My favorite way to spend a weekend is on a road trip with stops along the way. And this was one such weekend. We made a quick trip to southeast Missouri and instead of coming straight home decided to take a winding way that would allow for stops at a few places. Not only did we enjoy some interesting and beautiful places along the way, but I got to see a little bit of Illinois that I have never been to before. It’s always fun to see where a road trip will take you with the places you’ll see and the things you will learn.
Ozark National Scenic Riverways {Missouri}
The first stop on our route towards home was at the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. This was the first national park area that was created to protect a river system. There are 134 miles of this slow peaceful river to enjoy. But for our visit we settled on two spots along the river.
And what better way to see a river then to see where it begins at Big Springs. What immediately hits you when you see the river is the brilliant, bright blue color of the water mixing in with the mossy greens. A path leads around to the rocky outpour where the river begins next to a small cave in the rock. The path continues around to the other side of the river as one of many great trails to hike.
What is interesting about this river is that it has come up from the ground, almost like a reverse waterfall. As it travels through the rock it collects minerals on the way which gives it that blue color. Next to the cave is also an old US geological survey marker. These markers have been used as accurate reference points across the country since 1879.
Next we drove to see the historic Alley Springs Mill a little further down the road from Big Springs. This mill was once part of a little hamlet town and now serves as a history museum. The town went through many names, but all of them were deemed too long of names for the post office of the time. So it became the town of Alley after a prominent businessman of the day named John Alley.
Inside the mill visitors can still see the mechanisms and machines used in the mill. There are areas that need repair but in order for those repairs and restorations to be completed there would need to be a historical carpenter using the same methods and tools that would have been historically accurate of the time. Carpenters like this are rare in the country and so the mill keeps hoping for the day that the needed projects can be taken care of.
Ste. Genevieve National Historic Park {Missouri}
Next we stopped at the beautiful Ste. Genevieve National Historic Park. This historic park is a town that was first established in 1750, years before America’s independence, by French Canadian immigrants and was the first European settlement west of the Mississippi River. It was also the first settlement in what would become the state of Missouri.
At the time, this area was part of French Louisiana territory and was the civic center of the territory. It would not be until 1810 when the Louisiana Purchase occurred that Americans and then Germans would move into the area. Ste. Genevieve has one of the largest collections of that distinctive French colonial style known as ‘poteaux’ meaning post in the ground. Many of the buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
We ate dinner at the Old Brick House. As the name suggests, this is the oldest brick building west of the Mississippi River established in 1785. It has served many roles over the years, but today it is a local favorite restaurant with a great selection of Midwest, home town food.
In October 2020, Ste. Genevieve joined the national park system when the historic district was listed as a national historic park. But long before becoming a national historic park, the colonial architecture of Ste. Genevieve has been recognized by many preservation and historic groups such as the Historic American Building Survey and the National Historic Landmark District.
There is certainly a beautiful charm to these French influenced colonial buildings and walking through town makes you feel like you’ve stepped back in time to those early days of the country just as people were starting to move past the mighty river.
The Great River Road {Illinois}
We drove through some of southern Illinois after leaving Missouri and we found ourselves on a small section of the Great River Road. This is a collection of roads running through 10 states that follow the course of the Mississippi River. Beginning in Minnesota and flowing all the way down to Louisiana, this road is listed as a National Scenic Byway and an All-American Road.
I want to come back along this road as it intersects with the Lincoln Heritage Trail. Illinois is considered to be the land of Lincoln and is filled with historic sites connected to the time of his presidency. But that will be saved for a weekend road trip all its own.
Paris Landing State Park {Tennessee}
We continued down through Kentucky along the west part of Land Between the Lakes Recreation Area. We visited Land Between the Lakes a couple of years ago and absolutely loved the long strip of land sitting between the two lakes (you can read on our visit to Land Between the Lakes HERE). We thought about stopping there again on this trip but decided against it and continued down to the bottom tip of Land Between the Lakes until we came to Paris Landing State Park.
Paris Landing sits right on the side of the Tennessee River and is a popular place for boating and other water activities. We went to the newly renovated lodge to eat lunch at the restaurant that overlooks the river. We loved watching the rain cloud slowly come over the river and to watch the rain through the big windows.
Fort Donelson National Battlefield & National Cemetery {Tennessee}
Our last stop before home was a visit to the Fort Donelson National Battlefield and National Cemetery. Because Tennessee was at such a mid point between the Union and the Confederacy of the Civil War, there are many battlefields and historic sites to learn more about this war that forever changed the country. And it was this battle at Fort Donelson that brought then Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant into the national spotlight and what led him to becoming the general of the Union.
The battle at Fort Donelson was a major victory for the Union troops. This fort controlled the access to the Tennessee River and to a major rail line. Union leaders knew that the key to winning the Western Theater of the war would be determined by control over the three majors rivers of the area. With the Union victory here, the Confederates were pushed out of Kentucky and Western Tennessee and it opened up the path into the south. The rivers and rail lines of this area became vital federal supply lines throughout the rest of the war.
Driving through the park, it was interesting to see the many signs that designated Confederate trenches there in the hills. There was also a monument to Confederate troops. So often the only monuments are for those of the Union soldiers. It was a powerful reminder that there were thousands of lives lost on the other side that are no less important from being on the losing team of the war.
We walked through the national cemetery that is a little ways down the road from the battlefield. This cemetery is laid out in sections with some honoring those from the battle of Fort Donelson while other honoring those from WWI and WWII and other wars. It was a moving tribute to those lost to the tragedy of war and a sad reminder of how much war there has been and continues to be throughout the world.
It is estimated there were 1,400 Confederate soldiers and 2,700 Union soldiers who were killed in this battle at For Donelson. While the victory paved the way for the Union to win the south, the cost of the victory was high.
With that, our weekend road trip had come to an end. We had driven through 4 states in just a couple of days and had gotten to see some interesting places from there to here. And it gave us some ideas for future road trips as well. What a great weekend it was.
If you have enjoyed these national historic places, then you may also be interested in these:
Gauley National River- West Virginia
Shiloh National Military Park- Tennessee
Thank for coming along on this weekend road trip through Missouri, Illinois, and Tennessee. May your weekend be long and your gas tank be full as set out for adventures unknown.
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