Local Tourism
The Source
It might be a tough summer for travel. Gas prices already susceptible to those mysterious summertime spikes are now held hostage by real or imagined threats to our overseas supply of crude. Fly instead? Okay, but the airlines get the advantage of being able to “anticipate” increased fuel costs. Don’t worry, they won’t lose money. So what’s a red-blooded travel-hungry resident to do? My suggestion? Vacation locally. Sometimes we drive by natural and slightly unnatural wonders so often that we discount them as travel possibilities. Instead of packing your Paris bags or your California carry-on this summer, consider these nearby vacation packages: MURRAYVILLE BY NIGHT. Named after the immigrant Samuel Murray who hung around Pennsylvania just long enough to decide to leave, the town hovers around the southern edge of Jacksonville and offers a nightlife that’ll allow you to get plenty of rest. Who wants to spend your relaxing vacation wearing yourself out? Believe me, when the sun goes down in Murrayville it stays there until dawn. Forget the traffic of London or the hectic lifestyle of Tokyo. Plan a fun-filled week in Murrayville where the town park has its own restrooms. EATING VIRGINIA. Why waste your bucks flying to New York fine dining when you’ve got a goldmine of gastronomy just north of town? Plan a weekend just eating your way around this little Cass County burg that seems to sport a bistro on nearly every block, from the franchised Subway slabs out on the highway to food that’s more easily eaten than pronounced at Dr. Ugg’s. And as with the rest of the town, no reservations are required. DISCOVERING NEW BERLIN. Admit it. You have practically no idea what happens in New Berlin. What a great reason to go! MYSTERIOUS MEREDOSIA. How does the local cop know you’re from out of town? What’s that delicious breading they use on the buffalo and carp at The Approach? What other village of a thousand people has six places to eat out? If the river keeps flooding the town why don’t they move it? These and other thrilling questions await you! FIND NEELYVILLE! … We dare you. SCENIC BACKROADS. Head south out of Chapin and worm your way toward Winchester. It doesn’t matter which road you take…they’ll all get there eventually. You’ll be treated to some of the area’s most scenic farmland and forests on this winding journey toward Scott County. And if you’re really, really lucky you’ll get lost and bump into . . . EXETER…THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT. I’ll admit that I have never gone to Exeter on purpose and I’ve been there many times. Sometimes I was looking for Bluffs, sometimes Winchester, and once I was just trying to take a shortcut home. The census bureau says the town occupies 0.7 square miles and houses 70 residents who must be living on top of each other. Talk about a must-see! ARENZVILLE. I’ve been asked not to write about the town. Visitors make us nervous…especially if they’re related. LOUNGING LOCALLY. Let’s say that you’re not adventurous enough to fling your family’s fate toward the truly exotic locales such as Chapin and Roodhouse. There are still vacation packages that will keep you close to home in Jacksonville while still stimulating your spirit of exploration. THE GHOSTS OF MORTON. Who are those mysterious souls who walk up and down Morton Avenue at midnight? They seem to be going…where? Doing…what? Do they have names or do the suddenly appear each evening as the mist rises off Mauvaisterre Creek? SIMULATION WITHOUT THE STIMULATION. Cruise Night in Jacksonville is always fun…thousands of fans, hundreds of cars, and if you’re lucky you can get from one end of town to the other before the sun comes up. But if you want to simulate the joy of the big event without all the hassle, create your Own Personal Cruise Night…MY CRUISE. Drive up and down the strip at three miles an hour, roll down your windows and shout, “Hrrrmmm! Hrrrmmm! Hrrrmmm!” I apologize for those who are offended that I’ve not mentioned Ashland, Franklin, and Waverly. Hundreds of people die each year from over-doing it by taking dangerous vacations. I don’t want to be responsible.