#12 Catie Girls

Located at 400 East Jefferson Street on the bottom floor of the St. Nicholas.

The inside is brightly colored and beautiful. Casual dining is an event here with all the amazing scenery.

This menu features so many different tastes, you will want to come back and try them all! They use local grown and cook seasonal. Some items can even be made without meat.

They also offer catering for events, create special occasion cakes, and cooking classes.

Medium Group Friendly
Alcohol Friendly
Kid Friendly

Want to learn more? http://www.caitiegirls.com/

#11 Visit the Phoenix Center

The Center is located at 109 E. Lawrence Avenue. It provides many services to the community such as Billy's House that caters to men and women who are HIV positive and homeless, also a clinic that provides free anonymous testing for STD's and HIV.

The Center also provides a haven for GLBTQ Youth to hang out and receive education on HIV and STD prevention.

The Center also throws events throughout the year.

Task: Go get tested!

Want to learn more? http://www.phoenixcenterspringfield.org/

#10 Brewhaus Bar

Brewhaus is located at 617 East Washington Street. This place is very laid back with music, free popcorn, an impressive list of beers and knowledgeable bar staff that can mix about anything. Little tip, if you don't know what you want to drink, there is a giant book behind the bar with tons of drink recipes.

Alcohol Friendly
Barhop Friendly
Big Group Friendly
Music Venue

Task: If you're a liquor drinker order a "Freds". If you are a beer drinker get a list close your eyes and pick!

Want to learn more? http://www.myspace.com/springfieldbrewhaus

#9 Abraham Lincoln Presidental Library and Musem

Located at 212 N. Sixth Street

This place is fairly new to Springfield and still pulls in a lot of people.

Tour the museum and view exhibits of Lincoln's humble beginnings, the political machine, the gossip about him and more. One of my favorite exhibits is something I like to call the "Hall of Haters". It features some of the many slanderous things that were said to and about Lincoln.

As for the Library, what do you want to know about Illinois? Well, its more than likely there. But these research materials are pretty valuable so, there are lots of rules and regulations to abide by.

TASK: Visit the Ghosts of the Library show at the museum .

Want to learn more? http://www.alplm.org/

#8 Nelson Center

The Nelson Center is located within Lincoln Park 1601 North 5th Street.

It houses the only ice rink within about 60 miles. Here you can see a Jr. Blues Hockey match or ice skate during open skate. They offer hockey programs for all ages.

For those of you that want to soak up some sun, the center also has a pool that is open during the summer and it's open to the public.

Family Friendly
Kid Friendly
Big Group Friendly
Beer Friendly (during Blues games)

TASK: Go ice skating!!! The rinks are open for free skate. Just go to the website for more details.

Want to learn more? http://www.springfieldparks.org/facilities/ice/nelsonicerinks.asp

#7 Carters Fish Market

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! And that's a big shout to all the moms and grandma's and dads that pose as moms and bonus moms and so on. For my Mother's Day blog, I would like to share a place that my mother, my grandmother and I like to eat.

Located at 1900 E. South Grand Ave, if you blink you will miss this shack that offers some of the best fried fish Springfield has to offer. Classics like walleye, catfish, carp, buffalo, all for the customers enjoyment.

The fish market however sells frozen and raw fish to it's customers.

Careful what time you go, there could be a line wrapped around the shack, but the food is worth it!

TASK: Well, finding it is task alone!

#6 Cafe Andia Mo

Located at 204 South Sixth Street, this small Springfield Cafe offers great breakfast items like omelets, pastries and lunch items like soups, sandwiches, and specialty pizza. My favorite thing about this place, they have gelato!

They also have a good variety of coffees and hot and cold teas.

I wouldn't recommend taking large groups, its a pretty intimate setting.

Beer Friendly
Small Setting
Music Venue

TASK: Go and have some gelato if you never had it or have a cup of coffee and people watch. (BONUS: how many Historical landmarks can you see out the window?)

Want to learn more? http://www.cafeandiamo.com

#5 The Hoogland Center for the Arts

The Hoogland is located at 420 S. 6th Street. This is more than just the place you go to see awesome productions. You can have meetings, small dinner gatherings, and art shows there too. It's a pretty up to date center of the arts.

Also, the more you go the more you learn about other awesome organizations and associations (more on those later)!


Kid Friendly
Family Friendly
Group Friendly
Music Venue
Artsy

TASK: See a show in 2 of the 3 theaters!

Want to learn more? http://www.scfta.org/

#4 Pizza Machine

Pizza Machine is located 107 W. Cook St. Inside the Vinegar Hill Mall. (more about that later). This is a big gutted-out-warehouse-looking thing that now houses the "World's Largest Pizza" . That would be 5 feet across or 60 inches.

No, really, I have seen this monster that you have to lower on to the table with a crane or something. It's huge! It's a party pizza of course and can realistically feed a lot of people.

Grown ups, don't be fooled by the interior. I know it looks like its for kids, but that upstairs makes it very easy to have grown-up time and still see the kiddies climb all over everything (AND THERE'S A BAR!).

Kid Friendly
Large Group Friendly
Music Venue

TASK: I wont make you eat a 5-foot-in-diameter pizza, but I will say try something you never had before! Go for a topping that you usually don't get on 1/4 of your pizza :)

Want to learn more? http://www.thepizzamachine.net/

#3 Route 66 Drive In

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!

The Route 66 Drive In is located on 1700 Recreation Drive, right next to Knights Action Park. For about $6.00 a person you can enjoy two fairly new and fairly awesome movies. Right after dusk the first movie begins, there is a brief intermission and then a second movie plays. There are technically four movies playing a night.

I honestly think it's one of the most amazing things in the world. Watching a double feature from your car! You can prop your feet up without worrying about an usher with a flashlight threatening to kick you out of Finding Nemo. My advice is that you bring a radio as oppose to using your car radio. They have jumper cables just in case your battery drains. Also blankets, it gets cold at night and you can cozy up!

Oh and please be considerate, they GIVE YOU TRASH BAGS!!!! Don't throw your junk on the ground. There are more Drive in Rules to live by on the website.

Kid Friendly
Large Group Friendly
Last Minuet Friendly
No PETS (sorry puppies!)

TASK: Grab 3 friends, blankets, and a boom box and sit out in front of your car at the Drive In!

Want to learn more? http://www.route66-drivein.com/index.html

#2 JP Kellys Pub

J.P. Kelly's Pub and Packaged Liquors is located downtown at the corner of 3rd & Adams. This bar opened in 2007 so it's fairly young. A very laid back with an old school feel. It's a great place to meet up with friends and start your night.

One of the highlights would have to be the build-your-own Bloody Mary bar on Saturday mornings. You can garnish your drink with so many items that it practically makes a salad on top of you drink!

Alcohol Friendly
Bar hop Friendly
Music Venue


TASK: Order an award winning "Naughty School Girl."

#1 Visit Abe Lincoln's home

Located in downtown Springfield this is a must do for anyone visiting. Most of us only saw the Lincoln Home during a field trip so why not go now that you are older and you'll pay more attention!

Some may not realize that this is a free activity. All you do is go to the Lincoln Home Visitor Center. It's located at 426 S. 7th Street. Hours of operation are from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

You have to have this ticket to view the home. While You're at it, just walk around the neighborhood!

TASK: Learn 4 new Abe Lincoln facts that you didn't already know!
HAVE FUN!

Want to learn more? http://www.nps.gov/liho/index.htm