This site is a hop skip and a jump away from Wickliffe Mounds if you are passing through Paducah,…read moreKY. Cross the bridge into Illinois and take a brief excursion through river flood plain to see this site. It is quite impressive even if you are observing the mounds (respectfully) from a distance. I was moved by these features. To think what people accomplished at this site nearly a thousand years ago. Absolutely astonishing to behold. The size of these mounds is amazing.

To be honest, there really isn't that much to see. Unless you are an Ancient World History…read moreenthusiast, you may find this fascinating. It is very interesting that at one point in the past, this was an actual city. The land where the site stands today was once a major trading post on the Ohio River. If you're looking for something spectacular in sight, this probably won't be for you. There are signs and plaques that tell the story, as well as showing what was believed to have existed at the time, but not very much else. The public is not allowed near or on the mounds. Speaking of which, they really weren't that attractive as they looked like their grass hasn't been cut in years. Maybe it is intentional, for all I know. The site is very tricky to get to. The best way to get there is from Brookport, Illinois. You'll see a sign for Kincaid Mounds as you're going onto Unionville Road. It is probably ten miles from the town. Once you pass the small village of Unionville, you'll know you are getting close and follow the signs. The roads are uneven, as there are no paved roads (just dirt and rocky roads) getting to the mounds.

long after making landfall in the land of Lincoln an untidy and unassuming strip of gravel fronts…read moreroute 45. along this shady slip sits a weathered plaque describing in brief the history of the here to which you have got, with license and apologies "Just About as Far West Virginia as You Can Get" pasturage on all sides, several horses prancing about, a pole barn on a lane across the way, and a bit of history in the country side; sometimes it is enough.

I'm sad that I was here on a Sunday afternoon and did not have a chance to properly tour the…read moreinterior of this beautiful home. It's clear that this is a leftover from better days in Cairo, a city that has fallen into deep disrepair like a shopping mall with no tenants. The outside is stunning with well kept grounds including the small gazebo and the brick paths. Even if it's closed for the day, it's still well worth a good walk around. [Review 1242 of 2024 - 197 in Illinois - 22265 overall]

I saw this place on the map and was looking for something to do it was awesome. The tour guide is…read moreso sweet and knowledgeable. He really cares about his job. There's so much to see there. If you have a chance and you like old homes this is a must see. The $8 fee is well worth the money. They were just taking down there Christmas decorations but the place was still impressive. If you can give a call before you go in case he's out that would be great because you don't wanna miss this house.

The Paducah Flood Wall Murals are a unique and singular attraction in Paducah, Ky. Since having a…read moreflood wall is necessary if the river floods, it might as well be decorative. Along this area of the Ohio river, the mural walls stretch out about 3 city blocks in length, with over 50 murals telling various stories of the Paducah area. Each is 14 feet high and various widths. There's a lot to learn by studying these gorgeous murals and the accompanying plaques. There are also a number of train cars the line a portion of the mural walls. Being a big fan of trains, I took my time meandering around this steal beats. It's easy to spend over an hour taking it all in. We were there on a weekend and there were a fair amount of people visiting and taking photos. The detail and the artistry for these murals is amazing. It's amazing to think how much time these murals, took, and the fact that they were all done by just two artists. I got educated as well. I had no idea there used to be a Coca-Cola® plant located in Paducah, much less the fact that it was in use for over 100 years! (sadly, it ceased operations in 2005). Visiting the Flood Mural Walls is something I didn't expect when we went to Paducah, but I'm glad we took the time.

This is a must see. The murals are beautiful and depict so many pieces of history. The artist comes…read moreback every summer to touch up some of them.

This bridge is a two-span tiered arch bridge that carries I-24 across the Ohio River. It joins the…read morecommunities of Metropolis Illinois with Paducah Kentucky. There are four lanes of traffic - two in each direction. The largest span is the southern one at 730 feet with the smaller northern span only 630 feet. The total length of the bridge is 5632 feet and you can get a good look at it from the boat ramp area at nearby Fort Massac State Park. As one might expect for a bridge over a major waterway that also carries a major roadway, there is no breakdown lane and no pedestrian lane. If you break down here, you need to continue onwards until you're off the bridge. [Review 16302 overall - round number 100 in Illinois - 1808 of 2021.]

this artless bridge carrying I-24 across the Ohio River was named to honor the two guys most…read moreresponsible for its existence. a small plaque mentioning this is at the rest area a mile north near Metropolis. local gossip considers it a significant improvement over the taller and scarier Irvin S Cobb bridge heading into Paducah KY from Brookport about four miles up river - that one is two-way traffic on an open-grid metal deck.

