What is your local history? Where do you take visitors?  We are currently creating a plan for the community of Highland, IL.  Wow, what an impressive place with wonderfully enthusiastic residents.  We recently visited and asked them to list 20 local historic sites.  The four people at the meeting knew more than 20 and threw them out in less than 45 minutes.  They included their cemetery, their many parks, famous entrepreneurial buildings like Wicks Organ, Pets Milk, the farms, the fountain, the recreational center, the lakes and much more.  The amount of private donations, enthusiasm, entrepreneurialism, the government operating in the black, fiber optics, the library and other accomplishments of the town are quite impressive.  Their town slogan is, “Highland – Mindful of our past, with an I to the future.”

Highland Cemetery

Latzer Homestead in Highland

This weekend I rode my horse along the Vermillion River right in my back yard.  It was magical.  We hung out on a sand bar.  I watched some minnows swimming in the clear shallow water as I stood on a big boulder.  The sunlight was reflecting off the water mirroring the large Sycamore trees along the bank.  A Blue Heron flew off in the distance with its prehistoric call.  Crows were cawing in what seemed like annoyance.  My troublesome horse, Lexi, was trying to roll with her saddle on and did not want to relax.  It was bliss.  I often share this with visitors to my home.  You don’t need to go far or spend much to share experiences.

Lexi, my troublesome but well-loved Andalusian

Do you consider you who your audience is? I like to introduce people to nature, horses and local parks.   Middlefork State Park and Kickapoo are nearby.  Middlefork River is Illinois’ first State Scenic river.  There is horse trails, canoeing, small lakes for boating, fishing, scuba diving, hiking trails and more.   Kennekuk County Park has 170-acre Lake Mingo and a bunch of historic buildings that are fun to wander around and explore.  If visitors want a more urban experience I suggest downtown Champaign.  Champaign has great restaurants, coffee shops, bars and cup cakes.

Friends in Champaign

I am off to Barcelona this week.  I’m very excited.  Yet, my moment along my river this weekend reminded me that I have a wonderful home.  I’m always glad to come back to my little country abode surrounded by trees, a river, prairie and fields.  It is home and home is where the heart is.  It’s where my neighbors watch keep an eye out, my dog is always happy to see me and my horses run.

Gifts from my neighbors

How can you get your community to create a sense of place?  What experiences can you share with visitors?   Every community has experience venues with unique collections of stories, parks and establishments.  We can all create a sense of place around where we live, telling our natural and cultural history and enjoying modern life.  Isn’t it time to Put the HEART Back in Your Community?