Getting to Champaign County
Champaign County is approximately a two-hour drive from Chicago. It’s outside ordinary and far enough from the bustling city to breathe, relax, and enjoy. It is a seamless ride along 1-57. It took us 2.5 hours due to construction and traffic; however, we had music and good conversation to keep us entertained. So, if you’re looking for a nice weekend getaway, add Champaign County to your list.
Here’s a bit more information about Champaign County. It is part of the Champaign-Urbana metro area and has over 200,000 persons living in the county. Champaign-Urbana is home to the University of Illinois and the Fighting Illini, but it’s more than a college town. The university was founded in 1867 and is one of the largest public universities in the nation. One interesting fact is the campus library system possesses the second-largest university library in the United States by holdings after Harvard University.
In collaboration with Visit Champaign County, we received a list of places of interest to visit during our stay. We had two whirlwind days of fun, food, and fall. Every minute had to count! Let’s start with some fun things to do in Champaign County.
Fun Things to See and Do
Our first stop was Urbana’s Market at the Square. Due to highway traffic, we arrived a few minutes before closing time. Although vendors cleared their wares, some were friendly and nice enough to spend extra time speaking with us. The first person we met at the market was Kate, the owner of Fabrikate. She designs and creates beautiful fabric handbags, backpacks, and wallets. The colorful fabrics and one-of-a-kind bags were fabulous! Her wonderful young son was also amazing. He’s like a mini-manager and helps to keep things flowing. Check out Kate’s website for more information about how to purchase one of her bags.
Another fun thing to do was catch the musical performances at the Folk & Roots Festival in Downtown Urbana. Performances included a variety of music genres, including country, afro beats, blues, folk, etc. There was a mix of free and paid versions. The music festival was in Downtown Urbana. It was a great location because my friend and I had a chance to visit some shops: Cinema Gallery, Bohemia, and Pipapo.
Let’s talk about a couple more fun places to visit. If you want to taste award-winning goat cheese and the best goat milk gelato, head to Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery. OMG! The cheese is delicious. Thanks to Leslie Cooperband, the Master Cheese Maker, for encouraging us to taste and showing us her medals. We bought some to take home, and Leslie wrapped it in ice for the drive home. Too bad I couldn’t take the peach gelato home with me. On the other hand, the gelato wouldn’t have made it to Chicago because I couldn’t resist eating every spoonful! Add Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery to your list of places to visit.
One more fun place to visit is Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch. The ranch is located in Rantoul, Illinois. Who knew that I could see raindeers in Illinois? Well, you can see them too. If you have children, they will get a kick out of this place.
Great Food in Champaign County
Of course, we love to eat tasty food. Champaign County did not disappoint! With all of the walking, we worked up an appetite. For lunch, we stopped at Courier Cafe in Downtown Urbana. It has such a cool interior with beautiful woodwork and light fixtures. The menu has a variety of breakfast, lunch, and dinner items to choose from. I ordered the Courier Burger with cheese and bacon. It was delicious, and the bacon was to die for! My friend ate a BLT and also fell in love with the bacon. We cleaned our plates!
For dinner, we stopped at Neil St. Blues. Not only is the food delicious, the owner, Gayle Starks, and staff made us feel like family. It’s a soul food restaurant, but it also has live performances. The menu has your mouth watering! Fill your belly with shrimp, grits, rib tips, fried chicken, fish, or shrimp. Frog legs, crab cakes, and charbroiled oysters are excellent appetizers. Order a non-alcoholic or mixed drink to quench your thirst if you need a cold drink. I want to drive back to Downtown Champaign to try more dishes at Neil St. Blues!
Sunday Morning breakfast was at Big Grove Tavern. We chose another winner! The Sunday Brunch menu has much to choose from. My dish was the Pork Belly Eggs Benedict. Yummy! The serving on the plate was huge. The drink was the Chai Time Diplomatico. Ingredients are Riserva Exclusiva rum, Journeyman Snaggletooth coffee liqueur, Chai, simple syrup, almond milk, and cinnamon. It is a big girl’s drink. My friend had Lox and Bagels, along with some delicious coffee. We dine sufficiently!
Fall in Champaign County
Autumn is the perfect time of year to see vibrant colors of leaves and foliage. Champaign County did not disappoint. Golden, orange, yellow, and red lit the wooded areas and are perfect for photography hobbyists. First, we toured the Japan House and Arboretum in Urbana, located on the University of Illinois Campus. The Japan House is closed on the weekends. It has tea rooms, and classrooms, and is surrounded by Japanese Gardens. Although the house was closed, we were able to explore the arboretum. It is s very relaxing and calming ambiance to experience.
Another beautiful place of nature is the Allerton Park & Retreat Center. It is located in Monticello, Illinois, and was donated to the University of Illinois in the 1940s. Artist and philanthropist Robert Allerton built it as a private residence in 1900. The property contains 1,500 acres of woodland and prairie areas, a mansion and reflecting pond, a 10-acre meadow, formal sculpture gardens, hiking trails, a café, and several lodging facilities. (Source) This place is spectacular! I was in my happy place and could have walked the trails all day long. It was a pleasure discovering such a gem in Central Illinois. A fun fact is that the Allerton Park & Retreat Center is considered one of the Seven Wonders of Illinois.
Fun, Food, and Fall in Central Illinois
What a great experience and opportunity to tour Champaign County! Outside ordinary is the perfect description. As a lifetime Illinoisian, I gained new knowledge about my home state. Fun, food, and fall in Champaign County is a fabulous way to spend away from the bustle. Don’t miss out!
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