River Lore Adds Zest to Western Illinois Itineraries

Illinois Western

Region

Western Illinois, a tourism region

bounded by the Mississippi River on the west and Illinois River on the east, brims with attractions and activities for groups. Known as River Country, the region offers riverboat casinos, non-gaming river boats, hiking and biking trails, scenic drives and winter roosting places of the bald eagle. The Great River Road (last page) follows the mighty Mississippi, offering splendid scenery and intriguing river towns.

Historic downtown areas in Western Illinois abound with antiques and specialty shops, museums and restaurants. And the region boasts 11 wineries.

Many historical sites recall the famous people who have lived or passed through Western Illinois. Groups can tour the Galesburg birthplace of author-poet Carl Sandburg and the Ronald Reagan Museum at the president’s alma mater, Eureka College in Eureka. Several towns boast sites associated with Abraham Lincoln, such as the Lincoln Courtroom and Museum in Beardstown and the majestic brick McDonough County Courthouse in Macomb. Swedish heritage is preserved at Bishop Hill State Historic Site, while many landmarks highlight Mormon history in the Mississippi River town of Nauvoo.

Peoria, the Quad Cities and Quincy each have enough to do to fill a multi-day itinerary, with shopping, entertainment, recreation and sightseeing opportunities, plus a wide variety of restaurants and accommodations.

Contact Information:

Angela Ingerson Tour Illinois Chairman 1817 S. Neil Street, Suite 201 Champaign, IL 61820-7269 Phone: 1-800-369-6151 Angelal@champaigncounty.org Tourillinois.org

Mississippi River Tour—Suggested Itinerary Ah, this mighty river has some stories to tell. And you’ll hear your share of them as you wind along this scenic western edge of Illinois. You’ll learn the humble beginnings of John Deere, visit an historic Mormon site and see where Lewis & Clark started their great journey west.

DAY 1 Start your Mississippi River tour in the historic town of Galena, a bustling hub for steamboats and lead mining during the 1800s. Shop the charming Main Street, noted for its 19th century buildings that today house modern shops, galleries and restaurants. Tour the area on a Galena Trolley Tour.

Docents provide the inside scoop on local landmarks and historic sites such as the Ulysses S. Grant Home. Have lunch at Fried Green Tomatoes, an upscale Italian restaurant that was once a leather shop owned by Grant's family. Next, visit Moline, the hometown of farming hero John Deere. Learn how he changed the world's agricultural landscape at the John Deere Pavilion and John Deere Collectors Center. Enjoy a dinner and dance cruise on the Mississippi River aboard the 800-passenger Celebration Belle. Afterwards, roll the dice at Jumer's Casino Rock Island, a three-deck riverboat right on the Mississippi.

DAY 2 Begin the day in Nauvoo, a river town rich in Mormon history. Visit the Joseph Smith Historic Site, which traces the Latter-day Saints movement in 1840s Nauvoo. Join a guided walk or take a horse-drawn carriage ride through the site to see such Mormon landmarks as the Brigham Young Home and the Smith Homestead.

Have lunch at nearby Thyme & Seasons Restaurant. Then stop by Baxter's Vineyards & Winery, Illinois' oldest winery. Afterwards, travel the scenic Great River Road to Quincy. Learn about Quincy's renowned architecture at the Gardner Museum of Architecture & Design, housed in the town's 1888 public library. Tour the Governor John Wood Mansion, considered one of the finest existing examples of Greek Revival architecture in the Midwest. Finish your evening at The Pier Restaurant, known for its beautiful sunset views of the Mississippi.

DAY 3 Complete your Mississippi River experience in Alton at the National Great Rivers Museum, located on the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway. The museum illustrates the history and important transportation role of the Mississippi through interactive exhibits and displays. The museum is located at the Melvin Price Locks Dam, which is open to the public for guided tours.

