AMERICA'S JUNCTION

St. Louis Roundtrip - 03 - 10 June 2008 -
8 Days / 522 Miles Upper Mississippi and Illinois River

Picture yourself floating along the same route as the early keelboat and steamboat operators who traveled the Ohio River in the 1700s and 1800s. Imagine viewing the banks of the Ohio River, where for many hundreds of years before Europeans came this way, the Miami and Shawnee Indians lived an idyllic existence. In this region we call America's Junction, you'll see the Confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers whose navigable waters stretch almost a thousand miles in three different directions.

BOARDING LANDING
This 8 day America’s Junction excursion begins with an overnight stay in St. Louis, Mo. In 1764, French fur traders founded the city. In 1803, Napoleon sold the Louisiana Territory to President Thomas Jefferson as part of the Louisiana Purchase. St. Louis then became known as “the Gateway to the West” because of the westward movement the of Americans through the city. In 1904, St. Louis held the World’s Fair in recognition of the 100 Anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. It is there that iced tea and the ice cream cone were first introduced. We dock close to Laclede’s Landing, site of the original settlement that French fur trader Pierre Laclede named in honor of Louis IX. It became a center of commerce and today is an entertainment and shopping district.

The gleaming Gateway Arch, completed in 1965, towers over the Upper Mississippi River as a symbol of America’s opening of the west to commerce and settlement. The Museum of Westward Expansion (located below the arch) preserves some of the rarest artifacts from the days of Lewis and Clark. Through the exciting exhibits, explore the world of the American Indians and the 19th century pioneers who helped shape the history of the American West. You will receive passes to the Gateway Arch and the Museum of Westward Expansion. Take our complimentary shuttle with stops including the Jefferson Memorial, the Old Cathedral and the Gateway Arch.

BARGING
The mighty Upper Mississippi River begins as a small clear creek that rushes out of Lake Itasca in northwestern Minnesota and continues on a journey of 2,350 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. The Upper Mississippi flows nearly 900 miles, until its confluence with the Illinois and Missouri rivers above St. Louis, Mo., and joins the Ohio River at Cairo, Ill. Its depth is controlled by a series of locks and dams as it flows through scenic lakes, bluffs, marsh and islands southward to Alton, Ill., just north of St. Louis, Mo. The Illinois River is formed at the confluence of the Des Plaines and Kankakee rivers approximately 50 miles southwest of Chicago, Ill., and flows 273 miles across the state where it joins the Mississippi River near Grafton, Ill., approximately 38 river miles north of St. Louis, Mo. The Illinois River drains approximately 30,000 square miles and its drainage extends slightly into Wisconsin and Indiana.

HOST LANDINGS ALONG THE WAY
Grafton, Ill., is a quaint American river town. Located at the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers,
Grafton was founded in 1836, by James Mason. The town stretches for 2 miles along the Mississippi and Illinois rivers and is the winter home of the American bald eagle. The native limestone quarried in Grafton during the mid- nineteenth century was used as the piering for the Eads Bridge in St. Louis, Mo. You’ll have time to visit the quaint specialty shops and antique stores on Front Street. Grafton, is also the springboard for our visit to Alton, Ill., a town with natural harbor bluffs and hilly terrain that sets it apart from the surrounding area.

This quaint town has many interesting stories, from being a major stop on the Underground Railroad, which secretly aided runaway slaves, to being home to the world’s tallest man, Robert Pershing Wadlow. See the life-size statue of him. We’ll also view the Piasa (Pie-zaw) Bird engraving on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. Legend has it that the Illini Indians created this engraving after killing this birdlike monster that preyed on humans. Piasa means, “the bird that devours men.” Our stop in Havana, Ill., will be our springboard to Dickson Mounds State Museum. This National Historic Site is one of the major onsite archaeological museums in the country. Explore the world of the American Indian in an awe-inspiring journey through 12,000 years of human experience.

