  HOLLYWOOD
close to home For a winter adventure, visit movie sites in southern Illinois Tired of the same ol’, same ol’? If so, maybe it is time to rev up your holidays with a bit of Hollywood glamour, southern Illinois style. Southernmost Illinois has a few connections with the big screen that might be just the trip to add a bit of pickup from the winter doldrums. While everyone else is seeking eggnog and a Christmas Carol, you could be seeing where Tommy Lee Jones filmed the movie U.S. Marshalls and glimpse the plane he flew in from an underwater view. If you are a Super-hero fan, Metropolis, Ill., is the home of Superman, the Superman Museum and the Americana Hollywood museum. Think about the adventures you could have along the Ohio Scenic Byway only three to four hours south.
The first Hollywood connection could be the Bay City General Store & Lodging, on the Ohio River south of Golconda in Pope County. Remember the scene from U.S. Marshalls where the 727 crashes into the Ohio River? That was right across from the Bay City General Store & Lodging. The movie was filmed in 1997 and owner Donna Norton shared a bit of information about the film that put their little burg on the map. “The casting included countless local persons who posed as restaurant employees of Roy Willy’s World’s Best Bar-B-Que, local and state law enforcement and first responders,” she said. Although visitors often think otherwise, there is no barbecue to be had, but there is RC Cola, Moon Pies and a great variety of antiques and collectibles and a general store restored to all of its 1915 glory. Along with the storefront, there are also a couple rooms above the store where a visitor can stay and have an amazing view of the Ohio River, which is just a stone’s throw away from the parking lot. This place is a chance to throw away the clock, turn off the cell phone, listen to the sounds of the Shawnee Forest and veg. Besides the room overhead, there is also a cabin next door with room for a family reunion or group to gather for the holidays.
Call 618-683-4305 for details. If you are wondering what happened to that 727 used in U.S. Marshalls, Glen Faith of Mermet Springs can tell you. The plane is in his spring-fed quarry that serves as a scuba diving and training site. Glen, who is an investigator with the Secretary of State Police, received his training on the job. He liked it so well he decided diving was the sport for him, and purchased the quarry with eyes towards creating a southern Illinois dive destination.
A stickler for details Glen said, “I decided if I started this business I would do it right,”
continued on page 13 Among the 20,000 items in Metropolis' Super Museum is the original costume worn by George Reeves in the TV series.
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