FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information contact: Stephen Powell, CEO, St. Charles Convention & Visitors Bureau, 636-946-7776 or toll free 800-366-2427 Scenic
Daytrips from Saint Charles, Missouri provide up-close views of
past and present America While one could easily spend several days in
historic Saint Charles, Missouri, with its quaint shopping district, historical
connection to pioneers and adventurers and world-renown architecture, the savvy
traveler will be sure to include in his itinerary the excitement found in
surrounding areas. Rich with
history and eclectic reminders of a simpler time, these easy day trips are sure
to please and guaranteed to produce cherished memories.
And Saint Charles is the ideal “home base” from which to explore the
region. It’s conveniently located
close to dozens of sites and offers some of the nicest accommodations at some of
the most reasonable prices round. So
grab your hat and head out for a day of adventure. Unwind along the Wine Road Wine lovers can tour the spectacular rolling hills of Missouri countryside in search of award-winning reds, whites and dessert wines. Collectively, the wineries of Augusta www.augusta-missouri.com and Hermann, Missouri www.hermanmo.com have won hundreds of awards in state, national and international competitions. Yet the charming towns in which these wineries are located are down-to-earth and uniquely American. Settled in the mid-1800s by German and French immigrants who thought the land resembled their homeland, the area proved to be perfect for wine making. In fact, in 1980, Augusta became American’s first official wine district. Since then, the area has had a resurgence of visitors looking for a quintessential country getaway that includes charming shops, pick-your-own produce farms and friendly locals willing to chat. Take in the breathtaking views of blooming dogwood and redbud trees overlooking the limestone bluffs and the rolling river as you create lasting memories. Visit the Cave that was Bank Robber Jesse James’ Hideout Fans of bank robber Jesse James can retrace his
legendary steps though Missouri and hide out in the same cave as he did over 130
years ago. In the early 1870s, Jesse
James and his band returned to Meramec Cavern www.americascave.com
on numerous occasions because it afforded a complete hideout for men and horses
after train and bank robberies. Now
this magnificent cave chronicles over 400-million years of history including
being home to Indians of Missouri, hosting European miners and explorers,
recreating drama of the Civil War, hosting ballroom dances around the 1900s and
acting as a backdrop for Hollywood movies, and more.
Don’t
miss this classic American experience! After
the cave tour, try your luck at the Meramec Mining Company. For $4.00 per bag of
mine rough, one can "Sluice" or pan for gold and gemstones in an 18th
century setting. Get your Kicks on Route 66-The Main Street of America Looking to get a glimpse at post-WWII America? Get your motors running and head out on Route 66 – the “Mother Road.” Take a ride on the highway that got America driving across country. Rumor has it you may even spot Elvis if you look closely! Also called “The Main Street of America,” Route 66 (www.missouri66.org) became a destination unto itself in the late 1940s. With its caverns and caves, scenic mountains, beautiful canyons and sparkling deserts being heavily promoted by the U.S. 66 Highway Association, Route 66 became the ultimate road trip. According to the web site www.missouri66.org, “This spawned trading posts, alligator farms, full-service gas stations, grills with fried chicken, “blue plate specials” and home-made pie, “mom and pop” motor courts, Native American festivals and every other type of tourist traps known to man.” Today, many parts of Route 66 are still very much the same as they were fifty years ago, and offer visitors the chance to cut loose and, as the song said, “get their ‘kicks’ on Route 66.” Experience First Hand The Life and Times of Author Mark Twain If more scholarly pursuits fit your taste, head north to the home of Mark Twain, America’s quintessential storyteller. His home is a short drive away in Hannibal, Missouri. Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) spent his boyhood in Hannibal, Missouri www.hanmo.com. Later he used this town as the setting for some of his most famous stories, including The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Much of the downtown area has been restored to its mid-1800s appearance to re-create the town as it was during Twain's boyhood. And as a bonus, the town is also home to Margaret Tobin who later gained public fame as the “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” for helping passengers to safety from the sinking Titanic. Enjoy one-of-a-kind memorabilia from Mark Twain’s home, tour childhood sweetheart Becky Thatcher’s home and enjoy a good ol’ fashioned Dixieland band dinner cruise on the Mississippi river aboard the Mark Twain Steamboat. Relive Early American Life on the River Across the Mississippi river in Illinois, drive the newest National Scenic Byway www.byways.org at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Meander down the road that falls between rolling bluffs and rushing river waters and past luscious apple orchards and rolling wheat fields. And when the day is done, take a ferry ride back across the majestic rivers to Saint Charles. Step back in time to the days of river barges, steamboats and life on the river in Alton www.altoncvb.org. This sleepy little town is very much connected to its eclectic past. It was a supply station in the Civil War, a stop on the Underground Railroad for escaping slaves, the location of one of Abraham Lincoln’s famous debates with Stephen Douglas and the former home of the tallest man in the world, for which a status now stands. Next door, the charming New England-like village of Elsah was the first town in the nation to be listed in its entirety on the National Register of Historic Places and is well worth a leisurely drive or stroll. Nestled into the hillside and facing the Mighty Mississippi, its early American homes and churches sit snugly together as if time had stopped a century ago. A true river town, Grafton, Illinois is just up the road. Here you can see majestic American bald eagles and soaring great pelicans nesting and feeding in the river during the winter months. Don’t miss the authentic cowboy hotel and cowboy and Indians reenactment shows, sure to entice you to saddle up yourselves! Discover European Early Settlers and Preserved Architecture Retrace the steps of some of Missouri and
Illinois’s earliest settlers just by heading south about an hour from Saint
Charles. The little towns of Ste.
Genevieve, Missouri http://members.tripod.com/~stegenweb
and Prairie du Rocher, Illinois http://www.switcb.com/attractions.htm
look much as they did in the mid 1700s, when missionaries, merchants and fur
traders originally settled them. With
over 150 pre-1825 buildings and some of the finest examples of French Creole
construction in the United States, the entire town of Ste. Genevieve is a
designated national landmark. Little
has changed since those early settlers chose this berg on the Mississippi as
their new home. Spend time
meandering the brick-lined streets and browsing through the charming gift and
antiques shops as well as many of the restored Colonial homes. Round out your
day with an old-fashioned ferry ride across the Mississippi river into Illinois
and tour the restored homes of some of the area’s most notable settlers as
well as the original Fort Kaskaskia and Fort de Chartres. Bask in the Glow of Missouri’s Natural
Wonders If hiking, biking or bird watching are more your style, head out on the Katy Trail www.katytrail.showmestate.com or any number of dozens of trails in the area for some of the most spectacular scenery in the Midwest. Towering bluffs, flowing rivers and emerald green fields define the landscape and entice the senses in the area known as America’s breadbasket. The level hiking and biking paths and woodland areas are home to hundreds of species of flora, fauna and wildlife native to Missouri and the Midwest. White-tailed deer, beaver and turkey are regularly spotted. Fishing is also excellent in the area and many places sell equipment and bait for the interested angler. For the adventurous, consider camping out under the stars just like the pioneers and the Native American Indians did. Many campgrounds are in the area and cater to a variety of needs. For more information about St. Charles, contact the Greater St. Charles Convention & Visitors bureau at 636-946-7776 or toll free at 800-366-2427. ###
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