just peachy

TOPPMEYER’S ORCHARD

480 Meyer Ln. • Brussels

Start a new family tradition by taking a drive to Calhoun County for some delicious Calhoun County peaches this summer! Bring your family to peruse fresh produce and peaches at Toppmeyer’s roadside stand in Brussels.

HAGEN FAMILY ORCHARD

3879 Illinois River Rd. • Brussels

What’s better than a peach pie? Hagen Orchard knows it takes a bit of love, a pinch of spice, and a gloriously ripe peach for the best one - and their pie fillings are what dreams are made of!

JACOBS ORCHARD

148 Ridge Rd. • Golden Eagle

Hit pause and refresh with peach sorbet or ice-cream at Jacobs Orchard in Golden Eagle! The orchard market is bursting with peach flavor in late summer with peach jellies, butters, preserves, and pecks picked fresh from the orchard.

ODELEHR’S ORCHARD

7127 Illinois River Rd. • Brussels

Peaches from June to September?

Yes, please! Odelehr’s more than century old farm specializes in an extra-long peach season. Ride the Brussels Ferry across the Illinois River to Odelehr’s market and find fresh baked goods and pies, fruit bread, preserves, candies, produce and so much more through summer and early fall.

Fresh Fruit Here

There are more orchards outside of Calhoun County to enjoy in southwest Illinois. Broom Orchard of Carlinville, Backwoods Berry Farm of Hettick, Eckert’s Country Store & Farms of Grafton, Joe Ringhausen Orchard & Market of Fieldon, and Kern Family Orchard of Raymond all offer U-Pick peaches and Krueger’s Orchard of Godfrey, Pearson’s Produce of Godfrey, and D & M Orchard of Hillsboro all offer roadside service so you don’t miss out on peach season!

Some Sweet Tips

1 There are three types of peaches perfect for eating: Cling peaches which stick messily to their pit, Semi-Cling peaches which can be cut from the pit but not twisted off, and Freestone Peaches which can be removed from the pit cleanly and easily.

2 Calhoun County grows two main types of peach: yellow and white. Yellow peaches are more acidic with a tartness that mellows as the peach ripens and white peaches have lower acidity and are sweet whether soft or firm.

3 There are hundreds of varieties of peaches in Calhoun County and each orchard has their favoritesone of the most common varieties is Red Haven.

4 You can tell if a peach is ripe if it has a golden yellow color, a strong floral “peachy” smell, and a hardness with a bit of give similar to a tennis ball. If it’s soft enough to leave an indent when you press lightly with your thumb, it’s a good one!

5 Peaches continue to ripen after being picked. Most peaches last between one to three days. To quickly ripen an unripe peach, place it in a brown paper bag. You can also place peaches in the fridge to slow ripening but they will gradually lose flavor.

Blueridge Farms

201 W. Main St. • Hardin

Take a bite of peach cobbler, shop for fresh groceries and baked goods, and top off your visit picking peaches with the whole family in the ADA accessible orchard! Be sure to stop along the Illinois River for some strips of crispy fried catfish at The Barefoot Restaurant

EBERLIN'S ORCHARD

1218 Two Story Hill • Golden Eagle

Are you ready for a river adventure? Drive aboard the Golden Eagle Ferry and cross the rugged Mississippi to the river town of Golden Eagle, Illinois.

Eberlins Orchard has welcomed Calhoun County travelers since 1988 with juicy peaches and red ripe tomatoes.

Pick up seasonal fruits and veggies at Hideaway Farms in Grafton.

Peach Cobbler

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 stick butter

1 egg

4 cups peaches

Peach Salsa

INGREDIENTS:

6 lbs tomatoes

BlueRidge Farms

INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat oven to 350°. Add 4 cups of sliced peaches to the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking pan. Mix the flour, sugar, egg & butter (softened). If mixture is too thick add a little water. Pour mixture over the peaches. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

2 cups peaches

1 cup sugar

½ cup vinegar

1 pkg Mrs. Wages Salsa mix

BlueRidge Farms RiversandRoutes.com

INSTRUCTIONS: Follow instructions on the Mrs. Wages packet for tomato prep. Peel peaches and cut into small diced pieces. Combine all ingredients and bring mixture to a boil. Stir occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Can be eaten fresh, frozen, or canned.

