Rows and rows of blooming cherry trees are a happy sign of spring, but if you can’t make it to Japan or even Washington, D.C., to take in the stunning sight, don’t despair. Three spots within a few hours of Springfield can provide petal magic. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the Missouri Botanical Garden in […]
Mary Bohlen
Mary Bohlen is a retired journalism professor who is a regular contributor to Illinois Times. She specializes in writing about interesting places in Illinois and nearby states worthy of day or weekend trips.
Posted inSpecial Issues
Lavender farms in Illinois
When Steve Harlin and Lisa Coleman decided to grow lavender in the middle of corn and soybean farms north of Macomb, neighbors were curious. “When we first started, people thought we were growing pot,” Steve says with a chuckle. Allison Snow, owner of Farmhouse Harvest Lavender near Benton, faced even more reaction when she sought […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
What’s new and old Jacksonville
It may no longer be called the “Athens of the West,” but Jacksonville still offers plenty of history and culture, including a new museum, some Underground Railroad sites and a mansion-housed art gallery. Throw in a Ferris wheel and a new winery, and you’ve got yourself a full-day trip. The Jacksonville Area Museum opened in […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Lighting up the holiday season
You may not be able to catch the twinkle in Santa’s eyes, but your eyes can see lots of twinkles at holiday light displays in central Illinois. A variety of places offer delight to driving or walking visitors with the bonus of being a safe activity during the pandemic. COVID-19 concerns and the cancellation of […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Insane treatment of women
Readers of Kate Moore’s new book will not be silenced. Anyone who delves into The Woman They Could Not Silence likely will come away aghast at the treatment of women, especially the book’s subject, Elizabeth Packard, at the state insane asylum in Jacksonville in the mid-1800s. In an October Zoom discussion sponsored by the Illinois […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Greenville’s charms
If you think playing a trick on someone is child’s play, wait until you see the collapsing stairs, fake guillotine and spinning wheel goat in Greenville, Illinois. Such adult hazing devices and more await you at the DeMoulin Museum in this town 70 miles south of Springfield. In Greenville you can go from learning the […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Apple picking in central Illinois
What could be more American than apple pie? Loading up family and friends on a crisp fall day and heading to an orchard to pick the apples for that pie, that’s what. Central Illinois offers plenty of places to go for apples and other fall fun. Plus, orchards are good spots for enjoying the outdoors […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Discover Decatur for some summer fun
Discover Decatur for some summer fun By Mary Bohlen Photos by Brent Bohlen Decatur gets a bad rap. Some travelers think of it as a place to pass on their way to Champaign-Urbana. Others know when they get close because of the distinctive soybean processing smell. Parts of the city, like plenty of others, need […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Something’s fishy in St. Louis
Plunging my hand into a shallow tank of doctor fish and having dozens swarm it tickled my fingers and my psyche. I giggled as they nibbled away any dead skin, the tank’s attendant assuring me it was a perfectly safe pseudo-manicure. Such a tactile experience is an integral part of enjoying the St. Louis Aquarium […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Rollin’ by the rivers
Some visitors flock to the Grafton area for outdoor adventures – hiking, biking, water sliding, boating and zip-lining. Others make a beeline to the bars, wineries and party patios overlooking the river. Still others content themselves with sitting on the porch of a state park lodge, watching the river and life roll by. Whatever your […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Visit sweet old Funk’s Grove
Funk’s Grove is a sweet spot, especially for those looking for some tall perspective in these pandemic times. Just off I-55 some 15 miles south of Bloomington, the place offers pure maple sirup, a museum full of minerals and towering trees looming over an outdoor chapel. Those trees and their ancestors have been around through […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Getting high in Illinois
Visitors from mountainous regions often marvel at the flat ness of our prairie state, but they need to look up. Illinois is full of things that soar into the sky, and a trip around the state will yield plenty of sore necks, from tall buildings to natural wonders to quirky structures. Here are some examples […]
