A visit to Pere Marquette State Park along the Illinois River is another great winter activity in our part of Southwestern Illinois.
Named after the French Jesuit missionary -- Pere Jacques Marquette who traveled down the Mississippi with mapmaker Louis Joliet in 1673 to look for a passage to the Pacific Ocean -- the lodge was built as part of the government's Civilian Conservation Corps projects in the 1930s.
Its massive wooden beams and gorgeous native stonework are a delight for lodge design lovers.
Surrounding the structure are 8,000 acres of beautiful, forested land rolling with hiking trails and a driving route that climbs high over the lodge.
You can visit for the day or stay overnight in the lodge's hotel rooms or in one of 22 individual cabins. (If you're planning a weekend visit, make reservations early.)
Hearty types can stay in the campground. (Just so you know, my idea of camping is a hotel without room service, so I can't attest to the quality of the grounds. However, I have it on good authority that the camp area is both lovely and clean.)
The lodge offers a grand Sunday Brunch or meals off the menu throughout the week.
A massive stone fireplace is the focal point of the lobby and a huge chess set invites visitors to stage a battle of wits on the lodge's stone floor.
Those looking for modern amenities will enjoy the lodge's pool or a variety of board games offered for free in the lobby. A stone patio faces the Illinois River. Bundle up and it's a wonderful place to watch a vibrant winter sunset like the one on this page.
To get to Pere Marquette, head north from Alton along the Great River Road. Continue through historic Elsah and Grafton. North of Grafton, the Illinois River joins the Mississippi and flows in front of the lodge's rolling lawn.
Whatever you choose to do with your free time this winter, I hope you'll take time to get out and enjoy this beautiful region.
Winter can be unexpectedly beautiful in Illinois.
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About the Author: Nancy Milton, GRI, is a REALTOR with the GoshenRealtyGroup at RE/MAX Preferred Partners in Edwardsville, Illinois. She and Kristina Pratt help their customers buy and sell homes and investment properties in St. Louis' Illinois suburbs with special emphasis on homes for sale in Madison County and the communities of Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Maryville, Collinsville, Troy, Bethalto and surrounding areas.
Goshen Realty Group takes its name from the earliest nickname for Madison County, Illinois -- the Land of Goshen -- coined when the region's first settlers compared their new home east of the Mississippi River to the biblical land of peace and plenty.
For more information, visit GoshenRealtyGroup.com or e-mail Nancy at Nancy@GoshenRealtyGroup.com. Text or call Nancy at 618-791-8007. REMAX Preferred Partners is located at One 157 Center, Edwardsville, IL 62025.
Please note that individual listings periodically mentioned in this blog are accurately described in terms of availability and price at the time of the posting. Because properties are constantly coming on and off the market, please contact Nancy for the latest information on those that are of particular interest to you.
If you haven't visited, it is a great St Louis day trip. I love the fall colors... but there is never a bad time to visit this area.