Peoria is in fact so typical that the rhetorical, "How will it play in Peoria?" is used nationwide to ask "What will the Midwest think about it?". Furthermore Peoria is the only city of note in Illinois that is not either Chicago or home to a
large state university.
Things to do in Peoria:
Drink
hold on I had to think after that one
Go to a Peoria Riverman hockey match.
Watch Bradley Basketball.
Visit the agriculture lab where Olestra was invented.
Go to West Peoria which is surrounded by the Peoria and hence not actually West of Peoria.
Stock car races!.
Big Al's strip club
Did I mention drink?