TOUR: 15 Mile - 30 Mile - 45 Mile - 62 Mile and 100 Mile rides
LOCATION: Horseshoe Lake Community Center, Olive Branch, Illinois
REGISTRATION: $25.00 before October 9
$30.00 after October 9
Children under 14 are free with adult registered entry
fee includes: Event bag, chance for attendance prizes.
Early registration includes commemorative t shirt.
RIDING ROUTE: Thru beautiful Alexander County and
Horseshoe Lake Conservation Area
2010 tds downloadable
registration form
15 Mile
30 Mile
62 Mile
100 Mile
tds100 mile map
tds 62 mile map
tds 30 mile map
tds 15 mile map
POINTS OF INTEREST
Lodging
Days Inn
13201 Kessler Road
Cairo, IL 62914
(618) 734-0215
Check in time is at 1:30.
Room blocks will not be available; you will need to call for the best rate. Call early due to availability from other participants.
The hotel has an outdoor swimming pool open until 9:00 p.m. but no whirlpool, and does not have laundry machines available.
Goodbreads Lost Acres
21030 Goodbread Street
Olive Branch, IL 62969
(618) 776-5116
www.lostacres.net
Cabin rentals: Daily or weekly rates, kids under 12 stay free. Coffee pot, VCR, refrigerator, stove, microwave and dishes in cabins, one cabin with hot tub.
Hummingbird Hollow Bed & Breakfast
31317 McDaniel School Road
Tamms, IL 62988
hummingbirdhollowbb.com
Pond, Birding, Secluded, Queen Beds, Whirlpool Tub, Fireplace, Full Kitchen, Hot Breakfast Delivered to Your Room, 2 Suites, Private Baths, Smoking Outdoors. $75-$125
Thebes Landing Campground Riverfront
(618) 764-2658
Overnight camping on the banks of the Mighty Mississippi River. Full hookups and free boat ramp.
Rest in Peace Campground
On Grapevine Trail, 6 miles from Route 3 between McClure & Tamms
(618) 747-9344
Primitive sites as well as full hookups, along with a shower house and dump station. Surrounded by Shawnee National Forest.
Grand Chain Lodge & Campgrounds
495 Lighthouse Lane, Grand Chain, IL 62941, phone 618-634-9411, e-mail: dan_grandchainlodge.com; Lodge has four spacious suites opening onto a deck overlooking the Ohio River. There are two fully equipped cabins and twenty-five campsites with electric, water and sewer hook-ups and a shower house with restrooms. The Recipes Restaurant serves catfish on Friday nights, barbecue on Saturday and fried chicken and catfish on Sundays.
Outdoor Adventure
Century Oak Stables
Pigeon Roost Road and Old Duff Road
(618) 776-6093
Horse rental, boarding, grooming and lessons. Three miles east of Route 3.
Rock Springs
Off Hwy 3 (W ½ mile of Thebes spur.)
Once owned by the Missouri/Pacific Railroad, this scenic spot with natural springs is a favorite picnic place in the county.
Museums, Historic Sites & Homes
The Old Depot
425 Front Street
Tamms, Illinois 62988
(618) 747 2353
Built in the 1890s for the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad, the uniquely designed Old Depot has been restored as a museum, and city hall and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A war memorial is located on the grounds. Open Mon. Fri. from 8 am to noon and from 1:00 4:00 pm. Free admission.
Thebes Courthouse
Off Route 3
Thebes, Illinois 62990
A hand-hewn stone courthouse built in 1845, the courthouse crowns a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. Folklore indicates that Abraham Lincoln practiced law here. Tours may be arranged with advance notice. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Free admission.
Magnolia Manor
2700 Washington Avenue
Cairo, Illinois 62914
Built in 1869 by Charles Galigher, a friend of President Grant, the brick mansion boasts 14 rooms featuring Italianate architecture. Visitors admire the high ceilings and spacious rooms adorned in fine original furnishings designed for gracious living of the period. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Riverlore
2723 Washington Avenue
Located across from Magnolia Manor, this elegant French Second Empire style home is a photographers delight. Riverlore was built in 1865 for Captain William Parker Halliday who was president of Cairo's first bank. His earlier steamboat career prompted him to build a Captain's Walk atop the third story. Beautiful gardens surround the home. Admission fee.
