Nice campground here, medium lake a great outdoors experience for walking, bringing pets, running…read moregetting that exercise in. I overall liked it.

Advertisement says 25 a night. We got charged 30 for broken rotted picnic tables, unkempt campsite…read morewith no pad, closed restrooms, open restrooms were filthy.

Sand Ridge State Forest is a place to clear your mind and enjoy the beauty of our outdoors! The…read moreforest will forever be my drug of choice to escape from reality, even if it's just for a short walk making conversation with myself!

Wow what a golden find in Illinois. I usually don't camp in…read morethis state because it seems like one big cornfield, but now finding this place about an hour from my home might make this an annual thing. So after our last treacherous back country camping trip in Colorado, my friends and I decided it was time for some Glamping close to home for Labor Day weekend. We found this place... A man-made forest (largest one in IL) that has beautiful pines, oaks, fungi and cacti all growing next to each other. The camp sites were clean and well maintained. Plenty of sites and hiking trails. There are fire pits for BBQ or bonfires, picnic tables, trees to hang your hammock, & stores near by for beer runs. There are no showers, but there are plenty of water spigots and bathrooms. The camp rangers were informative and friendly. They came by daily to pick up cash for the sites... which is soooo convenient. They recommend making reservations online but you could probably just show up and find a spot. We had a group of 8 and split 3 connecting sites for the long weekend. The entire weekend we probably only saw 2 other campers.

Pretty place, alot of paths to explore. Its quiet, quaint. The cave, in which this place is named…read moreafter is closed for the bats. So it should just be named Starr. Kinda the only reason I went was to see the caves. Theres alot of litter as well. I didnt get to see inside the building, but the rock climbing literally has boards nailed to it so its closed I guess. No mask requirements but I mean the only thing you can do it walk through paths, everythings out of order or closed. They have benches everywhere so you can enjoy the view of the many closed sites. If you want a workout rather then an experience, here's your wet dream.

Fun place to keep going to! A definite recommendation for…read morethose who like to get out of the house. Don't forget your camera and mosquito repellent.

Nice little park with clean bathrooms and a playground. Pretty quiet there. We've had numerous…read morefamily reunions there and intend to have more. :)

Looking for a long weekend away? Don't want to invest in tons of camping equipment? Visit Jim Edgar…read morePanther Creek! It takes about 4.5 hours to drive to from Chicago, but it is well worth the trip. We rented a cabin, due to lack of camping equipment. The website (www.reserveamerica.com) was easy to use, and described the basic cabins accurately. The price for the weekend was so low I thought I was getting away with something. Comfort Tip: The mattresses are extremely thin. Take the extras off of the bunk beds, and pile them under the full size bed for better padding. Anyhow, we arrived early on check in day, and the camp host was extremely friendly. He gave us our key, told us where to park, and met us in his flatbed Kubota. He let us load our things on to the back, and hauled us down the hill to the cabin. Who knew you could get bellhop service at a state park?!?!!? Since most of my friends decided to bring their horses down, we spent a lot of time at the Questing Hills equestrian campground. Great big spots with options for single pole ties, and group ties were close to each site. 26 miles of riding trails with excellent lookouts and lots of hills were easily accessible. Another great feature was the large shelter, which we used for most of the weekends, due to bad weather. The host at this site was also very nice, and had a lot of good information to share. All in all, JEPC is a great escape without leaving the state. I hope to see them again next year!

Perfect for camping and stargazing in Illinois. The host was very friendly even though we arrived…read moreafter 5pm (my understanding is he's available until dusk). This is close to one of the darkest skies in Illinois. There are other options with darker skies (e.g. Weinberg-King) but the facilities here with plumbing and showers make this the best choice. Firewood, ice, and ice cream are available for purchase from the host.

My son loves trains so this park was perfect for him. Nice park, perfect for my toddler and trains…read moreto watch throughout the whole time we visited.

Great park. Great for sunset shots. Great for a picnic…read more Just watch out for this guy who walks around taking pics of people and follows you around.

This Park is huge. Great for walking and catching great scenery. Also a bit romantic if you are…read morestopping to just sit in the garden. Full of live nature and of course free of charge plenty of parking. Be sure to remember where you parked the walking trail will have you walking for a long journey. There's a park on the other side for kids to play. Bridge to cross if you find view of ponds calming. Trails to walk through the forest preserve and plenty of people out walking, running or picnicking. It's absolutely beautiful and a staple here in the state capital.

I recently visited the Washington Park Botanical Garden in Springfield and had a lovely 4-star…read moreexperience. The gardens are well-maintained and make for a peaceful escape from the busier parts of the city. There's a nice variety of plants and flowers throughout the grounds, and depending on the season, there's plenty of colour and interesting displays to enjoy. One of my favourite parts was simply walking through the conservatory and taking my time exploring. It's not a huge attraction, but that's part of its charm--it feels relaxing rather than overwhelming, and you can appreciate everything at your own pace. The grounds are clean, the staff are friendly, and it's a great spot for photos, a quiet stroll, or just spending some time surrounded by nature. The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is that it's relatively small, so you can see most of it fairly quickly. I also have not explored the entire garden yet so I can't say I experienced it fully. Still, it's a beautiful local gem and well worth a visit if you're in Springfield. Overall: 4 stars. A peaceful and well-kept botanical garden that's perfect for a relaxing afternoon.

Review Visit: August 14th, 2017…read more 'Snake? Snake!? SNAAAAKE!' The original purpose of this twisty and windy path is detailed on the wiki page linked below. I will give you the Spark Notes version; it was created as a shortcut for horses to traverse down the hill to Main Street. This place has been on my list for awhile now and on a beautiful August day, I finally made the trek up to see it. It was not quite what I expected, which is a good thing. The alley itself is rather short, but if you make the walk down and up it, you'll feel it in your legs. The alley is lined with houses on one side, which has to make for a very interesting living arrangement. I figured the road was closed for vehicle traffic, but was I wrong! You can apparently drive down the path... which I did. Driving down it was almost like being on a roller coaster, in your own car. The windy paths and sharp turns were super fun and gets your adrenaline going. At the bottom, there is a chance to bottom out as you pull out into normal traffic, so be careful if you do take the fun plunge. Luckily, if you are not a fan of snakes or the video game Metal Gear Solid, you can happily visit Snake Alley. If you are a fan of odd things and fun car rides, Snake Alley is the place for you.

I have about a twelve percent chance of making it to Lombard Street in San Francisco, so it was…read morenice to be able to get to Snake Alley on a sunny day in Burlington, Iowa. My daughter and I walked down the bricks with much delight while my better half scooted down the curvy street, which suited her just fine. A nice diversion along the Great River Road. Highly recommended