Best places to drive for Fall Foilage. (Peoria, Springfield: waterpark, house)

[happyindian]

Hello All,
We are based out of Peoria and were planning to drive to near-by places to see the fall colors. Any suggestions which would be the best places to visit. We do not mind driving and hour to hour and thirty mins one way.



Thanks!

[chet everett]

Still a daytrip,but lots better -- Peoria, IL to 16327 Illinois 84, Savanna, IL 61074 - Google Maps

Mississippi Palisades State Park

Originally Posted by happyindian

Hello All,
We are based out of Peoria and were planning to drive to near-by places to see the fall colors. Any suggestions which would be the best places to visit. We do not mind driving and hour to hour and thirty mins one way.



Thanks!

[Doglover5]

I would think Starved Rock would have some nice foliage and anywhere along the IL River. I bet if you called Starved Rock, they could tell you some good leaf-viewing spots.

[linicx]

Fulton County and Spoon River Drive is the first two weekends in October. The entire county turns back the clock a 100 years. Follow 29 (Jefferson to Adams) and pass Bartonville. Pick up Route 9/29 to Banner. Turn onto Route US24/IL 97 and stay on 97! You will pass the Banner-Marsh state fishing area on your immediate left. You will follow the river and travel through part of the largest inland Wetlands Refuge in America. You can also turn off to Dickson Mounds --a Native American museum. Leave the museum. The first road to your right (brown house on corner) ends East of Lewistown on US 24. Turn right. You are very near Dairy Queen. You can get a map of the county almost any place you stop.

Two of my favorites are the old school building at Smithfield, and the dam and restaurant at Bernadotte. Fulton County and Lewistown are 40-50 miles from Peoria. You will follow along the river for several miles. Spoon River Drive ends THIS weekend.

If you want to see more of the Wetlands, follow Rt 97 to US 136 and cross the river into Havana. Go up the hill to McDonald's and turn left onto Promanade which becomes the Manito
Blacktop. Look for the entrance to Chautauqua. You should find the pelicans and some of the other birds that winter in Mexico. When you leave turn left. This road will take to IL 29 outside of Pekin. Turn left again. This will take you to Second Street.

STay on Second to the first one-way street to the Right. I believe it is Margaret. Here you can do one of two things.
A- If you go forward to the next one-way street Left, you will cross the bridge and return to IL9/29 stop light. Turn right and go thru Bartonville and into Peoria.
B- If you turn right you can go to Court Street. Follow it to 14th at the hospital and turn left into Mineral Springs Park and Lagoon. It is beautiful especially at night. The next street is Broadway. Turn Left. It will take you back to the bridge. Or you can take a right at 5th street (Hardee's) and follow it to I-474. The entrance is just pass the entrance to Morton, Bloomington and I-55.

[linicx]

Fulton County and Spoon River Drive is the first two weekends in October. The entire county turns back the clock a 100 years. Follow 29 (Jefferson to Adams) and pass Bartonville. Pick up Route 9/29 to Banner. Turn onto Route US24/IL 97 and stay on 97! You will pass the Banner-Marsh state fishing area on your immediate left. You will follow the river and travel through part of the largest inland Wetlands Refuge in America. You can also turn off to Dickson Mounds --a Native American museum. Leave the museum. The first road to your right (brown house on corner) ends East of Lewistown on US 24. Turn right. You are very near Dairy Queen. You can get a map of the county almost any place you stop.

Two of my favorites are the old school building at Smithfield, and the dam and restaurant at Bernadotte. Fulton County and Lewistown are 40-50 miles from Peoria. You will follow along the river for several miles. Spoon River Drive ends THIS weekend.

If you want to see more of the Wetlands, follow Rt 97 to US 136 and cross the river into Havana. Go up the hill to McDonald's and turn left onto Promanade which becomes the Manito
Blacktop. Look for the entrance to Chautauqua. You should find the pelicans and some of the other birds that winter in Mexico. When you leave turn left. This road will take to IL 29 outside of Pekin. Turn left again. This will take you to Second Street.

Stay on Second to the first one-way street to the Right. I believe it is Margaret. Here you can do one of two things.
A- If you go forward to the next one-way street Left, you will cross the bridge and return to IL9/29 stop light. Turn right and go thru Bartonville and into Peoria.
B- If you turn right you can go to Court Street. Follow it to 14th at the hospital and turn left into Mineral Springs Park and Lagoon. It is beautiful especially at night. The next street is Broadway. Turn Left. It will take you back to the bridge. Or you can take a right at 5th street (Hardee's) and follow it to I-474. The entrance is just pass the entrance to Morton and Bloomington and I-55)

There are many places in Illinois that are interesting. You can take a weekend river cruise to Starved Rock or St. Louis. Outside of Starved Rock State Park is Grizzly Jack's Resort. Guests have free access to the 26,000 square feet indoor waterpark and other facilities. Each cabin unit has a washer/dryer and fully equipped kitchen as there is no restaurant nearby. There is also Springfield and Abraham Lincoln. He was a central Illinois circuit rider from Vandalia as far north as Metamora. Eureka college holds the Reagan museum, and you can follow the Reagan Trail west almost to the Mississippi River.

From Peoria to Princeton via IL 29, with a short detour on Old Rome Road, is just a nice drive and some awfully nice scenery. Il 29 follows the course of the river several miles. You can also take IL 29 up to the Dunlap cut off and pick apples. If you like to play slot Jim Jummer (Jummer's Casatle Lodge) has a boat on the Mississipi at the Quad Cities. While you are there check out the John Deere Museum at Moline. IL 29 south thru Pekin ends SE of Springfield at Pana. IL 29 by and large is a sleepy two lane state highway that is more likely to have tractors than tractor-trailers on it.

As to folliage. This past summer IL experienced its worst drought sin '88. Depending upon the county you may or may not see much colorful foliage. Mason and Fulton Counties seem to be fairing well along the river, but not so much deeper into the counties. I expect it to be much the same throughout the state.

[runninfiend]

Drive 20 minutes east to the Mackinaw River between Mackinaw, Deer Creek, and Congerville. All the beauty of Spoon and Starved Rock with no traffic. Thank me later.

[linicx]

Something closer? Drive to Spring Bay and stop at the Village Inn for a bite and a brew. It's on IL 26 about 7 miles from the bridge. They're still serving the handmade tenderloins, onion rings and fries its famous for.

Old Rome Road is beautiful this time of year too, and so is IL 29 North as far as you want to drive. Much less traffic after Chillicothe.