Bluff Road Route

Approximate Distance: 100 miles / 160.93 km
Time to Allow: Plan on lunch, this ride will take 4-6 hours.
Best Time to Go: Spring, Summer, Fall
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ROAD CHARACTERISTICS:

AUTHOR’S DESCRIPTION:
Nice ride, an alternative to going north of St. Louis via the river road at Alton. Head south from Columbia down the Bluff Road for your 1st refreshment stop at the Fountain Inn. Take your time an if you see some motorcycles outside an establishment, it will be worth a stop. Take your time and enjoy the scenery and view as you ride south from Fountain to Prairie Du Rocher. Be sure to stop a Lisa’s for refreshments or lunch. After leaving Lisa’s, take a side trip to Fort Kaskaskia State Park. At the intersection of Rt. 3 and Bluff Road, stop at my favorite watering hole in this part of Illinois, Pop A Top Tavern in Ellis Grove. Turn north up Illinois Rt 3 to Waterloo and stop at Sporto’s Tavern if you need to stop. Continue north on Illinois Rt 159 to Hecker and Smithton. DJ’s is Smithton is a good stop as is the Honky Tonk in Hecker, but I think it burned down. Follow Hwy 159 north to Hwy 15, then go west about a mile to Hwy 158. Follow Hwy 158 to Millstadt and into Columbia. Last stop is Michaels in Columbia on Main street, cold beer and good food. Ride this route fast in 3-4 hurs or take all day. Enjoy the ride.

Not Too Far Away Ride – Southern IL

Approximate Distance: 149 miles / 239.79 km
Time to Allow: Got a free afternoon? This ride will take 2-4 hours.
Best Time to Go: Spring, Summer, Fall
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AUTHOR’S DESCRIPTION:
Nice trip up to Southern Illinois.
You will go through Amish communities and even pass by a great store run by the Amish. Excellent quality hand made furniture for sale there too.
You will cross the Ohio River on a Ferry into Cave-In-Rock Illinois.
This route also passes through the Garden of the God’s area. Lots of scenery and hiking there.
In OLD Shawneetown, you will be able to visit World Famous Hog Daddy’s Saloon. VERY interesting items hanging it that place…..
In Sturgis Ky, there is a nice bike shop there called Custom Biker Wear. Very friendly people and lots of biker clothes, chrome, parts, decals, patches, etc.

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COMMENTS:
Rate this Road/Route
JLCrosser
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
5 star except for the Custom Biker Wear Shop, I will admit they were extremely friendly till…..What made my visit to Custom Biker Wear unique and special is in the 48 years I have been a consumer I have never experienced the level of direspect that I recieved from them today. I was returning a pair of gloves that split from dry rot when my boyfriend tried on his gift. They not only refused to even look at my receipt, they stated that they had never carried that line and that I had purchased them at Rural King. The only logical reason I came to was that after all the years they have spent on the road selling to people they will never see again has lead them to treat locals in the same manner. I have visited their website to review their online return policy and there is none. The link goes to a page that is EMPTY…just like their actual brick and mortar store policy (Call the customer a liar and trust that they are illiterate). Bikers BEWARE ! ! !

Area Ride Route 2

Approximate Distance: 92 miles / 148.06 km
Time to Allow: Plan on lunch, this ride will take 4-6 hours.
Best Time to Go: Spring, Summer, Fall
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ROAD CHARACTERISTICS:

AUTHOR’S DESCRIPTION:
Although I listed this as a 4-6 hours ride, if you stop at all of the sites it could last all day. You’ll begin (and end) your day in Columbia, IL there is a gas station with plenty of parking within easy access of a major interstate. I like to begin my ride going to the top of the bluff at Columbia and coming down HH Road. This has two advantages: One its curvier than Bluff road, and Two on a hot day the tree canopy along HH Road traveling down the ravine is a welcome relief from the heat.

Bluff road will take you into “old” Valmeyer. The ’93 flood left it almost a ghost town. If your up to it, there is a wooden staircase that you can climb to the top of the bluff about 1.5 miles past the town of Fults (12.5 from Valmeyer). If you take the hike, you’ll appreciate the fact that your next cool down will be just outside of Prairie Do Rocher. The road runs past a limestone mine. The air coming out of the caves is like a blast of air conditioning. You’ll want to stop in front of one of the caves for a while to really cool off.

On the other side of Prairie Du Rocher you can take a little side trip to Fort de Chartres. Going back to Prairie Du Rocher, you’ll take Bluff Road to Ellis Grove and continue on to Fort Kaskaskia State Park where you can take a short side trip to the top of the bluff for a scenic overlook. When you’ve had your fill, continuing on you’ll pass Menard State Prison in Chester. You may want to leave the route for your first real chance to get gas or refreshments in Chester.

Take note as you pass the statue of Popey before you cross the Mississippi into Missouri. You’ll pass through St. Genevieve on your way to the Ferry. I probably should point out that the Ferry is $10 – $16. Once your back in Illinois, take the ferry road to the levee, turn left on top of the levee, follow the levee road to Bluff Road and make a left. Stay on Bluff Road all the way back to Columbia.
COMMENTS:

Area Ride Route 1

Approximate Distance: 39 miles / 62.76 km
Time to Allow: Quick and Easy. This ride will take 1-2 hours.
Best Time to Go: Spring, Summer, Fall
State(s):
SCENERY: Historical / Fall Colors / Forest / Rural / River / Farmland

ROAD CHARACTERISTICS:Straight / Sweeping Curves / Twisty / Rolling Hills / Moderate Traffic / Gas Scarce / Foot Traffic Rare

AUTHOR’S DESCRIPTION:
Nice scenery for this part of the country. Mississippi River bluffs
farm country and woods.Watch for loose gravel on some of the narrower roads.
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