Special Issues

Untitled Document “We soon found ourselves on the grand prairies of Illinois, under a burning sun and without shade from one camp to another. They are vast as the ocean, and the eye seeks in vain for a tree. Not a drop of water can be found there — it was a veritable torture for […]

Untitled Document Champaign-Urbana, just about an hour-and-a-half away, has added or upgraded some new attractions that make the twin college towns a great day or weekend trip this summer. • Snack — In fall 2007, a little breakfast diner got a facelift and was transformed into one of Champaign’s most interesting eateries. The only recognizable […]

Untitled Document Once the school bell has rung for the last time, parents are ready to schedule a little summer fun for the family. Try a weekend in Chicago, where it’s easy to plan loads of outdoor fun activities that will thrill and amaze. With gas nearing $4 per gallon, the train may be the […]

Untitled Document Having two sons, I’ve done my share of driving around the state on weekends — attending swim meets, soccer games, or cross-country meets over the years. As a spectator rather than a participant at these sporting events limited my cardiovascular activities. Other than carrying the lawn chairs and coolers from the car to […]

Untitled Document Some of the big sequel guns (Indiana Jones, Narnia) had their releases in May, but plenty of action is left for the more traditional summer months. Release dates are subject to change. JUNE 6 Kung Fu PandaThe title tells the story in this very high concept animated feature from DreamWorks. Jack Black voices […]

Untitled Document Music fans don’t want to hear this reporter wax ecstatic about Loretta Lynn’s classic coo (she’s scheduled to play Sangamon Auditorium on June 28) or the return to the summer stage of Springfield favorite the Micah Walk Band (performing at the SOHO Music Festival on June 7). No, capital-city rockers, Illinois Times knows what […]

Untitled Document It’s funny how we spend our youths feverishly anticipating the end of the school year — and the completion of our educational careers — so we can go on road trips with our friends, laze around on sandy shores, and start earning a living. Then suddenly we become adults and realize that life […]

Untitled Document Old Capitol Farmers’ Market Through Oct. 29 Asparagus. Strawberries. Green beans. Tomatoes. Peaches. Honey. Jellies. Eggs. Chicken. Cheese. Apples. Pumpkins. Gourds. That’s only the beginning of what you’ll find at the Old Capitol Farmers’ Market. “This event is six months long,” says Ann Frescura, Downtown Springfield Inc. event director. “Anything that can be […]

Untitled Document Adlai Stevenson, vice president under Grover Cleveland, once visited the Old Salem Chautauqua just south of Petersburg. So did populist lawyer William Jennings Bryan, African-American educator Booker T. Washington, and firebrand preacher Billy Sunday. The Petersburg-area Chautauqua, part of a national movement of educational assemblies that exposed participants to the great ideas of […]

Untitled Document “Most folks just don’t seem to have a taste for testicles no more,” said the waitress who served Chevy Chase’s character the two-year-record-breaking 29th helping of lamb fries in the 1988 film Funny Farm. Though it may be true in many parts of the country that people have lost their appetite for animelles, […]

Untitled Document If anyone marks the end of winter’s chill and spring’s fickleness with glee, it’s the capital city’s walkers and runners. They stream out of the woodwork, infiltrating Washington and Lincoln parks, bopping to the beat of their iPods and shaking off the indoor-exercise blues. Many are daytime desk jockeys who crave fresh air […]