My most recent adventure to me to Grafton, Illinois to visit a winery which was hosting one of the celebration cakes. Now, keep in mind, the scenic Great River Road is a wonderful experience all by itself, especially in the fall where the bluffs are alive with fall color. Even though the peak fall color had already passed when I drove through, the afternoon sun was turning the trees to a vibrant bronze and I wish I could have pulled over to the side of the road (no place to do that) to take pictures. I could have taken a gamble and just stopped. There was no traffic on my side of the highway. But I'm not a speedy photographer and it would be just my luck that a huge truck would stumble on me as I pressed the shutter.
Once I arrived in Grafton, finding the street that leads to the winery wasn't too difficult. Highway 100, which runs along the river, is level and flat. Mulberry Road is, I'm not making this up, easily a 30 to 40 degree incline from the highway. The winery is roughly a quarter mile up this hill. Straight up. Narrow. Winding. Road. Did I mention the 30 to 40 degree incline? Hope heights don't bother you. By the time you reach the top, you NEED that bottle of wine. Oh, by the way, this would not be a good time to discover your car's transmission and/or brakes need work.
The view from Aerie's Riverview Winery is breathtaking to say the least. Now here's a bit of nature education for you. Aerie isn't just a cool sounding name someone picked out of a hat. Our national bird, the bald eagle, is such a special bird that her nest just can't be called a nest. No. An eagle's nest is actually called an aerie. Furthermore, eagles build their aeries high up in the trees because, well, they can. Hence, the name for this hill top winery is appropriate. I didn't sample any of their wines, so I can't tell you if they are good (no money and I'm really not a drinker).
The winery is rustic and pleasant. I'm told the food is great (again, no money to try a sample) and the zip line ride looks like fun for the very brave. Hey, I took on that hill - don't push it. After getting my pictures, I descended the hill - riding my brakes the entire way to Highway 100.
