Family Adventure in Chicago

Are you looking for a fun family adventure within driving distance from St. Louis? Look no further than Chicago (a 5 hour drive)!! We visited my family in Milwaukee for Thanksgiving this year and wanted to take our daughters to Chicago for a little mini-vacation beforehand. My 5 year old has been wanting to either visit Chicago or South America (she learned about both in school). Out of these two, my husband and I thought Chicago was a little more doable, ha! 

We planned most of our trip with CityPASS, a fantastic way to save money on attractions in lots of cities. This was our four daughters’ first time exploring the city, so we were excited to check out as many attractions and museums as we could fit in. You can save a whopping 48% on regular admission prices, which was so great for our family. I downloaded the free CityPASS app and it was super easy to select my tickets of what attractions we chose. When we arrived at an attraction, I just pulled up our app and we were good to go to show our tickets! 

Our 4-Day Chicago Itinerary

 

Day 1: 

Drove to Chicago 

Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo (free)

The Farm-in-the-Zoo (free) 

Checked into our hotel (Loews Chicago Hotel)

Walked from our hotel to the Shoreline Sightseeing Architecture River Tour

(We timed this just as the sun was setting, which I recommend because the city lights were beautiful)!

 

Day 2: 

Sloomoo Institute 

American Girl Doll Store & Cafe (ate lunch with my girls’ dolls)

Museum of Ice Cream 

Swam in our hotel indoor pool

 

Day 3: 

Skydeck Chicago

The Bean 

Maggie Daley Park

Christkindl Market

 

Day 4: 

Check out of Loews Chicago Hotel

Shedd Aquarium 

Field Museum 

Museum of Science and Industry

Drive to Milwaukee for Thanksgiving!

In this blog, I’ll share 5 of our attractions that we chose through CityPASS. I partnered with CityPASS for this trip, which I was so thankful for. I highly recommend them as a company! Everything was seamless for booking attractions. I’ll share the other attractions in another blog post. 

Shoreline Sightseeing Architecture River Tour

Since this was our girls’ first trip to Chicago, we wanted to choose something that would give them a view of the city. This boat tour was just incredible! Our tour was at 4:45pm, which I highly recommend! We arrived as the sun was setting and then we were blown away by the lights of the city as the boat moved throughout the city. Many buildings had Christmas lights up too! This was a 60 minute tour with a guide speaking through the history and architecture of Chicago. The guide was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot! 

There is a deck on the top of the boat with benches and chairs. We brought out all of our winter gear (my girls wore their snowsuits) and it was really needed with the wind and cooler weather. Stairs lead to the cabin with a cafe to order hot chocolate and some other snacks. There are restrooms around the corner too. At the front of the boat was a small viewing area and you could still hear the guide over the speaker. 

I think my favorite part of the tour was reaching Lake Michigan and then the boat slowly turned for us to take in the view of the whole Chicago skyline at night. It was so incredible!

Skydeck Chicago

We saw Chicago by boat and then Chicago from Willis Tower the next day! Skydeck is located in Willis Tower, which is the third-tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. This is the highest observation deck in the United States!! We rode the elevator up to the 103rd floor and then viewed Chicago from the observation windows. Luckily, we had a clear and sunny day, so we saw buildings pretty far out! 

This location was where I was extremely thankful we had the CityPASS. There was an expedited line so we didn’t need to wait in the line for the elevator. After we took our time observing through the windows, we walked to the Ledge (also on the 103rd floor). The Ledge is made up of 5 glass floor balconies with 1.5 inches of thick glass! You can look straight down and see how tall we were–it was crazy! The Ledge is included with admission and there was a separate line for CityPASS holders too! We were able to go to the Ledge three times with our tickets and skip the lines. Each party gets 90 seconds for photos, so it was nice we could go more than once. 

Shedd Aquarium

I have such fond memories of visiting Shedd Aquarium when I was younger. This is the 3rd largest aquarium in the Western Hemisphere (after the Georgia Aquarium & Monterey Bay Aquarium). There are 32,600 different species of sea life at Shedd and you could easily spend all day here! First we walked to the Abbott Oceanarium where we saw Beluga whales swimming close by. You can view the whales and dolphins above water, but you can also take the stairs down to view them from under water! The penguins, sea otters and starfish are downstairs too. 

We saw one of the free Aquatic shows, which happened to be on dolphins! This was a fantastic show. Another favorite section was the Wild Reef. I recommend hopping in line for this right away, because there is an elevator ride to arrive at the Wild Reef. This leads to the sharks in its own underground wing. There are 540 species of life shown in this public display!

Field Museum

Next to Shedd Aquarium is the Field Museum. The Field Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum in Chicago. It is one of the largest natural history museums in the world. It has more than 24 million objects and explores more than 4.6 billion years of history!!

Here are two of our favorite exhibits we saw:

The Evolving Planet:

View SUE, the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex ever discovered! They have both fossils and casts of MANY dinosaurs and animals. The exhibit starts with single-celled organisms and walks through the years and stages of history until early humans. 

Inside Ancient Egypt:

This exhibit explores a burial chamber that dates back to 2400 BC! There are 23 human mummies and 30 animal mummies. There are floor-to-ceiling hieroglyphs too!

Museum of Science and Industry

Located in the only remaining building from the 1893’s World’s Fair, this is the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere. There are hundreds of exhibits and 35,000 artifacts!! We loved walking beside the WWII German U-Boat (only one of five remaining U-boats in the world) and exploring through the mirror maze. One of the neatest things we did was descend into the mine shaft! We loved learning about the technology and history of coal mining. 

