Western Illinois' Historic National Road

Stroll downtown Effingham and take in Sculptures on the Avenues, featuring works of art in different mediums created by Midwestern artists. A striking 198-foot steel cross marks the junction of I-57 and I-70. In Altamont, the 1889 Dr. Charles M. Wright Mansion on Main Street exudes charm with its Second Empire style.

The 1836 brick Federal-style Vandalia Statehouse, where Abraham Lincoln served while a member of the legislature in the 1830s, appears on the route. A Madonna of the Trail statue, which honors female pioneers, is on the statehouse grounds. Stop at the Historic National Road Interpretive Center on South 5th Street to see enlightening exhibits about the road.

Ride through sleepy small towns founded in the early 1800s. Check out downtown Greenville’s antique shops and trompe l’oeil murals. Take a break from the concrete at Highland’s Silver Lake Park; it’s a great spot to catch some fish, hike, go boating and play disc golf. In Collinsville, a water tower that looks like a ketchup bottle will catch your eye.

The fascinating Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, home to a Native American civilization circa A.D. 900-1400, comprises 70 mounds; the 100-foot, 14-acre Monks Mound is a must-see. At the Missouri border, peer across the Mississippi River from the Eads Bridge and gaze at the Gateway Arch to the south.