Safford Memorial Library
Cairo Public Library
1609 Washington Avenue
(618) 734-1840
This working library of Queen Anne architecture houses a valuable collection of Civil War documents and a museum-quality collection of antiques and paintings donated by patrons. A few of the items displayed include a steamboat gambling table and a Tiffany grandfather clock. Open 10 am to 5 pm, Mon-Fri. Donations accepted.
The Hewer Statue
Ninth and Washington (Halliday Park)
This sculpture, commissioned by the Halliday family in memory of Captain W.P. Halliday, was executed by George Grey Bernard. Shown at the 1904 St. Louis, Mo., Worlds Fair before being placed at Cairo.
Cairo Custom House Museum
14th and Washington
(618) 734-9632
Completed in 1872, placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and established as a Civil War and local history museum in 1992. Housed in the Museum is the desk used by General U.S. Grant at his headquarters while being stationed in Cairo for six months during the Civil War and a new Lewis & Clark exhibit is on display. Individual rooms on the second floor depict old businesses and an art gallery. Open week days 10 am 12:00 & 1:00 to 3 p.m. Sat. 9-noon, Sun. 1-4 p.m. Group and weekend tours can be arranged with advance notice. Small admission fee.
Mighty Rivers Worship Center
10th and Poplar
Located across from the Hewer Statue, the Baptist Church was organized in 1880.
Church of the Redeemer-Episcopal
6th and Washington
Organized in 1840, the first church was replaced by the present building in 1888 at a cost of $30,899. The beautiful brown stone edifice boasts ornate stained glass windows and gold gilded cross. Tours may be arranged with advance notice. Free admission
St. Patrick Catholic Church
Ninth and Washington Avenue
(618) 734-2061
The present church, build in 1894, is a stately Romanesque structure of Bedford stone. The oldest church in Cairo, it has three bells and numerous stained glass windows.
Parks & Recreation
Horseshoe Lake Hiking/Biking Trails
Just east of Illinois Route 3 in Alexander County, 7 miles north of Cairo, this 5.5 mile trail takes in the beauty of Horseshoe Lake. Bike rental is available at Meltons on Eastside Drive, (618) 776-5504.
Off Route 3, 7 miles north of Cairo
(618) 776-5689
The 9,550-acre area includes a 2,400-acre shallow lake. The lake resembles a Louisiana bayou with its wading herons and its large stands of cypress, cottonwoods and tupelo gum trees. In addition to taking in the beauty of the natural features of the area, visitors enjoy picnicking, camping, boating, fishing and hunting as well as 5.5 miles of hiking/biking trails that loop the area.
Tamms Cache River Access
Off Highway 127 at Tamms, turn east on Pumphouse Road and go 1 block to parking lot.
(618) 634-2231 (Cypress Creek Wildlife Refuge headquarters)
This site offers hunting, wildlife observation opportunities and seasonal canoeing and bank fishing along the Cache.
Bike Shops
You should plan to arrive at the start of the bike ride with all the bike parts, tools, and cycling accessories you will need and have you bicycle in great mechanical working order and ready to be ridden on the days ride.
Mechanical support services for Tour De Shawnee will be by Bike World, Paducah, Kentucky.
Medical
Medical support services for medical situations that require immediate attention will be provided by paramedics and an ambulance stationed in Cairo and Olive Branch by calling 911.
Long Term Parking
Long Term Parking will be available near the Olive Branch Community Center, Horseshoe Lake Fire Station and off the highway area near the Community Center.
Grocery Stores
SuperValu Foods
1908 Washington Avenue
(618) 734-0951
Hours: 8:00 am to 8:00 pm
Foodtown Grocery
26660 State Highway Three
(618) 776-5935
Hours: 7:00 am to 8:00 pm
Butcher Block 2
102 Russell Avenue
(618) 747-2333
Hours: 5:00 am to 8:45 p.m.
Restaurants:
Kozy Korner (near Horseshoe Lake)
State Highway Three North
(618) 776-8396
Hours: 4:30 am to 8:00 pm
Nu Diner Restaurant
300 Washington Avenue
(618)734-2373
Hours: 6:30 am to 7:30 pm
Mitchells Barbeque & Catering
705 Front Street
(618) 747-9392
Hours: 9:00 am to 7:00 pm
Shemwells Barbeque
1102 Washington Avenue
(618) 734-0165
Hours: 7:00 am to 8:00 pm.