Because we went during the winter season, we loved seeing the “Christmas Around the World” exhibit. There are more than 50 Christmas trees decorated! Each tree is decorated by a different country. It was so interesting to learn about different customs and traditions!

Overall, we just loved these Chicago attractions and museums. I felt like there was so much more to learn and discover here. We can’t wait to return as a family again soon!

The Ultimate STL Christmas Bucket List

Winter in St. Louis is such a special time! It is truly magical. Here is a list of our family favorites over the years, plus some new ones!

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Jingle St. Louis

This new addition to the holiday celebration in St. Louis is going to be epic! From ice skating to snow tubing on real snow to a sing-along piano bar to Santa Claus, there is something for everyone.

 

Website: https://www.jingleholiday.com/stl 

Dates: November 22- December 31

Where: CarShield Field, O’Fallon, MO

Photo Credit: Jingle St. Louis

Garden Glow at the Missouri Botanical Garden

This is one of our favorite walk throughs! This has over 2 million lights throughout the gardens. I think our favorite section is the Central Axis across from the Climatron where the trees are synchronized to music! The unique display along the Tower Grove house is amazing too. 

 

Get your photo with Santa Claus on Mondays & Tuesdays from November 18- December 10 from 5-9pm (included with Garden Glow admission). New this year, Ana and Elsa will be here on select Thursday evenings!

 

Website: https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/events-classes/signature-events/garden-glow 

Dates: November 16- January 4 (member preview is November 15)

The Weirdly Wonderful Holidays at the City Museum

The Weirdly Wonderful Holidays in included with general admission and there are lots of lights, visits with Santa (4th floor, outside of Art City) and story time with Mrs. Claus (4th floor, Sullivan Gallery). There will be Holiday Karaoke (3rd floor) and special eats and drinks too! 

 

Website: https://citymuseum.org/event/ww-holidays/ 

Dates: November 29-December 24

Winterfest through Gateway Arch Park

Free festival at Kiener Plaza featuring live music, reindeer and ice skating (charge for ice skating rental). There are s’mores stations and igloos for rent, all underneath 100,000 twinkling lights. There are events throughout the six weeks, such as hockey, princess and superhero visits and a family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration. 

 

Website: https://www.archpark.org/events/winterfest 

Dates: November 23- December 31

STL Brewery Lights at Anheuser Busch

General Admission tickets include brewery tours, light show, Clydesdale parade and more! More than 1 million lights! Guests over 21 years old can have a complimentary beer and there is free park on a first come, first served basis. Ages 5 and under enter for free! 

 

Website: https://www.budweisertours.com/brewerylights#id=brewery-lights-2024-st-louis 

Dates: November 22- December 30

Polar Express at Union Station STL

This is just magical! Take a train ride to the North pole and get to meet Santa! The train ride has lights along the way too! This year is the 20th anniversary of Polar Express. There are different train car tiers and there are multiple sensory-friendly experiences on select nights. 

 

Website: https://www.stlpolarexpressride.com/the-polar-express-train-ride- 

Dates: November 15- December 30

Wild Lights at the Zoo

Walk through the Zoo and take in over 1 million lights with festive menus and Zoo attractions! 

Included with admission: Penguin and puffin coast, Sea Lion Tunnel, 4D Theater (showing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”), take-home craft for kids and parking!

 

Website: https://stlzoo.org/events/wild-lights

Dates: November 29- December 29

Candy Cane Lane

Every November, the 6500 Murdoch Avenue block becomes Candy Cane Lane! Buy some Ted Drewes one block away and walk (or drive) along the lights. I just love watching this neighborhood transform!

Grant’s Farm Holiday Lights

Walk through light displays, drive through holiday lights and reserve a fire pit for s’mores. Take a tram ride to see even more lights and listen to Christmas carolers! They also have Breakfast with Santa and Mrs. Claus on select days. We haven’t done this yet, but I’ve heard great things. 

 

Website: https://grantsfarm.com/holiday-lights/ 

Dates: November 23- December 30

Christmas in St. Louis at the WWT Raceway

Huge synchronized LED light show with over one million lights! You get to actually ride throughout the race track too, which is so cool!! Open nightly, including holidays. 

 

Website: https://www.wonderlightschristmas.com/st-louis

Dates: November 15- January 5

Christmas Traditions in Historic Main Street St. Charles

Walk along Main Street St. Charles and see historic characters dressed up singing and acting. The shops are all decorated and my kids love collecting the character cards! This year marks 50 seasons of the Christmas traditions!! 

 

Website: https://www.discoverstcharles.com/events/christmas-traditions/ 

Dates: November 29- December 24 (select dates and times)

Free Mini Train Ride

Located at 4008 Healy Ct, St. Louis!

Kids under 100lbs are welcome to take train rides in this front yard on one of the two trains. My kids love this!!

The Magic House

We love visiting the Magic House year round, but especially at Christmas. We love the Breakfast with Santa event, as well as storytime with Mrs. Claus. The holiday decorations are so fun to look at while taking in all the fun exhibits. 

 

Website: https://www.magichouse.org/events-programs/breakfast-with-santa/

Dates: Breakfast with Santa is Dec 8, 15, 22

The Fabulous Fox Theatre

Is there any place better than the Fox during the Christmas season?! 

 

Website: https://www.fabulousfox.com/events 

 

Here are some upcoming holiday shows and great family-friendly options:

Straight No Chaser: December 19

A Magical Cirque Christmas: December 20

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: December 21

Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet: December 22

Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical: December 27-29

Winter Wonderland

Winter Wonderland is a staple here in St. Louis! Located at Tilles Park, this has been a tradition since 1987. Open nightly from 5-9pm and only drive-through (closed on December 24). 

