Route 3 turned out to be really scenic. Passing through small towns like Red Bud and Chester, it struck me how solid the towns are, with functional town squares. Having traveled so much rural Missouri, the contrast was noticeable. There is also a German vibe in this area. The highway had definitely improved since last time I was on it.
We are camping at Lake Murphysboro State Park which is small and was not crowded, even on the weekend. Our site sits right on the lake. My wife does a lot of research to pick the best campsite and it definitely paid off.
Murphysboro is the home of the famous 17th Street BBQ. We each devoured the famous pulled pork sandwich and I had the best potato salad of my life. The beer was a blonde from nearby St. Nicholas Brewing.
The owners have won many contests and Air Force One stopped here when Bill Clinton was president.
Murphysboro is also known as the birthplace of General John Logan. Logan was a key general in the Union Army and eventually became a US Senator from Illinois. He helped lead the call for the creation of Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day. He was also the author of two books on the Civil War. “The Great Conspiracy: It’s Origin and History” sought to demonstrate that secession and the war were the result of a long contemplated conspiracy that Southern politicians had been planning since the nullification crisis of 1832-33. Interesting!!