Need an escape from city life or want to spend more time outdoors? Get in touch with nature this summer and spend a calm and relaxing day at one of the hundreds of fishing spots Illinois has to offer. Loved by local anglers and visitors from across the state, the following fishing spots offer beautiful scenery, additional outdoor activities and best of all – a great catch!

Northern Illinois – Shabbona Lake

Located in DeKalb County, Shabbona Lake is a 318.8-acre fishing lake within Shabbona Lake State Park. Dubbed as the “muskie capital of Illinois,” the lake is has produced six state record fish including four muskies. The lake is stocked with large and smallmouth bass, bluegill, sunfish, black and white crappie, black and brown bullhead, channel catfish, walleye, muskie and perch.

Boat rentals and bait and tackle supplies are available on site at the park. Spend a full day at the park enjoying additional facilities for picnicking and hiking. For more information, visit the Illinois Department of Natural Resources website.

Did you know there are canyons, springs and giant boulders in Southern Illinois? Everyone from families to hikers and rock climbers have enjoyed the beautiful campgrounds and hikes in the Shawnee National Forest. South of the Metro East, near Carbondale and Cairo, is over 1,000 square miles of federally protected forest preserve, with access to a multitude of outdoor activities. Here are some of the best spots to visit and unplug:

Giant City State Park

Located near Carbondale, Giant City is a perfect location for tourists to explore incredible rock formations and forests in comfort. Come for the awesome hikes complete with massive boulders (where the city gets its name), stay for the amenities of Giant City Lodge. Complete with a large cabin complex with full amenities, a swimming pool and the best fried chicken in Southern Illinois. Giant City is perfect for tourists and families looking to explore Illinois’ natural beauty for a weekend.

The 16th Annual History Comes Alive summer experience is kicking off in Springfield! Starting Friday, June 6 through Aug. 9, Abraham & Mary Lincoln will lead a cast of characters on a trip back in time. This is a chance for people of all ages to meet the Lincolns at historic sites throughout the city and learn about their lives in Springfield.

From historic portrayals at locations such as the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, the Historic Old State Capitol, and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum to a Flag Lowering Ceremony at the Lincoln Tomb with the 114th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry Reactivated, visitors are invited to become a part of living history. Listen to Abraham deliver some of his most famous speeches at the Lincoln Depot, meet and greet both Mary Lincoln and General Ulysses S. Grant.

Chicago native Miriam Paz, better known by her stage name “DJ Miriam,” has been a trailblazer for Latina women in the music industry during her six-year long career as a DJ.

Throughout the years, DJ Miriam has gained national recognition. In 2022, DJ Miriam was the only woman-DJ to headline the Sueños Music Festival, the largest Latin music festival in the Midwest, held annually in Chicago’s Grant Park.  Prior to headlining Sueños, DJ Miriam opened for Bad Bunny, who is recognized as the world’s biggest Latino artist, during his Ultimo Tour Del Mundo stop in Chicago.

Did you know the “King of Swing” Benny Goodman was from Chicago? A master clarinetist and bandleader, Goodman led one of the first racially integrated bands in the U.S. and earned immense popularity.

A son to poor, Jewish immigrants, Goodman grew up in the Maxwell Street neighborhood and was enrolled in free clarinet lessons at the Kehelah Jacob Synagogue. He was tutored by Chicago Symphony Orchestra member Franz Schoepp. He played several venues with a litany of bands, and made his professional debut in 1921 at Central Park Theater.