 

Website:https://www.metrotix.com/events/detail/winter-wonderland-vehicle-pass 

Dates: November 27- December 30

I wish you and your family such a wonderful holiday!! 

Happy exploring!

A Weekend in Springfield, Missouri!

We traveled to Springfield, Missouri for the weekend. Being just 3 hours from St. Louis, this was a perfect distance for a family-friendly weekend trip! I’ve compiled our favorite activities, hikes and restaurants below. We really enjoyed visiting Springfield, MO and we are looking forward to another trip there soon! 

Snapshot of our weekend:

Friday: 

  • Drove down from St. Louis (3 hours)
  • Checked into our hotel (Tru Hotel)
  • Dinner at Black Sheep Burgers
  • Walked around downtown to view their murals

Saturday:

  • Gailey’s Breakfast Cafe
  • Springfield Conservation Nature Center (Boardwalk trail)
  • Smallin Civil War Cave
  • Discovery Center
  • Cider Days on Historic Walnut Street (and grabbed lunch here)
  • Hitsory Museum on the Square
  • Treats at Modern Sips Acai Bar
  • Dinner at Pappos Pizza
  • Wizard of Oz at Springfield Little Theatre

Sunday:

  • Mass at St. Agnes Cathedral
  • Breakfast at Aviary Cafe
  • Bass Pro Shop
  • Springfield Botanical Garden
  • Giant Hamburg’s for lunch
  • Dickerson Park Zoo
  • Fantastic Caverns
  • Drive back to St. Louis!

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Smallin Civil War Cave

Smallin Civil War Cave was used by ancient Native Americans. Arrowheads found here date back to 9000 years ago! Later, both Union and Confederate soldiers used the cave to hide Civil War supplies. It was also a common spot for soldiers to cool off while the Company H Union Camp was being built close by. This was a paved trail into the cave and the guided tour was a little over one hour. We saw 8 cave salamanders, 11 leopard frogs and 1 blind bristly cave crayfish! This was our family’s first time seeing the frogs and crayfish inside of a cave, so we were excited!! 

Springfield Conservation Nature Trail

We loved exploring this nature trail and conservation center! The center is free and there are fun nature-themed exhibits, as well as reptiles to view! We hiked on the Boardwalk trail (blue trail marker), which was so lovely! It was a nice walk through the woods with a beautiful boardwalk over the water. The trails here are family-friendly, for example, this trail was just .4 miles. 

Discovery Center

Discovery Center in Springfield is a non-profit organization and such a great science and children’s museum. It is all community supported and their mission is to inspire a lifelong love of learning. Our favorites here were digging fossils at the dinosaur exhibit, story time from space and working at the grocery store! There were also water tables, a cloud machine and so much more!

Cider Days

We loved walking along Historic Walnut Street to experience Cider Days! There were many stands set up to view art, shop and grab food…of course yummy apple cider! There were several stages set up on the street with musical performances going throughout the day. Check out Visit Springfield’s website to view future events and festivals. 

Fantastic Caverns

This was such a neat experience! Fantastic Caverns is one of the only complete drive-through caves in North America! This cave was accidentally discovered by a dog! The dog was lost, so the dog’s owner started looking for him. To the owner’s surprise, the dog had found a cave! We loved this guided tour to learn more about Missouri.

Dickerson Park Zoo

Dickerson Park Zoo is AZA certified, just like our St. Louis Zoo. We loved feeding the giraffes, who were SO friendly and came right up to us! My kids also loved feeding the goats and riding the train. My kids were in awe of the many peacocks walking around the zoo too!

Springfield Botanical Gardens

The Springfield Botanical Gardens located at Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park are FREE! There are dozens of themed gardens and it connects to the South Creek Greenway. There is a main playground behind the Botanical Garden’s Visitor’s Center, but if you walk along the trail around the lake, there are 5 mini playgrounds, called playpods. They are small, nature-themed playgrounds right along the trail. There are also fun facts listed at each playground based on that theme. We walked to the tree and leaf playpods and had a great time!

History Museum on the Square

This is a great local museum that explores the area’s history through a variety of permanent and temporary exhibits. Because Springfield is the official birthplace of Route 66, they have a wonderful exhibit. My girls loved sitting in one of the classic cars! They also had signs throughout the exhibits saying “please touch” which was SO cool and so inviting. Some highlights were walking into a teepee and staying warm by the pretend fire or driving through time on a trolley!

Springfield Little Theatre

Mark took our older daughters to see Wizard of Oz one evening. It was a great show, very family-friendly and it had the most aerials that our family had ever seen. There was fake snow and they shot out streamers too! After the show, they got invited up to the stage for a picture with the cast! Check out the rest of their season here!

Lodging

We stayed at Tru hotel, which was in downtown Springfield. It was in walking distance to restaurants, which was so great! We had a connecting room with one King bed in one room and 2 Queen beds in the other room. There was a pool and a great lobby (all decorated for Halloween)!

Overall, we had the BEST time here as a family. There was a great mix of indoors and outdoor activities, and we loved exploring more of this area. We can’t wait to come back!

Top 5 Family Nature Activities

Camping as a family is my favorite family activity. It really encourages us to have time focused on each other, by removing other distractions we may have at home. 

Here are five fun nature activities to do as a family, and they are quick and easy to bring along on a camping trip. 

