Henson Robinson Zoo & Illinois State Museum, Take Two

Let's try this again.

Our first day in Springfield started at the Henson Robinson Zoo. While this may not be the biggest or the best zoo you'll find it is one of the most charming you'll come across. At $3.25 a person it is certainly a good bargin and well worth the trip.

Among the highlights in a display of African (Jackass) Penguins so you know that I was a happy camper. They also have many other animals such as Lemurs, Cougars, an Australian Walk-Through exhibit, and more.



We were fortunate enough to see a very newly awakened groundhog emerge from his bedding and that alone was enough to make April's trip complete. This groggy little guy was so adorable I thought she was going to cry. That was our first groundhog of 2006 and we're eager to see some locally soon.

Later in the day (After the MOST EXCELLENT Museum of Funeral Customs) we found ourselves at the Illinois State Museum, a FREE ADMISSION museum with loads of fantastic info and artifacts from Illinois, past & present. Everywhere we looked we found some eye-catching display and interactive activity. It was one of the better laid out places of it's kind that we'd ever been to.

There were many prehistoric fossils and exceptionally well done life-sized dioramas of wilderness scenes depicting the various ecological sections of Illinois. Upstairs were beautiful art exhibits from local artists and a special display called 50 Years of Powwow, which illustrated a rich tradition of the Native American people. Throw in some stuffed birds and other critters & a good gift shop, and you have one most excellent attraction in the heart of downtown Springfield.

Upon the recommendation of someone at the Convention & Visitor's Bureau we checked out Saputo's for dinner and enjoyed some of the best home made Italian food we'd had in a while (at a restaurant, mind you. OUR stuff we make is PRIME STUFF!) The place has been in the same location and owned by the same family seemingly forever and it was a real treat.

In a short amount of time we came to the conclusion that Springfield is WAY more fun than when we were forced as kids to go and visit.