Illinois is home base for me. If I could give one piece of advise to any one in the world it would be: don’t be afraid to explore your hometown or home state. Illinois is filled with cornfields (and Chicago), but it also has great sunset hikes, fresh lakes, and large areas of restored Oak Savannas. Be patient with me, as I slowly but surely add in more cities and places to explore.
Scroll to explore a specific city, listen to an Illinois-inspired playlist, Illinois book/movie/food recommendations, and fun facts.
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Chicago
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Northshore Chicago Suburbs
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Galena
Listen up.
Illinois is the birth place of many rappers, notably, Chance the Rapper and Lupe Fiasco. But Illinois has incredible artists from all genres— Fall Out Boy for my emo pals, Chicago for the classic rock connoisseurs. Listen to this playlist as you go on the architectural boat tour down the Chicago River or go on a run at Independence Grove in Libertyville. There are a lot of different vibes on this playlist, but give it a chance— you might find something new.
More From Illinois:
Read
The Giving Tree - Shell Silverstein
The House on Mango Street - Sandra Cisneros
One More Time: The Best of Mike Royko - Mike Royko
Becoming - Michelle Obama
The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter - Erika Sanchez
Watch
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Home Alone
The Dark Knight
Sixteen Candles
Chicago
My Best Friend’s Wedding
Chi-Raq
Eat
Chicago-Style Hot Dog
Deep Dish Pizza
Pierogis
Italian Beef
Chicago-Style Popcorn
Support
El Rescate Homeless Center
Little Village Environmental Justice Organization
GirlForward
Fun Facts
State Flower: Purple Violet
State Bird: Cardinal
State Mammal: White-tailed Deer
Nickname: Prairie State or Land of Lincoln
The Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) is the third tallest building in North America.
The first McDonald’s was built in Des Plaines.
Nearly 80% of Illinois is farmland.