Illinois’s Gem—The Great River Road by Christine DeSmet

These days I’m always looking for the fudge shops in my travels because I write the Fudge Shop Mystery Series, but when I was a little girl, it was all about adventure of seeing exotic things. (I eventually found chocolates and fudge; more on that later.)

The exotic travel started when I was about six, after my family had moved from Illinois to Wisconsin. Soon after our move to a farm in the cheese and dairy state, we began periodic drives south to visit our Moline, Illinois, relatives. We always wended our way south along the Mississippi River on Illinois Hwy. 84.

Little did I know back then that the quiet highway was part of the Great River Road, established in 1938. The GRR uses federal, state, and local highways and crosses 10 states from Louisiana to Minnesota. http://www.greatriverroad-illinois.org/

As a girl, I was as awestruck as Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, traveling past locks and dams, and catching glimpses of huge barges, clamming boats, a power plant, and small fishing and farming communities such as Savanna (chocolates at the Marketplace!).

The road took us on south to Thomson, Albany, and Cordova (with an international car raceway right next to the highway), and Port Byron (named for the English poet), and then on to Moline to visit my grandparents.

Today, this route is a perfect weekend getaway or even a week’s vacation route. And I did find yummy food along the way.

After leaving my relatives in Moline, and heading north and hungry, consider the Port Byron River Bottom Chop House, and also Casey’s General Store where you can get pizza and caramel chocolate pecan cookies.

Heading north again on Hwy. 84, stop in Thomson for lunch at the Heirloom Market and Cafe, featured on the Travel Channel. The grilled cheese sandwich is probably a “must have,” with cheddar, Swiss, and provolone cheeses, with bacon, tomatoes, and honey mustard sauce. Pick up locally harvested honey and books at the market, too.

Continuing north on 84, a lot of people stop at Poopy’s Pub N Grub, a tavern in Savanna, Ill., dedicated to motorcycles including a gift shop and free tent camping.

 

Motorcycles not your thing? Savanna is also the home of Land of Oz Dolls, museum-quality dolls made by internationally-known artist Connie Zink, who is also a master gardener. www.landofozdolls.com

Remember to pause and observe the wildlife on your trip! There are many parks and nature areas along the route. All types of birds abound along the Mississippi River flyway, including eagles and ducks. Hanover, Ill., has a fall Mallard Festival.

Continuing north from Hanover, catch Hwy. 20 (part of the GRR) and head to Galena. This is a tourist destination but one that’s still quaint and filled with history.

You can easily spend an entire weekend in Galena enjoying sites such as the President Ulysses S. Grant home (very worthwhile tour), and the Civil War encampment grounds. The Encampment event happens April 24-26.  http://galenahistorymuseum.org/

Galena is known for its many antique and art shops, its spas, golf course, its Bed and Breakfast inns (many!) (http://www.greatriverroad-illinois.org/bed_and_breakfasts.cfm), restaurants, and of course fudge!

For a dinner in a historic place, try the Log Cabin Steakhouse restaurant, which has been operating since 1937. In 1975, Foti “Frank” Rigopoulas took over the Log Cabin Steakhouse restaurant—not to be missed if you like those traditional supper clubs with relish trays on the table filled with carrots, celery sticks and such. Frank came from Greece in 1954, worked his way up from dishwasher in Chicago then headed west to the Great River Road and Galena.

A great time to visit Galena might be during the Great Galena Balloon Race with lots of kids’ activities June 19-21.

If you’re the outdoor type, take your family slightly east of Galena to the Apple River Canyon Park. It’s a hidden gem with a shallow river for wading, tubing, and fishing. As a little girl visiting this place, I felt that fairies must live here. It’s green, lush, and lovely. And because this is the driftless area—glacial hilly terrain that continues into Wisconsin—you’ll be amazed

that a state known for being flat has a gorgeous, rocky canyon. http://www.dnr.state.il.us/lands/Landmgt/PARKS/R1/APPLE.HTM 

Before you head out of Galena or over to the Apple River, remember to buy your fudge! Galena has three fudge shops. Try the locally owned Galena Kandy Kitchen, which was opened in 1974 by a Chicago transplant, George Paxton. http://galenaskandykitchen.com/

 

I hope you travel the Great River Road in Illinois soon. It’s a weekend trip back into history and literally a trip into the heart of our country. For me, it’s a road that takes me “home” no matter which direction I roam.

Christine DeSmet’s new Five-Alarm Fudge debuts April 7. It’s part of the Fudge Shop Mystery Series (Penguin Random House).
First-Degree Fudge enjoyed 10 weeks on the Barnes &Noble mystery bestseller list. The series also includes Hot Fudge Frame-Up. 
In celebration of that, Christine DeSmet is offering one lucky winner a 
half a pound of Kilwin's fudge because Kilwin's has helped her with research on fudge-making. The winner can choose their favorite flavor: https://www.kilwins.com/fudge/mackinac-island-fudge
Remember to leave your contact information with your comment so Christine can award your prize if you're picked! 

Christine is a writing teacher at University of Wisconsin-Madison Continuing Studies where she mentors writers of novels, screenplays, plays, and short fiction. She directs the “Write-by-the-Lake Writer's Retreat” every June, open to all aspiring writers. She's a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Romance Writers of America, Writers Guild of America, and Wisconsin Screenwriters Forum.
Visit Author Christine DeSmet at her site for more information on her work:
www.christinedesmet.com 

(Information Provided by Author,  http://www.greatriverroad-illinois.org/, http://galenahistorymuseum.org/ and all other websites listed. Click on the links in this post to learn more!)