Contact Information:

Angela Ingerson Tour Illinois Chairman 1817 S. Neil Street, Suite 201 Champaign, IL 61820-7269 Phone: 1-800-369-6151 Angelal@champaigncounty.org Tourillinois.org

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The Great River Road The Illinois Great River Road, a National Scenic Byway filled with awe-inspiring vistas, is one of the most celebrated drives in Mid-America. Following a 550-mile route on Illinois’ western border, the road showcases four centuries of American frontier history. Its bluffs and banks are home to all types of wildlife and migrating birds. From Galena in the state’s northwest corner to Cairo at its southern tip, the Great River Road offers a boatload of attractions ideal for group tours.

Galena’s Main Street is straight out of an old-time movie. In fact, many Hollywood films have been shot in this historic commercial district filled with antiques shops, specialty boutiques and eateries. Among the many fine 19th century mansions is the Ulysses S. Grant Home State Historic Site, an 1860s home where the former Civil War general and U.S. president lived for a short time.

Savanna, south of Galena, attracts nostalgia-minded shoppers to the Pulford Opera House Antique Mall on Main Street. For magnificent views of the Mississippi, visit Mississippi Palisades State Park, just north of downtown Savanna.

In the Quad Cities area, Moline is the home of one of America’s most famous brands—John Deere. Interactive displays at the world-class John Deere Pavilion offer a fun look back at the history of farming and food production, while the retail store is filled with Deere souvenirs. The John Deere Collectors Center has a collection of early tractors, equipment and memorabilia.

Celebration River Cruises in Moline offers Mississippi River excursions on an 800-passenger paddlewheeler.

Rock Island, also part of the Quad Cities, is home to the Rock Island Arsenal, an active U.S. Army factory on an island in the Mississippi. Visitors can tour a museum, historic home, and national and Confederate cemeteries. They can watch boats pass through the locks at the Mississippi River Visitors Center.

Several attractions in Nauvoo highlight Mormon heritage. The Historic Nauvoo Visitors Center has more than 25 restored homes and shops with artifacts from the 1840s. Watch demonstrations of pioneer crafts, like weaving, bread making and rope making, at the Family Living Center. The Joseph Smith Historic Site includes the homestead and grave of the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Sample the spirits at Baxter’s Vineyard/Winery, the oldest winery (1857) in Illinois.

Quincy’s East End Historic district is a treasure trove of grand 19th century homes. The Richard Eells House, built in 1835, was once a stopping point on the Underground Railroad. Other homes include the Governor John Wood Mansion (1835), the Quincy Museum (in the Newcomb-Stillwell Mansion) and Villa Kathrine, a 1900 Moorish villa perched on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi.

Pere Marquette State Park, outside of Grafton on 8,000 wooded acres along the Illinois River, is an outdoor lover’s paradise, with wildlife watching, hiking trails, nature programs and other activities.

Guests can spend the overnight in the Pere Marquette Lodge and eat in the dining room. Enjoy tastings and panoramic views at nearby Aerie’s Riverview and Piasa wineries. The charming town of Grafton, at the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers, has a lively antiques district.

Lewis & Clark State Historic Site and Park, located on the Mississippi River at Hartford, has an interpretive center with a 12minute film, exhibits and a full-scale replica of the expedition’s keelboat. In nearby Alton, visitors can learn about Lincoln and the Civil War at the Alton Museum of History and Art and various historic sites. At the National Great Rivers Museum, more than 20 interactive exhibits spotlight the Mississippi River, and a tour of the locks and dam is available. Alton’s Broadway Street, with more than 60 antiques dealers, is a Midwest center of the antiques trade.

South of Alton, groups can tour Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, a designated World Heritage Site. Located on a 2,200acre tract in Collinsville, it features 68 manmade mounds that hold the remains of a sophisticated Indian civilization that flourished from 700-1400 A.D. Collinsville has another claim to fame—the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle, a now-empty steel water tank and tower that serves as a quirky roadside attraction.

From hilly Northwest Illinois to the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, travel adventure awaits along Illinois’ Great River Road. For more information, visit www.greatriverroad-illinois.org.