time to rev up your holidays with a bit of Hollywood glamour, southern Illinois style. Southernmost Illinois has a few conne