These are places & activities we think are fun, kid-oriented, and available to area residents:
Our Lady of the Snows Shrine: This 200 acre setting is the largest in the country. During the six weeks before Christmas, almost 400,000 people visit the shrine to see the spectacular "Way of Lights". There is a gift shop and a motel, an apartment community for seniors and a very good restaurant.

Cahokia Mounds Museum: The Cahokia Mounds World Heritage Site marks the location of an ancient native American Indian city. Cahokia is a 2000 acre site where the Mississippian indian culture thrived for over 1,000 years. The 65 man-made burial mounds and wooden sun calendar are some of the finest existing examples of high native American indian culture in the country. A recently completed interpretive center explains the world of Cahokia in an astonishing way. It also offers year-round craft classes, tours and lectures. 618- 346-5160

Splash City- 12 acres of interactive water play for the whole family nearby in Collinsville. The Water Park features include: enless river, two water slides, radio-controlled lagoon and more. If you want to experience even more thrills in the water, head out to Raging Rivers Water Theme Park: Open in the summer, it's the first phase of "The Palisades" development in Grafton. The 1,200 acre tract will also include a hotel, condos, a golf course and a tennis court. Kids love it.

Eagle Watching... especially in the Alton area and north. Feeding on fish, large numbers of bald eagles are wintering along the river, especially at Alton. Contact the Alton Chamber of Commerce for details. A few stay year-round.

Apple Picking...and pumpkins, and raspberries, and strawberries and peaches. There are a large number of fruit farms in southwest Illinois that cater to families wishing to pock their own fruit, and enjoy a family picnic on best fall days. The season is short, starting around Labor Day and running into November. The Jonathan is the most prominent apple, but most varieties are available. There are a large number north and east of Alton, at Marine and around Belleville. Prominent are Mills at Marine, 887-4732 (which includes wagon rides, fresh baked goodies and a restaurant), Eckert's, 786-3445 (at Grafton and Belleville), Schlueter's and many many others.

Shopping: This seems to top everyone's list! The area is anchored by two large shopping malls:St. Clair Square Shopping Center in Fairview Heights and Alton Square in Alton. Both rival the large shopping malls of St. Louis, with St. Clair contending for the busiest anywhere. There are naturally a wide variety of specialty stores and boutiques, specialties for almost every occasion. Of course the major malls of St. Louis are only minutes away, too!

Antique Hunting....everywhere! There are lots of shops around, in most country towns, many in Belleville, and several blocks along Broadway in Alton, more than 50 stores in the same neighborhood. We know of families that make money at it, and have a good time, too. Craft Fairs are also plentiful in Southern Illinois, with a couple of monsters at Belleville Fairgrounds and the Campus at SIUE. A little farther to drive, but Branson, Missouri has all kinds of crafts, almost all year long.

Fishing...There are a thousand ponds and a hundred lakes for Bass, Bluegill, and Crappie...but don't miss Catfish fishing. Locals do jugs, trout-lines, floaters and a variety of techniques to outwit this Midwestern phenomenon. Even bullheads are fun, but "channels" even better...and good eating, too. And you could even learn to appreciate Carp at one of the great restaurants at Grafton. (The "Fin Inn" even has a freshwater aquarium with river fish, including a rare albino catfish.) There are commercial fisherman at Grafton in fact...great fun to watch and talk to.