This is it THE JACKPOT the Travel GEEK website extraordinary.
This web site is certainly a homage to that great patron saint of the American Road Trip, Clark W. Griswald himself!!
ROADSIDE AMERICA....... This site has to list every roadside tourist trap in the country! You name it it is here [I had no idea that Indiana was home to the largest ball of paint in the world]. While many of the things listed are just curiosities I am sure with little purpose other than to draw tourists and tourist dollars, some are legitimate.
I have spent some time exploring the route we will take this summer and there are some sites here that certainly deserve to be visited on an epic journey of this nature. If it was not for this site, we might have missed Chester, Illinois and what it has to offer.
After stopping at Metropolis and visiting Superman, there is no way that we can avoid visiting Popeye the Sailor Man!!!! I looks like the Popeye Park might be a good place to call a stop to grab a bite on the trip between Cairo and St Louis.... And while Popeye might not be as well know by today's youth as he was for us older kids, my kids know him well and the little one loves his cartoons.
My kids were introduced to him through a $5 video with something like 300 of the old cartoons on it during our trip to Florida in the Spring of 2008.
There are lots of things listed on Roadside America. Granted some are just unusual yard sculptures or commercial gimicks but hey, that's what makes a road trip intersting!!!
20091205
Forest Park III
The more I research and learn the more there appears to be in Forest Park to do and see!
While not as exciting maybe as the Science Center and Zoo, there are a lot of less notable structures to take in in the park, The Boat House and Grand Basin down the hill from the art museum, the Jewel Box (an art deco style greenhouse from the 1930's), The World's Fair Pavilion, and nature galore!
Part of the nature offerings is a the tree walk. Here is a short trail of less than a mile along which they have over 90 different species of trees identified. I wish I'd have know about this when I had High School biology and had to collect, mount and identify 50 leafs. I am thinking that some of us might have made a road trip ;-)
While not as exciting maybe as the Science Center and Zoo, there are a lot of less notable structures to take in in the park, The Boat House and Grand Basin down the hill from the art museum, the Jewel Box (an art deco style greenhouse from the 1930's), The World's Fair Pavilion, and nature galore!
Part of the nature offerings is a the tree walk. Here is a short trail of less than a mile along which they have over 90 different species of trees identified. I wish I'd have know about this when I had High School biology and had to collect, mount and identify 50 leafs. I am thinking that some of us might have made a road trip ;-)
The Wonders of Forest Park II
Sorry folks, I got tired last night and needed a little sleep!! I swear I had the best of intentions of writing up everything in Forest Park last night but...... I needed sleep long before I could finish doing a virtual exploration of Forest Park.
The next attraction in the Park is the Science Center. And it appears that they have plenty to do and see there. Like most of the other main attractions in Forest Park admission is free with fees for the extras like the I-max etc. Not a problem as the fees are very reasonable. One of the additional features in Science Center I think we may take advantage of is the Planetarium. I know that the kids have never been to a planetarium and I doubt that Illianna has either. There are a number of different shows each of approximately 45 minutes throughout the day. Looks like a family of four can enjoy the show for less than $20. A good deal all the way around.
Forest Park is also home to the Missouri History Museum. While I am a history buff and am sure I'd enjoy a tour, I am worried about museum'ing Illianna and the kids out so I don't know if we will get to see this one. There are however a couple of exhibits that I might be able to entice them with. from the website it appears that there may be a rather nice exhibit on Charles Lindbergh and the Spirit of St Louis. Now, I am the aviation butt in the family but, Lindbergh's story is a great chapter in the American Story. The other exhibit that I might be able to tempt the wife and children with is the World's Fair Exhibit. St Louis was the home of the 1904 World's Fair. Main of the buildings in Forest Park, such as the Art Museum, were originally constructed for this event. I was lucky enough to get to go to the World's Fair when it was in Knoxville, Tennessee back in the early 80's. It was a wonderful experience and one I don't know if my children will ever get to experience. With today's technology, a World's Fair does not inspire the wonder and awe that it had to have a hundred years ago. With TV, movies and jet airplanes, the world has truly become a smaller place and one has opportunities to experience first hand what a hundred years ago one could only read about or MAYBE take that once in a lifetime trip to the BIG city of St Louis and see a real mummy and model of the pyramids.....
