Carbondale, Illinois is a small city of about 27,000 in southern Illinois about 14 miles east of the Mississippi river at roughly the southern edge of the plains, and the northern limit of the Shawnee hills. The surrounding area boasts some pleasant countryside, particularly in the Shawnee National Forest (http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/s...) preserve.
The town itself serves as the site of the main campus of Southern Illinois University (http://www.siuc.edu/).
