Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Route
Illinois provides many opportunities for outdoors enthusiasts to hike, swim, camp, fish, and much more. But for those of us who are a little less enthusiastic about nature, sometimes just a nice scenic drive can be a nice relaxing getaway.
In southwestern Illinois, the Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Route travels for 33 miles (53 km) through the floodplains where the Missouri, Mississippi, and Illinois Rivers meet. At the rivers’ juncture, history and natural beauty also come together, for this area had great significance in early American times.
For example, on the south end of the route, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark began their historic expedition to the Pacific Ocean in 1804 from what is now the town of Hartford. The Lewis & Clark State Historic Site is a 14,000 square-foot (1301 m2) facility, featuring a 55-foot (17 m) full-scale replica of the keel boat used by the two explorers.
In Alton, another nearby town, the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was drafted, abolishing slavery. The city was also the site of the seventh Lincoln-Douglas debate. And, during the Civil War, Alton was home to a Union prison, a Confederate cemetery, and several stately homes that assisted the Underground Railroad.
The town of Alton started growing faster than the city of St Louis in nearby Missouri, so several businessmen from St Louis planned to build a town to stop it. That town became Grafton, Illinois. Today, Grafton is best known for its bird-watching opportunities, especially bald eagles, Canadian geese, and herons. The city also serves as a relaxing pit stop for bicyclists on the Sam Vadalabene Bike Trail, a 21.5-mile (35 km) paved trail that parallels the Mississippi River.
State parks, museums, festivals, historic memorials: whatever your interest, you’ll be sure to find it along the Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Route.
Photo credit: (via SXC) Cavell L Blood, Wikipedia, (via Flickr:) Drawings of Light - Paul, jimfrazier
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Route: Pere Marquette State Park to Hartford, IL
http://www.visitalton.com/ (Alton Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau)
http://www.hartfordillinois.net/ (Lewis and Clark Site #1, Hartford IL)
http://www.greatriverroad.com/ (Visitor’s Guide to the Middle Mississippi River Valley)
http://www.byways.org/ (America’s Byways)
March 28th, 2008 at 9:13 am
This wonderful destination has plenty of great rivers and rare finds! Be sure to check out our special getaway packages at http://www.VisitAlton.com to make your trip planning even easier! If you need any more help or need a free visitor guide give us a call at 1-800-ALTON-IL (258-6645).
July 15th, 2008 at 8:37 am
[...] Southwest: Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway. This area is one of the best and most beautiful scenic venues in the entire [...]