You can leave your job in the city and go rollin’ on the river this summer. You also can dig the Panama Canal, build your appreciation of LEGOS and pass time at a ballpark – all while playing in Peoria. The city hugging the Illinois River offers several special events worth the 75-mile drive from […]
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
Pedals, plays and parks in Bloomington-Normal
It’s a year of anniversaries in Bloomington-Normal, and you can join the celebrations with a 70-mile drive north on I-55. Add some punch to your summer with the twin cities’ pedals, plays and parks. Bicycle enthusiasts are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Constitution Trail, which follows an old railroad path. Multiple branches bring the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Escape winter in Illinois’ indoor gardens
When the weather outside is frightful, you may be looking for someplace delightful. Head to an indoor botanical garden and you can pretend you are in the tropics without leaving the state. Springfield, Chicago, Rock Island and just-across-the-border St. Louis all host warm and humid greenhouses as part of their botanical gardens. Once inside, you […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Celebrate the holidays German-style
The sizzle of sausages perking up your ears, the aroma of roasted nuts tickling your nostrils, the strudel melting in your mouth and the hot-spiced wine warming your insides can transport your senses to the holidays in Germany. But you can experience the joys of Christkindlmarkt right here in Illinois. Belleville, Carlinville, Chicago and Naperville […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Catch the colors in Calhoun County
When I was growing up, I loved going to my mom’s cousin’s house for Sunday dinner. Iva Rose would serve seemingly endless platters of chicken, roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, garden vegetables and rolls. To top it off, she would bake several homemade pies and cakes filled with deliciousness and served with love. Those […]
Posted inArts & Culture
A trio of travel
Black Hawk, John Deere and Ronald Reagan are an unlikely trio, but you can honor all of them with a trip along the Rock River. Stop to see the stately trees at White Pines Forest State Park and take a riverboat ride to add a nice note of nature. The Dixon-Oregon-Grand Detour area, 170 miles […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Grant, goodies and great vistas in Galena
When you visit Grant in Galena, make sure you take a Grant with you. That way, you will be ready when magician P.T. Murphy asks for a $50 bill to help with a mind-baffling trick. Murphy’s show is just part of the magic of Galena, that hilly city tucked in Illinois’ far northwestern corner and […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Make tracks to Galesburg for a daytrip adventure
Bob Stenander and Ross McIntire may be decades apart in age, but both are pretty proud of Galesburg and its success in making the city’s history come alive. Stenander, a retiree and tour attendant at the Galesburg Railroad Museum, loves to walk visitors through the restored mail car, engine, caboose and Pullman sleeper car on […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Visit Alton – historic and quirky
Alton is a curiosity-seeker’s paradise. Where else can you celebrate the 100th birthday of the world’s tallest man, pay homage to an anti-slavery and press freedom martyr, marvel at antique torture devices and possibly commune with ghosts, only 85 miles from Springfield? In fact, Alton has so much history related to the Civil War, floods […]
Posted inOpinion
ERA in the Statehouse, then and now
Watching the debate on the Equal Rights Amendment last week in the Illinois House was a true case of déjà vu. Some 40 years ago, I was covering similar debates in the General Assembly as a young reporter for United Press International. When I realized how many years had passed, I was ashamed of my […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Bicentennial buddies: Union County and Illinois
Union County was born the same year as Illinois – and just happens to have some spectacular spots for a 200th birthday party. A popular state park, a giant cross, a significant Lincoln site and an old school turned into a bed and breakfast await visitors to this scenic area deep in southern Illinois. The […]
Posted inArts & Culture
C-U offers lots to see and do
Driving east on I-72 on a crisp fall Saturday, you may encounter carloads of orange-clad Illini fans, heading to Champaign-Urbana to tailgate outside Memorial Stadium or cheer the football team inside. While fall can be fun on the University of Illinois campus, the twin cities offer a multitude of treasures in spring and summer. Several […]
