Welcome to a home away from home. The apartment is available as a daily or short rental as you visit in our area. Whether it be for a vacation, visiting family, a class reunion, a work related need, celebrating at a wedding or grieving through a loss, we created our home away from home with you in mind. It is for you and your family to have your private space in our part of the world.
There are several ways you can make a reservation. We accept reservations directly thru email or phone. We use Square processing for our direct bookings. For instant booking, we are also listed on Airbnb, VRBO, HomeAway, Expedia, or Trip Advisor. Business or individuals customers can book and receive invoices directly through our Square processing.
Contact us directly with email or by phone (618-499-0069). If you choose to book directly, we send you an invoice using Square and accept payments with credit/debit cards using Square. To check availability, the booking calendar is at the Airbnb link or just email us. We do not have a minimum stay so if you are just in town for one night, that's fine with us.
- Welcome to Harrisburg, located in southeastern Illinois. We are a rural community of about 9,000 in Saline county. We are perhaps best known for the natural beauty that surrounds our area. The Shawnee Forest boasts beautiful scenery but also provides opportunities for hiking the trails, swimming, biking, and horseback riding. Many come for the fishing and hunting and athletes come for the bike and running trails. There are also two Wine Trails located in our area, the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail and the Southern Illinois Wine Trail.
- Our area hosts several running events during the year. Each Spring, the most heavily attended run is the River to River Relay. The River to River Relay is a long distance relay race in which teams of runners run from the Mississippi River to the Ohio River, covering a distance of 80 miles. Over 2000 runners take part in the race every year. River to River is a race of friendly competition that experienced to novice runners enjoy running. The race takes place in the southern part of Illinois beginning near Wolf Lake, Illinois and ending in Golconda, Illinois.
- Another popular race is called the Tunnel Hill 100 which began in 2014. Tunnel Hill 100 mile run has been granted the IAU (International Association of Ultrarunners) Silver Label, AND the IAU Trail Label for 2018. This is a very unique combination, and we are proud to earn it. This international label goes perfectly with the USATF sanctioning, and certification. Your hard-earned records will count at Tunnel Hill.” This is an incredibly fast course consisting of an old railroad bed covered with finely crushed limestone on the Tunnel Hill State Trail in southern Illinois. Although the course is on a gentle 2% grade the scenery is anything but flat. Gorgeous views from the dozens of old train trestles. The signature feature is the old tunnel. Over 600′ long. It’ll get your juices pumping. Consider registering for the 50 miler or the 100 miler, this could be your year to make that dream possible!
We are 52 miles from downtown Paducah, Kentucky if you have quilting on your mind. There will be two Quilt weeks in 2019, April 24-27 and September 11-14. The Spring AQS attracts over 30,000 visitor, while the Fall AQS is much smaller. I attended the Fall AQS in 2018 and it was so much fun with all the quilters and beautiful artwork...and opportunities to learn!
Southern Illinois University in Carbondale is 45 minutes away if you are thinking college. We also have Southeastern Illinois college just seven miles from us. While we have several delightful boutiques in Harrisburg, our nearest town for larger scale shopping is Marion, 23 miles west, drive a little farther (1 hour) to Paducah for a larger mall and to Evansville (1.5 hours) for the most shopping in our area. Evansville, Indiana is our also our favorite airport with just a 45 minute hop to Atlanta. They also have wonderful shopping and restaurants. St. Louis is about two and a half hours north west if you want to explore the Gateway to the West. St. Louis has what you are looking for!
Our apartment is in a beautiful area called the "Gateway to the Shawnee Forest".
We are delighted to welcome you to our apartment. While we grew up in the south, we have lived in the Midwest since 1979. Our roots in Harrisburg go back to 2000 when we moved into town. Our three daughters have grown up and married while we were living in Harrisburg. We have lived abroad and traveled to several countries during our 43 years of marriage. We have discovered it is so much nicer to have a "home away from home" accommodations rather than staying in a hotel room. With our children now adults and living away, we are making our apartment available to others as they pass through our area. We hope you will find it a delightful place to rest while you are here.
Come on in...to the Apartment at 217!
The living area has an HD tv and DVD player available for your use. Our satellite provider is DISH and we have several hundred movies on the DVR . We provided "Alexa" for your listening enjoyment, just tell her what you want to hear... jazz, country, easy listening and other genres. There is a leather couch to stretch out on while you watch tv or a cozy chair for reading. For the warm summer months this area has an air conditioner in the window by the stereo and for the winter the entire apartment is controlled hot water heating. The Nest thermostat in the hallway keeps everything warm and comfy. To keep connected we have a guest internet, the password is included in the guidebook which is in the apartment. The front door has a key pad also with a code, we send that code to our guests a few days before check-in.
Eat in or out....
