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Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, Missouri
One of our favorite places to hike near St. Louis is the Shaw Nature Reserve. Only about 30 min from the city, it feels a world away. The Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis purchased the reserve land as a safe refuge for the plant collection from the smoke pollution of the 1920s. It has developed into a wonderful site to explore and view wildlife as well as view plants and habitat native to the Missouri region. The trails range…
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Where to find Bountiful Bluebells near St. Louis
One of my favorite spring wildflowers is the Virginia bluebell. They are native to Missouri and can be found in moist, wooded areas or floodplains. These delicate blossoms emerge in early spring and tend to peak around the very end of March to mid-April in our region. Here are six of our favorite area parks to see a stunning sea of bluebells in bloom. 1. Shaw Nature Reserve The Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, Missouri is a wonderful place…
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Rugged Beauty Awaits at Indiana’s Turkey Run State Park
If you follow us on Instagram (@midwestnomadfamily), you may have noticed that we did a little road trip to Indiana over the weekend. One of the highlights of our getaway was a visit to one of Indiana’s prettiest parks, Turkey Run in Marshall. The park has 11 different trails that wander through rugged ravines and along scenic Sugar Creek. A couple of the trails even involve scrambling up a series of ladders through a deep gorge. If there has been…
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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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Klondike Park Hike 1-20-18
Augusta, MO After suffering a bit of cabin fever, the weather broke and allowed us to get out this past weekend for a bit of a hike. This was the boy’s first “Big Boy” hike and he managed to hike the full two miles all by himself. He had a few falls, but overall it went very well! We decided to head out to Klondike Park in St. Charles County. The park is unique in that is located on the…
