Central Illinois Bed and Breakfast the Market Street Inn

tandem jump

Skydiving is one of the extreme sports practiced here in Taylorville, IL. Mid-America Sport Parachute Club is located at TAZ (the official symbol for Taylorville Municipal Airport) and diving instruction is given if you are a novice, tandem jumps are available and if you have your license you can enjoy jumping where the US Army Team, the Golden Knights, practice when in the area.

Tandem with chute open

Our Central Illinois inn has guests from all over the world and some of them have learned to skydive while staying here. Practically everything is less expensive out here in the country and, I imagine, skydiving costs are no exception. Come out and jump out of a perfectly good airplane. Call for jump information at 217-824-JUMP.

Make your reservations at the Market Street Inn by going to www.marketstreetinn.com and click on “Check Availability” in the upper right corner or call 800-500-1466. 

Make the day last longer by viewing the sunset from waaaaayyyyyy up there.   After a tough day of falling through the air and going up again just

fall out again, come home to wine and fruit and cheese at our Springfield Area Inn, soak in your double whirlpool for a while and then go to dinner at one of the restaurants here.  Come back, have a great night of sleep filled rest and be ready for a sunrise jump tomorrow.   We are waiting to welcome you.

Every Thursday night, Antoine DeRocci sponsors “Open Mic” in the Shumway Room at One East Market Restaurant and Jazz Lounge.

Guitarist at Open Mic

Taylorville, Illinois has talent and, fortunately for the rest of us, some of the musically talented show up for some Blues, Rock, R&B, Pop, Folk, Bluegrass and Country to pick and grin and just have a good entertaining time. You should be there too. There is no cover and there are always beverage specials.

What a way to begin a long weekend in Central Illinois than by kicking it off with an unbelievable evening of entertainment from some of the Midwest’s Greatest Unknown Stars.  The fun begins at 7 PM but you should come early, enjoy dinner and stay for the music.

Duos and groups form as the evening goes on

 Come and stay at our Springfield Area Inn and we will get you up to speed for a fine mid-week or weekend of fun, food, entertainment and free golf in Central Illinois in Taylorville.

Who thinks about Persimmons today? Probably not a lot of folks but the Persimmon Fest in Central Illinois at the Christian County Historical Museum sure does draw a crowd from all over the country and then some. Actually the persimmon is a sought after fruit in Asian Countries.

The Lovely and Versitile Persimmon

Persimmons are not ready to eat, at least by local standards, before they have undergone a “killing frost” and we have had one now so the persimmon harvest is coming in, they are being washed, pitted and mashed into a pulp for use in all sorts of tasty dishes including puddings, pies, steamed persimmon pudding, spiced persimmon cake and other baked goods.  Darleen Wilson is making 24 persimmon pecan pies for this event.  Abraham Lincoln would have loved Darleen’s pies.

Persimmon Bundt with Walnuts

Persimmon Bundt with Walnuts Recipe

 October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Myrna, our chief innkeeper, is a survivor of  6 months. Our effort in promoting Breast Cancer Awareness Month is to invite you to a stay at the Market Street Inn Bed and Breakfast for the weekend of Friday and Saturday, October 29 and 30 or anytime through November 21, 2010 AND  10%  of your room rate will be donated to Cups for the Cure and/or Breast Cancer Research.  The donation will be in your name.

Some special events in Taylorville, IL   

** One East Market Restaurant invites you to make a $15 donation to attend a tasting of five fabulous wines and a complimentary, hand painted wine glass.  11 am to 5 pm    You may purchase any of the wines either by the bottle or case and all proceeds will go to breast cancer awareness and research in a ten-county area in Central Illinois.

** Lunch on the “Pink Plate Special” for $8.50 and $1.00 of each lunch will go to breast cancer research.

** The drink of the day at One East Market Restaurant will be the Flirtini Special for $7.50. Each Flirtini Special sold makes a $2.50 donation to Breast Cancer Research.

** There will be a 50/50 drawing and Gift Basket Raffles.

** There will be Art Bra’s on display, one by your innkeeper, and you may let your $$ vote for your favorite and, of course, all proceeds go to breast cancer awareness and research.

** There is NO COVER CHARGE for live music by 48 Connection from 5 to 8 PM. This band is known for their roadhouse blues and rock music.

Have fun, donate to a very worthy cause and enjoy Central Illinois finest lodging.  See us at www.marketstreetinn.com/

On Sunday, October 31st, Garlic Fest II will happen at the K of C Hall in Morrisonville, IL  just about 9 miles from the Market Street Inn Bed and Breakfast.  Tickets are $8 at the door and what a good time you will have.  Garlic!!!!  The doors will open at 1 PM and Bagna Cauda will be ready about 1:30 PM.  This gives you time to soak up a bunch of Bagna and beer preparing for the meal which will be at approximately 3:30 PM consisting of Garlic Sausage, Slaw & Mostaccioli.  There will be music by “The Music Men” from 3:30 to 7:30 PM.  Garlic Fest II is a revived area tradition and golly, did we miss it when it was gone.  Thanks for the revival.  You cannot have more down home fun than is available here.      

Bagna Cauda Recipe

Garlic Fest II Where Garlic is King

Romance and warmth multiply in flickering firelight

We are approaching the time of year when warmth is a desirable thing. There is nothing like a flickering fire or the warm bubbling waters of a whirlpool tub for two to warm and stimulate you and your partner and enhance relaxation and romance. Both fire flicker and bubbling jets of our whirlpool rooms are available at the Market Street Inn Bed and Breakfast www.marketstreeinn.com.

