ALTON, THE FINALE

Lunch Time! We're back to Downtown Alton to chow down at State Street Market. The entrance opens to the market itself with European-style fresh gourmet food & home goods market and selling imported wines & beers, home & garden gifts & décor. Go passed the market itself into the restaurant for local food and home style cooking. My host ordered the soup and salad. The soup was a tomato basil. I ordered a wild mushroom soup and turkey panini. Warm and friendly place and good food.

Now for some history. Sites along the new Lincoln & Civil War Legacy Trail led by historian Len Adams. Sites included: Lincoln-Douglas Square, Lovejoy Monument, Confederate Monument, Ryder Building and Trumbull House.

Afterward we stopped to see a statue of Robert Wadlow, the tallest man in history standing at 8 feet 11.1 inches. Standing next to it you can see just how short you are compared to him as well as a replica of his chair.

Now we are on the road to experience the scenic byway, better known as the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway, a really beautiful drive. On the way out town we stopped to see the legendary Piasa (pronounced Pie-a-saw) Bird, a Native American dragon depicted in one of two murals painted by Native Americans on bluffs (cliffsides) above the Mississippi River.

On to the Village of Elsah to see the campus at Principia College, a National Historic Landmark and only Christian Science college in the world. Then to Grafton for a scenic tour of the Mississippi & Illinois Rivers from the Tara Point Inn.

Back on the byway through Grafton en route to Pere Marquette State Park, the largest state park in Illinois. It features 22 cabins and 50 guest rooms in a secluded environment.

Back to Grafton to check out the Grafton Winery and Brewhaus. I later indulged in their apple wine that was truly flavorful and not heavy on the alcoholic content. They have a restaurant upstairs as well as a bar/restaurant on the downstairs level. Good place for local entertainment as well.

Dinner was the ending to my Alton days as we dined at Mississippi Half Step in Grafton. Chef/owner Jim Newton uses local food when possible. It's a basic, steaks, chops, pasta bill of fare. I had an appetizer of the stuffed mushrooms using button mushroom filled with homemade crab, tomato and green onion cream cheese.

I chose a strip steak for my entree with a baked sweet potato and asparagus. They have several sauces to go with your steak. Although I did try one of them, I found that the steak, cooked perfectly and full of flavor, did not require it to be more than simply grilled.

Bye, bye Alton. We're on our way to St. Louis