Find nearby fun with ‘100 Things to Do in Illinois”
Sometimes locals have to entertain out of town relatives who ask, “what’s there to do around here?” Sometimes people just want a change of scenery for a day or two, not a full vacation. There are plenty of places to visit that aren’t far from the Quad Cities, said Melanie Holmes, author of “100 Things to Do in Illinois Before You Die,” including several that are in town.
Publisher Reading Press has a line of books in the “100 Things…” series across the country, says Holmes of her fifth book. “Most of them to date have been citywide and just in the last couple of years they started to branch out into statewide books. When I noticed that they did not have one for Illinois, I thought oh I can do that.”
Holmes divided the book into the best things in the state in five categories. “I was trying to find things in the category, the food and drink, music and entertainment, sports and rec, culture and history and then shopping and fashion,” she said. While she considers herself an experienced traveler, she relied on guest experiences for a few attractions in Illinois. “If I hadn’t done something, like for instance I’ve not jumped out of an airplane nor will I, but it’s one of the things that we have to do in Illinois. Mainly it was looking for that collection of experiences that tells people, ‘this is who we are. Yes, we love that we’re the Land of Lincoln and we’re so much more.”
Sometimes locals aren’t sure where to take first time visitors, so Holmes has a suggestion. “When you go to Rock Island, you’re definitely going to want to check out the Black Hawk Historic Site.” She says Arsenal Island is worth a stop for both the military history and natural beauty. “If you don’t have a military ID, you do have to enter into the Moline gate but it’s not that hard. It does have a military presence. You go to this wonderful Mississippi River Visitor Center and learn what all that’s about, the locks and the dams. You’re also up there at eagle eye height and you’re watching some of the white pelicans, which are indigenous to that area. The other thing I loved about that island was I had never been to a Confederate cemetery. I did not know that Illinois had one and there is one there.” She says the background of the island goes back even further in American history. “It was a Revolutionary War era port so there’s the remnants of that there.”
Holmes has personally visited 83 of the 100 sites in her book, even though a broken foot in early 2023 slowed her travels. “I was invited to do book talks. I actually did 25 book events around the state. I got all the way over to Alton, I was in Grafton, I was down in Springfield.” She still has a few places to visit from her list. “My favorite thing to do is to find interesting lodging experiences. Sleeping in a caboose at Wildlife Prairie Park which is outside of Peoria – you actually sleep inside of the wildlife park.” She says the accommodations were actually comfortable and featured a tiny kitchen for those early morning cups of coffee with the nearby bison.”
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