Illinois

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

Prairie State. The Garden of the West.

(Pictures and places in bold are places I have been to.)

Iconic Foods

- - Chicago-style deep dish pizza
  - Chicago-style hot dogs
  - The Cozy Dog
  - Italian beef
  - Pumpkin pie
  - Chicago-style cheese and caramel popcorn

Just for Fun: Superman Square, Metropolis. 🙂

Vandalia Statehouse State Historic Site

10. Vandalia Statehouse State Historic Site

9. Garden of the Gods – Shawnee National Forest

8. Starved Rock State Park

I&M Canal Boat — I&M Canal Boat, LaSalle, Illinois

I&M Canal Visitor Center — I&M Canal Visitor Center, LaSalle, Illinois

7. Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor

- - Chicago Portage National Historic Site
  - Channahon State Park – DuPage River at Des Plaines River
  - Aux Sable Lock in Morris
  - M J Hogan Grain Elevator & Visitor Center State Historic Site in Seneca (site on Illinois and Michigan Canal State Trail)
  - I&M Canal Toll Collectors House and Illinois Waterway Visitors Center in Ottawa
  - I&M Canal Boat and Lock 14 at LaSalle

Paul Bunyon Hot Dog Statue, Atlanta

6. Illinois’ portion of old Route 66

- - Chicago – Grant Park (eastern terminus of Historic U.S. Route 66), plus Berghoff Restaurant and Lou Mitchell’s
  - Joliet – Rialto Square Theatre and Joliet Prison (Blues Brothers)
  - Wilmington – Gemini Giant at the Launching Pad Drive-In
  - Pontiac – Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum
  - Atlanta – Paul Bunyon Hot Dog Statue and Palms Grill Cafe
  - Springfield – Cozy Dog Drive-In

Mississippi River barge near Grafton

Nauvoo Cultural Hall

5. Great River Road

- - Galena – Ulysses S Grant Home State Historic Site
  - Nauvoo – Nauvoo Temple and Nauvoo State Park
  - Grafton – Pere Marquette State Park
  - Alton – National Great Rivers Museum
  - Lewis and Clark State Historic Site
  - Great Confluence – The Illinois River confluence with the Mississippi River and along the Mississippi River to its confluence with the Missouri River

Fort de Chartres State Historic Site

Cahokia Courthouse, Cahokia, Illinois

4. French Colonial Illinois Country (Pays des Illinois sites)

- - Fort de Chartres State Historic Site
  - Prairie du Rocher – Creole House
  - Cahokia Courthouse, Holy Family Log Church, and Jarrot Mansion
  - Fort Kaskaskia State Historic Site
  - Pierre Menard Home State Historic Site
  - Liberty Bell of the West at Kaskaskia Bell State Memorial

Thematically linked to Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park in Missouri.

Monks Mound at Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site

Woodhenge, Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site

3. Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site (a World Heritage Site)

- - Monks Mound
  - Twin Mounds
  - Grand Plaza
  - Mound 72
  - Woodhenge
  - Interpretive Center

Old State Capitol

Postville Courthouse State Historic Site

2. Land of Lincoln

- - Lincoln Home National Historic Site
  - Old State Capitol
  - Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
  - Lincoln Tomb
  - Lincoln’s New Salem State Park
  - City of Lincoln – Postville Courthouse State Historic Site

Chicago Skyline at Millennium Park

Cloud Gate, Millennium Park, Chicago

1. Chicago

- - Chicago Skyline
  - Early Chicago Skyscrapers – on the World Heritage Tentative List
  - Millennium Park
  - Grant Park
  - Chicago’s museums
  - Frank Lloyd Wright’s Oak Park Studio, plus Robie House and Unity Temple (part of the Frank Lloyd Wright Buildings World Heritage Site)