One of the places in Forest Park that we will visit even if for only an hour or so is Turtle Playground. With giant sculptures of turtles and a snake, this looks like a wonderful place to enjoy the outdoors and appreciate the creativity and generosity of Mrs. Sonya (Sunny) Glassberg. If nothing else, a picnic lunch and pictures should be the things that memories are made of for the kids....
The next attraction in the Park is the Science Center. And it appears that they have plenty to do and see there. Like most of the other main attractions in Forest Park admission is free with fees for the extras like the I-max etc. Not a problem as the fees are very reasonable. One of the additional features in Science Center I think we may take advantage of is the Planetarium. I know that the kids have never been to a planetarium and I doubt that Illianna has either. There are a number of different shows each of approximately 45 minutes throughout the day. Looks like a family of four can enjoy the show for less than $20. A good deal all the way around.
Forest Park is also home to the Missouri History Museum. While I am a history buff and am sure I'd enjoy a tour, I am worried about museum'ing Illianna and the kids out so I don't know if we will get to see this one. There are however a couple of exhibits that I might be able to entice them with. from the website it appears that there may be a rather nice exhibit on Charles Lindbergh and the Spirit of St Louis. Now, I am the aviation butt in the family but, Lindbergh's story is a great chapter in the American Story. The other exhibit that I might be able to tempt the wife and children with is the World's Fair Exhibit. St Louis was the home of the 1904 World's Fair. Main of the buildings in Forest Park, such as the Art Museum, were originally constructed for this event. I was lucky enough to get to go to the World's Fair when it was in Knoxville, Tennessee back in the early 80's. It was a wonderful experience and one I don't know if my children will ever get to experience. With today's technology, a World's Fair does not inspire the wonder and awe that it had to have a hundred years ago. With TV, movies and jet airplanes, the world has truly become a smaller place and one has opportunities to experience first hand what a hundred years ago one could only read about or MAYBE take that once in a lifetime trip to the BIG city of St Louis and see a real mummy and model of the pyramids.....
One of the places in Forest Park that we will visit even if for only an hour or so is Turtle Playground. With giant sculptures of turtles and a snake, this looks like a wonderful place to enjoy the outdoors and appreciate the creativity and generosity of Mrs. Sonya (Sunny) Glassberg. If nothing else, a picnic lunch and pictures should be the things that memories are made of for the kids....
20091204
The Wonders of Forest Park......
We continue our exploration of the St Louis Area with a look at Forest Park. According to the website, the park was "officially opened to the public on June 24, 1876, is one of the largest urban parks in the United States. At 1,293 acres, it is approximately 500 acres larger than Central Park in New York." Put in perspective another way, that is right at two Square Miles of green space in the middle of a large industrial city. Quite an accomplishment actually when one thinks about it..... what is even more impressive is the list of activities that are available to one in the park.
Probably the most famous attraction in Forest Park is the World famous St Louis Zoo! The zoo encompasses approximately 90 acres of the Park and in that 90 acres there are "more than 22,805 exotic animals, many of them rare and endangered. These 800 species represent the major continents and biomes of the world."
One of the nicest things about the St Louis Zoo is that it is free. You can enjoy all the animal displays for absolutely nothing. Now that's a deal! Most zoos are rather pricey to get into these days and rightly so but, not St Louis. Now in the Zoo, there are a number of attractions that have a nominal fee associated with them but even those are most economical all things considered and for $10, you get a day pass for all of them except the 3-d Movie (another bank breaking $3) and save $5 on the sum of the individual prices. So basically, for less than the cost of a movie, you can enjoy a day at the zoo! That in my book is great and I wonder how many of the citizens of St Louis never take advantage of this wonderful facility!
I am sure that we can spend a day in the zoo alone and still not take in all it has to offer!
But Forest Park has much more to offer!!!! Another offering is the St Louis Art Museum. And like the zoo, admission to the art museum is free. While it may be hard to keep a four year old's attention in an art museum, I think this will be an excellent place to start to instill a little bit of cultural appreciation in both kids. The art museum has an extremely diverse collection that ranges from pre-Columbian to contemporary and most medium from painting to sculpture. Given Illianna's artistic nature, I am sure that she will be interested and will be able to spark and interest in the kids...... And Again, the price is right!!!!