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We camped in our new tent from White Duck Outdoors! We love it.

Nature Bracelet

Take masking tape and attach it to a child’s wrist inside out (so sticky side out). 

Explore the trail together and pick leaves, berries or flowers to stick on the tape. My kids love creating patterns on their bracelets or try to create a bracelet all green or all red, depending on the season we are in. 

Have fun creating a nature bracelet! You can even put another piece of tape on the bracelet to “laminate” it. 

Paint Sample Scavenger Hunt

We went to Home Depot and picked out paint samples that are in the color of nature. I like to choose greens, browns, tans (or reds and oranges in fall). 

Next, I took a hole puncher and punched holes in the paint sample sheets. 

My kids enjoy looking through the holes in the samples to match different shades of color in nature. They also like to place the paint samples on the ground and find leaves or items in nature and lay them on the paint colors. 

This is such a fun activity, especially with the changing colors of the seasons!

Leaf Animals

With it now being fall, there are plenty of leaves around to make art! We love looking for all different shapes and colors. We love searching the trails or campground collecting leaves and then come back to our tarp and try to make animals, like elephants, bears, lions or turtles. 

I did a Google search for “leaf animals” and then printed out some ideas for inspiration for my kids. I think it helped them to visualize some animals before creating their own. 

Credit: blog.teacollection.com

Leaf Bookmarks

My husband gave me a laminator one year for Christmas and it has been the best gift over the years with the amount of time we have spent using it! My laminator is lightweight and easy to bring on camping trips. On our most recent camping trip, we made leaf bookmarks! My kids picked leaves and flowers that stood out to them, then rearranged them on the laminating sheet. We have also laminated leaves, cut them off and created a leaf garland!

Campfire Orange Cinnamon Roll Recipe

This was a big hit on our most recent camping trip! We hollowed out oranges and filled them with cinnamon roll dough. Then, we wrapped the orange in tin foil and placed it next to the campfire. We kept it there for 5 minutes and rotated the orange for another 5 minutes until the cinnamon roll was fully cooked. The cinnamon roll has some flavor of orange and is so tasty!

A little more about our new tent: We have the 16.5′ Avalon Bell Tent through White Duck Outdoors. The first time we saw this tent was in 2022 at a local state park. It was November and we were staying in a cabin. But, we watched in awe as a family set up their White Duck Outdoors tent and even put up a woodburning stove in there! We asked for a peek inside and were completely enamored with these tents. We are over the moon to have one of own now. We camped with it for the first time this past weekend and just LOVE it. It is durable, spacious and has great height to easily stand up and walk around. We are excited to do winter camping next with the woodburning stove! 

Camping and being outside in nature really is such a blast and a great way to build more family memories. What are your favorite fall activities? 
 
Happy exploring!

A Weekend in Murphysboro

Just 2 hours from St. Louis is a complete hidden gem! Not only is Murphysboro surrounded by beautiful family-friendly hiking trails, but their food scene is nationally recognized. We had such a wonderful time exploring this area that was new-to-us. 

Here is our weekend itinerary from our visit. As a reference, my kids are 7yo, 5yo, 3yo and 9 months old. 

Where we stayed: 

Holiday Inn Express & Suites at Murphysboro

Address: 120 Muddy Monster Road, Murphysboro, IL 62966

We stayed in a Queen Suite room that had two Queen beds and a pull-out couch. Free breakfast and free chocolate chip cookies when you check in! There was also a nice indoor swimming pool and workout center. Note: make sure to bring a pack n’ play if you need one. There was plenty of space in our room to fit our portable crib!

Day 1:

We left our house after lunch and drove past Murphysboro to explore a state park that has been on our list for ages. 

Stop 1: Ferne Clyffe State Park

Address:  Rte. #37, Goreville, IL 62939

This park has been on our list for ages! The rock formations and shelter caves, it started to rain. We had heard that the Big Rocky Hollow Trail has a waterfall when there is a lot of rain. It was .3 miles to the waterfall on a flat and on a wide path…and the waterfall was flowing! We were blown away by this beautiful area. There was a side trail off to the left as you are walking towards the waterfall. If you keep following this trail up the bluffs, it will take you right behind the falls. 

Stop 2: Dinner at 17th Street BBQ

Address:  32 N. 17th St., Murphysboro, IL 62966

Murphysboro was proclaimed the “Barbecue Capital of Illinois” by the State Legislature in 2014. There is just so much history here, thanks to Mike Mills. Mike was inducted into the Barbecue Hall of Fame in 2020 and has won world recognition. We went there for dinner and have never had a better barbecue dinner. Period. Those ribs are life-changing!! I’m still dreaming about the loaded potato skins with brisket! They make their own root beer here with honey, which is delicious. 

Mike’s daughter, Amy Mills, and her trusted crew continue to build the legacy and carry on Mike’s work. Amy opened a barbecue sauce factory around the corner from 17th Street. She also opened Faye’s Cafe two years ago (named after Mike’s mom and Amy’s grandma). I think this food legacy really added to our experience in Murphysboro!

Day 2: 

Stop 1: Faye’s Cafe

This cafe is located inside of the oldest car dealership in town, and I just love the renovations that give nods to the automotive industry throughout the design. There are coffee, breakfast, lunch and gourmet grocery items all under one roof! We loved sitting outside around the fire pits in the nice patio area. My favorite menu item was the Eggs Benedict with brisket (from the 17th Street Barbecue). My girls’ favorite item was the homemade French toast sticks!

