See the French and Indian War era Fort Ligonier and visit the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site and learn about the first railroad to cross the Allegheny Mountains. On a trip to visit family in the New York City area, we stopped at these two historic sites. Our first stop was Fort Ligonier which shows what life was like in 1758 when it was built for the British Army which at one point numbered 5,000 people at this location. The French and Indian War took place before the American Revolution. Photo shows the artillery around the fort grounds The main blog photo shows the inner a ..read more

Take a scenic boat road to see the Wisconsin Dells and brave the tidal wave at Mount Olympus Water and Theme Park. These were the top activities we did when we visited the Wisconsin Dells in the summer. Going up the Fenelon Place Elevator.ON THE WAY: Fenelon Place Elevator Driving up we stopped in Dubuque, Iowa to ride the world’s shortest and steepest railroad. My son looks back at me as we go. Fenelon Place Elevator is a funicular that goes up 296 feet taking you to a high hill above Dubuque, Iowa, with views of nearby Illinois and Wisconsin. Hours: 8 a.m. – 10 p.m., Daily April 1- November ..read more

You can travel back to the 1750s by visiting French Fort De Chartres, located an hour south of St. Louis and southeast of Waterloo, Illinois. Built in 1753 by the French during their 18th-century colonization of Illinois Country, the massive stone fort was preceded by three wooden forts, with the first fort erected in 1720. Fort de Chartres served as the French seat of government and its chief military installation in Upper Louisiana from 1753 to 1765. The current fort is a reconstruction of this French colonial stronghold in America. A stone tablet near the flag shares information about the f ..read more

Discover endless adventure and mystery at the new interactive attraction, Adventures of Intrigue, located in St. Louis. It is more than an Escape House experience with 15 different themed areas.  Built from a life-long collection of holiday-themed displays and imagination. One of the many themed rooms Themes include the following: The Castle Tinker Shop Apothecary Shoppe Wizard’s Shop Fortune Teller’s Wagon Whoosit’s Hollow Archeological Dig Mummy’s Dig Miss Tiqi’s Pirate Shipwreck Adventure Island Frankenstein’s Lab Edgar Allen Poe’s Office Sleepy Hollow’s Graveyard Wild West Train Stat ..read more

Tour the world’s largest cave with 426 miles of passageways and marvel at the Frozen Niagara at Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. We took part in cave tours along with taking a few hikes to see springs and a small cave on our own. The cave system is 426 miles so there are quite a few tours you can choose from that even start at different entrances.  OVERVIEWS OF CAVE TOURS All tours begin at the Visitor Center located in the Central Time Zone. Tickets must be picked up 30 minutes prior to tour time. No refunds for no-shows or late arrivals.  The Historic Entrance is near ..read more

Visit Louisville, KY to search for fossils at Falls of the Ohio State Park or learn about bat construction at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. FALLS OF THE OHIO STATE PARK Fossil hunting at The Falls of the Ohio State Park is just across the river from downtown Louisville in Clarksville, Ind. We stopped here on our way into town. The 390-million-year-old fossil beds are among the largest exposed Devonian fossil beds in the world. Pictured: Visitor Center at the Falls of the Ohio State ParkInterpretive Center Closed for the day when we were there. According to the website, the cente ..read more

Take a hike along a rocky creek on the Busch Greenway then cross the Daniel Boone Bridge for far-off Missouri River views. This 5.4-mile out-and-back hike involves crossing the Interstate 64 bridge along a pedestrian walkway to go from St. Charles County to St. Louis County. The trail surface is mostly paved with a Katy Trail gravel section. Elevation gain is 361 feet as you go up and down from along the river. Sign by the trailhead provides information about the area.Start of the Hike I parked at the Busch Greenway: Missouri Research Park Trailhead at the end of Research Park Drive. The Busch ..read more

The Gateway Arch in downtown St. Louis stands at a height of 630 feet and is constructed from stainless steel, forming the world’s tallest arch. It is also the tallest man-made monument in the Western Hemisphere. If you walk the grounds of the Gateway Arch National Park, it can look different from how you view it through woods, along lakes, or even by the Mississippi River. History of the Gateway Arch Built to commemorate Thomas Jefferson’s transcontinental United States and was formerly known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. In 1948, a nationwide design competition determined wha ..read more

Take a walk in the prairie grass field and then go to the medieval castle-themed McAuley Playground with the kid. This is part of a day at Colleges Meadows Park and Hansen Park. Park sign and parking lotCollege Meadows Jaunt First, I walked that gravel and mowed grass path at College Meadows Park. A gravel parking lot is located behind the St. Charles Community College campus off of St. Peters Cottleville Road. Look for a brown sign that says College Meadows: St. Charles County. At the trailhead After parking, I headed out on the gravel trail to the left of the parking lot. Loop begins I came ..read more

Hiking alongside a brook and discovering frogs in a swamp made for a delightful day with my child at Broemmelsiek Park in Defiance, Missouri. This park has more than 9 miles of paved and unpaved multi-use trails to explore. It is a 494-acre park in west St. Charles County and only about four miles off of Interstate 64. We explored this park with my son and our dog. Information board by the trailheadCattle Ridge Trail We first explored the 1.1-mile Cattle Ridge Trail parking in the large lot for shelters 2 and 3. Trailhead sign The trailhead lies between the two shelters. Crossing the bridgeSta ..read more