Chicago is known for its prime rib steaks and deep pan Chicago pizza. It is packed with some 7000 restaurants of all types, serving food from around the world.

Nightlife
Chicago boasts everything from nightclubs, jazz spots, cinemas and discos to belly dancing, rock bands and folk music. It is the home of ‘urban blues’, a form developed by such greats as Muddy Waters and Elmore James, continued today in Chicago and around the world by performers such as Buddy Guy and Robert Cray.

Wide variation between hot summers and freezing winters, especially in the north of the State. The highest humidity is in the summer near the Great Lakes.

Required clothing
Warm winter clothes are needed in the coldest months. Light- to mediumweights are advised for the summer. Rainwear may be useful.

Southern Illinois was one of the first regions of North America to be settled by the French. This colorful heritage is reflected in towns such as Prairie du Rocher and Kaskaskia. The Shawnee National Forest, with its huge areas of wilderness and many tourist sites, stretches across the lower part of Illinois.

To the west, Fort Crevecoeur is a replica of a French outpost. The Dickson Mounds were raised by Mississippian Native Americans many centuries ago. To the north is Galena, a Victorian city, with many historic sites and tourist activities. Starved Rock State Park has a lodge, hiking trails, picnic areas and excursion boats from May to September. Cahokia Mounds is a relic of the most sophisticated prehistoric Native American civilization community north of Mexico.

The Museum of Science and Industry has more than 2000 exhibits. The pedestrianized Museum Campus is the site of three museums surrounded by one continuous park. These are the Field Museum of Natural History, which spans the development of the universe from 4.5 billion years ago to the present day; the John G Shedd Aquarium and Oceanarium; and the Adler Planetarium, which houses the Sky Dome.

Special events and free activities take place in the park during the summer. The city has a number of museums and art galleries featuring artifacts from cultures across the world, including Lithuania, Poland, Sweden, Ukraine and Vietnam. For art lovers, Chicago also has a number of outdoor sculptures by artists such as Picasso, Miro, Moore, Chagall and Calder.

Other attractions include the Art Institute of Chicago, Brookfield Zoo, Museum of Contemporary Art and Six Flags Great America Amusement Park. Many of Chicago’s soaring skyscrapers have observation towers, including the Sears Tower and the John Hancock Center. The Chicago Pumping Station, a landmark that survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, houses a tourist information center, open daily. The Navy Pier is the largest recreational pier in the USA. Attractions include an open-air theater, botanical gardens, the Chicago Children’s Museum, plus a giant Ferris Wheel standing 15 storys high and offering

Springfield is the capital of the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County. The city was founded in 1819, became the county seat in 1823, and received its city charter in 1840. It was made the capital of Illinois in 1837, and the Legislature convened here for the first time in 1839. As of the 2000 census, its population is 111,454.

Overview

As the current capital of Illinois, Springfield is also home to the sixth and current Illinois State Capitol built near the grounds of the old state capitol, and home to the Illinois State Government.

The city is the site of a number of attractions centered around President Abraham Lincoln, who started his political career in Springfield. This includes a national park site including his home after marriage as well as the preserved surrounding neighborhood; the Herndon-Lincoln law office; the Old State Capitol building; the newly built Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum; the train depot from whence he departed to Washington; and his burial mausoleum. The Museum of Funeral Customs, located near Lincoln’s tomb, also features exhibits related to the president’s funeral. North of Springfield, near the village of Petersburg, is a restored hamlet of log cabins recreating New Salem, where Lincoln lived as a young man.

In addition, a severe race riot in 1908 led to the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) by a coalition of black and white citizens the following year. The Donner Party, a group of pioneers who resorted to cannibalism while snowbound in the Sierra Nevada, originated in Springfield. Springfield’s Dana-Thomas House is among the best preserved and most complete of Frank Lloyd Wright’s early “Prairie” houses. It was built in 1902-1904 and has retained many of the furnishings Wright designed for it. Springfield is known for its carillon and festival. In August, the city is the site of the Illinois State Fair.

Noted American poet Vachel Lindsay (1879 - 1931) was born and died in Springfield. Ragtime composer Artie Matthews (1888 - 1958) was raised in Springfield. The astronomer Seth Barnes Nicholson (1891 - 1963) was born in Springfield. Marjorie Merriweather Post (1887 - 1973), the philanthropist and founder of General Foods Corporation was also born there. Current Philadelphia 76ers player Andre Iguodala was born and raised in Springfield.

The Springfield campus of the University of Illinois is located on the southeast side of the city. The city is also home to the Bunn Company, known for the manufacture of coffee-makers and supplies.

I-55 runs from north to south of Springfield while I-72, also known as US 36, runs from east to west. The city also lies along historic Route 66. When state senator Vince Demuzio died on Tuesday, April 27, 2004, Governor Rod Blagojevich declared a part of Interstate of I-55 from Carlinville, which Demuzio represented and is about an hour from the capitol, to Springfield as the “Vince Demuzio Expressway.”