Elizabethtown, IL

Went to this neat little town called Elizabethtown on the Ohio River this morning. Ended up finding this hotel/B&B on the river called The Rose Hotel. Turns out it is the longest-running hotel in Illinois and is, in fact, owned by the State. Sandy Vinyard has been managing it for four years and has done most if not all of the landscaping and interior decorating. It was built in the 1800s and sits right on the river, with a little gazebo built on a cliff of limestone out front. 

The limestone comes right up through the yard in some places, like in front of this hanging bench, and gives the yard a really cool look, particularly out at the gazebo. 

It costs $99 a night to stay, but this fall is already booked up, mostly by Chicago city folk who come down state to see the fall leaves and old town scenery. The rooms are large and decorated with all kinds of 19th century antiques. The Rose Hotel was the first building in Elizabethtown and once served as the community's post office and city hall.

The view from the upstairs balcony along the front is awesome. You can watch barges and riverboats roll by all day, and I imagine it's quite a site at night as well, since there's lights all along the front on both floors.

The city hall is pretty old and decrepit, but sits all castle-like atop a hill on main street and looks cool. Looks higher up from farther down the street. But then powerlines are all crossing in front of it and ruining the picture. f that noise.

This cat was really sad and sat on the porch of this litle ranch-home restaurant called Ms. Lizzie's and screamed at anyone who came here, particularly me with a big camera.

I definitely want to return to the town sometime this fall, get some pictures at sunset and nighttime and maybe even pictures of city folk who've come for a week or two. Maybe I can get Amber to go down there with me and get married at the Gazebo. Apparently, people do that, and the wedding Sandy said they had a couple weeks ago had 200 chairs set up in the yard. I bet that'd be cool, but it'd be too much of a hastle to get all of our family there and stuff, instead of in Effingham. 

/done

-TB