20091203
The Gateway Arch and the Start of an Adventure
Of all the things that St Louis is known for, there is little arguing that the Gateway Arch is right up there (no pun intended;-). And on the Lewis & Clark trip, there is no getting around a stop here.
I remember going up in the Arch the first time as a small boy probably of Bridgette's age. It was a long weekend with Mom and Grandma. I will confess that I don't remember anything from the Museum, I don't remember hardly anything else in St Louis but I DO remember going up in the Arch. Since then, I have been back and up in the Arch twice I think. Once with the Boys Scouts on a trip to Philmount and then again shortly after Illianna arrived in the US. As a Boy Scout, I remember looking down on a baseball game being played in the stadium. With Illianna, I remember the feeling of being scared of heights and her laughing at me about it. I remember the sensation of going up in the Arch as the little egg shaped elevator cars twist as you ascend so your not laying on your side when you get tot the top. I remember being much more appreciative of the engineering feat that the arch is a man with a background in engineering. I want to share that with my children.
While the above link is to the National Park Site, to pre-purchase tickets to go up in the Arch and the various other attractions, there is a commercial website for the Arch. At this site, they even provide Sample Itineraries on how it get the most out of your visit to the park!
While the Arch's shear size and physical presence makes it impossible to ignore, there is much more there is to see and do which must not be ignored. The basement of the Arch houses the Museum of Western Expansion. According to the website, the museum covers a wide range of topics and subjects which cover St Louis' role in the opening of the American Frontier. What I think my be fo most interest to us will be the Photo Murals that document the journey of Lewis & Clark. My plan is to point these out to the kids and challenge them to find these sites along the journey. Will it work? I don't know but it will certainly be worth a try....:-) While the Lewis & Clark exhibit plays a large role in the museums mission there are many other artifacts and displays which detail the expansion of the west from an Indian Tipi to prairie schooner, the important items of the 19th century are displayed and explained. Should be very good for the kids and Illianna too.
The Old Courthouse is also part of the park complex but I must confess I never realized this fact. The website suggests that there are lots of displays about the history of St Louis (I did not realize that St Louis was attacked by the British during the Revolutionary War) it suggests that a lot of the museum is dedicated to the history of Slavery and the role St Louis played in that chapter of American History. It will be interesting to learn. Having been completed in 1862, I am sure that there are architectural features a plenty to enjoy.
I an see a whole day spent in the shadow of the Arch with little difficulty whatsoever......
I remember going up in the Arch the first time as a small boy probably of Bridgette's age. It was a long weekend with Mom and Grandma. I will confess that I don't remember anything from the Museum, I don't remember hardly anything else in St Louis but I DO remember going up in the Arch. Since then, I have been back and up in the Arch twice I think. Once with the Boys Scouts on a trip to Philmount and then again shortly after Illianna arrived in the US. As a Boy Scout, I remember looking down on a baseball game being played in the stadium. With Illianna, I remember the feeling of being scared of heights and her laughing at me about it. I remember the sensation of going up in the Arch as the little egg shaped elevator cars twist as you ascend so your not laying on your side when you get tot the top. I remember being much more appreciative of the engineering feat that the arch is a man with a background in engineering. I want to share that with my children.
While the above link is to the National Park Site, to pre-purchase tickets to go up in the Arch and the various other attractions, there is a commercial website for the Arch. At this site, they even provide Sample Itineraries on how it get the most out of your visit to the park!
While the Arch's shear size and physical presence makes it impossible to ignore, there is much more there is to see and do which must not be ignored. The basement of the Arch houses the Museum of Western Expansion. According to the website, the museum covers a wide range of topics and subjects which cover St Louis' role in the opening of the American Frontier. What I think my be fo most interest to us will be the Photo Murals that document the journey of Lewis & Clark. My plan is to point these out to the kids and challenge them to find these sites along the journey. Will it work? I don't know but it will certainly be worth a try....:-) While the Lewis & Clark exhibit plays a large role in the museums mission there are many other artifacts and displays which detail the expansion of the west from an Indian Tipi to prairie schooner, the important items of the 19th century are displayed and explained. Should be very good for the kids and Illianna too.
