Our Impressions of the Area
Geographically, Godfrey is on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River, just 35 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. We also visited the towns of Alton, Bethalto, East Alton, Granite City, Hartford and Roxana.
As a side note, we have visited family in the Godfrey area multiple times since starting our RV travel. Over the numerous visits, we have been to many attractions. But not many restaurants. My sister is an excellent cook and there is not much interest in going out to eat when we can get home cooked food with fresh veggies from their garden!
Historical preservation is obviously very important to the people in this area; from the Robert Wadlow statue, to the Charles Lindbergh emergency landing field, to the historic site where the Lewis and Clark expedition wintered during December 1803 to May 1804, to the Roxana Refinery Museum.
Food and Drink
Alton
LuciAnna’s Bakery is a small locally-owned bakery in downtown Alton. The cannoli’s are filled fresh while you wait. The scones were moist and flavorful.
Bethalto
Foxes Boxes is a downtown Bethalto bakery specializing in light breakfasts and lunches, baked goods, pastries, bagels and fresh flowers. They even make multiple flavors of their own macarons!
East Alton
Blue Ice Creamery has a variety of ice cream flavors in a dish, cone, sugar cone, waffle cone, and even in a chocolate dipped waffle cone! They also serve pizza. A fun local business trying to make a living. Staff was friendly and helpful in trying to make a flavor decision!
Attractions
Alton
National Great Rivers Museum (Locks and Dam) includes a museum and a tour of the locks and dam system. The tour guide was engaging and seemed very knowledgeable. You could walk up to a viewing area to see both the “high” and the ‘low” side of the lock system. We didn’t see any boats on our trip, maybe next time!
National Great Rivers Museum (Melvin Price Locks and Dam) on the Mississippi River.
Alton Military Prison. Illinois’ first prison was built in Alton in 1830. During the Civil War, many confederate prisoners were incarcerated in this prison. Deaths averaged six to ten prisoners per day. By 1860, due to efforts by Dorothea Dix, prisoners were moved to a more humane prison in Joliet. Only portions of stone walls remain.
North Alton Confederate Cemetery. Two acres of land was donated to the town of Alton, two miles north of the Alton Military Prison. One single monument was erected in memorial for all those who had died at the prison between 1862-1865. Their names are on plaques on the monument.
Statue of Robert Wadlow (1918 – 1940), also known as the Alton Giant and the Giant of Illinois. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Wadlow was the tallest man in history. At the time of his death, he was 8 ft. 11.1 inches tall!
Calhoun County
Calhoun County Old Settlers Days. Old Settlers Days is a two-day festival which is part county fair with food vendors, craft vendors and musical acts and part historical demonstrations with teepees, blacksmiths, and cooking demonstrations using a wood fire. There is something for everyone. It gave us a chance to take the car ferry from Jersey County across the Illinois River to Calhoun County.
Godfrey
In 1926, Charles A. Lindbergh, Air Mail Pilot, personally selected a 40-acre site in Godfrey for use as an emergency landing field during his Chicago to St. Louis mail flights. This site was used if weather, visibility or mechanical problems did not permit a safe landing in St. Louis. The small “relay station” or building used by pilots still stands.
Hartford
The Confluence Tower is a three-story platform observatory. There are three platforms you can walk out on, at 50’, 100’ and 150’. The view is amazing!
The Lewis & Clark State Historic Site is located on the approximate area that Camp River Dubois was located from December 13,1803 to May 14, 1804. There is the main museum with artifacts and replicas from Lewis and Clark’s travels west. There are several outbuildings to view that are in various states of disrepair. An interesting museum.
Roxana
The Refinery Museum. In November 1969, The American Petroleum Institute gave the Shell Oil Company / Wood River Refinery an Accident Prevention Award for “1,761,675 man hours without a disabling injury” (September 1, 1951 to November 1, 1969). There are lots of artifacts about the Wood River Refinery. All because the secretary to the CEO saved items throughout the years. She thought these items would be important toward preserving history. Well done!
Home Base: The Campground
For us, a campground is not our destination. Our RV is self-contained. Rarely do we use campground services or amenities. We are explorers, not campground reviewers! We have stayed on multiple sites at the Granite City KOA. Our favorites are site 00 (yes, “00”!) and A1 or A5. This is a clean, well-maintained park. Our site was a FHU (water-electric-sewer) pull thru on level packed gravel. Very simple check in, friendly staff.
Our site was long enough for our RV and Jeep in front. There was grass between the sites. 30 and 50 amp service was available. There was good cell phone coverage (Verizon) and a good open southern sky for our satellite.
While a couple of other campgrounds have popped up since we have been returning to Godfrey, this is the one we have always stay in. We will stay here again in the future.
Fun Facts
This expedition to the west was originally going to be the Lewis expedition (not Lewis & Clark Expedition). President Jefferson appointed his personal secretary Meriwether Lewis to lead the expedition in early 1803. Jefferson and Lewis decided they needed another officer should Lewis become ill or was injured. Lewis contacted William Clark, a former superior officer in the military to join him.
| Alton | Godfrey | Granite City | |
| Population | 25,422 | 17,729 | 28,563 |
| Founded | 1818 | 1991 | 1896 |
| Elevation | 535 | 591 | 423 |
| Average Income | $24,591 | $36,560 | $28,491 |
| Ave. Cost of Housing | $115,350 | $190,000 | $98,561 |
| Average Age | 38 | 52 | 39 |
City Websites:
Alton: https://www.cityofaltonil.gov/
Godfrey: https://godfreyil.org/
Granite City: https://www.granitecity.illinois.gov/
Summary
This is an area rich in history, especially about the Lewis & Clark’s journey west. It is a nice area to explore.
Since beginning our full-time journey to discover the country, we have found something to appreciate in every city and town we have passed through. We hope you enjoy reading about them as much as we have enjoyed discovering them!
No person, business or attraction has paid us for an endorsement.
Your partners in travel,
Kathryn, Dave and Lucky
RVing Nomads
It’s a lifestyle
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