world's most beautiful drive

...peoria illinois' grandview drive.



if you get a chance to come to peoria, illinois you must visit this bluff drive that overlooks the illinois river. but if you can't get here anytime soon....let me give you a tour of the this grand drive. come on let's go......



here we climb the hairpin-turns hill leading up to the top of grandview drive.

when we see this sign we know we have arrived.




...when Theodore Roosevelt visited peoria, illinois on october 10, 1910, he called grandview drive the "World's Most Beautiful Drive." grandview is revered as one of the most beautiful drives in peoria because of its breathtaking views of the illinois river and the many historic and remarkable homes lining it.

grandview drive is a two and a half mile scenic road and the whole drive is part of the peoria park district. the east side of the drive is mainly park distric land with picnic areas and benches. the residential area on the west of grandview drive, opposite the river, was added to the National Register of Historic Places as an historic district in 1996.

there are few different styles of homes up here on the drive. i seem to be drawn to the stone cottage and castle-type homes.















this home was just finished over the winter.....it is the newest home on the drive. notice no landscaping......yet.


there are many styles of homes.



but my favorite home on the drive is the one around this corner........


here it is close up....



in the summer the owner plants gorgeous planters of flowers on that triple balcony and they trail down the front of the home.....i think the white of the home just makes those planters pop. the home is quite different than the stone and brick homes that line the road.

most of the residents along the drive have this type of "grand view" from their front yards.










there is even a dvd available from the pbs.org website about the drive.

http://www.shoppbs.org/product/index.jsp?productId=1991305


roosevelt was quoted as saying, "I have traveled all over the world, and this is the world’s most beautiful drive." teddy you were right. we are blessed that we live so close to such a wonderful place and enjoy our walks up and down the drive. such a grand view!