The other Illinois

[Clodhopper]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Illinois

Inspired by Margonme's Kentucky thread, I thought I would highlight one of the three Illinois': Northern, Southern, and Chicago(we have to include it, though we don't claim it around here).

 

[Margonme]

Thank you for sharing that. I have crossed Southern Illinois at least a 100 times. Always on I-64. I have spent so many nights in Mt. Vernon, I feel like a resident. I always use Exit 27 or 130 for gas stops. I enjoy crossing the Wabash River. Makes me start singing the Wabash Cannon Ball. (Smiling)

I like southern Indiana and Southern Illinois.

BTW: southern Illinois sure had their share of rain this year. Lots of that Wabash country was flooded numerous times.

Where do you live in that area?

Edited to add: Southern Illinois at Carbondale is a great public University. Have a couple friends who got PhDs there in Animal Physiology and Geology. Great research school.

 

[Margonme]

Add: I have eaten at the Cracker Barrel in Mt. Vernon enough times, I know all the girls. :hat:

 

[john250]

:heart: S. Ill

 

[Bestoutwest]

I did some growing up in Rock Island b/c my dad taught at Augustana College (Go Vikings!). Both my parents went to the University of Illinois and my dad spent his summers with his grandmother in Carlinville. Heck, the wife and I even honeymooned in Chicago! Thinking about it now, I have a lot of ties to Illinois. I always enjoyed our drives through the country though, with row after row after row of corn. I don't miss the hog farms in the middle of summer.

 

[Bestoutwest]

Add: I have eaten at the Cracker Barrel in Mt. Vernon enough times, I know all the girls. :hat:

Yeah, but will they claim to know you?

 

[NECowboy]

Isn't southern Illinois good for hunting? First 30 miles with hills and forest on I 24 looks like it would be.

 

[Margonme]

Add: I have eaten at the Cracker Barrel in Mt. Vernon enough times, I know all the girls. :hat:

Yeah, but will they claim to know you?

Best, women love me. They see a fit, blue eyed gentleman. Happy, pleasant face, nice smile. Gray hair of wisdom. I think they see me as a refuge from their fears. I welcome them into my sanctuary with open arms.

Forgive the sinner but hate the sin. Sure has saved me!

 

[FlyingLSimmentals]

Ron that is like how my grand father use to be with Cracker Barrel. All the girls and ladies there knew him and when he got sick they would bring him food out to the house and such. He really loved going to Cracker Barrel.

 

[Clodhopper]

Thank you for sharing that. I have crossed Southern Illinois at least a 100 times. Always on I-64. I have spent so many nights in Mt. Vernon, I feel like a resident. I always use Exit 27 or 130 for gas stops. I enjoy crossing the Wabash River. Makes me start singing the Wabash Cannon Ball. (Smiling)

I like southern Indiana and Southern Illinois.

BTW: southern Illinois sure had their share of rain this year. Lots of that Wabash country was flooded numerous times.

Where do you live in that area?

Edited to add: Southern Illinois at Carbondale is a great public University. Have a couple friends who got PhDs there in Animal Physiology and Geology. Great research school.

I'm about eight miles north of exit 117 at Burnt Prairie. I've spent many hours on the Big and Little Wabash Rivers, we put in directly below I-64 to get on the big river. They have both been out more than normal this year, lots of backwater to be had in this part of the world.

My paternal grandpa was from Southern Indiana, I have a lot of kinfolks over there. It's a good area, good people, lots of good jobs.

I made it about two months at SIU-C, in my infinite wisdom at nineteen I threw away a full ride. They are one of the best ag schools around. As a side note, they were also voted the top party school in the nation around 25 years ago by Playboy magazine, it would get pretty wild there at Halloween.

 

[Clodhopper]

Cracker Barrel is almost like finding a mom n pop, it's always good.

 

[HDRider]

I lived in Quincy Illinois for about 7 years. Huge deer around there with many B&C records. We loved the folks in that area. I always said it was Hollywood does the mid-West. Solid folks.

 

[City Guy]

I attended SIU-C in the early sixties and it was named # 2 party school then (behind Miami of Ohio) No wonder I didn't learn anything. Did have the privilege of attending a lecture by designer and engineer Buckminster Fuller, one of the greatest mind of the 20th century. Spellbinding!!

I believe I'm correct when I say that Illinois is the only state that has a border to border National Forest. One can go from Indiana to Missouri and, if the correct turns are made, never leave the Shawnee National Forest.

 

[Clodhopper]

Isn't southern Illinois good for hunting? First 30 miles with hills and forest on I 24 looks like it would be.

There are a lot of big deer in the south. I do believe the area HD speaks of probably has it beat, that is more the West-Central part of the state. From what I hear, the deer there are monsters.

 

[littletom]

I lived in Quincy Illinois for about 7 years. Huge deer around there with many B&C records. We loved the folks in that area. I always said it was Hollywood does the mid-West. Solid folks.

I went to college in Kewannee my room mate was from Quincy. Girlfriend just across river. You are right pike and adams counties are world famous for deer hunting. I lived in Auburn for 5 years just south of springfield. My wife is from southern IL and I lived with her, her last year of vet school in Urbana. Lots of memories up north

 

[Rafter S]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Illinois

Inspired by Margonme's Kentucky thread, I thought I would highlight one of the three Illinois': Northern, Southern, and Chicago(we have to include it, though we don't claim it around here).

We have a similar situation here. We have South Texas, the Panhandle, etc. And then there's "The People's Republic of Austin".