Black History Month: Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing

See the 1855 Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing on the Riverfront Trail along the Mississippi River in St. Louis, Mo. I also went across the historic 1910 McKinley Bridge into Illinois with views of the St. Louis skyline. Normally I do walks, but this is more in an urban area, and would recommend doing the Riverfront Trail from downtown to Mary Meachum Crossing and McKinley Bridge…

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Veterans Tribute Park: A Place to Walk and Play

Kids enjoy a destination playground and families can take to trails that wrap around lakes at Veterans Tribute Park in Weldon Spring, Mo. I walked 1.7 miles of the paved trails with 105 feet of elevation checking out the main sites in the park including a Veteran’s Memorial. Start of the Walk at Veterans Tribute Park I parked in the first lot on the left…

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Cottleville Dardenne Greenway Loop Hike

Hike along Dardenne Creek, around two lakes, and through woods on the Dardenne Greenway and other trails in Cottleville, Mo. I hiked 2.8 miles on the Dardenne Greenway and used other side trails to form a loop. In addition, I did a .8-mile out-and-back hike on a natural surface trail through the woods on Kountz Fort Trail. This walk totaled 3.6 miles with 102 feet…

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Benld to Gillespie Bike Trail Walk

See a Russian Orthodox Church and downtown murals on the walk from Benld to Gillespie north of Edwardsville, Ill. This easy hike uses a paved trail on a former trolley line between Benld and Gillespie in Illinois. I also walked along streets and sidewalks to explore each of their downtowns. Interurban Line History This bike trail is 1.4 miles or 2.8 out and back between…

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Mount Vernon: Devil’s Prop and Sculpture

Hike to rock shelters and small waterfalls at Devil’s Prop Nature Preserve north of Mount Vernon, Il., east of St. Louis on Interstate 64. Located nearby is Cedarhurst Center For The Arts with a large sculpture garden. Going to both these attractions allows for a fun-filled day trip for my family from the St. Louis area. DEVIL’S PROP OVERVIEW This nature preserve is located about…

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Top 5 Summer Travel Guides For Travel Out West

Here are my 2022 Top 5 Summer Travel Guides that I turned to for summer travels in Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and Southern California. I will share our adventures on my blog at the start of the Summer 2023 Travel Season! Moon Nevada by Scott Smith This book provides an overall resource on traveling throughout the state of Nevada. Here you can figure out itineraries from…

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