National Tonkoon's Vacation

[Yeti]

I do wonder whether anybody has ever taken in Springfield, IL, as a tourist destination.  I mean... anybody.

EVER.

Well, we get massive influx of Asians to the Lincoln shit.  You can do that stuff during a day. It might be worth it to stay here on that night and continue to Nashville from here (5.5 hours IIRC).

[SKO]

I do wonder whether anybody has ever taken in Springfield, IL, as a tourist destination.  I mean... anybody.

EVER.

Do field trips count? I mean the Lincoln House/Library and New Salem are a yearly destination for most central/southern Illinois school kids. Other than that? No.

[Eli]

I do wonder whether anybody has ever taken in Springfield, IL, as a tourist destination.  I mean... anybody.

EVER.

Do field trips count? I mean the Lincoln House/Library and New Salem are a yearly destination for most central/southern Illinois school kids. Other than that? No.

You're all wrong!

http://www.visitspringfieldillinois.com/

[RedBeard]

I do wonder whether anybody has ever taken in Springfield, IL, as a tourist destination.  I mean... anybody.

EVER.

Abraham Lincoln was dying to go there.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

I do wonder whether anybody has ever taken in Springfield, IL, as a tourist destination.  I mean... anybody.

EVER.

A tourist destination?  No.  God no.

The closest I came was a senior year day field trip in high school, and then, about 12 or so years ago, on my way back from a work call in St. Louis, I stopped in Springfield for lunch, and toured the Capitol.  But I was just passing through so my act of tourism did not itself represent any sort of a destination.

[J. Walter Weatherman]

Far be it from me to agree with TDubbs, but...

i mean seriously, tonk is coming over from europe. he doesn't need to stop in iowa or southern illinois with his family to see a fucking ice cream shop

[SKO]

Far be it from me to agree with TDubbs, but...

i mean seriously, tonk is coming over from europe. he doesn't need to stop in iowa or southern illinois with his family to see a fucking ice cream shop

Hey no one said he had to do anything. I certainly wouldn't recommend Iowa as a tourist destination for anyone. But if he's driving 80 and needs to stop in the state of Iowa for food, there are places more delicious than others.

[Quality Start Machine]

I do wonder whether anybody has ever taken in Springfield, IL, as a tourist destination.  I mean... anybody.

EVER.

Well, we get massive influx of Asians to the Lincoln shit. 

Hey, where did Pex go?

[Oleg]

Far be it from me to agree with TDubbs, but...

i mean seriously, tonk is coming over from europe. he doesn't need to stop in iowa or southern illinois with his family to see a fucking ice cream shop

Seriously.  For fucks sake, how old are you people?

[Quality Start Machine]

Far be it from me to agree with TDubbs, but...

i mean seriously, tonk is coming over from europe. he doesn't need to stop in iowa or southern illinois with his family to see a fucking ice cream shop

Hey no one said he had to do anything. I certainly wouldn't recommend Iowa as a tourist destination for anyone. But if he's driving 80 and needs to stop in the state of Iowa for food, there are places more delicious than others.

As a veteran of the stretch of 80 that runs from Chicago to its easternmost point, I can attest to the value of finding something other than Cracker Barrel for a quick bite to eat.

[SKO]

Far be it from me to agree with TDubbs, but...

i mean seriously, tonk is coming over from europe. he doesn't need to stop in iowa or southern illinois with his family to see a fucking ice cream shop

Hey no one said he had to do anything. I certainly wouldn't recommend Iowa as a tourist destination for anyone. But if he's driving 80 and needs to stop in the state of Iowa for food, there are places more delicious than others.

As a veteran of the stretch of 80 that runs from Chicago to its easternmost point, I can attest to the value of finding something other than Cracker Barrel for a quick bite to eat.

I honestly don't think there's a single tourist site in the state of Iowa worth a damn. I mean Adventureland is a half-decent amusement park if your dad's too cheap or unwilling to make the drive to a Six Flags. There's some museums and stuff that are enough to entertain us provincials but I doubt anyone from fucking Europe could give a shit about seeing OOH BUILDINGS THAT ARE HUNNERT YEARS OLD in Iowa City. So stop for a bite to eat, let us laugh at your funny accent, and then get the hell out of our red state, Euro boy.

[Brownie]

I do wonder whether anybody has ever taken in Springfield, IL, as a tourist destination.  I mean... anybody.

EVER.

The state fair is not until August 12, so alas, probably too late for you.

If Lincoln interests you at all, it's worth the stop. If not, stay on I-57 and the drive the flat, open prairie the length of the state. Or go through Indiana and have lunch in Seymour. They have a nice Burger King and a top-notch Arby's there, I hear.

[Quality Start Machine]

I do wonder whether anybody has ever taken in Springfield, IL, as a tourist destination.  I mean... anybody.

EVER.

The state fair is not until August 12, so alas, probably too late for you.

If Lincoln interests you at all, it's worth the stop. If not, stay on I-57 and the drive the flat, open prairie the length of the state. Or go through Indiana and have lunch in Seymour. They have a nice Burger King and a top-notch Arby's there, I hear.

This might also be useful.

[Tonker]

Far be it from me to agree with TDubbs, but...

i mean seriously, tonk is coming over from europe. he doesn't need to stop in iowa or southern illinois with his family to see a fucking ice cream shop

Hey no one said he had to do anything. I certainly wouldn't recommend Iowa as a tourist destination for anyone. But if he's driving 80 and needs to stop in the state of Iowa for food, there are places more delicious than others.

As a veteran of the stretch of 80 that runs from Chicago to its easternmost point, I can attest to the value of finding something other than Cracker Barrel for a quick bite to eat.

I honestly don't think there's a single tourist site in the state of Iowa worth a damn. I mean Adventureland is a half-decent amusement park if your dad's too cheap or unwilling to make the drive to a Six Flags. There's some museums and stuff that are enough to entertain us provincials but I doubt anyone from fucking Europe could give a shit about seeing OOH BUILDINGS THAT ARE HUNNERT YEARS OLD in Iowa City. So stop for a bite to eat, let us laugh at your funny accent the gussets of the local totty moisten at your "funny" accent, and then get the hell out of our red state, Euro boy.

Fixed that for you.

[Eli]

Far be it from me to agree with TDubbs, but...

i mean seriously, tonk is coming over from europe. he doesn't need to stop in iowa or southern illinois with his family to see a fucking ice cream shop

Hey no one said he had to do anything. I certainly wouldn't recommend Iowa as a tourist destination for anyone. But if he's driving 80 and needs to stop in the state of Iowa for food, there are places more delicious than others.

As a veteran of the stretch of 80 that runs from Chicago to its easternmost point, I can attest to the value of finding something other than Cracker Barrel for a quick bite to eat.

Yeah, I think we're all just giving tips on how to best manage the relative boringness that stretches between actual cities in the Midwest*. None of us assume Tonk's going to come back from the trip thinking Coralville is a more fair city than London. But there's plenty of Americana to be seen and (to me, in my dumb/earnest opinion) that's very much a part of what America actually is.

* Also, I'm sure Tonk has a good idea of the sheer enormity of America, but he may not fully grasp it until he's actually road tripping. The Chicago-Denver drive is roughly the same length as driving Den Haag to Rome, and that only covers a little over 1/3 of the U.S.