I just had to respond to Tracey Hickey`s comment about Peoria in the First Person article (Aug. 3 magazine) because I`ve often felt I was the only one around who thinks Peoria is a great town to visit. We have been there many times in the past several years and its people are always hospitable and helpful.
Peoria is cosmopolitan, yet small-town friendly, and you can`t help but admire a town that has seen dark days and is working very hard to revive itself.
It`s historically important to Illinois and there are interesting things to see and do, from the unusual wildlife preserve to big-name concerts at the Civic Arena, but the best-kept secret in Illinois is on the Illinois River in downtown Peoria–the Julia Belle Swain riverboat. The two-day trip on the boat to Starved Rock State Park is a wonderful surprise; you travel for miles without seeing anything manmade–so close, but years back in time.
The article should be a reminder to us that our home state has many worthwhile places to visit (forget the word ”tourism”–these are our neighbors), appealing to almost any particular interest, if we only make the effort to look for them.
