[DEC. 13, 2000]  Below is a sampling of attractions and holiday events:

[click here for Part 1]

Christmas floral display, Washington Park Botanical Garden

Dec. 2-31

Monday-Friday, noon-4 p.m.; weekends,  noon-5 p.m. Closed Christmas Day.

For a real treat to the senses, visit the park’s botanical garden, where hundreds of red, white, pink and multi-colored poinsettias will be massed inside the domed conservatory. There will also be 11 Christmas trees decorated according to this year’s theme, "A Century of Christmas Trees," with each tree representing a different decade. The themes include a frontier tree decorated in Victorian and Edwardian splendor, a Depression-era tree, an aluminum tree with a color wheel from the 1960s, and a modern tree covered in gold and crystal. More than 3,000 people visited the display last year.

Christmas at the Dana-Thomas House Historic Site

301 E. Lawrence St.

Special evening tours Dec. 15-17, 4-8 p.m.

Luminaria night is Dec. 17.

Open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. Closed major holidays. Closes at 3 p.m. Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

While a stop at the Dana-Thomas House is a must for any trip to Springfield, it’s a special treat during the holidays. The home, one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s finest Prairie-style homes, will be decked out for the holidays from Nov. 26 to Dec. 31.

Nearly every room in the house will host a tree adorned with ornaments and lights, coordinating with the decor of each room. The kitchen usually has a tree covered with popcorn, berries and gingerbread, while the Victorian sitting room will be filled with flowers and ribbons which complement its red and pink furnishings.

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During the special luminaria night, lit candles will be placed around the home’s perimeter and along the sidewalks in the garden area. Silent, candle-lit tours of the home will be offered on a rotating 30-minute schedule. This is always a perennial favorite for area residents and tourists and one of the most beautiful ways to see the home. No matter how many times you’ve visited this elegantly restored home, it’s always worth a trip back during the holidays.

Holiday lights at the zoo

1100 East Lake Drive

Dec. 8-23 and 27-30, 5-8 p.m.

A trip to the zoo may be a fun way to spend a sunny summer afternoon, but why not twist tradition and visit the cougars, gibbons and lemurs during the holidays? Thousands of tiny, colored lights transform the Henson Robinson Zoo into a winter wonderland during the holiday season. The zoo's walkways, buildings and landscaping will be illuminated, and animal and holiday season displays will also be decorated.

More than 300 animals from Africa, Asia, Australia, North and South America live at the zoo, and the exhibits house more than 90 species of native and exotic animals. The spider monkeys, river otters, cheetahs and Asiatic black bear will be glad to see you.

Bring the grandkids to Santa's Workshop, where the jolly old man in red will be on hand to meet with visitors of all ages Dec. 15-23. Admission is free if you bring a new, wrapped toy for the "Toys-for-Tots" campaign for children. There will be entertainment, and baked goods and hot drinks will be for sale.

(To be continued)

[Penny Zimmerman-Wills]

[DEC. 12, 2000]  The holiday season is in full swing, which means a hectic schedule of shopping, baking, entertaining and decorating. What better way to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the season than to take time out to enjoy some holiday activities?

Visit a historic site or two to see how our ancestors decked the halls for the holidays. Treat your senses to the beauty of the season at a botanical garden. Sound like good ideas? Well, forget about packing an overnight bag, filling up your gas tank and finding someone to watch the dog. You can enjoy all these holiday events by taking a short drive to the state capital — just 30 minutes from Lincoln.

Central Illinois residents who live close to Springfield may appreciate its rich historic charm but often take for granted the city that draws one million tourists each year. While Chicago, St. Louis and other nearby larger cities offer a wealth of holiday festivities to enjoy, try spending the day as a tourist in the Land of Lincoln this holiday season — what you find may surprise you.

When the bank of the Spring Creek was first seen by Elisha Kelly, a hunter from North Carolina, 176 years ago, it was lined with oak, hickory and maple trees and covered with tall prairie grass and wildflowers. Kelly was so impressed with the rich prairie, abundant wildlife and natural beauty of the land that he later returned with his father, Henry Kelly, a Revolutionary War veteran, and four brothers, John, George, Elijah and William. Other families soon joined them and Springfield was born. John Kelly built the first log cabin on the present-day northwest corner of Second and Jefferson streets — also the site of the first election of county commissioners, which was in 1821.

By the mid-1850s, with the introduction of the railroad, medical societies, agricultural, education and fair associations, and a university, Springfield's population grew to more than 4,500. By 1890, more than 25,000 people made their home here. Home to the Sangamon County seat and the State Capitol, the site of the original public square is now the site of the Old State Capitol.

Springfield’s claim to fame is, of course, Abraham Lincoln, who lived and practiced law here from 1837 until he was elected president in 1861. The city is devoted to maintaining several sites to help visitors experience the former president’s 19^th-century life, including the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, location of the only home Lincoln ever owned; the Lincoln Law Offices and Federal Court; the Lincoln Depot Museum, formerly the Great Western Railroad Depot and the site of Lincoln's farewell address before he left to assume his presidency; the Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site, where Lincoln, his wife and three of their sons are buried; the Old State Capitol, where Lincoln delivered his famous "House Divided" address; and the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden, in Lake Springfield Park. A new presidential library is also in the planning stages.

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There’s no denying that Lincoln’s legacy dominates the city, but Springfield also offers visitors a variety of other things to see and do. Located on the Sangamon River, the city is a commercial, manufacturing and financial center situated in one of the richest crop and livestock farming areas in the United States. State government, insurance, tourism and the medical community are also vital to the city's economic base.

So, why not resist the temptation to head out of town to get in the holiday spirit. If you are like me, it’s probably been a while since you’ve visited some of the unique sites that make Springfield a special city. The holidays are a perfect time to bring back those memories, while discovering new ones.

(To be continued, with a sampling of attractions and holiday events)

[Penny Zimmerman-Wills]

[click here for Part 2]

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