Shemwell's BBQ; Cairo, IL Cairo, Illinois has been through some tough times, but through it all, Shemwell's Barbecue, now run by the fourth generation of the family, has continued to put out good barbecue for a reasonable price. The sweet smell of smoking meat fills the small, no-frills interior that feels like a
The Inn at Irish Hollow It's that time of year when we need a touch of elegance and pampering to get us through the holidays and into a new year. If that's what you're ready for, look no further than The Inn at Irish Hollow in rural Galena, Illinois. Whether you choose a
The view from Fountain Bluff, north of Grand Tower, Illinois. Photo taken October 2012. Fountain Bluff overlook
This is a composite of three photos taken at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers in October 2012, at Fort Defiance State Park near Cairo, Illinois; the Ohio is on the left and the Mississippi on the right. Just over a year before, the point from where I took these photos was under
Delicious fresh or smoked! Holiday feasting is just around the corner. Why not try something different this year and add some smoked carp or smoked catfish to you holiday buffet? We have plenty of both in the Midwest, and they make great conversation pieces! Schafer Fisheries in Fulton, Illinois is a great source
Just south of Cape Girardeau (Missouri), the Mississippi River cuts a seven-mile gorge through the thick limestone of the Shawneetown Ridge. The gorge, known as the Thebes Gap or the Grand Chain, is as narrow as 3,000 feet in places and was notoriously difficult to navigate, at least until the Army Corps of Engineers began blasting