Stop 2: Pomona Natural Bridge

Address: Natural Bridge Rd, Pomona, IL 62975

This trail is just .3 miles from the scenic natural bridge. I think that it is SO cool how you actually walk across the bridge on this trail before you climb underneath the 90 foot long formation. My kids loved walking under the bridge and looking for animal tracks. The trails in this area are so reasonable in length You don’t have to hike far to have some awesome views! After our hike, we ate lunch at a picnic table near the trailhead. We packed lunch with us from Faye’s (we had yummy BLT sandwiches and salads). No restrooms at this trailhead. 

Stop 3: Little Grand Canyon

Address: 346 Etherton Rd., Murphysboro, IL 62966

Just 20 minutes from the Pomona Natural Bridge is this beautiful trail and overlook. It is just 1.1 miles to a gorgeous view of the canyon. We rested at the bench while taking in the sight! From here, you can continue on the loop (where you go down into the canyon). We turned around and walked back the way we came. I really enjoyed this trail! There are restrooms at this trailhead. 

Stop 4: Milieur Orchard 

Address: 1-72 Mileur Orchard Rd., Murphysboro, IL 62966

Lisa and Howard own this beautiful orchard in Murphysboro. 3 generations of being an orchard! The land has been in their family since the 1850s. There is a U-Pick for apples at the end of this month! Lisa took us into their massive walk-in fridge where they store the apples and peaches. My girls also sat on their forklift! We left the orchard with peach ice cream, apple cider donuts, apple crisp, peach pie and fresh apples and peaches. Everything was delicious and so tasty! There is nothing like fresh fruit!

Stop 5: Scratch Brewing Company 

Address: 264 Thompson Road, 62907

We ate dinner at Scratch Brewery. They have a great beer selection (we had a flight of beers) along with wood-fired pizzas. 90% of their ingredients are grown and foraged on the land. There is seating indoors (which is filled with bright and interesting designs) and outdoor covered seating around the property. Just a heads up, arrive here earlier in the evening to avoid a longer wait. Order your food at the bar and then you will receive a buzzer to know when your food is ready. 

Day 3: 

Stop 1: Breakfast at Faye’s

Another wonderful breakfast here!! I just can’t say enough great things about this cafe and its food and vibe. Highly recommend!

Stop 2: Geocaching 

What a great and fun activity! We used the free geocaching app. There is a location right behind some rocks at the General Logan Museum (General Logan was born here in Murphysboro). We walked through the small butterfly garden and learned some more information on General Logan too. He fought for equal rights for African Americans, especially after the Civil War. He also created Memorial Day as a National holiday!

Stop 3: Mural Walk

We went on a fun mural walk around the downtown area! We drove by 9 murals ranging from General Logan to books to deer! You can scan the QR code by these paintings to learn more behind each art piece too. 

Stop 4: Kinkaid Lake Marina

Address: 2069 Marina Road, Murphysboro, IL 62966

We rented a pontoon boat at Kinkaid Lake through Lake Stride, which I recommend! Kory was great. This lake is just outside Murphysboro. It is 2750 acres in size, has a shoreline of 82 miles and has a maximum depth of 80 feet. The Northwest portion of the lake is a no wake zone, which was perfect for dropping our anchor and jumping in the lake! There are no houses around the lake, which makes it so peaceful! There are some great cliffs for cliff jumping into the lake too. 

Thank you Southern Illinois Tourism for having us! Between the epic family-friendly hikes and the great food scene, we quickly became big fans of Murphysboro. We had such a blast and we can’t wait to return!

A Weekend in Wichita

A Weekend in Wichita

Just 5 hours from St. Louis, Wichita is the heart of the country and it is the largest city in Kansas. This weekend in Wichita was our first time exploring Kansas and our family was floored by the natural beauty, as well as the rich history of this area.

We explored Wichita for 2 nights/3 days over 4th of July. Here is a snapshot of what we visited while there. 

A Weekend in Wichita

Weekend in Wichita Day 1: 

OJ Watson Park 

We had a blast exploring this 119-acre park in Wichita. They offer a miniature train ride, pony rides, miniature golf, paddle boat rentals and $1 sno-cones!! We really liked the train ride around the lake. It reminded us of the St. Louis Zoo train and we saw many ducks swimming!

Exploration Place

Think Science Center + Magic House in St. Louis! There are lots of hands-on exhibits. Wichita claimed the Air Capital of the World in 1928 (and it still is true today), hence the many airplanes here. My favorite exhibit was the interactive medieval castle! The Children’s area is all-things Kansas, including lots of farming and gardening topics. To end our visit, we viewed a movie in the largest dome theater in Kansas (attached to Exploration Place). We saw “Sea Lion: Life by a Whisker,” which followed a sea lion colony in Australia.

Keeper of the Plains

Along the Arkansas River, there is an incredible urban trail!! It is more than 10 miles long. It goes right by the Exploration Place! We walked along this trail and viewed the lighting of the Keeper of the Plains statue. At 9pm each night in the summer (weather-dependent), the Keeper of the Plains statue has a ring of fire for 15 minutes. This 44 foot sculpture honors the region’s original citizens and has become a special symbol for Wichita. This is the spot where the Big and Little Arkansas rivers join. 

Boats & Bikes

We rented a pedal boat and watched fireworks along the Arkansas River! Our boat rental was right along the riverfront. There is also a public dock here, so you can bring your boat for no charge. They have life jackets here for kiddos 30lbs and up, so make sure to bring a proper infant life jacket if needed. The fireworks were over the river and it was so unique to view them from the pedal boat. People lined up to watch fireworks on both sides of the river too!