Ouidas
East Side Drive
Horseshoe Drive
776-8380
Local Services for Tour de Shawnee
Rest Stop Sponsors
Anderson Cemetery - Greyhound Pets of America
Ft. Defiance Park - OpenGate Meats
Mounds - SIDEZ
Olive Branch - Horseshoe Lake CC
Tamms Depot - Goodbread's Lost Acres
Thebes - Thebes Historical Society
Title Partner
Wood & Huston Bank
Gold Level
American Commerical Lines
Silver Level
Beussink, Hey, Roe, Seabaugh and Stroder LLC, BikeWorld - Paducah,
Cape Air, Cape Bike and Fitness, CycleWerx, Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs,
Natural Health Organic Foods, Oil-Dri Corporation, Road ID, RC Cola, Velo Girardeau Bike Club
Bronze Level
Andy Clarke/Mark Twain Real Estate, Big Shark- St.Louis, Capaha Bank, City of Cairo, Fox's Fleas, Freeze Frame Photography, Goodbread's Lost Acres,
Greyhound Pets of America, Huffman Insurance,Horseshoe Lake Chamber of Commerce, Ike Honda, Jackson National Life Insurance Company,Melton FIsh Camp, Moore One Productions, Morgan Commercial Structures, Oppenheimer Funds, Ouidas Horseshoe Tavern, River Bend Rice, S.M.A.R.T.,
Shawnee Community College, SIU Press, White & Borgognoni Architects, Village of Tamms
Super Volunteers
We need a graphic design wizard for a few small projects......
A few riders in the St.Louis, Paducah and Carbondale area to help distribute flyers ....
Can you weld or have artist flare, we have a project for you.......
We would love to have a few more regular members of the event committee, all you need is passion, come join the fun and help make this a fantastic event!
Please email us from the link to the right and away we go.....
THANKS
Southernmost Illinois Delta Empowerment Zone
The Southernmost Illinois Delta Empowerment Zone (SIDEZ) includes all of Pulaski County, three census tracts in Alexander County, and one census tract in Johnson County.
The empowerment zone was created to offer communities opportunities for growth and revitalization according to four key principles.
1. Economic Opportunity
2. Sustainable Community Development
3. Community-based Partnerships
4. Strategic Vision for Change
SIDEZ received its empowerment zone designation in December 1998. The empowerment zone designation will end December 31, 2009. However, bills have been introduced in the US House of Representatives (HR 2578) and US Senate (S1627) to extend the empowerment zone designation until 2015.
Donna Raynalds
Executive Director
618-745-6307
Alexander County Tourism
The purpose for which the corporation is organized are to raise awareness of the history, historical sites, the recreational areas and the scenic beauty of the whole of Alexander county and surrounding areas, and to promote tourism business to assist with the economic development of the County and Surrounding areas.
Evelyn Caldwell
An Illinois General Not for Profit Corporation
Have questions?
Call us at 866.407.1450
or email us below
It was FANTASTIC! I couldn't believe how well the entire event was considering it was the first year. Some of the roads were just a bit rough but otherwise, routes great, rest stops great, people great, the entire event, FANTASTIC. Excellent fee and such a nice bag full of goodies. You need to include the bowl of chili and soup available at the end of the ride. on your website. Talk about the best chili I have ever had. That alone was worth the entry fee. Thanks again for such a wonderful event. Please extend my thank you to all of the volunteers. They bent over backwards to make our day. I ride over 7, 000 miles a year and this is an event I would like to attend again and again. I have already told many cycling friends not to miss this next year.
I've been attending organized rides since the late 70's. This ride is very well done. It's really a treat to have so many rest stops.
enjoyable event, worth the travel from stl
Well done guys. Routes marked very good, rest stops well supplied and very friendly staff.
My biking buddy and I agreed that it was about the best 1-day tour we've been on, and we've been on a bunch. The no.1 plus was the quality and people of the rest stops. We really liked the personal touch of genuinely fine area folks manning the stops and offering their homemade goodies to us....from their cookies to zuccini bread to pickled green tomatoes! Beats by far the usual store cookies and banana chunks!
