Possible cruise thru So Il Wine Country

A

A Snake

Member #024
Location (City)
McLeansboro, Il
First Name
Mike
Last Name
Woley
As I enter this idea, my wife is looking for the brochure she has for the Wine Trail.Once I get it in my hands I will try to make some logical route that will not take all day and allow time for you all to get home that evening. Wife is concerned about the drinking and driving..
Any ideas you have please share with me.
 
I love the idea. Count me in for sure. We can do like the rich snobs do. Swish it around in our mouths & spit it out. :D:rolleyes:;):p
 
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I know the wine trail down there well. Expecially love Blue Sky. Let me know if you need some help. I grew up on those backroads and can still drive most of them with my eyes closed.

I have thought about a trip down Rt. 3 to the Kincade lake spillway, via, a couple of small bars and parks I know also.
 
What part of So IL were you raised in???
To be originally from Little Egypt you must have more fishing poles than teeth.
 
I just sent an email to: www.shawneewinetrailbb.com, asking for thier assistance in organizing a cruise late spring, early summer.
I asked them to get back to me with something I can bring to the meeting next week.
We may even be able to make it an overnite type thing with all the B&B's in the area.
The gentleman that built the Blue Sky winery is a SIU alumni...he had the first mobile food van in Carbondale years ago, you know the type you see at construction sites.
Neat guy...made his fortune in buying delinquent taxes.
 
rednour1 said:
I know the wine trail down there well. Expecially love Blue Sky. Let me know if you need some help. I grew up on those backroads and can still drive most of them with my eyes closed.

I have thought about a trip down Rt. 3 to the Kincade lake spillway, via, a couple of small bars and parks I know also.
Click to expand...
I've heard that lake Kincade is very scenic & reminds a lot of people of the Wisc. Dells. The Lake Kincade spillway is where they filmed part of the movie The Fugitive Correct with Tommy Lee Jones & Harrison Ford.
 
Dave: the movie you are referring to was filmed at Golconda, Il, on the Ohio river. A good friend of mine owned the property on the bluff above the site and got fat renting it to the film maker.
 
You can't actually drive up to the spillway at Kincade Lake. But you can enjoy the "waterfall" at the bottom. I had a ski boat in High school/College, and lived at that lake. Next time I'm

Mike, I grew up in Steeleville, not too far from the lake itself, I have alot of family in that area, and hunt a couple of farms down your way. I used to work for a guy from McLeansboro, Il, right after I got out of the Air Force before college. He drove to Sparta everyday. PM me for the name, I hate posting names online of unsuspecting people.

One thought for a cruise down there would be to take RT 3, to Chester, see historic Menard, the Popeye statue, and my favorite is the covered bridge http://www.texasescapes.com/Illinois-USA/Marys-River-Covered-Bridge-Chester-Illinois.htm

There is ample area if for a group shot in front of the bridge. From there, I know a lot of twisty roads to get us down you wine country, where you could take over Mike.
 
Here is one from another web site. Unfortuantly I have not been out of school that long, but my camera was not digital!!!
Spillway3.gif
 
Is this the proper place for this thread?

Perhaps one of the moderaters would want to move this thread to the club cruise area.

I received a reply from the tourism people and they are more than willing to assist us in setting this up...lets talk about it at the meeting
 
Hey Mike let's revive this thread. You had something that you handed to Mark at the last meeting. What was it? Do you have an itinerary picked out for the cruise? Lay it out for us. Where do you propose to start & end the cruise? We could try to start planning a weekend to do it.
 
6/5 came & went & the So. ILL wine cruise didn't happen. I talked to Craigr & MikeWol about it beforehand, but it didn't happen. Here's a map that should help for when it does happen: http://shawneewinetrail.com/images/2009WebMap.pdf I suggested that when it is rescheduled that we meet & greet VERY EARLY on a Sat. or Sun. morn at the McD's in Columbia, IL. head south on IL 3 to IL 147, head east to Murphysboro, meet up with MikeWol & head to the trail. There are some neat hikes along the trail. The little grand canyon hike is neat & Giant City State Park is very pretty.
 
I would like to do the cruise with you guys if we can put it together. The car is almost done and I would hate to miss a So. IL cruise if it happens.
 
Dave,

Just a warning to some, if they have never been. Most of the roads you will be on (other than the main ones are oil and chipped (basically blacktop) Some of the wineries have long driveways that are rock. These are not typically spirited driving roads due to the narrow width, and amount of on comming traffic. That said, it is beautiful, and not to be missed. My favorite has to be Blue Sky Vinyards. The wine is good everywhere, but the building and atmosphere here if above average.

A cool photo opp would be:

1. Covered Bridge at Chester
2. Bald Knob Cross.

I Can't pass up the Original 17th street Bar and Grill in Murphy. Used to go there every weekend in highschool/college.

This would also be an excellent fall colors cruise.
 
Thanks for the heads up & advice Craigr. Maybe some weekend I can go down & do a preview check of things before we set it up. Perhaps some of the stops could be eliminated due to time constraints. Keep the best, cull the rest. Anyone else interested in assisting me? As Craigr suggested we could do dinner here before heading back home: http://www.17thstreetbarbecue.com/
 
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Good idea Dave, I would still be more than happy to help out, but will be busy until mid July. Some of the smaller out of the way wineries are not worth stopping at, or trying to get the cars to. Don't compare the Fairview Heights 17th street with Murphy. They are night and day different.

Alicia and I's favorites are:

Alto Vinyards (Alto Pass)
Blue Sky
Pamona
& Von Jakob

They also have the wine trail Festival usually the first weekend in Sept. I think the 4th and 5th this year.
 
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