Robin Hall is a visiting professor in the department of recreation, sport and tourism and director the department’s Office of Recreation and Park Resources.
Robin Hall is a visiting professor in the department of recreation, sport and tourism and director the department’s Office of Recreation and Park Resources. He’s also former executive director of the Urbana Park District. Hall was interviewed by News Bureau editor Melissa Mitchell.
Tell me about the Office of Recreation and Park Resources. What is its focus?
ORPR is the primary service arm of the department of recreation, sport and tourism. The focus of ORPR is to help build healthy communities. We provide education, direct services and applied research to assist communities with the planning, development and management of community parks and recreation facilities and programs.
As the summer vacation season gets under way, gasoline prices have soared, with no relief in sight. Do you think high prices at the pump will effect people’s vacation and leisure plans?
The high price of gas may limit people’s travel plans for the summer. Fortunately, people in Champaign-Urbana are well situated to plan some fun and interesting day trips.
Do you have any travel or recreation suggestions for people on tighter budgets this summer?
Bloomington-Normal is only an hour’s drive from C-U. The Miller Park Zoo in Bloomington is very nice. It has many special features including a new exhibit, the Tropical American Rain Forest and a Children’s Petting Zoo. After visiting the zoo you could have a picnic lunch in Miller Park and then visit the wonderful new Children’s Discovery Museum in Normal. Stop for an ice cream cone on the way out of town and you will have had a nice day.
The Lincoln Museum in Springfield is a marvelous facility. It has something for the entire family. The Lincoln Home and Visitor Center can also be included in this day trip. A “hidden gem” in Springfield is the Dana Thomas House. This is a great example of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture. The tours are very well done. While in Springfield you can enjoy a picnic lunch in beautiful Washington Park or Lincoln Park.
Champaign-Urbana residents are an easy two-hour drive from Indianapolis. Indianapolis has a very nice zoo, a big Children’s Museum, and two art museums (Indianapolis Museum of Art and the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indian and Western Art. Any or all are worth the trip. If you are an automobile and racing fan, you will want to visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.
Chicago has a couple of fine zoos (Lincoln Park and Brookfield), museums (Field Museum, Art Institute, Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum of Science and Industry, Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium) and much, much more. Navy Pier is an entertaining place to visit. An easy way to visit Chicago is to drive to University Park and take the Metra to downtown Chicago. You will disembark very near Millennium Park – a must-see attraction. Once downtown, the city of Chicago has a free trolley system in the summer months that provides transportation to many of the city’s attractions.
For people who are more interested in the outdoors, the Champaign County Forest Preserve District has over 3,500 acres of park land. The Vermilion County Conservation District has over 6,000 acres of park land. Both districts offer opportunities for hiking, fishing, birding and camping. A 17-mile strip of the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River is designated a “National Wild and Scenic River.” Canoeists and kayakers can enjoy its beauty on their own or by renting a canoe or kayak at the concession area in Kickapoo State Park. Allerton Park in nearby Piatt County was recently voted one of the seven wonders of Illinois. It, too, offers opportunities for birding and hiking.
