September 26, 2026

September 26, 2026

Since my official High School reunion is not till this evening, Aimee and I took a leisurely drive from Alton, IL up the very picturesque Great River Road that hugs the limestone bluffs along the Mississippi. We ended at Pere Marquette State Park that overlooks the Illinois River. The park name celebrates its discovery by Europeans during the 1673 Jolliet-Marquette Exploration. My high school was also named after this Marquette. After checking out the Visitor Center exhibits, we drove to a couple nice Illinois River overlooks.

On the return we stopped in the little river town of Grafton at the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. It is teeming with tourists. After perusing a classic car gathering, I followed Aimee around as she shopped a flea market. It was held in an old warehouse loading dock. During the Vietnam War, a hundred river gunboats were manufactured inside here for use on the Mekong Delta.

On the way out of town we stopped to photograph the National Memorial of Military Ascent. The ribbon cutting ceremony was only three months ago. The sculpture honors the assault of Pointe du Hoc on the Normandy Coast on D-Day. The local river bluffs are a great spot to site the memorial. We finished with a delicious Italian beef lunch in downtown Alton.

On the way back to the hotel we stopped at my childhood home. It needs a lot of work. My dad would be disappointed.

Before my official reunion kicked off, the current principal gave us a tour of my high school. Seeing my old lab, gym, and cafeteria brought back memories. Somehow the classrooms seem tinier than I remember. Afterwards we walked down the street to the old Post Office that has been converted into an event space. About half of my classmates made the reunion. Surprisingly only a handful left the area. I was the alum that traveled the farthest.

September 24-25, 2026

September 24-25, 2026

Yesterday we drove to the airport to catch our mid-morning flight to St. Louis via Denver. Both flights were on time, so we arrived at our airport hotel in time for their free Happy Hour with BBQ pork sliders. Aimee loves this perk of the Drury Inns.

This morning we checked out and walked next door to pick up our rental car. This nearby location saved us two shuttle rides. Unfortunately it took a while to get the car as Budget's computer was acting up.

We drove east across the Mississippi and north to Roxana, IL. Our first stop was the Wood River Refinery History Museum. Aimee groaned when I told her about it. During WWII, the development of 100 Octane gasoline, allowed the use of high-compression airplane engines. The enhanced performance gave a crucial speed edge to the British RAF allowing them to win the pivotal Battle of Britain. I was amused to learn the research for the necessary alkylation process occurred right here in Wood River, IL with the help of legendary General Jimmy Doolittle. Production started at this Shell refinery and in combination with new catalytic crackers was able to supply much of the high-octane fuel needed by the Allies for the war effort.

The museum has limited hours but the volunteer staff gladly agreed to open it for me and my brother today. Interestingly the museum was started by a relative. After watching a couple short films we were given a guided tour of the collection. I was surprised to learn that two enormous caverns were excavated under the refinery out of the limestone bedrock to store bulk butane and propane. Aimee thought the exhibits interesting but was even happier when she received a free museum mug.

After lunch with my brother at a diner around the corner, we checked into a local hotel in Alton, IL. Oddly we have the same room number (222) as last night. What are the odds? The reason we made this trip to the Midwest is so I could attend my 50th High School Reunion. I can’t believe that I am that old. Aimee and I went to a mixer this evening down the hill from my school. I hardly recognized most of them; even though I haven't changed a bit. We took a photo of the alums that I also went to grade school with (12 years total!) I left the event hoarse from talking too much.