The Great River Road is one of America’s national treasures. greatriverroad.com's  coverage extends from Hannibal in the north to Ste. Genevieve, Missouri and Chester, Illinois in the south and brings our readers information on both the Illinois and Missouri sides of the river. Our coverage is divided into regions and brings you information on what to see and do, in-depth coverage of annual events, and where to shop, stay, and eat. We cover the history of real river towns and interesting facts to enhance your visit. greatriverroad.com invites you to explore our pages and then to explore the Middle Mississippi River Valley.

greatriverroad.com covers the following regions of the Middle Mississippi River Valley

 
A- Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway
     
Illinois counties of Calhoun, Jersey, and Madison
B- French Colonial Country
     
Illinois counties of St. Clair, Monroe, and Randolph
      Missouri counties of Ste. Genevieve & Jefferson
C- Gateway to the West
 
     St. Louis & St. Louis County, Missouri 
D- Meeting the Missouri River
     
St. Charles County, Missouri
E- Missouri's Lincoln Hills
     
Missouri counties of Lincoln, Pike, Ralls, and Marion

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MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Jersey County Victorian Festival
Labor Day Weekend
August 30 - September 1, 2008
Jerseyville, Illinois

Centered around the Colonel William H. Fulkerson Farmstead, The Jersey County Victorian Festival is designed to promote the educational, historical and cultural aspects of Jersey County's agricultural history. Highlights include a large Civil War battle reenactment, a Civil War era fashion show, recreations of the Gettysburg Address, and a James Gang stagecoach robbery. The event also features a large collection of antique farm equipment, historical demonstrations, antiques and arts and crafts vendors, sutlers, and a lot of good old-fashioned fun!

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SPOTLIGHT ON NATURE

Cuivre River State Park
Lincoln County, Missouri

Cuivre River State Park is one of Missouri's largest and most rugged parks with 6,394 acres of upland woods, riparian forests, limestone glades, tall grass prairie, savannas, and bluffs. Cuivre River State Park offers its visitors a wide range of activities. A staffed Visitor Center is located at the entrance to the park and includes interactive exhibits. The park offers its visitors a wide range of activities including, hiking, horseback riding, fishing, picnicking, and camping.

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MEETING OF THE GREAT RIVERS SCENIC BYWAY AREA
The Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway area is where greatriverroad.com began. We started covering the region in early 2001, have been expanding our coverage ever since, and this area remains our flagship. The Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway area is where the Mississippi, Missouri, and Illinois Rivers meet. Here you'll find magnificent limestone bluffs, forested parks and wildlife areas, real river towns, ferries that ply the rivers, brilliant fall colors, wintering bald eagles, and friendly and gracious people. Two jewels anchor the byway: Pere Marquette State Park (photo right) in the north and the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site in the south. The Vadalabene Bike Trail parallels the Great River Road beneath towering limestone bluffs between Alton and the Pere Marquette. These are just some of the treasures awaiting visitors to this region. Click here to learn more about our coverage that includes the Illinois counties of Madison, Jersey and Calhoun.  

FRENCH COLONIAL COUNTRY
The region along the Mississippi River south of St. Louis is French Colonial Country having been claimed by France after an expedition led by Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette. The area is the oldest region settled by Europeans west of the Appalachian Mountains with the founding of Cahokia in 1699, the same year as Williamsburg, the colonial capitol of Virginia, and predating New Orleans by nearly 20 years. Although English is the common language spoken in the region today, the French heritage is not forgotten. Ste. Genevieve (photo right) has more than 150 pre-1825 structures and the region has the largest concentration of French Colonial architecture in the North America. Fort de Chartres, a rebuilt 18th century French Fort, is the Mississippi Valley’s premier site for French Colonial reenactments. Click here to learn more about our coverage that includes Randolph, Monroe, and St. Clair counties in Illinois and Ste. Genevieve and Jefferson Counties, Missouri.

