Between Indianapolis And St. Louis Is A Historic Heartland City With Classic Comfort Food And A Cute Downtown

For a city rich in Midwestern heritage and charm, head just an hour or so east of St. Louis to Vandalia, Illinois. This under-the-radar heartland city is home to a quaint, historic downtown and lots of opportunities to indulge in classic Midwestern comfort food. Known as the oldest existing capital city in the state, Vandalia was established in 1819, and today its population hovers around 7,400. Perhaps Vandalia's biggest claim to fame is its connection to Abraham Lincoln, the 16th U.S. president, who served as an Illinois state representative at the Vandalia Statehouse building in town from 1834, when the city was the capital of the Prairie State. Vandalia is where Lincoln made his first public speech denouncing slavery, and where his rivalry with Stephen Douglas first began, over two decades before the historic 1858 debates that cemented Lincoln's status as a national figure. Keep your eye out for the 10 exhibits dedicated to Lincoln's time in Vandalia, sprinkled throughout town.

Located just under three hours away from Indianapolis, be sure to stop by one of the most unique roadside stops in America, the Kaskaskia Supply Fire-Breathing Dragon. The 35-foot roadside attraction was built in 1995. Although you can check it out any time of day, if you want to see the "fire breathing" part, you'll need to grab a token from the Kaskaskia Supply store, open until 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. each day.

Comfort food and the Midwest go hand-in-hand, and the food scene in Vandalia is no exception. Chuckwagon Cafe is the town's No. 1 restaurant on Tripadvisor, offering cozy breakfast and lunch diner classics. For comfort dishes with a modern spin, head to Blind Society, a speakeasy-style restaurant and bar that has been open since 2018. Rated a 4.7 on Google, you'll find steaks, salads, and handhelds on the menu, alongside shared plates like spinach artichoke dip and cheese curds (a Midwestern classic, although you'll find more top-rated places in Wisconsin).

More homey diner dishes can be found at Mary Ann's, which features home-cooked eats like country-fried steak, biscuit-and-gravy platters, and patty melts. Breakfast is served all day, and prices are affordable — at the time of writing, a bacon cheeseburger is $5.50. If you're craving Mexican cuisine, Vandalia has that, too. Rancho Nuevo, rated 4.5 on Google, is a top choice for casual Mexican fare, serving dishes like fajitas and enchiladas. Find an array of pizza styles, ranging from Chicago-style to stuffed-crust, plus a range of pastas, salads, and sandwiches at Joe's Pizza, another of Vandalia's top eateries, according to Tripadvisor.

Vandalia's downtown is brimming with historic sightseeing and local businesses. Start your tour of Vandalia's downtown at the Vandalia Statehouse State Historic Site, which briefly served as the state capital, intersecting with the start of Lincoln's political career. Here, you'll find one of Vandalia's highlights, Lincoln Park, which faces the statehouse. Anchored by a life-size statue of Lincoln depicted sitting on a bench, you'll also find a gazebo and an exhibit dedicated to Lincoln's time in Vandalia.

To explore more of the town's history, head to the Fayette Museum, which houses around 9,000 artifacts. Located within a former church dating back to the 1860s, the museum largely focuses on Vandalia's years as the state capital from 1819 to 1839. Next, head to the National Road Interpretive Center, which highlights 19th-century travel and the development of the National Road, also known as the Cumberland Trail. Its collection even includes items that once belonged to Lincoln.

Just around the corner from the Vandalia Statehouse, Witness Distillery celebrates Illinois' long-standing whisky legacy — before Prohibition, the Prairie State produced more than half of the country's whisky, making it the top distilled spirit producer in the country (according to the distillery). Housed in a building from the 1870s, Witness Distillery uses local spring water, corn, and grains to produce its spirits, which include not only rye whiskeys but also flavored vodkas, rums, and more. Tours are currently offered on Fridays and Saturdays and cost $10 per person, with six samples and a cocktail included.