Weekend in Wichita Day 2: 

Field Station: Dinosaurs

We started the morning with dinosaurs! There are over 40 life-sized and realistic dinosaurs here!! Seriously so cool. We walked along the trail to view the dinosaurs up close. There are informational signs by each one to learn more. We also really enjoyed the fun shows (included with admission). We saw a show on the mighty T-Rex, which included fun facts and songs. There is also a dinosaur maze, digging site, bounce house and more. 

Tanganyika Wildlife Park

Then, we went to one of the most unique places we have ever visited: Tanganyika! Mark swam with penguins (the only place in the USA), I fed the lions and our girls fed giraffes and rhinos! We had a meet-and-greet with the penguins and rhinos, where we learned more about these animals, fed them and pet them. The rhinos were much softer than I thought! There are many animals to view and pet (my girls’ favorite animals to pet were the kangaroos). The splash pad and playground were right next to covered pavilions and a concession stand. They really thought of everything here and we definitely could have spent more time here. 

Gallery Alley

This interactive alley is in downtown Wichita. It features a large spider! My favorite art installation was the “make a wave” exhibit. You pull on the rope to cause other ropes to move, creating a wave!

Gallery Alley Wichita

Weekend in Wichita Day 3: 

Great Plains Nature Center

This is a fantastic and free nature center just outside of Wichita! Head inside the nature center first to pick up free turtle food. Inside here, there are many exhibits and animals for viewing. It blew me away! Outside, there are many short trails including boardwalks, which I could walk on all day. We had so much fun feeding the turtles and (very large) fish off of the boardwalk. 

Great Plains Nature Center Wichita
Great Plains Nature Center Wichita

Cowtown Museum

We then stepped back into time at Cowtown! There are over 25,000 historical artifacts and 54 buildings here. It spans 23 acres and is nestled in Wichita’s Museums on the River District. It mirrored what Wichita looked like from 1865-1880. Cowtown reminded me of a much larger version of historical Faust Park. People were in character and there were cooking demonstrations, as well as free horse carriage rides. 

cowtown museum Wichita
cowtown museum Wichita

Lodging: 

We stayed at Hyatt hotels next to Wichita State University. Our room had 2 Queen beds and a pull-out couch, which was great to fit our family. The included breakfast buffet and indoor pool were wonderful too! The hotel is just 2.5 years old, so everything feels clean and modern. 

Wichita lodging
Wichita lodging

Top 3 places to eat: 

  1. Donut Whole for unique donut flavors! Make sure to go in the morning (before they sell out) as they make them fresh each day. This reminded me a lot of Strange Donuts in STL. I chose a cinnamon coconut and it was heavenly!
  2. Cocoa Dolce for the best chocolate shop in town! It is rated Wichita’s best chocolate. Mark got a mocha with 70% cocoa and I got a hot chocolate with 54% cocoa–so tasty!
  3. B & C Barbeque is the highest reviewed barbeque restaurant here. I’m still dreaming about the ribs and the brisket!

Would we visit here again? Yes. In a heartbeat. My kids actually started crying when we left because they had so much fun here. Frankly, I was blown away by Wichita and the proximity to St. Louis was a huge plus! Thank you for a great visit, Wichita. We are excited to return again soon!

St. Louis Summer Bucket List Part 2

St. Louis Summer Bucket List

Missouri is full of great spots and attractions to enjoy in the summer. After writing Part 1, I couldn’t stop adding more places! Here is part 2 of yet more summer sports to explore. 

 

Gateway Arch Riverboat Cruise

50 S. Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard.,

St. Louis, MO 63102

 

We love taking the historic paddleboat cruise along the Mississippi River. Not only is it an amazing view of the Gateway Arch, but we learned so much history on the tours as well! They have dinner cruises, live music and tours. My personal favorite is the Skyline Dinner Cruise!

Parking is available on the levee and payment is by card only. 

City Museum

750 N 16th St

St. Louis, MO 63103

 

This is a former warehouse of the International Shoe Company, the City Museum is a must to visit! Artist Bob Cassilly purchased what would become this STL gem in 1993 and opened the doors in 1997! We love visiting here in the summer because we can enjoy the outdoor climbing and rooftop even more. There are 29K artifacts from all around the world, a 10-story spiral slide and a 3 story cave.

There are old chimneys, salvaged bridges, construction cranes, miles of tile, fire truck, school bus and even two abandoned planes!

We went recently on the rooftop for the first time with our kids…and we all loved it!! Our favorites were the variety of slides (featuring sliding below while people are climbing up it on steps right above you), the giant praying mantis & the out-of-commission school bus!!

Union Station

1820 Market St

St. Louis, MO 63103

 

All under one roof at this historic train station turned into an epic vacation spot!! There are some awesome attractions here to enjoy. There are two free shows daily! There is a beautiful free light show in the Grand Hall. These are projected on the ceiling every night at the top of the hour from 5-11pm. The fire show is at the koi pond every night at the top of the hour from 5-11pm. It was set to songs and was so fun! There is also the St. Louis Wheel (we love to go while the sun is setting), a ropes course, the St. Louis Aquarium, mini golf, carousel and a mirror maze. 

Laumeier Sculpture Park

GPS Coordinates: 38.54993° N, 90.41413° W

(Off of Laumeier Park Rd)

 

We park at the south end of the parking lot at the trailhead and we like to hike through the woods on the Eastern Woodland Trail (where there are sculptures along the trail). We then come out to the big field with mounds to climb.

