Travel & Route Directory – Scenic Routes, Historic Journeys, and Travel Guides
Explore a growing directory of historic landmarks, battlefields, scenic routes, parks, museums, river towns, and unique destinations throughout the Midwest. Old Folks Adventures Directory will grow in Historical places and markers that Michael uses to plan our trips. Our directory highlights places we’ve visited along with destinations still on our travel list, making it easy to plan your next adventure. Many listings include links to our travel articles, videos, and historical features, helping you discover the stories behind the places you visit.
Fort de Chartres State Historic Site
2006, 1350 State Rte 155, Prairie Du Rocher, Illinois 62277
Fort de Chartres State Historic Site in southern Illinois a rare French colonial stone fort along the Mississippi River with rich history and scenic grounds.
Fort Kaskaskia State Historic Site
14372 Park Rd, Ellis Grove, Illinois 62241
Fort Kaskaskia State Historic Site in Illinois for scenic Mississippi River views and early French colonial history. A peaceful and historic stop worth exploring
Garden of the Gods
Listed in Hiking area, Visited by Old Folks Adventures
Shawnee Forest Rd, Herod, Illinois 62947
Garden of the Gods is one of the most visited parts of the Shawnee National Forest. Mainly because if the short 1/4-mile trail that is paved with flag stone and the beautiful views.
General Hal Moore Military Museum
310 E Broadway St, Bardstown, Kentucky 40004
General Hal Moore Military Museum in Bardstown Kentucky. Learn about his leadership in Vietnam and the story behind “We Were Soldiers."
Harmonie State Park
Listed in State Parks, Visited by Old Folks Adventures
3451 Harmonie State Park Rd, New Harmony, Indiana 47631
Harmonie State Park is located "on the banks of the Wabash" 25 miles northwest of Evansville. Camping and cabins, shady picnic areas, ravines, and pristine landscapes await you here. This is a trail lover's paradise. Trails for walking, biking, mountain biking, and nature hikes will lure you for a visit.
Nearby New Harmony State Historic Site honors two unique communities from the early 1800s. The Rappites located here in 1814. They were fleeing from religious persecution and awaiting the impending millennium. In 1824, the Owenites brought many great scientists and philosophers into the area when they purchased the Rappites holdings.
Hemlock Cliffs in Southern Indiana
Listed in Hiking area, Visited by Old Folks Adventures
National Forest Rd, English, Indiana 47118
Hemlock Cliffs is a box canyon of special beauty in southern Indiana. A cool climate, sandstone rock formations, and seasonal waterfalls are responsible for the unique trees and plants that grow here. The area features sandstone rock outcrops, overhangs, cliffs, rock shelters, and ravines. Much of the sandstone is “Honeycombed” by weathering of iron ores. Springs, small caves, and subterranean drainage conduits are in the underlying Glen Dean Limestone. Archaeological excavations indicate Native American occupation as early as 10,000 years ago. The head of the canyon is a large, semi circular rock shelter, which undoubtedly provided cover and defense to the early occupants of this area.
Historic Cairo Mississippi River Iron Bridge
XVH2+FW, Cairo, Illinois 62914
The Cairo Mississippi River Bridge, also known as the Birds Point Bridge, spans the Mississippi River near its confluence with the Ohio River, linking Cairo, Illinois, to Birds Point, Missouri. It measures approximately 5,182 feet (1,579 meters) in total length, with a main cantilever span of 700 feet (213 meters) and a narrow 20-foot roadway width accommodating two lanes of traffic. The bridge rises 114 feet above the river, providing clearance for navigation. It is maintained by the Illinois Department of Transportation and remains a vital regional crossing despite its age.
Historic Fort D
920 Fort St, Cape Girardeau, Missouri 63701
As a public historic site, self-guided tours, at no charge, may be taken of the fort grounds at any time. The original earthworks can be viewed and there are ten display panels that tell about the history of the fort and those who served there.
Hovey Lake Fish and Wildlife Area
8401 IN-69 S, Mt Vernon, Indiana 47620
Hovey Lake FWA provides and maintains quality outdoor recreational opportunities including hunting fishing wildlife viewing and recreational paddling. It encompasses land from the Ohio River to the Wabash River and includes all the low-lying land in the area.
