With so much to do on campus, there might not be a lot of incentive to venture far from Champaign-Urbana, especially if you don't have your own transportation. All the same, I encourage you to explore central Illinois if you have the chance. It's always good to be familiar with the landscape where you've been living. And when you actually take a look around, you will find a lot more than corn and soybeans, as you will see in the pictures. Each one was taken in one of the towns surrounding us: tiny Sadorus with its main street and not much else, Danville's old fireworks factory, the view of the horizon over the highway on the outskirts of Tolono. You can bounce on the suspension bridge in Mahomet, or walk the wooded trails around Homer Lake. Check out downtown Monticello, or go to nearby Allerton Park (not pictured). Woods, lakes, big sky, even a few hills - it's all out there among the vast fields. Each of these towns has something interesting to offer if you give them the chance.
Photos by Taylor Tucker.