Bloomington-Normal, IL
Just a short two hour drive from Dixon, my hometown, are the two lovely towns of Bloomington and Normal. Although four colleges make up these central Illinois cities, Bloomington-Normal doesn't have the "college life" feel to it. In fact, the twin cities offer local businesses, restaurants and entertainment options for all to enjoy.
Located only a few hours from Chicago, Indianapolis, and St. Louis, Bloomington-Normal is full of fan-favorites, like Barnes and Noble, Olive Garden, and shopping malls. But, more importantly, it is home to unique boutiques, fresh and local eateries and other attractions, such as the Miller Park Zoo.
My sister Allie and I wrapped up our jobs at the end of July and took this rare time off to visit Bloomington-Normal for a weekend. Anyone who knows Allie knows that she is an OCD planner when it comes to going anywhere. Therefore, we left Dixon Saturday night with a complete itinerary of everything we needed to do that weekend. Overall, it was a great opportunity to just take a step back and relax in a comforting town. Plus, Allie has an apartment in Normal so it was easy to pull off a fun staycation without the hassle (or cost) of finding a hotel.
Our first stop Sunday morning, of course, was to snag some coffee. Allie and I have tried wonderful coffee shops in our past visits, including Coffee Hound and Fusion Brew, but this time settled for Dunkin Donuts because it's within walking distance of Allie's apartment. If you ask me, coffee and donuts are staple food items and Bloomington-Normal never disappoints (view my review on my favorite BN doughnut shop Cravin' Donuts).
We had a late brunch at Medici in Uptown Normal thanks to several suggestions by friends of ours. Medici is well known for their delectable pizzas, savory burgers and bloody mary bar on Sundays. While I am not the biggest fan of mixing tomato juice and alcohol, I can attest that Medici's bloody mary mix was hands down the best (and spiciest) I had ever tried.
The bloody mary bar was wonderful in the sense that you could walk right up and build your own. They offered three different tomato juices (Allie chose the Medici special), and a variety of toppings including cheeses, olives, and other veggies. I stuck to a good ol' Mimosa, which had a generous amount of alcohol for the amount paid. Allie and I also ordered delicious apps to share and would highly recommend the sweet potato tots (more about Medici here).
After Medici, our next stop on the Bloomington-Normal tour was the Miller Park Zoo located in Bloomington. It took about 20 minutes to travel from uptown to the zoo, but boy was it worth it. This zoo was unlike any I had ever been to before (and that is saying a lot considering I worked for one). I was fascinated at the visitor to staff ratio and the attention focused on those visiting. There was always an adult volunteer ready to answer any questions you may have about an animal species.
The zoo was definitely on the small scale but that allowed for the experience to be heightened. While we were there, Allie and I got to pet goats and chickens, walk around with a turtle and witness otters being fed. They also have an Australia section with wallabys and wallaroos where you can walk freely amongst them.
The zoo truly was remarkable and I can't remember the last time I smiled that much! Again, it was a smaller zoo, therefore, it only took us about two hours before we were ready to head home, making it perfect for kids. Plus, the zoo is also located across the street from Miller Park which offers slides, swings and splash pads. It is a kiddie wonderland!
Walking around the zoo burning calories made Allie and I hungry. We received another recommendation to try Anju Above, a Korean favorite! Allie and I love sushi so we thought why not? It ended up being one of the better decisions we made that weekend. The food was warm, tasty and very filling (I wrote a review here!). We know for a fact that we will be returning due to the impeccable service, fresh ingredients and the seasonal menu.
As the weekend came to a close, Allie and I still had so much we wanted to do! Bloomington-Normal has endless opportunities of fun, and one of those is the Illinois State Horiculture Center. After a quick breakfast at Allie's apartment (shameless plug, Allie and I are IN LOVE with chia seeds and try to incorporate them in our diet daily. Mama Chia drinks and squeezes are the perfect addition to any breakfast! You must try, seriously!), we walked the half mile to the center to see all the summer flowers it had to offer.
The Horiculture Center was beautiful, stunning, colorful... truly I can't use enough positive words to describe it. Allie and I could have spent all day there but we had to get home to watch the Bachelorette finale. I praise the ISU students and workers who put in the time and effort to create such a beautiful masterpiece.
I can't say it enough, there is SO MUCH to do in Bloomington-Normal! You can plan your own trip by visiting http://www.visitbn.org/ (They have tons of great ideas and attractions to offer!) Next on our bucketlist is to travel to see the vineyards and, of course, try more new restaurants!
Tell me all about your favorite things to do in Bloomington-Normal. Any recommendations on other things or places to try? Let me know below in the comments!
I await our next adventure together :)