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!!!!