Grafton, Illinois – A colorful River Town Blessed By Nature

Who does not love colors??….and when it is the beautiful nature itself, we are bound to fall in love. Located at the junction of two rivers Mississippi and Illinois is the city Grafton. The oldest city in Jersey County, Illinois-Grafton is a must visit for the nature lover.Our group started from Saint Louis at around 8 am. It took almost 2 hours to reach there. Of course we halted in between at Alton to have breakfast. It was the first time I was about to see fall colors in USA. So no doubt I was very excited. The weather was perfect for driving and the road was super smooth. Till the time we reached Grafton I could not take my eyes from the beautiful road alongside Mississippi river with colorful flowering trees on both ends. The Sam Vadalabene Bike Trail which is a stretch of about 20 mile is a perfect place for biking with a perfect scenic view of river on one side. I could see lots of cyclists on the stretch. If you are a wine lover then this place is ideal for you. There were lot of winery shops and you can enjoy the art of preparing wine at the Grafton Winery & Brewhaus. We stopped at the Grafton Harbor which is an ideal place for boating experience. There were lot of boats which were available on rents. Also there were ample good restaurants to satisfy your hunger.

It was the month of October and the weather was pretty chill. I was lucky to carry my jacket. So I would definitely suggest you guys to check the temperature for the day before starting your journey. After spending a quality time at the Grafton Harbor we headed for Pere Marquette State Park,which looks exceptionally colorful during the fall. The park has 10 about hiking trails and also provides horse riding. Once we reached there,the first thing I saw was a beautiful wooden house with colorful flowering trees in background. There was a beautiful water fountain in front of it. Until that moment i had seen such scenic beauty only in books. Of course i couldn’t resist myself from posing in front of camera. After spending a good amount of time here,we decided to have our lunch at the picnic spot. Lots of picnic areas are available through out the park. These areas are well equipped with tables,grills and trash containers. We were carrying our food from home. So without wasting any time we started our lunch. I couldn’t have asked myself for a better place to explore the fall. There were lot of camping opportunities provided by the park. There were also equestrian trails which is about 20 miles provided by the park with a parking area for visitors on Graham Hollow Road.

After lunch we headed for “Eagle Roost Scenic Overlook”. The town is called “The Winter Home of The Bald Eagle”and i came to know that there are guided eagle watching tours from late December through mid-February. Of course I was not lucky to spot any eagle but definitely visiting during the right season would make you enjoy the guided eagle tours. After this we decided to go for a long drive around the park. The weather was pretty gloomy and it was an ideal driving place. Since we had just planned for a day, it was the time for us to start heading back to Saint Louis. Also if you love to do fishing,then this place is ideal for u. The town has lots of events such as Two Rivers Family Fishing Fair, Music in the Park, and Art in the Park,which makes this place a very popular tourist attraction. More then anything else I just couldn’t stop myself from admiring the mother nature. Its an ideal place to go for weekend vacation away from the noisy city and enjoy the scenic beauty.

Traveling information:

Place: Grafton

County: Jersey County

State: Illinois

Country: USA

Tourist attraction spots: