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St. Louis Area Summer Fun List 2019
Each year I put together a list of fun St. Louis area places to go with the kids in the summer including museums, playgrounds, and parks. I also search though hundreds of events to come up with a good list of family friendly local events as well as vacation Bible schools. This list includes both sides of the river but the events are more focused on the Illinois side. I want to share this list with anyone who is interested…
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Hike to Scenic Jackson Falls in Southern Illinois
Shawnee National Forest, Illinois We’ve done a lot of hiking and exploring over the years and one of our favorite spots to spend a day is in the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois. While we have visited many scenic spots including Bell Smith Springs, Garden of the Gods, and Ferne Clyffe, we somehow had never made it over to Jackson Falls. I can’t believe we had missed this awesome trail for so long! The trail starts at a parking…
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Boo Castle Park
Anytime we hike at nearby Giant City State Park, we make a stop at Boo Memorial Castle Park near Carbondale. The park was created in memory of a boy who loved Dungeons & Dragons. This privately owned park is free and open to the public to visit. Donations are encouraged to help maintain the park. The park features beautiful gardens, statues, and a huge castle playground. We are always completely blown away at how nicely maintained and well made this…
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Follow the Steps of the Giants on the Giant City Nature Trail
Giant City State Park is one of the best state parks in all of Illinois. While there are many trails to explore at this popular park, the Giant City Nature Trail is a great choice for all ages. The trail is named for that fact that the towering rock walls look like a street made for giants. This one mile loop packs in the scenery as you walk the rugged streets of the giants.
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Salt Lick Point and Water Reserve Hike – 8/19/17
We started out early on a Saturday morning with hopes of beating the heat and pointed the nose of The Mighty Merc down Bluff Road: As we pulled into the parking lot, the hopes of beating the heat were quickly dashed as it was warm and humid already: But we loaded the kids on our backs and pressed on heading up the Salt Lick Trail which winds its way up to the top of the bluff: It wasn’t long before…
