|
More than three centuries
ago, two scraggly French explorers "discovered" the
Illinois country and the Native Americans who had lived
there since prehistoric times. Louis Jolliet and Jacques
Marquette-an unlikely coupling between a fur trader and
a Jesuit priest-first opened the door to French tourism
in the territory. In those days amenities were scarce,
so later French tourists (notably de la Salle) built
some nice forts in the area; think of them as bed and
breakfast precursors. But it's too hard to keep a good
vacation find a secret, and before long the British
showed up and tried to take over.
A lot of water has lapped the shores of Lake Michigan
and flowed down the Mississippi River since those first
travelers showed up, and the tourism business is still a
big economic player in this state. In the intervening
centuries, Illinois has emerged at the center of
America's transportation network and boasts the second
largest city in the country-Chicago-not to mention a
large number of internationally recognized universities
and museums, the headquarters of Caterpillar, and some
of the most productive and fertile farmland in the
country. Modern-day visitors can tour the forts
established by the early visitors, but the beds at the
local Hilton are a lot more comfortable.
|