Whirlpool Tub for Two next to a Fireplace

Most of our guest rooms have either a gas log fireplace or an electric fireplace while our Hunt Club in the Carriage House has both. Enjoy the romance, the escape and each other.

Golf!  What a beautiful word which conjures visions of  sunshine, fresh air, challenge, fun, frustration, bets to be won on the next shot, camaraderie and liquid refreshment.  What could be better?  FREE GOLF!  Book your two night stay at the Market Street Inn and use our 4 passes to 18 holes per day.  The cart is on you. 

Taylorville Lake Shore Golf Course is rated 4.5 by Golf Digest and our golf guests tell us that it is a mature and challenging course.  Yes, there are some blackout dates and we urge you to check with us for those dates.

Magnificent Mansions star at the Taylorville Home Tour which will be Friday, December 4 and Saturday, December 5 from 10 am to 6 pm.

The feature home is a 16,200 sq ft home built in the early 1960′s.

The 1883 home shown here is also another of the fine homes on the tour.

Additionally the restored Courthouse dome and rotunda will be on the tour. Tickets are available for $9.00 per person. Children under 12 are free when accompanied by a ticketed adult. A special “Winter Getaway” package is available for only $26.00 which includes the tour and “Taking Tea with Mrs. Lincoln” scheduled for Saturday only and tickets for this are only available at Cottage Rose Antiques and Crafts in Taylorville, IL. This authentically British tea will begin when the doors open at 10:30 am for a promenade amog tables set by local hostesses and serving at 11:00 am. Each guest will be served 6 sandwiches, a scone, three desserts and hot tea. A vintage and contemporary style show will be presented during tea time. For advance tickets, which are limited, call 217-824-9447. Make your reservation for your overnight stay at the Market Street Inn and ask for our Christmas Home Tour Special:   one night, single occupancy in whirlpool tub room w/ tea & tour     150.00;  one night, double occupancy w/ tea & tour, 175.00;   two nights w/ tea & tour, single occupancy –275.00;  two nights w/ tea & tour, double occupancy–295.00.   Act now due to limited ticket availability for tea.  Non-cancelable.

Sometimes the best times are not the big events. In fact, sometimes the simplest things create the most special moments. A spontaneous getaway to our Central Illinois bed and breakfast, with no plans other than serious rest and relaxation, can make for lovely lasting memories. It may not be as glamorous as jetting off to New York City or London, but heck, it’s a lot less expensive, too!

Taylorville Illinois is a peaceful, quaint town. We are close to Springfield, and often take advantage of all that great city has to offer, such as the historical sites about Abraham Lincoln, the Hoogland Center for the Arts, the Springfield Theatre Centre, and the Muni, Springfield’s Opera.

Often, however, we like to enjoy the simple pleasures of Taylorville. Walking less than a mile down the street to Gambino’s Family Restaurant, where we indulge in New Orleans cajun food and beignets. When we want a shorter walk, we head two blocks down the street to One East Market, Taylorville’s most upscale eatery. Live music happens at both of the restaurants from time to time, and that makes the food even better.

Lingering over coffee after a tasty breakfast here at our Taylorville b&b is another lovely way to pass the time, as is enjoying a soak in your whirlpool or curling up with a good book in our common areas. Be spontaneous. Let someone else pamper you for a while. Pack your bags and head down the road to Taylorville!

Visit the Dana-Thomas House in Springfield

The Dana-Thomas House is a short drive from our Taylorville Illinois inn. Devotees of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural style travel all around the country to visit his buildings, and we are fortunate to have such a stellar example of his work so close to home.

The Dana-Thomas House is a renovation of an existing home. The Lawrence family, of Springfield Illinois, hired Frank Lloyd Wright in 1902 to renovate their home and create a showcase as well. By the time the work was complete two years later, the original Italianate style Victorian was entirely engulfed by the new structure. From the outset, it was recognized as “a symbol of artistic and architectural excellence” and today it is still considered “the finest example of the creativity and uniqueness characteristic of the Prairie School of Architecture” (quotes from Governor James R. Thompson, 1983).

The Dana-Thomas House is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday, from 9am to 4pm. Fill your tummy with a delicious home-made breakfast at our Springfield area inn, and then head out for a fascinating tour.

Throw your heart into the game, even if you are just watching.

Baseball season is underway. Fans gather around televisions, listen to radios, and fill stadiums in pursuit of this great American past time. The porch of our bed and breakfast in Taylorville Il is the perfectly spot to enjoy a pitcher of lemonade, a bowl of nuts, and the lulling voice of the announcer giving the play-by-play. Outdated, some might say, in this age of television. We have t.v., too, but sometimes it is worth revisiting old pleasures.

The front porch or the parlor chair in front of the television might just be as close as one can get to a major league baseball game here in Taylorville Illinois, but the spirit of the game is alive and well in the area nonetheless. Just a few miles up the road from our Central Illinois bed and breakfast is the B-R-S Baseball Museum. If you are a baseball fan, this museum is a lovely way to pass an hour or two while you are staying with us.

The Nokomis area of Central Illinois has produced many excellent baseball players; three of them not only made it to the big league, they made it the Hall of Fame: “Sunny” Jim Bottomley, Charles “Red” Ruffing and Ray Schalk. This museum is dedicated to them. Whether you are visiting the Springfield Illinois area for business or pleasure, if you have a spare hour, check out the B-R-S Museum.