Southern Illinois

Twenty minutes east of downtown St. Louis, visitors can enjoy two diverse attractions: the serene Our Lady of the Snows Shrine and the Midwest’s largest “pick-your-own” farm, Eckert’s. In Collinsville, the ancient Native American civilization of Cahokia Mounds is worth the short drive from St. Louis.

Thirty-five miles southeast of the Gateway City, the charming 19th-century German village of Maeystown features historic homes, restaurants, specialty shops and picturesque hiking. In Mt. Vernon, located at the junction of Interstates 64 and 57 an hour east of St. Louis, travelers converge for outlet mall shopping, a historic village, an arts center and much more.

How to get there

For more information contact Historic Maeystown, (618) 458-6660; Mt. Vernon CVB, (800) 252-5464, www.mtvernon.com; or The Tourism Bureau Southwestern Illinois, (800) 442-1488, www.thetourismbureau.org.