This mildly creepy but well executed totem is Wacinton and the marker points out the history. It is…read morewell worth checking it out so appreciate the artistry on display. It reads, "Wacinton. (To have understanding.) Hand chiseled from a local 56,000 pound Red Oak to honor the Chickasaw Indians who lived and hunted in this area until the Jackson Purchase, 1818. By Sculptor Peter "Wolf" Toth. Dedicated May 26, 1985 to the City of Paducah and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Mayor Joe Viterisi. Commissioners P. J. Grumley * Harold Ford * Robert Coleman * Hal Cole" There is parking in the neighboring event center. [Review 1237 of 2024 - 268 in Kentucky - 22260 overall]

Friday May 16, 2014, Tony and I was visiting this lovely little historical river town in Illinois…read more It reminded me so much of little towns along the Ohio River in Ohio and West Virginia The house was closed the day we were here, so I was able to take some photos and then look them up on the internet to find out the history. Below the History of the home and the connection to the Trail of Tears Buel House, according to local tradition, was a significant site on the Cherokee Trail of Tears. The family of tanner Alexander Buel (?-1894) was said to have fed pumpkin to hungry Cherokee Indians being driven west by the federal government in 1838. The story is probably not true, however, since records indicate that the house was built in 1840. Still, it is a historically significant structure, having been continuously occupied by generations of one family for 146 years. There are indications that over the years Cherokee stopped at Golconda to trade while journeying to visit their former homes in Georgia. The Buel House, along with much of Golconda, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, as part of the Golconda Historic District. Situated at the base of the Ohio River bluffs, the two-story rectangular square-log structure has one-story additions on the east and north sides of the original building. Also on the site is a restored and furnished log cabin used for interpretive programs by the Pope County Historical Society. A paved lot provides parking facilities. The Pope County Historical Society provides maintenance services for the site and volunteers for guided tours. I would like to go here and check it out and tour the home. It is located down near the Rivers edge on Water Street.

For a welcoming center, this will have to be the first time we've seen anything so big and so neat,…read moreand so welcoming to visitors! The photo on their website didn't matched the photos we took, probably, we came in from the back, where they have a pathway garden 'memorial', a white wrought iron bench, and a gazebo-like section for gossiping! Want more to see what else is inside? Browse through my photos! Tells more than words.

Not your average rest stop. Coming from the south you take an exit and an overpass to get to share…read morethe rest stop with southern bound traffic just outside of Paducah Kentucky. It's a stop that was oddly different not typical in many ways. it's currently under a facelift still open with the front area blocked off but they are a historical site so its a beautiful blend of early colonial architecture along with accessible. A step back in history a nice refreshing stop. As if you're going to a mansion/ museum and an official one of a kind historic building combined with all kinds of information booths for the areas in Kentucky. 21/2025

A nice state park in the area with a pretty nice trail in the Ghost Dance Canyon. Some interesting…read morestuff to see when it's raining, but the rain also makes the rocks very slick. All in all, I have no complaints it, but this shouldn't be your first or second or even third stop if you have time to roam around in the area.