The Old Courthouse is also part of the park complex but I must confess I never realized this fact. The website suggests that there are lots of displays about the history of St Louis (I did not realize that St Louis was attacked by the British during the Revolutionary War) it suggests that a lot of the museum is dedicated to the history of Slavery and the role St Louis played in that chapter of American History. It will be interesting to learn. Having been completed in 1862, I am sure that there are architectural features a plenty to enjoy.
I an see a whole day spent in the shadow of the Arch with little difficulty whatsoever......
Bellefontaine Cemetery
I really had no idea that there was so much to see in the St Louis area!!
This may actually require the stay of more than a few days.....
There are some things that are going to be mandatory, no negotiation stops.
As I previously posted, I have business at Fort Jefferson, no negotiation.
Of course, as this trip is scheduled to follow the Lewis & Clark trail, there are going to be stops at Fort Dubois and at the Gateway Arch and Museum of Western Expansion.
Without a doubt, one of the required stops of this trip will be the in the grave of William Clark in Bellefontaine Cemetery.
Now, I will be honest and admit that when I first realized that Clark was buried in St Louis I thought that it would only be proper to go to the grave and pay respects. I figured that it would be maybe an hour or so mainly spent trying to locate the grave, a couple pictures and then we would be on our way to things that Illianna and the Kids might find more exciting on just moving on down the road towards the west coast.... That is until I visited the cemetery's website. Now I will freely admit that I find old cemetery's fascinating. I enjoy looking at the various styles of tombstones and the architecture of the crypts that folks have built over the years, the symbology that has been used on the markers, the glimpses into history and the lives of those who have went before us..... I would spend hours in the cemetery at West Point as a cadet and find it most relaxing.. Looking at the website for this cemetery I see that I think we will be spending a good deal of time there as there is much it has to offer for all members of the family. with 14 miles of roads inside the cemetery, I am wondering if maybe it will not be in our best interest to take our bikes and picnic lunch and make a day of it?
According to the website, until well into the last century the cemetery had more varieties of plants and trees than the local botanical garden! There are numerous individuals besides William Clark buried there who played roles large and small in the founding and expansion of our nation. While the details are somewhat sketchy, it appears that there are a series of self guided tours which will allow you to visit and see the more notable graves and features of the park. If the weather's good, I think that bicycles might be a very good way to take in a most unexpected tourist destination. For some reason, I just think that there will be enough diversity in the 314 acres and 14 miles of roads in the cemetery that the interests of the whole family can be fulfilled. We shall give it our best shot!!!!
This may actually require the stay of more than a few days.....
There are some things that are going to be mandatory, no negotiation stops.
As I previously posted, I have business at Fort Jefferson, no negotiation.
Of course, as this trip is scheduled to follow the Lewis & Clark trail, there are going to be stops at Fort Dubois and at the Gateway Arch and Museum of Western Expansion.
Without a doubt, one of the required stops of this trip will be the in the grave of William Clark in Bellefontaine Cemetery.
Now, I will be honest and admit that when I first realized that Clark was buried in St Louis I thought that it would only be proper to go to the grave and pay respects. I figured that it would be maybe an hour or so mainly spent trying to locate the grave, a couple pictures and then we would be on our way to things that Illianna and the Kids might find more exciting on just moving on down the road towards the west coast.... That is until I visited the cemetery's website. Now I will freely admit that I find old cemetery's fascinating. I enjoy looking at the various styles of tombstones and the architecture of the crypts that folks have built over the years, the symbology that has been used on the markers, the glimpses into history and the lives of those who have went before us..... I would spend hours in the cemetery at West Point as a cadet and find it most relaxing.. Looking at the website for this cemetery I see that I think we will be spending a good deal of time there as there is much it has to offer for all members of the family. with 14 miles of roads inside the cemetery, I am wondering if maybe it will not be in our best interest to take our bikes and picnic lunch and make a day of it?
According to the website, until well into the last century the cemetery had more varieties of plants and trees than the local botanical garden! There are numerous individuals besides William Clark buried there who played roles large and small in the founding and expansion of our nation. While the details are somewhat sketchy, it appears that there are a series of self guided tours which will allow you to visit and see the more notable graves and features of the park. If the weather's good, I think that bicycles might be a very good way to take in a most unexpected tourist destination. For some reason, I just think that there will be enough diversity in the 314 acres and 14 miles of roads in the cemetery that the interests of the whole family can be fulfilled. We shall give it our best shot!!!!
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