Natural Wonders of Southern Illinois

When I went away to college at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois, I was very excited for the beautiful campus. I got the dorm I wanted that sat right on Thompson Lake and walked through Thompson Woods each day to the student center and classes. There was also an arboretum just south of campus that I enjoyed walking at.

What I hadn’t expected was that I would do so much adventuring off-campus during my time there. Some of my favorite spots were the Kinkaid Lake spillway, the wine trails, and Garden of the Gods.

There was also the legendary Saltpeter Cave where music festivals were held. In 2021, the venue reopened as the Shawnee Cave Ampitheatre and we went down for the Weekend at the Cave event. It was the first time Matt had been down to my alma mater and it was so fun to show him around! We hiked Little Grand Canyon, went to a couple of the wineries, and went to a classic brunch spot, Harbaugh’s Cafe.

Fortunately he enjoyed it and was willing to go back in 2023 for the 2nd round of the event. On this trip we went to Pomona Natural Bridge and Giant City (hike 1 and 2), both pictured here. We also got 17th Street BBQ (which was even better than I remembered it) and went to the always quirky town of Makanda.

So do yourself a favor - go find a cabin to rent, and check out this unique region!