Tony and I went hiking at Dixon Springs State Park and we had a nice time. The rock formations are…read moreawesome and there is a bridge across the top of the Waterfall. I was able to get some great photos from the base of the rocks and the waterfall. The park was a little dead today but it was early about 10am. There was only one other couple there. There was picnic tables and some grills..and even some grills where I guess there was some picnic tables that are now gone...hummmmm...they also have a pool for the public use but it is still pre-season so it was not open..but I was there for the stunning rock formations and the beauty of God's backyard. This park is FREE to enjoy..which is always nice and very easily located on the intersection of Rt. 146 and Rt . 145. Here is some important information from the website: Dixon Springs State Park is one of several state parks in the Illinois Shawnee Hills. The park is on a giant block of rock which was dropped 200 feet along a fault line that extends northwesterly across Pope County. The 801 acre park is about 10 miles west of Golconda on Illinois Route 146 near its junction with Illinois Route 145. The first land acquisition was in 1946. Facilities at the park include a modern swimming pool, bathhouse, and 45-foot water slide provided for swimmers' enjoyment. Lifeguard is on duty at all times. Towering oaks, elms, and birch trees shade the pool. A concession stand near the pool provides a variety of refreshments. Picnic tables and outdoor stoves are available at three shaded picnic areas. Two picnic shelters, playgrounds, parking areas, and drinking water are also available. There is a Class B trailer camping area with a sanitary dumping station and electricity available. Also available are ten sites for primitive camping, two hiking trails, two basketball courts, three horseshoe pits, two volleyball courts and an archery range Also some HISTORY OF THE AREA which I found very interesting information I wanted to share: The area around the park was occupied by various tribes of Algonquins who, after the Shawnee had been driven from Tennessee, had settled near the mouth of the Wabash River. Dixon Springs was one of their favorite camping grounds and was called "Kitchemuske-nee-be" for the Great Medicine Waters. One of the better known Indian Trails, which the early French called the "Grand Trace," passed to the west of the park and south to Fort Massac, then branched out into lesser trails. Much of the "Grand Trace" is Illinois Route 145, one of the most scenic highways in the state, running nearly all of its length south from Harrisburg through the Shawnee National Forest. This section of the state was part of an Indian Reservation occupied for a time by about 6,000 Native Americans. Like the buffalo, most of the Indians were gone by the early 1830's. Dixon Springs takes its name from William Dixon, one of the first white settlers to build a home in this section, who obtained a school land warrant in 1848 from Governor Augustus C. French. His cabin was a landmark for many years as was an old log church on the adjoining knoll. A small community grew up at Dixon Springs with a general store, post office, blacksmith shop, grist mill, and several churches.Dixon Springs Dixon Springs became a 19th century health spa which attracted hundreds to the seven springs of mineral-enriched water. A bathhouse provided mineral or soft water baths, hot or cold, available at any time. The natural beauty of the area and its interesting stone formations helped to give the park valley a more equable temperature in the summer than most of southern Illinois. This made the resort so popular that people came by steamboat excursions from as far away as Paducah, KY, Evansville, IN, and Cairo to Golconda. They then traveled by train to within a couple miles of the park. The entire county is hilly and during rainy weather rivulets cascade down the hills in the park forming waterfalls of varying sizes and heights. Bold cliffs and crags overhang a bubbling brook while large boulders, overgrown with ferns, ivy, lichens, and moss, fringe the hillside. Giant century-old trees interlock above the small creek as cliffs rise on either side and huge boulders are scattered through the valley. Equally intriguing are the names given numerous points of interest, including Album Rock, Red Man's Retreat, Wolf Pen, Lover's Leap, Ghost Dance, Pluto's Cave. Alligator Rock, the Chain of Rocks, Devil's Workshop, and Honeycomb Rock. The principle canyon has walls nearly 60 feet high with a long, narrow passageway. I found this park very nice and I would definitely go here again..so if you are in the area...enjoy some hiking and gorgeous scenery...God gives us so much to ENJOY for FREE !!! A great Park

Driving past, the sign mentioned "Thebes Historic Courthouse" and it rang a loud bell in my mind…read morebut I could not remember why this courthouse was so important. And so I made the turn to check it out. Completed in 1848, the courthouse is in the Southern Greek Revival style and the view from the porch of the famous Thebes Bridge (reviewed separately) and the Mighty Mississippi River (also reviewed separately) is tremendous. Inside, this classic structure are two hundred years of history, artifacts, photographs and some very helpful and friendly ladies who are more than happy to talk. Abraham Lincoln visited the courthouse when he was a frontier lawyer. One of the more infamous Supreme Court cases began its journey here when fugitive slave Dred Scott was imprisoned in the courthouse dungeon. Yeah, that Dred Scott and the ruling from SCOTUS in 1857 was that the US Constitution did not extend American citizenship to people of black African descent. This was thankfully overturned by the Civil War and the Fourteenth Amendment. [Review 1247 of 2024 - 201 in Illinois - 22270 overall]

In Sept 2015, Noel, Tony and I started on a road trip with Sammi from Nashville TN to Skull, KS. On…read morethe way, we saw this sign for a Historical Courthouse overlooking the Mississippi River. So we had to stop. This courthouse is had something to do with the very important Dredd Scott trial. The courthouse was closed but I got some really great photos of the courthouse. It had a great location on the Mississippi River. There is nothing left of this important River Port Town..but I just wonder what it all looked like? Sitting high atop a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in Thebes, Illinois is the 1848 Courthouse. Standing 165 years, it is a testament to architect Henry Ernst Barkhausen, who was awarded the contract for designing and supervising the erection of the Thebes Courthouse in 1845. This landmark was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.