I’m not quite sure when it happened, or what was the pivotal moment, but at some point in the past few years I realized that Champaign-Urbana is awesome. I’m lucky to have several out-of-town friends and relatives who think C-U is awesome, too, so I get to play hostess-with-the-mostest on a semi-regular basis. One of my favorite things to do is entertain out-of-towners by giving them the Nature/Local Commerce/Food and Drink Tour of C-U.
Amelia’s Superfun Saturday:
10:00 a.m.: Journey over to the Farmer’s Market in Urbana (opening this Saturday, May 1!), picnic basket in hand. Pick up a loaf of artisanal bread from Pekara. Sample and select sprouts from Tiny Greens. Grab some tomatoes and other fruits. Point carnivorous guests in the direction of the Triple S Farms booth to purchase meat. Stop in the Common Ground Food Co-op to pick up Tofurky Deli Slices, drinks, and chips.
11:00 a.m.: Picnic/ cookout at Crystal Lake Park. Take a hike. Rent a paddleboat. Keep on the lookout for turtles on the shore!
2:00 p.m.: Stop by the Corkscrew for wine tasting. Pick up some wine for later. Don’t forget to stamp the frequent buyers card!
3:00 p.m.: Stop by Furniture Lounge on the way out of Urbana. Chuckle at the brick-a-brack in the basement. Drool over the retro furniture.
4:00 p.m.: Head back to Champaign for shopping at Prairie Gardens. Pick up a unique flower pot, shrub, or gourmet soup mix.
5:00 p.m.: Relax on my patio, weather permitting. In case of rain, play Wii, darts, cards, or Shut the Box.
6:00 p.m.: By this point, I am probably starving. Dinner at Istanbul sounds perfect!
8:00 p.m.: Enjoy a beer and a sunset on the patio at Blind Pig Brewery.
10:00 p.m.: Head over to Bentley’s to enjoy some live music or an eclectic mix by DJ Tim Hayden.
1:00 a.m.: Wander over to Mike N’ Mollys. Grab a PBR and dance in the corner!
2:00 a.m.: Try to resist the urge to indulge in La Bamba (and fail).
3:00 a.m.: If I’m still conscious at this point, there is a good chance my guests will be forced to watch 120 Minutes on VH1 Classic. The perfect videos to close out the perfect day.