GATEWAY TO THE WEST
The St. Louis metropolitan area is one of the few truly cosmopolitan destinations along the Great River Road and has a lot to offer its visitors. The area's most prominent attraction is the Gateway Arch, the jewel of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. St. Louis has a number of outstanding public institutions that are free to visit: the Zoo, Art Museum, History Museum, and the Science Center. St. Louis is home to a vibrant art scene with new and revitalized institutions, along with world-class architecture and public sculpture. The region has a number of green spaces for nature and outdoor enthusiasts including Forest Park is, one of the largest urban parks in the United States. greatriverroad.com lists over 80 attractions and invites you to explore the St. Louis area
. Click here to learn more about our coverage that includes St. Louis and St. Louis County, Missouri.

MEETING THE MISSOURI RIVER
The two longest rivers of the United States, the Missouri and the Mississippi, meet at the eastern tip of St. Charles County, Missouri. The city of St. Charles is the county seat and is situated a short drive northwest of St. Louis and traces its history to the late 18th century. American settlers began settling the area shortly before the Louisiana Purchase in 1804 and the city served as the first state Capitol in Missouri. The beautifully preserved historic districts of downtown Main Street and nearby Frenchtown are a shopper’s paradise with over 100 specialty shops, antique stores, and restaurants. The keelboat (photo right) of the Lewis & Clark Boat House is housed in a certified Lewis & Clark site that sits on the banks of the Missouri River where the explorers left the last outpost of European civilization in 1804. The Foundry Art Centre is a wonderful new facility with four galleries for exhibits and studios where visitors can talk with the artists as they work. The wide variety of special events that occur throughout the year make St. Charles an interesting stop along the Great River Road or as a destination in itself. A short drive down Highway 94 from St. Charles is Augusta, situated in the wine country of the Missouri River bluffs. Visitors will find a number of wineries, shops, and B&B's in this area. Click here to learn more about our coverage that includes St. Charles County, Missouri.

MISSOURI'S LINCOLN HILLS
Missouri's Lincoln Hills is geological formation that spans four counties north of St. Louis along the Mississippi River. The region is so similar to that of southern Missouri that the region is often called the Northern Ozarks. Located in the northern most county of the area is Hannibal, which conjures up images of the steamboat era of the mid-19th century. The town has become virtually synonymous with Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer, and Huck Finn. Hannibal is host to a large number of museums, historic houses, river related attractions, shops, and events that make it a top destination of visitors. South of Hannibal and stretching for 30 miles along the Great River Road is one of America’s newest Scenic Byways: The Little Dixie Scenic Byway. The Byway travels atop limestone bluffs and offers stunning views of the mighty Mississippi River. The real river towns of Clarksville and Louisiana are main attractions along the route as are the bald eagles (photo right) that flock to Lock and Dam #24 in the winter. A burgeoning community of talented artists is springing up in the region, many who have shops in the downtown districts. At the foot of the Lincoln Hills in Lincoln County is Cuivre River State Park, one of Missouri's largest and most rugged. Click here to learn more about our coverage that includes Lincoln, Pike, Ralls, and Marion counties in Missouri.

Specialty Directories
While researching the region we at greatriverroad.com have found that some topics encompass more than one region and that the amount of information we gathered warrants a special section. The Middle Mississippi River Valley has a vibrant art community with a number of museums, galleries, public spaces, and events. Lewis and Clark made a number of stops as the journeyed up the Mississippi and prepared for their voyage west. Bald eagles from the Great Lakes flock the region during the winter with two towns making the claim "the eagle viewing capitol of the United States." The region’s woodlands come alive with color in the fall, ferries offer a unique way to cross the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, and antique hunters will find treasures in the many towns along the Great River Road.

 
 
  Regional Guides
to the Middle Mississippi River Valley
 
 
Meeting of the Great Rivers
National Scenic Byway

Ste. Genevieve &
French Colonial Country

Gateway to the West
S. Louis & St. Louis County
        


Meeting the Missouri
Historic St. Charles County
 

The Lincoln Hills Region
Northeast Missouri
  
  greatriverroad.com Home Page
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Images - Elsah, Illinois and Owl109 Enterprises, St. Louis, MO