Mississippi River Odyssey

Discover two National Historic Landmarks during visits to the village of Elsah and Principia College. Meet your expert guide and transfer to picturesque Elsah, nestled in a scenic valley along the Mississippi River and called the “village where time stood still.” Step back in time as you admire this slice of early 19th-century Americana while leisurely strolling along its quiet streets and passing charming stone houses. Enjoy an opportunity to visit the General Store and other local businesses, including the Village Museum. Continue your walk to the campus of Principia College, a private, liberal arts college. View a mastodon excavation and program on rattlesnakes, and learn about the history and diverse student body that studies here. Cap your tour at the chapel, taking in the views from atop the limestone bluffs overlooking the Mississippi from the highest point on campus.

Explore Alton, one of America’s great river towns, during a scenic drive to view several important landmarks. Your wide-ranging tour will stop for photos at the statue commemorating Robert Wadlow, Alton’s “Gentle Giant” and the world’s tallest man. Continue through the Upper Alton Historic District, home to a former military academy and the oldest continuously used educational buildings in Illinois, and admire the elaborately styled houses in the Middletown Historic District. Gain insight into Alton’s ties to the abolitionist movement at the Elijah P. Lovejoy Monument and pass the site of the final senatorial debate between Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln. Enjoy sweeping views from the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River in the Christian Hill Historic District and learn about the legend of the dragon-like Piasa Bird that is purported to roam the riverside cliffs.

Admire views of the Mighty Mississippi River and enjoy a private wine tasting at a local vineyard. Embark on a panoramic drive by motor coach along the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway, taking in views of the rolling waters of the Mississippi and the striking limestone bluffs that line its banks. At the Aerie’s Resort, settle into your enclosed gondola or open-air, ski lift-style chair and ascend skyward, 300 feet into the air, for a bird’s-eye view overlooking the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. Afterward, continue to the Grafton Winery, an inviting vineyard nestled among orchards and expansive farmlands. Take a guided tour of the vineyard where Chardonel and Vignoles grapes are grown, followed by a private wine tasting session of five of the winery’s award-winning vintages.

Follow in the footsteps of intrepid explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark at two historic sites. Travel to nearby Hartford, the location of the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site. As National Trail Site #1 on the Lewis & Clark Trail, the site houses a museum dedicated to the planning and journey of the two explorers and their Corps of Discovery in 1804. Browse its five exhibit rooms, watch the film At Journey’s Edge and view a 55-foot, full-scale “cutaway” keelboat. Then, continue to the Lewis & Clark Confluence Tower. Rising 180 feet above the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, its three viewing platforms retell the history of the region. Visit the indoor visitor center, where an interactive exhibit will further highlight the wildlife and communities along the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway.