ILLINOIS and MISSOURI
Dec. 2006
PART 1
This 3-part batch of 28 photos is from my bronchitis-filled trek to Quincy, IL, in which we traveled the Mississippi River valley through much of Illinois and Missouri. The pictures start off in southern Illinois and bip northward to Quincy.
I-57 heading south from Mount Vernon, IL. The truck you see in the right lane is profiled better in the next pic.
Passing the aforementioned truck. The truck seems to be hauling the Jolly Green Giant's toilet paper holder.
Looking out at Rend Lake from IL 154 near Sesser, IL.
If you ever visit the small river town of Chester, IL, you may see traffic signs directing you to the "Popeye statue." You'd probably be in disbelief that the Popeye referred to on the sign is the Popeye we all know and love, unless you actually see this amazing landmark.
I bet Popeye's poo stinks from eating all that spinach.
From the park that features the Popeye statue, we're looking out over the Mrs. Pepsi River and Kaskaskia Street.
From that same park, this is the bridge over the Mighty Mississip where IL 150 becomes MO 51.
Still at the Popeye park. This sign on IL 150 is a severe Allowed Cloud! Bringing in smokes from another jurisdiction is a cardinal sin in the Prairie State. Still this sign isn't as bad as what happens at the Virginia state line, where it takes a whole mile to list all the stuff that's illegal there.
From about the same spot we're looking at IL 150. The green guide sign lists a mental health center and a penitentiary. (In most states, a mental health center pretty much is a penitentiary.)
This is the door of a portable outhouse at the Popeye park. This photo is dedicated to viewers of the ol' Ses, who'll find the name of the septic service to be of some significance.
Look! A Missouri state route marker in Illinois! Now we're heading onto the IL 150/MO 51 bridge! Here's an annoying Allowed Cloud: Although this bridge is not a freeway, a sign prohibits pedestrians, and it would be impossible to ride a bike on it, because of the traffic volume. The bridge looked like it had enough room for pedestrians next to the railing, so this is clearly another case of Big Oil not wanting nonmotorized traffic to use "their" bridge. (Even if there's not enough room for pedestrians the whole way, the highway department can easily make room.) Worse, there was no other surface road bridge between Cape Girardeau and St. Louis.