Illinois

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

It really is. It's easy to waste a week there. It's just...you know, the neatness wears off, and you realize the challenges it faces too.

[Freed Roger]

I go up to Pere Marquette to run the trails, about half a dozen times a year. That area always seems cool & underrated. I love that damn river, -it reminds me of family road trips decades ago, and my Dad who was a river rat.

Alton area is better than STL and Quincy for views and atmosphere and Mississippi River vibes.

Always think i'd like to own something up there, but frankly it won't happen.

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

I go up to Pere Marquette to run the trails, about half a dozen times a year. That area always seems cool & underrated. I love that damn river, -it reminds me of family road trips decades ago, and my Dad who was a river rat.

Alton area is better than STL and Quincy for views and atmosphere and Mississippi River vibes.

Always think i'd like to own something up there, but frankly it won't happen.

You want a 4 bed 2 bath in Alton, about 5 minutes from the river? I can make it happen.

[lukethedrifter]

Is,it near the cemetery and the Lovejoy monument?

[Freed Roger]

Old Bakery makes a beer called the Observer for bar called ElijahPs. The bell just rang. History thru drinking beer.

[IMADreamer]

I really like the Alton/Grafton area. We cruise down there probably once a month just to eat, go for a walk, and look at the shops. There are always car cruises to that area and I like that. Plus the river road is really one of the great drives. There are also some quality driving roads in the area especially if you take the ferry over to Calhoun county. Nearly everything is blacktop there and it's all built on a big hill.

I've contemplated someday down the road when I've really had enough of working of maybe buying something there, but there's the flooding and that sucks. For now my measly cabin on the Illinois river will have to do.

[tlombard]

One of these days I'm going to trust my boat enough to put my boat in out in St. Charles and cruise on over to the Alton/Grafton area and grab lunch, etc. Then maybe I'll cruise on up the Illinois river a bit. 18 feet isn't the best size for the river but as long as I'm not stupid, it should be fine. I've only finished the day without a tow two out of three times so far though thanks to a bad wire/connection so not ready to trust the boat on the river yet!

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

What's wrong with an 18' boat on the river? I mean, the river can be dangerous but I think that's more the operator than the size of the boat.

[Freed Roger]

WRT economics, and future tax increases or additional cuts to things that benefit all (highways bridges, education) I wouldn't be flocking to MO from IL. MO's situation sounds healthier than IL present situation. But you could be buying in high.

Some shaky major employer situations. And FWIW -the corrupt MO state lawmakers - holy hell.!. Seems like the only thing that has helped the state is not having one-party completely rule it all. Then we've got troubles out the arse with the state's flagship university.

With things like education, the state kicks in less - so we have higher local sales tax rates. I think my township is about 9.5%.

I'm staying put. Hope I'm wrong - but I sense a negative trend with MO economics.

[tlombard]

What's wrong with an 18' boat on the river? I mean, the river can be dangerous but I think that's more the operator than the size of the boat.

Nothing really. The operator is the important part. About six or seven years ago a friend and I were on the river all the time in an 18 foot ski boat and were just fine. I mainly have flash backs to when I was a kid and my parents bought a brand new 18' VIP fish and ski. My dad was driving and we just went straight through the wake from a barge. All of a sudden there was just a green wall of water that came right over the bow and I thought we were sinking. Thankfully the bilge pump worked! As a 13 or 14 year old and being on the river for the first time, it was pretty scary.

But I am just generally wary of the river on a boat that I'm not intimately familiar with these days because if something goes wrong, you can be in trouble quickly if nobody is around to help.