Illinois Iron Furnace (National Historic Site)
County Rd 750E N Rd, Elizabethtown, Illinois 62931
The Illinois Iron Furnace is the only remaining iron furnace structure in the state of Illinois. Iron was manufactured at the Illinois Furnace by the charcoal blast method. The furnace was built on a dry laid limestone foundation. The exterior of the furnace was manufactured of large limestone blocks quarried near the town of Cave-In-Rock. The interior wall, or lining, was constructed of firebrick from Pennsylvania.
Fort de Chartres State Historic Site
Fort de Chartres State Historic Site in southern Illinois a rare French colonial stone fort along the Mississippi River with rich history and scenic grounds.
Fort Kaskaskia State Historic Site
Fort Kaskaskia State Historic Site in Illinois for scenic Mississippi River views and early French colonial history. A peaceful and historic stop worth exploring
Garden of the Gods
Garden of the Gods is one of the most visited parts of the Shawnee National Forest. Mainly because if the short 1/4-mile trail that is paved with flag stone and the beautiful views.
General Hal Moore Military Museum
General Hal Moore Military Museum in Bardstown Kentucky. Learn about his leadership in Vietnam and the story behind “We Were Soldiers."
Harmonie State Park
Harmonie State Park is located "on the banks of the Wabash" 25 miles northwest of Evansville. Camping and cabins, shady picnic areas, ravines, and pristine landscapes await you here. This is a trail lover's paradise. Trails for walking, biking, mountain biking, and nature hikes will lure you for a visit.
Nearby New Harmony State Historic Site honors two unique communities from the early 1800s. The Rappites located here in 1814. They were fleeing from religious persecution and awaiting the impending millennium. In 1824, the Owenites brought many great scientists and philosophers into the area when they purchased the Rappites holdings.
Hemlock Cliffs in Southern Indiana
Hemlock Cliffs is a box canyon of special beauty in southern Indiana. A cool climate, sandstone rock formations, and seasonal waterfalls are responsible for the unique trees and plants that grow here. The area features sandstone rock outcrops, overhangs, cliffs, rock shelters, and ravines. Much of the sandstone is “Honeycombed” by weathering of iron ores. Springs, small caves, and subterranean drainage conduits are in the underlying Glen Dean Limestone. Archaeological excavations indicate Native American occupation as early as 10,000 years ago. The head of the canyon is a large, semi circular rock shelter, which undoubtedly provided cover and defense to the early occupants of this area.
Historic Cairo Mississippi River Iron Bridge
The Cairo Mississippi River Bridge, also known as the Birds Point Bridge, spans the Mississippi River near its confluence with the Ohio River, linking Cairo, Illinois, to Birds Point, Missouri. It measures approximately 5,182 feet (1,579 meters) in total length, with a main cantilever span of 700 feet (213 meters) and a narrow 20-foot roadway width accommodating two lanes of traffic. The bridge rises 114 feet above the river, providing clearance for navigation. It is maintained by the Illinois Department of Transportation and remains a vital regional crossing despite its age.
Historic Fort D
As a public historic site, self-guided tours, at no charge, may be taken of the fort grounds at any time. The original earthworks can be viewed and there are ten display panels that tell about the history of the fort and those who served there.
Hovey Lake Fish and Wildlife Area
Hovey Lake FWA provides and maintains quality outdoor recreational opportunities including hunting fishing wildlife viewing and recreational paddling. It encompasses land from the Ohio River to the Wabash River and includes all the low-lying land in the area.
Illinois Iron Furnace (National Historic Site)
The Illinois Iron Furnace is the only remaining iron furnace structure in the state of Illinois. Iron was manufactured at the Illinois Furnace by the charcoal blast method. The furnace was built on a dry laid limestone foundation. The exterior of the furnace was manufactured of large limestone blocks quarried near the town of Cave-In-Rock. The interior wall, or lining, was constructed of firebrick from Pennsylvania.
