Any good places to go to warm up from Chicago to Southern Illinois?

[Peregrine Took]

A place with good food (organic, vegetarian, etc.) places to go hiking, shopping and the like? Maybe bring our bikes?
Thanks very much.

[Lifelong Protester]

1. Let me know when you find one!!!

[ChazInAz]

2. Warm up?

Bloomington-Normal is a good location for everything but the "Warm" part. Close to Champaign-Urbana, so you'd be in the neighborhood of three world-class universities. Allerton Park is nearby in Monticello, for some amazing hiking and biking.
Ignore Springfield: I grew up there.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. springpatch does have a good museum. But as for culture,

all their yogurt is imported.

Going south of there, (my chicago snobbery is about to pop out) there really isn't anything until you get to Austin Texas. Especially in Illinois.

[Peregrine Took]

3. Ya, I figured chances would be slim to none but I would give it a shot.

Thanks for good comments, though....

[ChairmanAgnostic]

5. a shot?

Well, if you have gun, will travel, then southern Illinois is great.

[ColesCountyDem]

6. Carbondale.

Unless I misunderstand, it meets all your criteria. Home to S.I.U., Shawnee National Forest, Crab Orchard Wildlife refuge, etc. .

http://www.happycow.net/north_america/usa/illinois/carbondale/