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Day Trips Are A Nice Getaway

September 28, 2013 Featured, Steve Patterson, Travel 10 Comments

A week ago my boyfriend and I thought it was such a nice day, we should go do something.  We’d bought a Living Social voucher for two to see the Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower in Hartford IL, just a 30 minute drive north on Route 3.

This post is about the wonderful day trip that we ended up having through several counties in Illinois, two ferry rides, and returning to Missouri through St. Charles County.

As you approach the Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower
As you approach the Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower
Cyclists on the trail on top of the levee
Cyclists on the trail on top of the levee
From the top level of the tower (150 feet high) you get a great view of the confluence of the Mississippi & Missouri rivers.
From the top level of the tower (150 feet high) you get a great view of the confluence of the Mississippi & Missouri rivers.
We didn't stop in Alton but we stopped just north to see the Piasa, click image for more info
We didn’t stop in Alton but we stopped just north to see the Piasa image on the limestone, click image for more info
The Village of Elsah is one of my favorite stops along the River Road, click image for more info
The Village of Elsah is one of my favorite stops along the River Road, DFS liked it too!  Click image for more info
We took the scenic drive through Pere Marquette State Park, click image for more info
We took the scenic drive through Pere Marquette State Park, click image for more info
On the Golden Eagle Ferry from Calhoun Co IL to St. Charles Co MO
On the Golden Eagle Ferry from Calhoun Co IL to St. Charles Co MO

We both took many more pictures on our 5+ hour unplanned adventure. I say unplanned because I didn’t think beyond the Tower, we barely had enough cash on us for the mixed berry cobbler at The Cultured Table Bistro in Elsah plus the ferry into St. Charles Co, the Brussels Ferry is free.

We had a great day for very little money! We’re in Springfield IL this weekend, but later this fall I’m going to the DFS on a wine country tour through Augusta & Washington. What’s your favorite day trip from St. Louis?

— Steve Patterson

 

Currently there are "10 comments" on this Article:

  1. moe says:

    Day drives like this are great! And sorry to say, public transportation doesn’t do it…unless you’re taking the Amtrak to Herman (full of drunks on the way back) or Matton (downtown is too small to have it as a drop off point). But one could take hours just driving through the small cities of both Missouri and Illinois.
    My advice: Full the tank with gas (or charge the battery), roll down the windows, put the damn cell phone down, turn off your clock, get the hell off the interstate, and don’t be afraid to stop and look at the sights. Even if you need a soda or a refill on the tank, try and support those local communities (yes, even if that gas station is a national, it’s a franchise, and it’s local employees). You’ll meet some very friendly people.

     
  2. John R says:

    The Confluence area really is a national treasure in our own backyard; too bad a lot of Saint Louisans don’t really know too much about it. And it keeps getting better, with new additions like the Lewis & Clark Tower and the new Audubon visitor’s center at Riverlands.

    My favorite day trip? That’s a tough one! Saint Louis is the epicenter of a truly remarkable region that offers a powerful blend of history, scenic beauty, charming small towns and outdoor recreation. Following the Great River Road to the south, your day trip takes you deep into our French-Creole heritage. Take it to the north and your in Mark Twain country. To the west, following the Lewis and Clark Trail takes you along The Big Muddy. With incredible towns like Ste. Gen, Clarksville and Hermann and wineries along the way, you can’t go wrong filling up the tank and just go!

     
  3. dempster holland says:

    Another way to view the confluence up close is to take riverview
    north, past where it goes under 270, to a state park. Then you
    drive about two miles over flood plain to a parking lot, walk about
    50 yards and you are right on the Mississippi, with the Missouri
    confluence about 50 yards to the left. This is something new
    for st louis–up until a few years ago there was no easy way to see
    the confluence.This is on the Missouri side

     
    • moe says:

      And thank God the neighbors had the smarts to fight the powers-to-be against putting in another stupid casino near the confluence.

       
      • JZ71 says:

        The “stupid” casino was proposed for I-270 & Riverview, a previously-developed area (the Chain of Rocks Amusement Park used to be there), not all that near the confluence. The company that owns both River City and Lumiere has been donating significant dollars to support improvements up and down the river. When River City Casino was built, new trails were constructed along the Mississippi at the same time, opening up public access between the River Des Peres and Jefferson Barracks. They’re donating $5 million to the CityArchRiver project, $6 million to the new Blues Museum downtown and they’re donating the old President Casino parking lot to Great Rivers Greenway. Gambling may not be your thing, but they’re doing a lot more to support local efforts to improve the riverfront than many other businesses are, both local and national, to say nothing of providing jobs to local residents.

        http://investors.pnkinc.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=726268
        http://oldroute66.us/MO/moc000040.html

         
        • They sold Lumiere for far less than it cost to build. The St. Louis market is already saturated with casinos, a north county casino likely would’ve meant an another existing casino besides The President would’ve closed.

           
        • moe says:

          Both proposals were in an area within view of the Lewis and Clark Tower…and many places along the rivers. And yes, there was a proposal to put one in the Columbia Bottoms area. From this article:
          http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2010/10/chain_of_rocks_casino_opponents_rally.php
          “But while the conservation area proposal has seemingly hit a dead end, there are still developers hoping to build a $131 million casino near the Chain of Rocks Bridge. This weekend, concerned citizens will gather at the bridge for a show of solidarity they hope will dissuade the gaming commission from bringing a fifth casino to the St. Louis area”

          Hear that whooooooosh??? Millions every month leaving the local economy. $5 million here and $6 million there is chump change to Pinnacle entertainment which had a total of $315 million income just for the quarter ending June 30, 2013. Of that, $271 Million was just from gambling and $97.1 of that from the St. Louis operations ALONE. That is just in ONE QUARTER.
          http://investors.pnkinc.com/secfiling.cfm?filingID=356213-13-30&CIK=356213

           
          • JZ71 says:

            And people won’t gamble if there are no casinos here?! Yes, casinos make money. Yes, it’s not the wisest way to spend your hard-earned money, especially if you’re poor. Yes, Pinnacle’s headquarters is out of state – the only gaming company’s corporate offices located here is Isle of Capri, and they have no local casinos (unless you consider Cape Girardeau to be “local”), so 100% of their revenue is coming from outside the region (and what have they done to help our local efforts?). $5M & $6M may be “chump change”, but it’s more than many “local” companies are “contributing”. It may be “tainted” in your mind, but it still goes a long way toward making dreams reality.

             
    • John R says:

      dempster, I believe you are describing Columbia Bottoms, which is a very nice MDC Conservation Area with a visitors center… definitely worth checking out. Another place to get up close to the Confluence is at Ted and Pat Jones Confluence State Park. You get there by turning right into the Riverlands Sanctuary just before the Clark Bridge to Alton and continue on down the road to the State Park. It often is flooded at the SP so its always good to check on conditions before hand; although it is always worth a trip to Riverlands and the Audubon Center.

       
  4. Simon Nogin says:

    Augusta Wine Country Trail along highway 94!
    It’s only about 45min from west county (you just get on Paige and keep driving west). But the scenic views and decent wines you’ll find make the trip worth taking whenever the weather is nice!
    I believe there’s about 10 wineries within 10miles of each other, my favorite being Montelle because of its outdoor deck that gives you a great view of Missouri hills and valleys.

     

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