BORN TO BE WILD
Savanna’s stunning scenery along the Mississippi River is a magnet for outdoor enthusiasts and bikers alike in Northwest Illinois
SAVANNA, ILLINOIS — Driving into this Mississippi River town on a Saturday afternoon last October, it was impossible to ignore the masses of motorcycles along Main Street. Block after block along the downtown drag, there were scores of bikes diagonally parked.
In Savanna, being curbside means being in the middle of the action, a cacophony that blends the throaty rumble of motorcycles with the amplified music of live bands playing on the sidewalks. Steppenwolf ’s legendary song “Born to be Wild” could be their anthem.
Get your motor runnin’ Head out on the highway Looking for adventure In whatever comes our way
South of Savanna, along the Great River Road, past the only stoplight in Carroll County, an army of bikers — dressed in requisite black leather jackets and cycle club T-shirts — throng Poopy’s (1030 Viaduct Road, Savanna; 815-2734307; poopys.com), a wildly popular place where the camaraderie is enhanced by the musicians performing on an outdoor stage, and, of course, plenty of beer.
“We can get three or four thousand people in here,” said owner Kevin Promenschenkel, who’s been called “Poopy” since he was a kid. “There’s a lot of biker bars, but I believe we are the biggest in the state of Illinois.”
“The town has become a motorcycle destination,” he added. “We fill the hotels every weekend all summer long.”
Motorcyclists are drawn to this community of 3,000 — 30 miles south of its much-better-known rival, Galena — for some of the same reasons that beckon others: the stunning scenery and the lure of the open road.
“Probably the most beautiful country there is in Illinois is right here in Savanna,” Promenschenkel said. “We got the bluffs, the (Mississippi Palisades) state park, the river. We got back roads that go all the way to Wisconsin that are incredible — rolling hills and big views.”
“We are Wisconsin in Illinois. From here north just gets prettier and prettier,” said Jerry Gendreau, owner of the Iron Horse Social Club (314 Main St., Savanna; 815-273-2600; facebook.com/IronHorse SocialClub/), a downtown biker bar boasting a large collection of vintage motorcycles. One of them, a 1936 Knucklehead that he calls “the Holy Grail of Harleys,” is worth roughly three times the $60,000 average asking price for houses in Savanna.
Savanna has long been synonymous with bikers. But Mayor Chris Lain, a gay Democrat in a county in which Republicans outnumber their opponents 2-1, is working hard to attract outdoor enthusiasts. He points to bicycling, hiking, kayaking and tubing opportunities — all with the backdrop of the Mighty Mississippi River.
“We’re really starting to see a huge influx, primarily from larger cities, of people who are looking to decompress and enjoy the outdoors,” the mayor, a transplant from Chicago, said. “Walking Main Street during the summer, you see such an eclectic group in Savanna.”
The expansive and breathtaking views are best enjoyed from Mississippi Palisades State Park (16327A Illinois Route 84, Savanna; 815-273-2731; illinois.gov/dnr/Parks/ Pages/MississippiPali sades.aspx), about 4 miles north of downtown.
The park’s main road climbs roughly 180 feet from the riverbank to the top of the limestone bluff. Here, families clearly outnumber bikers along the paths used centuries ago by Native Americans.
Aptly named Lookout Point is one of several overlooks perched atop the bluffs. Their decks provide stunning vistas of the river, with boaters moving among the many small, wooded islands as tugboats pushing barges stick to the main channel, where Illinois meets neighboring Iowa.
The park has 241 campsites for overnight guests.
Bicyclists don’t miss out on the natural beauty. The Great River Trail (great rivertrail.org) offers a relatively
flat ride along the river from Savanna south to the Quad Cities. The 60-mile, mostly paved trail passes through several small towns where energy drinks and other supplies are available.
Those beautiful views were what prompted businessman Simon Greenleaf to build Hillcrest, a 22-room home high above the river in Savanna, in 1901. Now known as Havencrest Castle, the mansion is a living testament to the artistic skills of owner Alan St. George and his late wife, Adrianne. They bought the home in 1976 with plans to “renovate,” although that grossly understates what they did to the place.
Over the years, Havencrest Castle (140 N. Fifth St., Savanna; 815-273-3900; havencrestcastle.com) has grown from a two-story to a five-story home, complete with turrets. It has quintupled in size to a whopping 22,000 square feet. Each of the current 64 rooms is opulently furnished and features eye-popping, multicolored designs with scores of ornate sculptures and paintings by the St. Georges. The lavish ballroom took 25 years to complete.
“I’m not building (anymore), but I’m still decorating,” said Alan St. George, who still lives in the vast dwelling. “It’s the project of a lifetime.”
St. George swings open his doors to gawking visitors on weekends in May, the second half of September and October.
Shops in Savanna aren’t as abundant as in Galena, but they tend to be less crowded. They include an antiques store, a wellness center and one that draws fans of the History channel’s “American Pickers.” Frank Fritz Finds (324 Main St., Savanna; 815-2732661) features a funky collection of antiques and curiosities curated by Fritz, the famous “picker” who co-hosts the TV show.
The smaller number of tourists in Savanna — about 400,000 a year compared with Galena’s 1.5 million to 2 million — is a plus in Mayor Lain’s opinion. And, his town boasts something Galena doesn’t have: the Mississippi River.
“Two and a half hours from the city of Chicago, you’ve got pelicans flying around, barges and riverboats,” he said. “It’s quite a cool benefit for us.”
Planning a visit
Plan to spend at least a couple of days in Savanna to see the sights and soak in the great outdoors. Overnight accommodations range from bluff-top cabins to motels to a growing number of bed-and-breakfasts.
“They’re popping up like crazy. We have three more opening this spring,” the mayor observed.
Dining options include the ubiquitous fastfood joints, plus the always-jumping Manny’s Pizza (211 Main St., Savanna; 815-273-4259; mannyspizza.com). For high-end dining, there’s the well-reviewed Circa 1888 (305 Main St., Savanna; 815-565-7294; circa1888 savanna.com).
Tourist info: explore savanna.com