Check out these ideas for group tours in Champaign County, Illinois.
“Champaign County is brimming with ‘Outside of Ordinary’ experiences. You’ll be delighted by the authentic and affordable options available for your groups.” –Caitlyn Floyd, director of sales, Visit Champaign County
TASTE
Head to Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery, Illinois’ first farmstead cheesemaking facility. Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery grows organic fruit and makes award-winning goat cheese and goat milk gelato. Meet the goats, view the milking parlor and the creamery, walk through the orchard and garden, and taste some of the farmstead products. Cheese and gelato sampling is a great way to wrap up the 50-minute tour.
Credit: Visit Champaign County
SIP
Be immersed in Japanese culture at the University of Illinois’ Japan House. Discover the “Way of Tea” through a traditional tea ceremony with the time-honored art of “Chado.” Codified almost 400 years ago by Sen Rikyu, the greatest tea master, the four spirits of tea (harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility) signify the highest ideals of the “Way of Tea.” Its core elements involve the acts of serving and receiving a bowl of tea with the utmost sincerity, appreciation, and attentiveness, with an attitude of single-mindedness and a keen awareness of the concept “ichigo, ichie” (one life, one opportunity). Take part in this ceremony and find yourself renewed for the remainder of your tour.
EXPLORE
A historical treasure hidden near the upper Sangamon River in Monticello, the Allerton Park & Retreat Center offers an extraordinary combination of art, nature, and history. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places and named one of the American Institute of Architects’ “150 Great Places in Illinois,” this private residence of artist and philanthropist Robert Allerton was donated to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1946. The park is an ideal destination for adventurers looking for deep-nature immersion. It features 1,500 acres of woodland and prairies, a 10-acre meadow, and 14 miles of hiking trails. The quiet grounds allow visitors to escape everyday life.
ASK
Visit Champaign County
217-351-4133
visitchampaigncounty.org
Main Image: Allerton Park & Retreat Center; Credit: Visit Champaign County
