About Jersey County, IL

This weekend I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of this stunning rainbow arching across the Mississippi River along the Great River Road between Grafton and Alton, Illinois.

This is one of the nation's most beautiful and scenic drives and one of my favorite places on earth.

If you'd like to live along or near the Great River Road -- also known as the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway -- check out the following links to homes for sale and real estate in Grafton, Elsah, Alton, Godfrey and other towns in our region. See something you like? Call me at 618-791-8007 or email Nancy@GoshenRealtyGroup.com.

Homes for sale in Grafton, IL

Homes for sale in Elsah, IL

Homes for sale in Golden Eagle, IL

Homes for sale in Godfrey, IL

Homes for sale in Alton, IL

This time of year vacationers flock to the Jersey Shore, the beaches of Florida, the sands of California, the Great Lakes and all of the water-paradise destinations this great country has to offer.

But I love the gorgeous scenery and recreational opportunities in our own back yard here on the eastern banks of the Mississippi River in St. Louis' Illinois suburbs.

Check it out. This is why I call our little part of America, "The Middle Coast":

While there are many attractions here, below is a list of some of the marinas, outfitters and visitor information centers to help active visitors enjoy a trip from Alton to Grafton, Illinois and beyond along the 33-mile stretch of the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway where the Mississippi and Missouri rivers meet. Enjoy!

Alton Convention & Visitors Bureau

Alton Marina

Audubon Center at Riverlands

Big Muddy Adventures (outfitter)

Bluff City Tackle & Bait

Float With Us Cruises

Grafton Canoe, Kayak and Outdoor Rentals

Grafton Visitor Information

Grafton Harbor

Pere Marquette State Park (on the Illinois River)

Sam Vadalabene Bike Trail

Most of my blog posts are more about words than pictures, but today I was graced with the opportunity to view the most magnificent sunset and I had to share it with you.

Like much of the nation, here in St. Louis' Illinois suburbs we've been in a deep freeze for a number of days. At the confluence of America's great rivers -- the Mississippi and Missouri -- sub freezing weather can mean ice jams in the waterways. It also means that the bald eagles have returned to the region during their annual winter migration.

Combine the beauty of the frozen river and the chance to see these magnificent birds in their natural habitat and you have the perfect reason to travel along the Great River Road (officially called the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway) from Alton to Grafton, Illinois.

Take your camera, your binoculars and some well-insulated clothing. This shot was taken from the Wild Goose Saloon in Grafton, Illinois tonight.

That's the towboat James W. Buky pictured heading north on the Mississippi. Just south of this position -- closer to Alton, Illinois -- it appeared that no river traffic was able to get through the frozen water. Ice had pushed up in glistening chunks, making the river's surface look like a giant's discarded rock candy.

Here's a bit a trivia for readers who might not hail from this part of the country. The vessels -- like the Buky -- that operate on our inland waterways to push barges filled with coal, grain, gravel or any number of commodities are called "towboats." The bow (front) of a towboat is flat, allowing the vessel to push the connected string of barges, called a "tow," very efficiently.

In contrast, a "tugboat" (think of the cute little boats that push ships around in eastern harbors) has a pointed or rounded bow less suited for snuggling up flat to a barge.

Below are three eagles enjoying a fish they caught along the Mississippi River bank tonight. This picture also was captured from the Wild Goose Saloon.

If you go, you can learn more about the best eagle watching locations from the Alton Convention & Visitors Bureau. And here's a link to a map of the area.

If you stop in at the Wild Goose Saloon, be sure to try the chili and tell them Nancy sent you.

Enjoy your winter adventure. I'll see you along the river!

As regular readers of this blog know, one of my favorite things to do here in St. Louis' Illinois suburbs is to drive along the Great River Road from Alton, Illinois to the towns of Elsah and Grafton, Pere Marquette State Park and beyond. The combination of the mighty Mississippi River flowing alongside the soaring limestone bluffs is magical.

Today we'll take a closer look at Elsah, a charming enclave tucked among the limestone bluffs on the Mississippi River. The entire village was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in the 1970s.

Elsah's site along the Mississippi River north of Alton, Illinois was first settled in the mid-1840s as a riverboat landing and the village was officially founded in 1853. Many of the area's historic residences are built of limestone quarried nearby. 

Today between 600 and 700 residents live in the village's historic area, contemporary subdivisions and rural roads. Midwest Living magazine has called Elsah, "The town that time forgot." 

Active visitors can reach Elsah via the bike trail that follows the Great River Road. Bed and breakfast inns provide cozy shelter for travelers who would like to get to know the town. Advance reservations can be made online at the Maple Leaf Cottage Inn, the Green Tree Inn.

Elsah is also home to Principia College, a liberal arts college for Christian Scientists. The institution, perched on the bluffs above the town, began as a home school in St. Louis in 1897 and the higher education campus at Elsah dates to the 1930s. The beautiful site has been named a National Historic Landmark.

If you would like to live in or near the historic village of Elsah or if you would like to find a weekend getaway house along the river, get in touch with me at Just Ducky Homes. We can keep track of listings that are new to the market and make sure you are informed as soon as homes become available. 

Because Elsah is so small, there aren't always active listings available, but right now two homes are active in the village and two are pending. The active listings include a bi-level on the market for $84,900 and a raised ranch listed for $274,900.

The pending listings are for an historic stone home built in 1860 with one bedroom that had been priced at $129,900 before going under contract and a 1970s ranch foreclosure listed for $33,600.

Commercial property is also available on the village's main drive.

If you'd like to call Elsah home, send an e-mail to me at Nancy@JustDuckyHomes.com for an appointment to discuss available listings. 

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About the Author: Nancy Milton, GRI, is a Realtor with the Just Ducky Homes team at Coldwell Banker Brown Realtors in Edwardsville, Illinois. She and Kristina Pratt help their customers buy and sell homes and investment properties in St. Louis' Illinois suburbs of Madison and St. Clair counties with special emphasis on real estate in the communities of Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Maryville, Collinsville and Troy. For more information, visit their web site at http://www.JustDuckyHomes.com or e-mail Nancy@JustDuckyHomes.com. 

My brother flew in from Georgia today for a brief surprise visit for our mother's birthday.

It was such a magnificent day, with temperatures reaching well into the 60s, that we decided to take a drive up the Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway (the River Road to us locals) to check out the new Grafton Winery.

It did not disappoint. The winery opened in early December and is attracting and delighting new customers daily.

The well-designed facility offers expansive decks overlooking the Mississippi River. Glass doors on garage-style openers can be raised to create an open-air atmosphere throughout the building.

We sampled a variety of wines at the tasting bar before settling on Harbor Red, a terrific blend of Syrah, Cabernet and Zinfandel that tasted of dark fruits and raisins as it opened up in the fresh air.

As a bonus, the wintering American Bald Eagles soared overhead around the bluffs and perched in trees, looking for fresh fish snacks from the river.

The winery is adding a Brewhaus later this year, so the beer drinkers in your group will be just as happy as the wine lovers. Learn more by visiting the Grafton Winery's web site.