Peoria is my hometown. It’s the jewel city of the Illinois River, situated at its widest point, with big bluffs on either side of the river. This segment of the Illinois River is the site of the oldest European settlements in Illinois, but before that, Native Americans inhabited it too. They called this land by the river “pimiteoui”, which roughly translates from Miami-Illinois to English as “it burns past”. The wet land near the river but below the river bluffs was protected from prairie wildfires, leaving forests that have always been safe and green. I spent a lot of time hiking in them. Peoria’s country club is on a long street at the top of the bluffs, with views down to the river and the forests. In 1910 when Teddy Roosevelt was in the backseat of a car on the way to that country club he described the road as the “world’s most beautiful drive”, and I think that’s true. A river valley is where mankind started, and it’s still all we need. This is a recommendation for my hometown but also for yours.