Soar 300 feet above the Mississippi River on the Grafton SkyTour and then feel the rush down an alpine coaster, all part of the day at Aerie’s Resort. We headed out on a warm fall day along the Great River Road north of Alton, Ill., to have some fun in Grafton, Ill. Along with the amusement park-like attractions, we also checked out a few other…
Follow a paved trail through the woods to a former mine at Sodalis Nature Preserve in Hannibal, Mo., known as the hometown of Mark Twain. This hike leads to a mine filled with bats that can be seen in the evening. Our Time Here A large parking lot for the 200-acre preserve is located off Ely Street on the south side of Hannibal. At the…
Taum Sauk Mountain State Park is where you hike to the highest point in the state and highest wet weather waterfall and can continue down to the rock formation of Devil’s Tollgate. About Taum Sauk Mountain Taum Sauk Mountain is 1,772 feet above sea level and is the epicenter of the St. Francois Mountains in Missouri. Almost 1.5 billion years ago, volcanic eruptions of hot…
Hiking around the huge stones at the former Meramec Highland Quarry is the adventure at Dee Koestering Park in Kirkwood, Mo. My son Andrew enjoyed walking up and around the huge rock cuts and then exploring the brook that flowed through the area at this park. QUARRY ROCK Several hundred stones remain scattered about along with others that are stacked on top of each other…
Drive-by haunting church ruins, eating a German-style meal in Bavarian decor, and seeing a rainbow of autumn colors are highlights of our backwoods adventure along the Illinois Bluff Road. Each year we take a drive in the MetroEast going south on the Bluff Road towards Valmeyer, Illinois. Here you drive along the valley with the bluffs to your right with the golds, reds, and yellows of…
The stone-cut walls of a barred and locked sanatorium next to Welch Spring is what I found on my journey to Ozark National Scenic Riverways. History of Welch Spring Sanatorium In 1913 an Illinois doctor named C.H. Diehl bought Welch Spring for eight hundred dollars. He believed the spring had healing properties and that the cool pollen-free air from the nearby cave would be beneficial…
The mile-long Old Chain of Rocks Bridge 60-feet above the Mississippi River with a 30-degree turn midway was my quest today. This bridge is historical since it once was part of a stretch of historic U.S. Route 66 and is at a major point along the Mississippi River near rock ledges that once created dangerous rapids for riverboats. Driving To Old Chain of Rocks Bridge…
Enter the world of illusions and be amazed at the Museum of Illusions St. Louis, located at the City Foundry. The museum allows you to experience unique rooms where you are not always sure what you see or where you are. 3-D Fun We entered the museum and came to the area where my son could make a 3-D image of himself with a third…
Awe-inspiring sandstone cliffs that form different shapes with views of the surrounding Shawnee Hills are what you will find at Garden of the Gods in southern Illinois. Driving In Heading into the Garden of the Gods Recreation Area you can see the high cliffs along the drive. After parking, we headed to the Observation Trail. Observation Trail This is a quarter-mile interpretive trail that leads…
Hike to Wisconsin’s highest point, Timm’s Hill, at 1,951 feet, and climb a 50-foot wooden tower for breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding hills and valleys. The 0.4-mile hike is out-and-back on a natural surface with 98 feet of elevation gain on a natural surface. (We stopped here heading back from our trip to explore part of the North Shore in Minnesota and the Apostle…