Near Havana, we’ll visit Lincoln’s New Salem Historical Site, a reconstruction of the village where Abraham Lincoln spent his early adulthood. The six years Lincoln spent in New Salem formed a turning point in his career. He engaged in a variety of activities. He clerked ina store, split rails, enlisted in the Black Hawk War, served as postmaster, deputy surveyor and was elected to the Illinois General Assembly in 1834 and 1836. We’ll visit Peoria, Ill., once the “Whiskey Capital of America.” We’ll visit Wheels O’Time Museum which offers a display of vintage classic autos, gas engines, fire engines, airplanes, tractors, musical instruments, juke boxes, toys, dolls, an animated miniature circus, and many “hands-on” displays.
You’ll also enjoy a city tour and get a chance to see Grand View Drive, which Teddy Roosevelt said is “The grandest view in the world!”

DESTINATION LANDING
This excursion ends where it began in St. Louis, Mo. Upon disembarkation, a narrated limited city tour of St. Louis will be provided on the way to the airport for those guests with flights 1:00 p.m. or later.

WHAT IS RIVERTIME?
A RiverBarge Excursion is a timeless vacation, filling your days and nights with unforgettable sights and sounds. Your watch will become less essential as time goes on. The river has its own sense of time. It doesn’t conform to our schedule; we conform to its. We arrive and depart as it permits. Set your watch aside. In other words, set it to“ RiverTime” and let the river make your vacation time well spent.

ST. LOUIS ROUND TRIP DAY BY DAY ITINERARY
DUE TO VARYING RIVER AND WATERWAY CONDITIONS, SCHEDULES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

Day 1 - Tues - 6/3 - Boarding in St Louis, Mo., begins at noon. Your stateroom is available at 3:00 p.m. Your excursion includes passes to the Gateway Arch and the Museum of Westward Expansion. Take our
complimentary shuttle from noon to 6:00 p.m. with stops including the Jefferson Memorial, the Old
Cathedral and the Gateway Arch. On your own, enjoy exploring other sights in St. Louis.

Day 2 - Wed - 6/4 - An early morning departure from St. Louis will begin our barging adventure on the Upper Mississippi River with a passage through Lock 27. We’ll pass the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers before moving through Mel Price Lock in the morning. We’ll reach the Illinois River and the city of Grafton, Ill., in the afternoon. We’ll enjoy a driving tour of historic Alton, Ill., and afternoon shopping on Front Street in Grafton before our late evening departure.

Day 3 - Thur - 6/5 - We’ll have a morning passage through LaGrange Lock with a leisurely afternoon of barging up the Illinois River before our early evening arrival in Havana, Ill., where we’ll have an overnight stay.

Day 4 - Fr i- 6/6 - Today, we’ll explore the Dickson Mounds State Museum in Havana and learn about the world of the American Indian. We’ll also visit Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site before our late afternoon departure. Enjoy a relaxing evening of barging. We’ll pass through the Peoria Lock in the late evening. This morning, we will turn around near LaSalle and Peru, Ill., to begin our journey back down the Illinois

Day 5 - Sat - 6/7 - River. Enjoy a day of barging. We will arrive in Peoria, Ill., in the early evening and have an overnight stay

Day 6 - Sun - 6/8 - Enjoy the day in Peoria. We’ll visit Wheels O’Time Museum, and have time for shopping and a city tour before departing in the afternoon. We’ll pass through Peoria Lock early this evening.

Day 7 - Mon - 6/9 - Barging all day. We’ll have an early morning passage through LaGrange Lock. In the early evening, we will enter the Upper Mississippi River with an evening passage through Mel Price Lock.
We’ll have an early morning passage through Lock 27. This trip concludes with an early morning arrival

Day 8 - Tues - 6/10 - in St. Louis, Mo. Enjoy a hearty breakfast before your morning disembarkation that includes a narrated limited city tour of St. Louis on the way to the airport for those guests with flights 1:00 p.m. or later.