Imagine me here

Sometimes, we get press releases that get everyone talking.
An e-mail arrived to some of our reporters at the same time the other day, prompting Patrick Ferrell to read it and announce, "But who'd want to vacation in Arcola?"
"Me!" I told me. "What are we talking about?" ("What are we talking about?" is the infamous way I insert myself into the conversations of others in the newsroom.)
He didn't tell me. Instead, he complained that the only thing in Arcola is Amish people and the birthplace of Raggedy Ann.
Again, I say, I'm down with Arcola. Amish people and Raggedy Ann. There is no bad here.
Then, finally, I got the press release forwarded to me because, ta da, it's environmentally oriented.
Green Mill Village, "dedicated to responsible tourism and sustainability," is being built in Arcola. It's a development that includes a hotel, spa, restaurants, etc., powered by wind turbines and solar power.
Amish people, Raggedy Ann and solar-powered spas. Arcola or heaven?
Straight from the press release: The conference center, lodge and spa facility will be designed with a 1940s era theme, reminding visitors of a simpler time with a slower pace.
Again, I say, heaven. I love the design aesthetics from the 1920s through the mid-1950s.
But who cares if your energy is earth-friendly if you feel like you're in a standard, bad-for-the-planet place, right? Relax, perhaps in the spa, because judging from the artist's rendering, it's going to be right up my alley.
My husband and I love driving around Illinois for vacations. We're still emitting less carbon than we would for a flight somewhere and we get to see all the great things the governor hasn't remembered to close or destroy yet. Arcola, which is about 140 miles south of Joliet, been on our to-do list. Perhaps we can bump it to the bottom till this bad boy's done so we can stay overnight here.