We recently got to spend the whole day with Michael and Allie, my son and daughter-in-law. And it was a keeper for the good ole memory book of great days and happy times.
Our day was set with perfect fall weather for a short trip to nearby Grafton, Illinois. Grafton is a little river town on the Mississippi, right near the confluence of three rivers. The leaves were near their peak with the sun shining, making the leaves bright and cheerful.
We started the day by heading to the Grafton Ferry. The Grafton Ferry is about twelve miles, nineteen minutes from our home. It turns out we weren’t the only ones who had a good idea on this day. The line of cars to get on the ferry was long, but our wait wasn’t. The ferry can hold fifteen cars. Before we knew it, we were on the other side.
Back on land, not too far from the ferry landing is the Grafton SkyTour. The Grafton SkyTour is owned by Aerie’s Resort & Winery. We took the SkyTour with Danny and Jenn, back in December 2019, shortly after it had opened.
The SkyTour offers open chair lifts or an enclosed gondola to ride to the top of the bluff. For our way up, we chose the open chairs. It was chilly, but not too cold. The view was fantastic, as always, but this day we enjoyed the added splendor of spectacular fall foliage.
Once at the top, we walked the half mile trail through the trees, past little cabins to the lookout point. There we climbed a lookout tower, but only one at a time. There was a sign posted which said the structure had a weight limit of 300 pounds.
Some swings could also be found around the lookout tower, and Michael gave me my first, and maybe my only ever, “underdoggie.”
In case you don’t know, an “underdoggie” is when the person pushing someone on a swing pushes them hard enough and high enough to run under the swing before letting go. This results in the person on the swing going really high and swinging really fast. It was crazy wild and fast, but our day was not over yet. More of the same was yet to come. And soon.
On our walk back, we enjoyed a hoop lawn game, and we stopped in the winery, so we could enjoy the expansive view from its outside deck. With Grafton being the popular choice for the day, the wait to eat was more than an hour.
It just so happened that another, new attraction, the Grafton Alpine Coaster, had just opened. According to the Aerie’s Resort website, the coaster has “4,000 feet of track, 7 hair-pin turns, and 8 waves/twisters.” Since Dan gets motion sickness, he chose to wait for us, but I was all in. While no reservations can be made in advance, I certainly had mine. But I went anyway. If you get my drift.
Michael, Allie and I waited our turn, and before long we were each seated in our own coaster sled. We rode down the track, through the colorful fall leaves at roller coaster speeds. It was an exhilarating experience! Now, this alpine coaster is “rider controlled” (to a degree), and can be slowed down by pulling up on the brakes. I am proud to say, I did not brake. Not. At. All. I am living life to the fullest!
Michael took a short video of his ride. How he took it while racing down the track, I don’t know. But give it a watch if you’d like to live life to the fullest – while being online.
The alpine coaster brings you back where the whole thing started. So, we met up with Dan and rode the SkyTour back down the bluff. This time, we chose an enclosed gondola where we could all sit together.
Back at the bottom, we took the ferry across the river, back home to St. Charles County. Our special day with Michael and Allie was just about over. We had a freaky fast stop at Jimmie Johns to grab some dinner before taking them to the airport for their flight home.
It was a wonderful day, but just like the Grafton Alpine Coaster – it went by really fast!
Chambers on the Road 
What a fantastic day with family. So glad you had such an awesome day. Time with family and friends are always so special and create such precious memories. Not once did you brake, hey, that’s truly a Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious moment. I’m with you, life is meant to be lived to the fullest, each and every moment. May your life be full of many more of these special days.
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Thank you, Bill! I totally agree. I was nervous at first, but it turned out to be really fun. I appreciate your heartfelt good wishes, and I wish the same for you and Barb! And I am impressed you knew how to spell that super long word!
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It’s really easy to spell any big word like that: control “c” + control “v”!
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That’s how I would have done it, too!
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What a fun day! Grafton sure has some new attractions! All I remember is shops and restaurants, and maybe the winery. I bet the town is hopping now, more than ever.
