We visited Columbia, Missouri, which is just 2 hours from St. Louis, for a fun weekend getaway. We were so blown away by all of the great activities here. I knew that Mizzou was located here, but I had no idea about all of the amazing outdoor adventures. This was our first time visiting and our family had so much fun.
Here’s a snapshot of what we did in one weekend!
Friday:
Drive to Columbia
Check into Stoney Creek Hotel
Free First Friday Event in the North Arts District, Explore the North Arts DistrictÂ
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Saturday:
Pinnacles Youth Park (trail to the right to view the cave)
Canoe on the water trail at Finger Lakes State ParkÂ
Lunch at Cooper’s Landing (and biking along the Katy Trail)
Explore shops along the district (Sparky’s, Speckled Frog Toys, Yellow Dogs Bookstore, etc)
Swim at hotel
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Sunday:
Check out of hotel
Warm Springs Ranch tour
Explore the Arcade District (Ozark Biscuit and Car, Witches and Wizards)
Rock Bridge Memorial State Park (Spring Brook Trail Loop via Devil’s Icebox Trail)
Drive back home!
We stayed at Stoney Creek Hotel which had a cool rustic feel. They have a variety of hotel room styles here. Our room had a king bed, a pullout couch and a bunk bed! My kids thought it was the neatest thing to have a bunk bed in a hotel room, which I also agreed to. Breakfast was included with our stay and it had a nice buffet just off of the lobby. There was both an indoor and outdoor pool selection. We loved the indoor pools with the neat bear-themed murals.Â
We started our weekend by walking through the North Arts District during the Free First Friday event. Artists opened their doors for us to view their art. As we walked along the streets of the district, there was live music to enjoy. There were craft stands, face painting and plenty of food selections. There was even a pet rescue walking around dogs for people to visit with! For dinner, we stopped at a make-your-own charcuterie stand! We had fun choosing local cheeses and meats. Definitely check this one out if you happen to be visiting the first Friday of the month.
On Saturday, we began the day with breakfast at the hotel (included with your stay). The buffet was right off of the lobby and had a good selection of food for our family. First, we headed to Pinnacles Youth Park, which is located about 12 miles north of Columbia. This is a private park, but it is free to all. There are several trails on the property. It is not well marked at all, but was fun to explore. When you start the trail, it goes straight to the river for a view of a beautiful limestone formation. There was even a cute fairy garden at the base of the tree here! We chose to take the trail to the right. We crossed two bridges and followed along the creek. Then, the trail deadended at a beautiful shelf cave! We had a lot of rain overnight, so we were not able to cross the river. But, if you cross the river, you can go up the ridge of the limestone formation! I’m looking forward to returning and trying this out sometime.
We then rented canoes and explored the 4.5 mile long water trail throughout Finger Lakes State Park. It was so peaceful!Â
Address: 1505 W Peabody Rd, Columbia, MO 65202Â
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We then hopped on our bikes and rode on the Katy Trail, which is easily accessible from the city of Columbia. Cooper’s Landing was right off the trail and had such a fun vibe.
Our favorite spot to eat was Shakepeare’s Pizza, where they gave dough to our kids to play with while our pizza was cooking. Seriously such tasty pizza! Downtown Columbia is so charming and we loved walking into the different shops filled with character.Â
Address: 225 S 9th St., Columbia, MO
On Sunday, we explored the Arcade District. After filling up on Ozark Mountain Biscuits & Bar, we headed to Witches and Wizards for unlimited open arcade play, which was a huge hit for our family. There were two floors filled with any arcade game you could imagine! Our favorites were pac man and the pinball machines!
Address: 1204 Hinkson Ave, Columbia, MO 65201
Then we drove to Warm Springs Ranch, which is just 20 minutes outside of Columbia and is 340 acres. This is the official Budweiser Clydesdale Breeding Facility. There were over 70 Clydesdales. We loaded onto a trailer and went into 3 pastures where we got to meet many of the Clydesdales. Throughout the one hour guided tour, we went into a 1 year
Address:25270 MO-98, Boonville, MO 65233
We ended our Columbia weekend by exploring Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. This was filled with dreamy boardwalks. We hiked the Spring Brook Trail loop and peeked inside of the Devil’s Icebox (underground river). Because of all of the rain overnight, we viewed a waterfall as we were climbing the stairs to the Devil’s Icebox.Â
Overall, we loved visiting Columbia. I would highly recommend a weekend getaway here!