 

After the mounds, you can keep walking along the paved trail toward the children’s sculpture garden or circle back to your car. We love the central lawn with my kids’ favorite being the large eyeball! It is a perfect spot for a picnic.

Grant’s Farm

7385 Grant Rd.

St. Louis, MO 63123

 

It doesn’t feel like summer without a visit to Grant’s Farm! Open for 70 years, this historic farm is a long-standing staple here in St. Louis. From tram rides to bottle-feeding lambs to viewing the beautiful Clydesdale horses, Grant’s Farm has it all. They offer behind-the-scenes tours, where we were able to feed camels and tortoises! Seasonal events are always a blast here too. 

Missouri Botanical Garden

7385 Grant Rd

 St. Louis, MO 63123

 

Missouri Botanical Garden has 79 beautiful acres in St. Louis and it was founded in 1859! It is one of the oldest botanical institutions in the United States and a National Historic Landmark. Extended summer Thursday evening hours, the incredible Children’s Garden and free concerts make the summer here extra special. One of our favorite spots is the Japanese Garden. We like to bring quarters to feed the Koi fish along the bridge and boardwalk!

 

If you have a membership through the Botanical Garden, you also have admission entrance to Shaw Nature Reserve and the Butterfly House. 

 

Pickle Springs

Dorlac Rd

New Offenburg, MO 63670

 

This is an outstanding 1.9 mile unpaved loop in Sainte Genevieve. There are waterfalls, shallow caves and bluff overlooks. The trail is mostly shaded with some steep inclines. Between the vistas and box canyons, this has a little bit of everything. I call this one the perfect family hike because it has so many fun things to climb, and has creeks and views too! Pickle Creek may be flowing in some spots and it is more rain-dependent. The layered sandstone dates back to 500 million years old, and this Natural Area is a National Natural Landmark!

Mastodon State Historic Site

GPS Coordinates: 38.379370, -90.394553

 

This is one of our favorite creeks to explore in the summer! We park by the area called the Mastodon State Picnic area (.8 miles off Seckman Rd, not the museum entrance). It is in the rear parking lot past the playground.

 

More directions from Mastodon’s website:

Located off of 1-55, the Imperial Exit (exit 186 if heading South bound). Next take W Outer Rd, and Seckman Rd will be your second Left. Follow Seckman Rd for about .8 miles. Park in the rear parking lot, to the left of the bathrooms (past the playground).

 

We took a short hike (about 3 minutes) along the trail and then set up camp! The creek is shallow, shaded and has so many rocks—so perfect for little kids. We like to set up a picnic blanket on the side of the creek. 

 

I recommend getting there early in the morning to avoid crowds. Just a heads up that Seckman Rd will be having construction for most of the summer of 2024 and you will have to pass through the back roads. 

St. Louis Summer Bucket List

Elephant Rocks State Park

7390, 7406 MO-21

 Belleview, MO 63623

 

It’s not every day you can see 1.5 billion-year-old granite! This area is known for massive boulders. Located in Belleview, this state park has unbelievable views. There is a 1.0 mile paved Braille trail here, as well as lots of opportunities to climb the beautiful granite. We also like to see the old engine house! Instead of hiking on the trail that goes on the perimeter of the boulders, we love to hike up the incline in the middle. The view from up here is breathtaking! 

On our last visit, we had the place to ourselves by arriving at 8am. The parking lot was more packed by noon, but it was still pretty spread out on the boulders. The main restrooms are located by the parking lot, and a portable bathroom is across from the playground.

There are many wonderful areas to explore in St. Louis and Missouri! Make sure to check Part 1 as well. Happy summer exploring!!

St. Louis Summer Bucket List Pt 1

Summer in St. Louis is the best. Yes, I know I am biased with living here and raising my kids here, but I strongly believe that summers are magical in STL. There are so many family-friendly activities happening during these warmer months. 

If the hot and humid weather may deter you from exploring more of Missouri in the summer, try exploring first thing in the morning. I like to pack up our car the night before and sometimes even have breakfast packed, so we can be ready for an adventure first thing before the heat kicks in more! 

Here is Part 1 of the list of our family’s favorites, which include some parks, trails and attractions. This list includes both paid and free experiences as well. 

 

Paddle Forest Park

6101 Government Dr.

St. Louis, MO 63110

Experience Forest Park on the water!! There are 22 acres of waterways in Forest Park and I think this is the more iconic way to see beautiful and historic Art Hill. Big Muddy Adventures (Paddle Forest Park)’s location is right next to the Boathouse (a great spot to grab some food after paddling). They have paddle boats, canoes, single kayaks, double kayaks and stand up paddle boards to rent on site. No reservations, just first come, first serve. They are open daily!

We have rented paddle boats and canoes, and it was very family-friendly (no age limit). I brought our kids’ life jackets along and it was about .5 miles to famous Art Hill. My kids wore swimsuits so we could get close to the fountains! 

Wabash, Frisco & Pacific Mini Railroad

101 Grand Ave.

Glencoe, MO 63038

The Wabash, Frisco and Pacific Railroad is a two mile round trip ride along the 12 inch gauge mini railroad! Established in 1939, it is celebrating 85 years this year!! It is about 40 minutes of a ride (riding into the woods along the Al Foster trail, the engine turns around, and then ride back the way you came). You book by train car, not by person. Our family of six easily fit into one train car (open-air). Each train car is $20, which I thought was very reasonable, especially because all of the proceeds go right back into the trains! It is completely volunteer-operated. 

