See the First Missouri State Capitol and where Lewis and Clark camped during their first expedition as you stroll around downtown St. Charles. This 2.5-mile walk comprises sidewalks, paved, and crushed limestone sections that are fairly level with only 39 feet of elevation gain. The hike goes through Frontier Park and the streetscape of downtown St. Charles, which includes the historic Missouri’s First State Capitol….
Visit the open-air Belleville Christkindlmarkt with food, entertainment, European crafts, and beverages this holiday season. Our Time at Belleville Christkindlmarkt The open-air market in Belleville, Il., is modeled after the Christmas Markets in Germany. It is located at the corner of Main and Illinois streets in downtown Belleville. We parked in a nearby lot by A and High Streets and then walked down High Street…
During the holiday season, the St. Louis Hills neighborhood along the 6500 block of Murdoch Avenue lights up with hundreds of strands of Christmas lights to become Candy Cane Lane. This is a neighborhood Christmas display, so it is a lot more personable than a high-dollar drive-through one at a theme park. However, they do take donations for charities. Families come together to make this…
A Star Wars firefight and skiers jumping over your car are just some of the amazing light displays at the East Peoria Festival of Lights. The Festival of Lights Electric Park comprises floats that begin in the Parade of Lights before Thanksgiving each year. Being floats allows them to be huge displays that you drive by. WHAT TO SEE AT THE EAST PEORIA FESTIVAL OF…
As a child, what I looked forward to the most at Christmas was the magic of the Plaza Lights in Kansas City. It is an over-90-year-old tradition that spans a 15-block area with Christmas lights over the entire Country Club Plaza. The lights come on in a special ceremony at each year’s Thanksgiving. You can walk or drive through the Plaza area since the lighting is spread…
Visit New Jersey’s highest point for mountain views and see the 220-foot New Jersey Veterans’ Memorial monument at High Point State Park. Entering the Park The 16,000-acre state park is just a few miles from Port Jervis, New York. From the high point, you can see Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey, where the three states meet. To reach the monument, drive Scenic Drive to…
Hike around a pond, a wetland, and a prairie at Silver Creek Preserve near Mascoutah, Illinois, in the Metro East. Overview The trail is a 1.1-mile paved path through wetlands and prairie grass. This preserve has plenty of parking and includes restrooms and a picnic shelter. At the Start We walked along a paved trail, heading toward the loop section of the path. I allowed…
A short hike through the woods leads to wooden stepping stones and a homemade bridge at Julius J. Knobeloch Woods Nature Preserve. Overview This 0.7-mile hike is found just off Illinois 158 between Mascoutah and Belleville. This area features upland woods of white oak and hickories alongside a wet floodplain. The water from this ravine flows into Hazel Creek. At the Trailhead We parked near…
O’Day Park in O’Fallon, Missouri, features a unique adventure playground with a web-like ropes course, a climbing wall, and paved trails. Playground Fun at O’Day Park After parking, my son and I headed to the artificial turf play area, which includes a roller slide, hammock, and a rope climbing area anchored by poles. Located nearby are baby and toddler swings. A splash pad features flowing…
Santa, Rudolph, and lake-themed Christmas lights can be seen at numerous light displays during Christmas time at the Lake of the Ozarks. We checked out two drive-through Christmas lights while we were staying the night in the area in December. Along with the lights, hiking to springs, a castle, and through the woods along the lake can also be enjoyed. Enchanted Village of Lights In…
