Who would have thought southern Illinois would have some excellent camping? Not us. But after spending part of our fall break at Giant City State Park, we can say with authority that it does.
Around here, the default camping location is Arkansas. We've camped in various places in the Natural State over the years, and it doesn't disappoint. But this time, Jon was looking for something different, and for some reason, his search took him northeast. Illinois is a tricky state. It is mostly farmland with Chicago at the top. But there is an area of rolling hills in the south near Carbondale that is just lovely.
Once again, my fall break did not align with the kids', but as soon as I finished teaching on Wednesday afternoon, we hit the road. This meant that we arrived at the campsite at night, but this certainly wasn't the first time we set up the tent in the dark. Since it was mid-week, we had our pick of sites, although the campground was far from empty.
After a leisurely first morning, we decided to check out the Giant City Lodge and Visitor Center. There we learned that the beautiful lodge was constructed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps as part of the Works Progress Administration, so we also got a cool history lesson to boot.
 |
| Giant City Lodge |
Next we hit the road to explore a bit, and on the way, we passed an orchard, or more specifically, the orchard stand. We just had to sample some cider and apple dumplings while we were there, and we of course, grabbed some cider and apples to go. Yum!
We found a cool place to hike and did just that before heading back to the campsite for dinner and the obligatory s'mores.
On our next full day, we headed back to the Lodge, but this time, we climbed the water tower where we saw a flock of vultures flying about. It was less ominous than it sounds; this area is known for turkey vultures and even has a music festival in late October (right after our visit, unfortunately) called, you guessed it, Vulture Fest.
Giant City State Park is also known for its climbing, so after a picnic lunch, we found some rocks to climb. Paradise for our little spidermonkeys for sure. We spent a long time on the rocks (I was mostly on the ground taking pictures) before going back to camp.
 |
| Devil's Standtable |
Since it was coming on the weekend, the campsite had begun to fill up even more. There was a big group of kids and families directly across from our site, which our kids watched from afar. But in the tradition of "park friends," our kids (the littles, at least) eventually got absorbed into the group. It didn't hurt that they were willing to share some super-cool lightsabers.
On our final full day, we split up for a little bit. Jon and the girls went horseback riding, and since Erik is still too young, he and I went to town to get the oil changed in the car. Multi-tasking even on vacation!
We reunited at the Visitors Center, where there was some kind of small environmental festival happening with music, crafts, and activities.
We came away with three very decorative walking sticks, and then checked out the coolest park. Boo Castle Park is a fairy tale/Dungeons and Dragons-themed memorial park with, as the name implies, a castle right in the middle.
After dinner and s'mores, the kids were invited to join our neighbors for an outdoor movie (our definitions of roughing it being slightly different) while Jon and I hung out by the campfire to reflect on yet another great camping trip.
Our time in Giant City wasn't quite finished, however. After taking down camp and being the smelly visitors at church, we decided to stop for brunch/lunch on our way out of town. The wait at the local breakfast spot sent us back to the Lodge, and I'm so glad it did. Every Sunday, they serve family-style chicken dinners. Yum, yum, and yum!
The best trips are marked with fun adventures and great food. Camping at Giant City definitely checked off those boxes.
No comments:
Post a Comment