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Yes, it was! There is also a zip line as part of Aerie’s. And up the river road a bit is a water park. We wanted to eat at the Loading Dock, outside on the river, but we ran out of time. I also like to attend the once a month flea market there, too. During the holidays, the flea market is turned into an ice skating rink. I really enjoy visiting Grafton, and it is so pretty in the Fall. Thanks for your comment, and have a great day!
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Beautiful pics
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Thank you!
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So fun! I’m glad you had a great day with your kids!
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Thank you! Our 4 kids all
live in different cities, so we really treasure a day like this.
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What a fun and beautiful time with your kids! The fall colors look amazing, and I am so glad to know what an underdoggie is!
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Thank you! Usually, it’s the little ones that get underdoggies. 🙂 The fall colors were awesome! Hope you have a great day!
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Your Fall tree is amazing. Fall is just so beautiful!
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It really is! Enjoy your day!
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They look happy. Looks and sounds like an amazing day. Also, sounds like a place my husband and kiddo and I would like. We haven’t been to IL in a while. I’ll put that on our weekend travel list. Great post!
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Thank you! It was a good day. There is also a zip line, apple picking, and Pere Marquette State Park – which has hiking and a lodge. There is also a bike trail from the park to Grafton. The bike trail continues to Alton, but some of it is on the busy road. There is a flea market during the warmer part of the year which is open one weekend per month. It’s a fun little river town!
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Wow!!! That sounds really fun!
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Looks like everyone had a great time!
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We did! There is nothing I like better than having great days with my kids. Hope you’re having a good week.
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It looks like so much fun, Betty. The fall foliage is beautiful!
I love your humor in this line:
“While no reservations can be made in advance, I certainly had mine.”
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Thank you, David. That line came straight out of the experience. 🙂 It was really fun, and the foliage was glorious. The coaster is open all year, but I think riding it in the fall may be the best time. Enjoy your day!
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Fun day! Time with our adult children always feels so fast and fleeting!
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You are exactly right! Thanks for your comment, and enjoy your day!
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It sounds like you had a wonderful day. The sled ride would get my heart pumping!
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Yes, it was a wonderful day. The ride was exhilarating! Of course, there was a waiver to sign first. The waiver was on a electronic tablet. Hope you have a great day!
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Wonderful pictures.
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Thank you. The Fall colors were beautiful. Enjoy your day!
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That was for sure one of those days that sticks in your memory for good times with family, beautiful fall colors, fun activities. Yay!!
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Thanks, Meg. “Yay!” was exactly how I felt. Enjoy your day!
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You definitely had a day of great memory-making. Autumn sounds like a great time to go there. I am like Dan, I get motion sick. I stay on the ground and take the pictures. HAHA
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You know, the one thing I messed up on this day – I didn’t take any pictures of the coaster. I gave Dan my phone, and the coaster is entered through a building, so he couldn’t come and take pictures for me. I wish I would have asked Michael to take some pictures, but I was kind of scared, so I didn’t think of it! I guess that just means I have to go again. 🙂 You are right; Autumn is a great time to visit Grafton.
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So keen to read of the all the different places and how you all enjoyed. Experiences which I won’t go through 🙂
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Thank you. I really enjoy it anytime I get to spend time with my grown children. I hope you have a good day!
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Family days are always the best
Good on you for getting on the ride!
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I agree about Family Days! I was nervous to get on the ride, but I was so glad I did! Enjoy your day!
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Thanks Betty you too 🙂
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What a fun day you had with your son and daughter-in-law. When I traveled with my husband on his consulting project with Boeing in St Louis, we drove over to Alton to eat a a little hole in the wall place (can’t remember the name), and it seems we drove on up to Grafton just for grins. What a beautiful area! Loved your pictures and story. And video!
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I’m so glad that you took the time to drive to Grafton. It’s one of my favorite areas close to home for a day trip. There is a state park nearby – Pere Marquette. It is a beautiful park; however, there are not full hook ups. Thanks for taking the time to catch up on my posts! I appreciate it and your kind comments very much. Enjoy your day!
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