The kitchen provides a four burner stove with oven, a microwave, and a full size refrigerator. Plates, bowls, glasses, pots, pans and serving dishes are available if you decide to cook while visiting. The silverware and cooking utensils are also in the cabinets. Dish towels, dish rags and a starter supply of paper towels, dishwashing detergent, and garbage bags are also in the lower cabinets. A bar for eating and visiting while you cook separates the kitchen and living area. It has tthree counter height seats.
Down the hallway...
The bathroom has a tub surround with a pedestal sink. The fluffy towels are in the cabinet and the laundry hamper is under the cabinet. Upscale amenities are designed to make you feel special! A hair dryer and first aid kid are also in the cabinet.
The front bedroom
The front bedroom has two twin beds and two windows. The walk-in closet has a chair, hangers, shelves, and extra sheets, pillows and a blanket to make your stay comfortable. A shelf with bins will help if you want to unpack and stay awhile. An individual air conditioner is in the room so you can adjust to your temperature preference. The beds are encased in a hypoallergenic mattress cover to keep the mattresses clean and clear. Art work and a mirror complete this relaxing room.
Across the hall from the front bedroom is the back bedroom. It has a queen size bed, a leather chair and a bedside table with a lamp and books. The walk-in closet also has a chair, shelves, hangers, and a full size mirror. There are also two windows in this room and it has extra sheets, a blanket and pillows in the closet. It is cooled by an individual air conditioner where you can adjust to your temperature preference. This mattress is also encased in a hypoallergenic cover to keep it clean and clear. Art work and a decorative mirror complete this room.
Join us on the pagoda.
For those who enjoy the outdoors, you will love the pagoda. We have two water features so the sound brings a relaxing atmosphere to the entire area. The blooms of each season surround this shaded area and a long relaxing nap in the hammock from Nicaragua will make you want to stay awhile. We have a swing, hammock, several adirondack style chairs with cushions in which to sit and visit with friends. There are two patio tables, one with an umbrella, that seat four people each if you want to dine outside. A Weber barbecue grill is available if you want to grill on the pagoda. The pagoda is located on the south end of the apartment, each bedroom window faces the pagoda area. A book and a glass of sweet tea make it an awesome spot! During the cooler months the fire pit (propane) makes a welcome addition.
A few need to know items
We are located at 217 West Poplar Street in Harrisburg, Illinois. Our front yard faces Poplar Street and has a white fence around the yard. When coming from the west, turn immediately after the white fence to drive and park at the apartment. If traveling from the east, turn immediately before the white fence. The apartment is located behind the main house. It is over the three car garage, so please note it is on the second floor...up the stairs we go. We have a coded door to the apartment and will give you the access code before you arrive, so you may come and go as you please. Although we love pets, we have a no pets policy at the Apartment. We offer nightly stays, stay one night or stay several, we are delighted for all our guests! Since we are in a family neighborhood, please observe quiet time after 10 pm.
One parking space is available in front of the apartment. Please park directly below the flag so we can get in and out of the two garages. If you need more than one space, we can arrange our cars to accommodate you during your stay.
Drive or walk (half a mile) down to our city park for a pleasant surprise. There are pavilions and grills available, several playgrounds for the kids, swings for relaxing, a walking trail which is lit at night, a pool, and a fitness section for adults. You may even want to try one of the fitness classes. Check their link below for activities and events. Also, at Dorrisville Baptist, we have at least two fitness classes a week for ladies. Liz and I teach REFIT, which is an awesome way to stay in shape....and it's FREE as a ministry to ladies. Our classes last an hour, all ladies are welcome to join us for a class or a semester!
The Tunnel Hill State Trail stretches from Harrisburg and continues for 45 miles to Karnak. At one time, the rumble of freight cars reverberated through the narrow tunnel located near Vienna. Wooden trestles, with their system of slanted supports and horizontal cross pieces, spanned numerous bluffs and creeks. Passengers in Pullman cars clocked the miles with these and other landmarks as they traveled one of southern Illinois' most scenic routes. Today, the railroad is gone. The route, known as Tunnel Hill State Trail, remains. It is a beautiful trail that can be accessed from Harrisburg or many small towns closer to the actual tunnel about 9 miles from Vienna. The trail continues on a trails spur for 2.5 miles from Karnak to Cache River State Natural Area - Henry Barkhausen Wetlands Center on the old Chicago and Eastern Illinois railroad bed. In the fall of each year, our church organizes a family bike ride beginning at the Tunnel Hill trailhead and continuing for 9 scenic miles and ending at the Vienna Park for a cookout! It's a great family adventure for all ages.
Questions...just ask!
Please contact us with any questions you might have. You may reach us at our web page listed below, thru email at theapartmentat217@gmail.com, send a message to "theapartmentat217" Facebook page, or check the reservation calendar/request a booking/send a question at Airbnb.com. (search for Harrisburg, Illinois or click the link below). We are also available on VRBO and Trip Advisor for booking . Thanks for sharing your time, we hope to see you soon.