The Vermillion River flowed past at a steady 3-m.p.h. clip. No big deal in terms of death-defying speed. But Bob Herbst promised the 9 1/2-mile-paddle would provide a wake-up call more than once as ...

Yes, whitewater — in Illinois. Brett Hazen, one of the owners of Vermillion River Rafting, calls the whitewater on the Vermilion River between Lowell and Oglesby “one of Illinois’ best-kept secrets.” ...