Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway
Starting point of the Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway near Hartford, Illinois
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway
Lewis & Clark Confluence tower at the convergence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, Hartford, Illinois
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway
Lewis & Clark Confluence tower at the convergence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, Hartford, Illinois
Lewis & Clark Confluence Tower
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway, Illinois, USA Lewis & Clark Confluence tower at the convergence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, Hartford, Illinois
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway, Illinois
Lewis & Clark Confluence tower at the convergence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, Hartford, Illinois
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway
Melvin Price Locks and Dam is a dam and two locks at river mile 200.78 on the Upper Mississippi River, about 17 miles (27 km) north of Saint Louis, Missouri.
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway
Clark Bridge, also called the Clark Superbridge across the Mississippi River between Alton, Illinois and West Alton, Missouri, seen here from the Missouri side.
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway
Clark Bridge as seen from Lincoln Shields Recreation Area on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway
Mural of the Piasa Bird on a limestone bluff overlooking the Mississippi River near Alton, Illinois
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway
Caves in the sandstone bluffs of the Mississippi River at Piasa Park, just outside Alton, Illinois
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway
The Legend of the Piasa: In 1673 Jacques Marquette reported that he and fellow French explorer Louis Jolliet discovered a painting of what was probably two "water monsters" on the bluffs of the Mississippi River near present-day Alton. By 1700 those pictograohic creatures were no longer visible. In 1836 the novelist John Russell described an image cut into the bluff of a legendary dragon-like creature with wings. According to Russel, the creature was called Piasa, "the bird that devours men." That version of the pictograph as well as myths about the Piasa have become prominent by folklore.
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway, Illinois
The Legend of the Piasa, narrated on a arrowhead-shaped rock.
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway
Mural of the Piasa Bird on a limestone bluff overlooking the Mississippi River near Alton, Illinois
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway
Hoffman Gardens Bluff along the Mississippi River near Alton, Illinois
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway, Illinois, USA
Grafton, at the convergence of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. The riverfront in Grafton includes a faux lighthouse, erected to symbolize the resilience of the town of Grafton after the devastating flood of 1993.
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway, Illiois, USA
A weathered signpost in Grafton, Illinois. Grafton is the oldest city in Jersey County, Illinois, United States. It is located near the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers.
Stilt houses at the riverfront in Grafton, Illinois
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway The next flooding will be coming. So the properties at the river front in Grafton, near the confluence of the Illinois River and the Mississippi River are built on stilts
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway
The Grafton ferry crosses the Mississippi river between Grafton, Illinois and St. Charles, Missouri
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway
A huge flag of the United States of America flies high above the harbor area in Grafton, Illinois
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway
Pere Marquette Cross along route 100 near Grafton, Illinois. On June 10, 1673, French explorer Louis Joliet and Jesuit priest Father Jacques Marquette led the first French expedition down the Mississippi River in search of the Pacific Ocean. The expedition followed the Mississippi River to the mouth of the Arkansas River, at which point the Native Americans there informed them that they were only about ten days away from the Gulf of Mexico, not the Pacific Ocean. Fearing that they may be captured by the Native Americans or Spanish, they chose to turn around and begin their journey home. Even though they never reached the Gulf, the expedition was still considered to be a success. Marquette and Joliet established relations with the Native American tribes that they met along the way, and their discoveries eventually led to the French possession of Louisiana. The large stone cross designates the spot of their historic landing.
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway
Pere Marquette Cross along route 100 near Grafton, Illinois.
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway, Illinois, USA
Eagle Roost Overlook in Pere Marquette State Park, Grafton, Illinois, USA. The green strip is Six Mile Island, separating the Illinois River (front) and Swan Lake (back).
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway, Illiois, USA
Eagle Roost Overlook in Pere Marquette State Park, Grafton, Illinois, USA. The green strip is Sixmile Island, separating the Illinois River (front) and Swan Lake (back).