Last 100 Miles Of Route 66 In Illinois

There’s a mystique about driving along the Mother Road of Route 66. The final 100 mile stretch of the road in Illinois crosses prairies, the famed American Bottoms and bisects the Great River Road. It’s also home to a rabbit ranch, a giant pink elephant and a quirky bridge that has a 30-degree bend in the middle. Meet the Mother Road in southwest Illinois!

Pit Stops

Diners and restaurants popped up along the Mother Road during its heyday. Doc’s Just Off 66 in Girard started out as a drug store but evolved in to a local soda fountain which still serves customers today. Pick up a handpulled soda, an ice cream treat or hearty breakfast, lunch or dinner. Weezy’s in Hamel is a former boarding house which became a Route 66 diner. Famous for its Horseshoe sandwiches – think ooey gooey cheese on fries! Across the street from Weezy’s is the Route 66 Creamery. Enjoy ice cream, shakes and a burger in a former train station depot. In Edwardsville, Route 66 travelers would stop at the Stagger Inn Again the city’s oldest continuously operating drinking joint. The once-famous Luna Café in Mitchell hosted rumrunners and bootleggers during prohibition, but also Mother Road travelers who would stop in for a bite before crossing in to Missouri.

Only On Route 66

For the Postcard and Monument Trails.

Neon Lights

Once upon a time, neon lights guided weary Route 66 travelers to rest stops at restaurants and motels. While most have faded away, there are still some lights shining brightly in Litchfield. Follow the glimmer of neon to the famed Ariston Café, one of the oldest continuously operating restaurants along Route 66. The Litchfield Welcome Center and Route 66 Museum hosts a wealth of local Mother Road history and, of course, some neon lights. While in Litchfield, be sure to visit Jubelt’s, a restaurant and bakery featuring delectable treats.

POSTCARD MURAL TRAIL & MONUMENTS

Take a drive along Route 66 and follow the Postcard Mural Trail through the communities of Virden, Girard, Gillespie, Carlinville, Litchfield, Livingston, Staunton, Hamel, Edwardsville, Granite City & Collinsville. Twelve-foot Instagramworthy monuments can be found in Carlinville, Litchfield, Hamel, Edwardsville, Granite City and Collinsville.

Where can you see a giant pink elephant, visit a rabbit ranch, tour a jail built with unused Civil War cannonballs and take a walk across the Mississippi River? Only on the Last 100 Miles of Route 66 in Illinois! Livingston is home to the Pink Elephant Antique Mall – a massive gymnasium filled with antiques and collectibles and the nostalgic Twistee Diner A pink elephant greets visitors alongside a vintage spaceship, dinosaurs and more. In nearby Staunton, visit Henry’s Rabbit Ranch to meet bunny rabbits and see a Volkswagon Rabbit Stonehenge. Carlinville is home to the Million Dollar Courthouse and the Cannonball Jail. Tours of both are available. In Collinsville, get an Instagram photo in front of the World’s Tallest Catsup Bottle Water Tower. The iconic Chain of Rocks Bridge near Granite City spans the mile-wide Mississippi River from Illinois to Missouri. The former toll bridge – featuring a 30 degree bend in the middle – is closed to vehicles but hikers and bicyclists are welcome.

Historic Sites

Mt. Olive is home to the Mother Jones Monument , marking the grave of the early 20 th Century labor organizer, and Soulsby’s Service Station where gas and oil changes were needed by Route 66 travelers. In Edwardsville, the West End Station is reborn as a Route 66 Museum and Visitor Center. Edwardsville is also home to the historic Wildey Theatre which once hosted Vaudeville stars. Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site a prehistoric Native American civilization, sits alongside Route 66 in Collinsville.