Day Trips Galleries

Silver Dollar City Crafts Festival, October 2009 : Bill and I slipped in under the wire to see the Crafts Festival at Silver Dollar City at the end of October. Even though we were in the Branson, MO area for 3 days, these pictures represent one day at Silver Dollar City. The weather was not the best but it was better than forecast rain-wise. The crafts were excellent; many of the crafts people were Best of Missouri Hands.

Silver Dollar City Crafts Festival, October 2009

Bill and I slipped in under the wire to see the Crafts Festival at Sil ...

Updated: Oct 31, 2009 12:08pm PST

Augusta, MO, October 24, 2009 : We went leaf-peeking on Hwy. 94 to Augusta, MO, and then took some other back roads home. Augusta is a quaint little town full of shops, artisans and wineries.

Augusta, MO, October 24, 2009

We went leaf-peeking on Hwy. 94 to Augusta, MO, and then took some oth ...

Updated: Oct 24, 2009 6:36pm PST

Missouri Botanical Garden/Cactus Show, 7-29-09 : The Henry Shaw Cactus Society held its annual show and sale on July 29, 2009. In addition to seeing the show, we had lunch at the Sassafras Restaurant and walked around the Garden's grounds and explored the Climatron. Many of the pictures here were taken in the Climatron.

Missouri Botanical Garden/Cactus Show, 7-29-09

The Henry Shaw Cactus Society held its annual show and sale on July 29 ...

Updated: Jul 29, 2009 7:00pm PST

Missouri Botanical Garden, 4-29-2009 :

Missouri Botanical Garden, 4-29-2009

Updated: May 04, 2009 8:57am PST

Eagle watching, 1-30-2009 : Bill and I went eagle watching. Our first stop was near Confluence Park, along the Mississippi River downriver from the Hwy. 367 bridge. We saw seagulls, pelicans and one eagle there. Then we moved to the other side of the bridge where we saw 3 eagles and more seagulls and some herons. We drove up the River Road (Hwy. 100) to Grafton, IL. On the way there and back to Alton we saw several more eagles sitting in trees, flying and on the ice in the river.

Eagle watching, 1-30-2009

Bill and I went eagle watching. Our first stop was near Confluence Pa ...

Updated: Jan 30, 2009 5:20pm PST

Creve Coeur Park Hike, 1-27-2009 : Bill and I hiked in Creve Coeur Park after a 6-inch snow the day before.

Creve Coeur Park Hike, 1-27-2009

Bill and I hiked in Creve Coeur Park after a 6-inch snow the day befor ...

Updated: Jan 29, 2009 10:20am PST

Creve Coeur Park Hike, 1-17-2009 : Bill and I hiked on the peninsula jutting into Creve Coeur Lake in Creve Coeur County Park, January 17, 2009. The temperature was around 40 degrees. The ice remained from sub-zero temperatures in previous days.

Creve Coeur Park Hike, 1-17-2009

Bill and I hiked on the peninsula jutting into Creve Coeur Lake in Cre ...

Updated: Jan 17, 2009 4:27pm PST

Missouri Botanical Garden, 12-17-2008 : Bill and I went to see the Gardenland Express at the Missouri Botanical Garden. It's an annual display of miniatures and model trains, as well as flowers. After viewing the Gardenland Express we walked around the Garden's grounds.

Missouri Botanical Garden, 12-17-2008

Bill and I went to see the Gardenland Express at the Missouri Botanica ...

Updated: Dec 17, 2008 3:42pm PST

Lone Elk Park Hike, November 23, 2008 : Bill and I hiked the White Bison Trail in Lone Elk Park on November 23, 2008. Before going to Lone Elk Park we stopped at Powder Valley to see the exhibits in the Visitors Center. Lone Elk's website says this, "Lone Elk Park is a wildlife management area. Motorcycles prohibited. Domestic animals are not allowed, even if confined in a vehicle."

Lone Elk Park Hike, November 23, 2008

Bill and I hiked the White Bison Trail in Lone Elk Park on November 23 ...

Updated: Dec 11, 2008 6:41pm PST

Missouri Botanical Garden, 5-24-2008 : The sculptures of Niki de Saint Phalle are featured at the Missouri Botanical Garden April 27 through October 2008. Bill and I visited the Garden on May 24. In addition to seeing Niki's sculptures, many flowers were in bloom, especially iris. There are many iris pictures here; I didn't know iris came in so many colors.

Missouri Botanical Garden, 5-24-2008

The sculptures of Niki de Saint Phalle are featured at the Missouri Bo ...

Updated: May 25, 2008 12:58pm PST

Lewis & Clark Trail, 2-23-08 : The temperature was in mid-30s when we began hiking. The trail was icy and slippery. By afternoon, however, the trail had become slushy. We hiked the 8-mile Lewis Trail.

Lewis & Clark Trail, 2-23-08

The temperature was in mid-30s when we began hiking. The trail was ic ...

Updated: Feb 23, 2008 3:12pm PST

Creve Coeur Park Hike, January 20, 2008 : It was a cold day of 18 degrees (when we left the house) for this hike in Creve Coeur Park. Because there isn't any stinging nettle this time of year and because the ground (read mud) was frozen solid, we took the opportunity to hike off the paved trail. During the hike we saw two herds of deer of about a dozen each, a pileated woodpecker, several redheaded woodpeckers, a woodchuck, a dead frozen raccoon, and a dead frozen possum.

Creve Coeur Park Hike, January 20, 2008

It was a cold day of 18 degrees (when we left the house) for this hike ...

Updated: Jan 20, 2008 6:48pm PST

Snow Storm, 12-16-2007 : The snow began on December 15, 2007 and ended in the early morning of December 16. It was a record snowfall of 7 inches; the previous record was 1.3 inches or something like that. Snows like this used to be common in the St. Louis area but we rarely get them anymore. I can remember getting snowfalls of 8-10 inches back in the 1980s. The pictures here were taken on a walk on the 16th in our favorite stopping grounds, Creve Coeur Park.

Snow Storm, 12-16-2007

The snow began on December 15, 2007 and ended in the early morning of ...

Updated: Dec 16, 2007 7:19pm PST

Forest Park Day Trip, January 2006 : Bill and I took a day trip to Forest Park today, January 5. The weather was wonderful for a January day--sunny with temperatures in the mid-40s. We had not explored Forest Park on foot in quite some time, and we walked about 7 miles today.

Forest Park Day Trip, January 2006

Bill and I took a day trip to Forest Park today, January 5. The weath ...

Updated: Jan 06, 2007 5:16pm PST