Surrounded by Victorian houses, this historic park is where vintage baseball teams play in summer and where you can stroll through a rock garden grotto.
Lafayette Park: Oldest Urban Park West of the Mississippi
Dad Hikes: Pomona Natural Bridge
A short loop hike through an oak and beech forest leads to the 90 foot Pomona Natural Bridge nestled in trees by a cliff. In the 1930s the Civilian Conservation Corps made improvements to the trail to make it more accessible to hikers by building stone steps and bridges. My time here I headed down the loop trail and went to the right. This part…
Dad Hikes: Larue-Pine Hills and Snake Road
Larue-Pine Hills boasts stunning views and features Snake Road, a migratory route for snakes in spring and fall. This area is part of the Shawnee National Forest and has a diverse habitat to explore. Snake Road Migration This area is perhaps most famous for the biannual “Snake Migration” across the Larue Road at the base of the bluffs, adjacent to LaRue Swamp. This road is…
Urban Dad Hikes: Frozen In Time at Shaw Park
Walking down frozen cascades leading to a frozen pond was part of my winter adventure at Shaw Park near downtown Clayton. The park is just west of the St. Louis County Courthouse and is adjacent to the Clayton High School. Here I took a 1.7 walk on the paved trails through the 47-acre park. My Walk at Shaw Park I parked near the intersection of…
Urban Dad Hikes: A Tale of Two Tilles Parks
This is the tale of two Tilles Parks, one located in Ladue, Mo., and one in St. Louis city, and their shared origin. History of the Two Tilles Parks The story goes that Andrew “Cap” Tilles, a businessman who once owned Churchill Downs and the Fairgrounds Race Track in St. Louis set up a foundation. Tilles donated land in St Louis County to the City…
Urban Dad Hikes: Breweries and Caves of Benton Park
Tall brick breweries surround Benton Park and caves go underground in the neighborhood and are all a part of its mystique.
Urban Dad Hikes: Hilly Clifton Heights Park
Victorian and Arts and Crafts homes overlook Clifton Heights Park with its fountain and boathouse. Overview This park was originally a private park for residents of the Clifton Heights neighborhood. The tract was conveyed to the city of St. Louis in 1921 which enlarged the park to its current size of 4.4 acres. The park has the most unique topography in the city with a…
Favorite Urban Hike: Tower Grove Park
Victorian era Tower Grove Park has one-of-a-kind picnic pavilions, one with a circus tent-like roof or another with Chinese dragons. It is my favorite park in St. Louis. Hiking in Tower Grove Park I’ve spent lots of time with David and my son Andrew over the years playing in the park or walking some of its many trails. On a snowy day, I decided to…
Urban Dad Hikes: Compton Hill Water Tower
Compton Hill Water Tower stands 179 feet high along Grand Boulevard near Interstate 44 in St. Louis, an attraction in itself. Yet, it also paired with a controversial statue in Compton Hill Reservoir Park.
New Salem: Where Lincoln Lived as a Young Man
At New Salem, you can walk in the footsteps of Abraham Lincoln in a reconstructed pioneer village where Lincoln lived and worked as a young man.
