Springfield: Practicalities
Amtrak trains from Chicago and St Louis roll in at Third and Washington downtown, at manageable times. Greyhound drops off two miles east of downtown at 2351 S Dirksen Parkway. The Convention and Visitors Bureau , 109 N Seventh St (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm; tel 217/789-2360 or 1-800/545-7300), has brochures and maps. The best selection of budget accommodation , including a Days Inn (tel 217/529-0171; $50-75), lies off I-55 at the Dirksen Parkway exit. Downtown accommodation is reasonably priced - even the swanky politicians' hotels offer affordable deals on the weekend. Central options include the Best Western Lincoln Plaza , 101 E Adams St (tel 217/523-5661 or 1-800/528-1234, ; $75-100), next to the capitol and Amtrak, and the Mansion View Inn & Suites , 529 S Fourth St (tel 217/544-7411 or 1-800/252-1083, ; $75-100). The Inn at 835 , 835 S Second Ave (tel 217/523-4466, ; $100-130), is a charming eleven-room B&B converted from a 1900 downtown apartment block.Springfield's cafés seem to have exclusive rights to a phenomenon known as the Horseshoe - ostensibly a sandwich, but fried, covered in melted cheese and very tasty. Norb Andy's , 518 E Capitol Ave (tel 217/523-7777), musters up the best Horseshoes around. The Cozy Dog Drive-In at 2935 S Sixth St (tel 217/525-1992) claims to be the birthplace of the Cozy Dog (also known as the corn dog), a deep-fried, batter-drenched hot dog on a stick. At the other end of the health spectrum, Augie's Front Burner , 2 W Old State Capitol Plaza (tel 217/544-6979), serves up good California-style and vegetarian meals, while Sebastian's Hideout , 221 S Fifth St (tel 217/789-8988), has a wide-ranging Mediterranean menu with good couscous dishes and occasional jazz or blues.
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