Hours:

11am-4pm

Sundays, only May through October

Closed November through April

Book Tickets Here 

Saint Louis Zoo

1 Government Dr.

St. Louis, MO 63110

Home to 16,000 animals, this is 90 acres in the heart of Forest Park…and FREE. With the extended summer hours, check out this sweet opportunity to hand-feed the giraffes. 

The timings for the giraffe feedings are 11:30am and 2:30pm daily (if the weather allows and the giraffes choose to come up to be fed). Each ticket gets you 2 leaves to feed ($5/zoo member and $7/non member). Make sure you have a credit card on you because the payment is cash-free. 

Last year, we fed the giraffes from long sticks holding leaves. Because of the new fence this year, you can hand-feed the giraffes. No reservations, but make sure to head to the giraffe area and kiosk next to the exhibit for about 10 minutes before the feeding time. It is so much fun!

I like to park at the South entrance (which is $15 for admission), but there are other options of free parking on the street especially if you arrive early in the morning. The zoo is very stroller-friendly and I love the lactation room and family restrooms by the Carousel.

Purina Farms

500 William Danforth Way

 Gray Summit, MO 63039

From dog performances to farm animals to wagon rides, Purina Farms is such a blast. When you enter the visitor’s center, there are some interactive areas and adoptable animals before entering the animal barn. There are tunnels, rope swings, trikes on the top floor and lots of animals (goats, pigs, horses, cows, bunnies, etc) on the bottom floor. We always look forward to the live cow milking in the barn. They even invite kids to come up and try milking the cow!

Also, it is right down the street from Shaw Nature Reserve, so this is a great place if you feel like hiking afterwards! 

Lone Elk Park

1 Lone Elk Rd

St. Louis, Missouri 

This unique St. Louis safari is a county park that has elk and bison. You can hike a trail among the elk or drive through the 546 acre park to view animals and the beautiful nature. This park is free to enter, but there is a cup for donations by the entrance. I recommend arriving right when the park opens at 8am. The rangers and the feed truck go through the park at 6am, so the wildlife is still usually close to the road for easy viewing. The elk and the bison are separated, and it is so fun to watch the herds. My lucky place to spot elk is near the Ralph Foley shelter. You can book the behind-the-scenes tour following the feed truck on the St. Louis County Park website. While it is very early, it is SO worth it. 

Lone Elk Park

1 Lone Elk Rd

St. Louis, Missouri 

This unique St. Louis safari is a county park that has elk and bison. You can hike a trail among the elk or drive through the 546 acre park to view animals and the beautiful nature. This park is free to enter, but there is a cup for donations by the entrance. I recommend arriving right when the park opens at 8am. The rangers and the feed truck go through the park at 6am, so the wildlife is still usually close to the road for easy viewing. The elk and the bison are separated, and it is so fun to watch the herds. My lucky place to spot elk is near the Ralph Foley shelter. You can book the behind-the-scenes tour following the feed truck on the St. Louis County Park website. While it is very early, it is SO worth it. 

Brentwood Park

2924 Brazeau Avenue

Brentwood, MO

Check out this beautiful 32 acre park in Brentwood. There is a 2.7 acre playground and 2 unique climbing structures (one targeted for more younger kiddos). 6 swings, 4 slides, 2 zip lines, this place is a gem. It also connects to the Deer Creek Greenway and has 3.2 miles of paved trails here.

The big silo next to the splash area is the water capture system. It’s the biggest sustainability feature in Brentwood Park! It takes the water used at the splash bad and recycles it to use throughout Brentwood Park to keep the grass and plants green. It’s going to capture about 200,000 gallons per week (which is 4,000,000 a year!).

Restrooms are open, as well as a drinking fountain (located by the pavilion)!

Kress Farm Garden Preserve

5137 Glade Chapel Road

Hillsboro, MO 63050

Kress Farm Garden Preserve is a little bit of a drive (located in Hillsboro), but this is one of my favorite trails which ends at a cliff cave!! There are five family-friendly trails here. It is free admission and volunteer-run. The summer hours are daily 9am- 3pm, but make sure to call ahead of time to double-check a volunteer is there. 

The one-mile blue trail (clips shown in the reel) starts by the pavilion. It is an unpaved trail that is not stroller-friendly. No dogs are allowed on the preserve.

The hike is mostly flat, but has some gradual hills. It is .5 miles to the cliff caves (which has a spur trail to the caves), and then we turned around for .5 miles back at the pavilion.

Magic House

St. Louis’ Children’s Museum

516 S Kirkwood Rd

 St. Louis, MO 63122

55,000 square feet in the heart of Kirkwood! From the waterfall patio to the creek area to the sandcastle beach, we love exploring outdoors here. The mud kitchen has muffin tins and my girls love making some great recipes!

The indoors are amazing as well. We always seem to gravitate to the science lab and art studio (right next to the member entrance), as well as the Lego tables by the construction exhibit. It is never too crowded right at opening hours at these spots.

Make sure to check out the new permanent exhibit, Story Time Magic, which brings beloved stories to life!! 

Columbia Bottom Conservation Area

801 Strodtman Rd

 St. Louis, MO 63138

Columbia Bottoms is one of our favorites to visit in summer…and it is free.

 When you enter the Conservation Area, follow the sunflower signs until you arrive at the current field in bloom. The fields will be rotated through a few weeks as they bloom (usually until mid-August)!

Since the fields are planted in rows, the girls and I had fun walking between the flowers. It was so peaceful! Load on all the mosquito spray and sunscreen!! 

 

Have you checked out these great spots? Our family loves spending time together around St. Louis, especially in the summer. 

Check out Part 2 for more summer bucket list ideas!