Lawrence County sits on the eastern edge of Illinois, right along the Wabash River and Indiana border. Lawrenceville is the county seat. Unfortunately, the population has been shrinking for years.

Corn and soybeans are the main crops grown here. The oil industry also left its mark, and you can still see pumpjacks nodding away in the fields. On a clear night, the stars are something else, with few city lights around to get in the way.

Red Hills State Park offers some decent fishing and camping if you’re into that. You won’t find much nightlife, but people here make their own fun. It’s the kind of place where everybody knows everybody else’s business, for better or worse.