A weekend at the YMCA Trout Lodge in the Ozarks includes my son riding a pony, swishing down a waterslide, and making a tie-die shirt. YMCA Trout Lodge is about two hours south of St. Louis in the Ozark hills and is all-inclusive including meals, boating, kayaking, paddle boarding, pony rides, and much more. Our Time at the YMCA Trout Lodge We drove south from…
See a two-headed black rat snake and explore the woods at the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center in southeast Missouri. Located on the north side of Cape Girardeau, Mo., and has numerous short hiking trails along with nature-related exhibits. NATURE CENTER We first checked out the nature center where the star is the two-headed snake. Exhibited near the front. To the right of the tank,…
Take a hike along a creek through the bottomland forest and by a unique playground with a volcano on the Joachim Loop Trail. The hike is 1.3 miles with only a slight elevation gain at about 30 feet at Bates Memorial Park in Herculaneum, Mo., off of Interstate 55 south of St. Louis. Entering the Park The road for the trailhead is along the gravel…
My son had an awesome time at a playground that includes a volcano surrounded by lava at Kade’s Playground in Herculaneum, Mo. Yet, the story of how it came about is inspirational. Kade’s Playground The playground was made in memory of Kade who had been a wheelchair-bound child due to multiple medical conditions. Kade could not use any of the playgrounds in Jefferson County. The…
Check out dinosaur fossils and explore the oldest town in Missouri as part of a day in Ste. Genevieve, which is about an hour south of St. Louis. The Story of Missouri Dinosaurs Dinosaur bones were first found in a farm field in Bollinger County in the 1940s. Discovered in the late 1980s were a jaw section and partial skeleton of a juvenile dinosaur now…
Portland area sites include a pioneer Fort Vancouver, shopping at a huge bookstore, and stopping at an area ravaged by a volcano. Our family made a trip to the Pacific Northwest seeing Seattle, Portland, North Cascades National Park, the Columbia Gorge, and sites in between. This is what we did on our vacation, I hope it helps you in planning your trip to this amazing…
Find mountain-high waterfalls and a deep river canyon in the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. Our family did a trip to the Pacific Northwest seeing Seattle, Portland, North Cascades National Park, the Columbia Gorge, and sites in between. This is what we did on our vacation, hope it helps you in planning your trip to this amazing area! We drove from Spokane, Wash., where we…
Turquoise-colored lakes, awe-inspiring mountain views, and high cascading waterfalls are what you will find at North Cascades National Park. Our family did a trip to the Pacific Northwest seeing Seattle, Portland, North Cascades National Park, the Columbia Gorge, and sites in between. This is what we did on our vacation, hope it helps you in planning your trip to this amazing area! We explored the…
On the first day at North Cascades National Park, we crossed two swinging bridges to a waterfall and walked among towering red cedars. The national park is about 2 hours and 20 minutes from Seattle, Washington, where we had been visiting. We stayed our first night at North Cascades Inn in Marblemont, Wa., before heading to the far side of the park. Our family did…
Space Needle panoramic views, a ride on a monorail, and watching a salmon run were part of a full day in Seattle. Our family did a trip to the Pacific Northwest seeing Seattle, Portland, North Cascades National Park, the Columbia Gorge, and sites in between. This is what we did on our vacation, hope it helps you in planning your trip to this amazing area!…
