Illinois is an industrial and farming state, but with the Port of Chicago connecting to the Atlantic through the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence Seaway it is a very important hub for imports and exports.  The state capital of Illinois is Springfield, but Chicago “The Windy City” is the largest and most populated city.  Also, Chicago is the start of the famous Route 66 which runs all the way to Los Angeles, California, a distance of 2451 miles.

The climate of Illinois is temperate, with cold snowy winters and hot wet summers.  The average winter temperature is 22f/-6c for the north of the state and 37f/3c for the south of the state.  Summer temperatures are 70f/21c for the north of the state and 77f/25c for the south.  There is about 36” inches of rain per year.

There are numerous good dive spots in Illinois.  Mermet Springs, which is in Southern Illinois is ideal for diving and training and to make things more interesting they have sunk a Boeing 727 and also, there are 100 foot walls.  Haigh Quarry is popular with depths to 85 feet and what is interesting is that they have Sunfish in the lake.  Bonne Terre Mine is the worlds largest freshwater dive resort with conditions that remain constant and  visibility of up to 100 feet.  Other dive spots are Crosby Mine Pits, Devil’s Lake, Pearl Lake, Red Granite Quarry and many others.

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