Champaign, Illinois. A little town a bit off the main tourist areas, 3 hours down from Chicago, 2.5 hours from Indianapolis, and about 3.5 hours from Saint Louis. People who visit Champaign usually do it for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), a well-known high rank mid-western university. I admit there isn’t much to see and do in Champaign in terms of tourist attractions, but there are hidden gems here and there. The nicest of those, I’d say, are the Japanese gardens of the UIUC Japan House, on the southern side of the campus, next to the president’s residence. It’s especially beautiful during Sakura season fall or spring when the leaves transform into a glowing array of colors all the way to bright red, it’s really gets quite beautiful.
There are some botanical gardens…
And an array of lakes and ponds, with families strolling around and joggers making the most of the fresh air and open spaces…
Location:
The Japan House also hosts weekly events like Japanese tea ceremonies so look up the schedule on Facebook and on their website.