Show-Me Lewis and Clark
- Craig Tidball
- May 2, 2023
- 7 min read
Updated: May 3, 2023
"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not."- Ralph Waldo Emerson
We enjoy adding historical venues to our travels and have often referenced Lewis and Clark's expedition as a worthy pursuit for a road trip. While the great adventurers of the early 1800s spent two years discovering the new American frontier, we did our best to make the most of it in about six days. With an open week in April, we set out in freezing conditions, more in hopes of warmer temperatures than our prospects of finding highlights of the epic adventure of the intrepid Lewis and Clark.
We almost postponed our travels as Northern Indiana temps in the alleged spring were hovering in the low thirties for weeks. We loaded the RV with cold hands and added extra blankets for the road ahead. While we can stay toasty in the RV, it's the risk of freezing the water system's exterior parts that concerns us most. As we traveled south, there was a slight increase around Indianapolis, but by the time we reached Terre Haute, we were in the 60s with blue skies ahead.
Our first stop was an overnight stay at our go-to destination, any well rated state park. We've rarely been disappointed in any state park in the Midwest. I'm sure they're fine elsewhere, but that is our experience so far. We chose Fox Ridge State Park, just south of Charleston, Illinois. This location was just a few miles from where Sue's dad grew up in Lerna, Illinois. The other draw for the area is the nearby home of Abraham Lincoln's father and stepmother, a place Lincoln often visited while he lived in Springfield.
Fox Ridge was a pleasant overnight stay. It was a first-come, first-served reservation system for this time of the month, but the problem is we arrived without any cash to put in the drop box for the DIY overnight fare. I knocked on the door of the camp host, and they were very helpful. We were fortunate to be the first camp customers to utilize their new iPad credit card system, just implemented that day. They struggled through the new process but soon had us on our way. It saved us an hour of having to find some cash and then return. The park had level sites with plenty of foliage around each camp site for an added sense of seclusion. We backed onto a site next to a trail that followed a ravine. There are a number of regular and challenge-rated trails throughout the park although we didn't have time to give them a try. We enjoyed this park and will return.
We stopped in my hometown to visit friends and then continued west for a visit with our grandson and family near the Mississippi River.
We feared it might be a bad omen for the whole trip when we found one of the primary destinations, the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site Museum at Hartford, IL, was "CLOSED" on Wednesday. This highly regarded site will be on the list for a future trip, but today just wasn't the day.
We did begin our expedition education at the nearby Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower, a NPS site, just a mile or two north. Here, the 150-foot-tall tower affords an overlook of the joining Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, but again, it was CLOSED until May. The outdoor placards gave us an excellent start in understanding the scope of the great undertaking of their westward travel.
Next, on our journey of mishaps, we learned a lesson in route planning when we keyed in The Boathouse, St. Charles, MO, into the GPS. The Boathouse is home to a fine Lewis and Clark collection right on the Missouri River. After an hour on the road, however, we discovered the GPS was directing us to the Boathouse in St. Charles, alright, but it happened to be a fisherman's bar way out in the boonies, far north of St. Charles. They had little interest in Lewis and Clark but knew where the fish were biting.
With three strikes against us, we moved the Boathouse Museum to the bottom of our list to catch on another trip. Our surefire destination for the evening would be the Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park, south-west of St. Louis, not far from Chesterfield Airport. Here again, the GPS gave us a bum steer and directed us up and down hills and hollers to a closed, broken-down old service gate on the west site of the state park. With some difficulty, I managed to turn the motorhome around in a tight space and we retraced our steps to the last junction and then on to the corrected route to the park entrance.
We were impressed with Edmund Babler State Park and the camp hostess. The park has a great story of the Babler family and their many contributions to the medical and business histories of St. Louis. A large statue greets you at the entrance to the well-groomed park. Our hostess checked us in and provided, at my request, additional material on the history of the park. She then told us she had set aside for us the best site in the campground, Number 21, and she was right. The large, level site had a huge back yard and ample space on both sides. We'll return to this spot. It's close to St. Louis and has very hilly terrain.
Our first option to visit the next morning was the visitor center at the nuclear waste site at Weldon Springs, Missouri. Sue, however, opted to use one of her many Get Out of Jail Free cards and suggested we move on to Daniel Boone's home near Defiance (and not that far from Chesterfield). Boone spent his final years here, passing away in 1820. We expected to see a rustic log cabin but were amazed at this three-story stone structure on a beautiful stretch of land. The rooms were decorated with period pieces, including some original furniture. Below the slopes of the home was a recreated village with a school, church, and businesses of the day, all moved in from surrounding areas. This is an exemplary site and worth a visit. There are tours available and a nice shop with books and artifacts.
The Lewis and Clark Trail took us southwest along the Missouri River and often on Highway 94. We could see evidence of past flooding but also found rich farmland and well-maintained roads, with villages along the way geared to tourist interests. Often running next to us was the famous Katy Trail State Park. This unique rails-to-trails park runs some 240 miles across Missouri. It has a special meaning to us as it was initiated by Ted Jones, the architect of Edward Jones Investments, from which I retired in 2016. The right-of-way for the Katy Trail was secured through a generous donation by the late Edward D. "Ted" Jones Jr. and his wife, Pat. Construction of the Katy Trail began in 1987. The first section of trail at Rocheport was opened in 1990. All throughout our trip, we crossed the Katy Trail and its many parks and rest areas.
We stopped for lunch along the Missouri River at Washington, Mo. This place has a river town feel and a vibrant downtown area with a number of fine eating places. One of its notable landmarks is the world's largest manufacturer of corn cob pipes. The operation was going full bore next to where we had our lunch, near the riverside park and restored train depot.
Our next stop was the delightfully preserved town of Herman, Missouri. The people of this town have collectively decided to maintain the old buildings while conducting modern commerce through its numerous retail shops. There are museums here retelling the history of this river town from a bygone era.
From Herman, we turned northwest and stopped at Fulton, Missouri, the home of Westminster College and America's Winston Churchill Museum. While Sue took time to relax, I enjoyed this very well-done museum of the great statesman. The various films, photos, artifacts, and sculptures brought the story of this amazing man to life. Above the museum is this beautiful chapel with its elegant woodwork. I would hope to return to spend more time at this fascinating place.
From storied Fulton, we headed west for our stop at Arrow Rock but first paused to pick up an Olive Garden to go order at Columbia. Once settled into our campsite at Arrow Rock State Park, we enjoyed our Italian dinner. We were fortunate to get the only full hookup in the camp, as our site used to be the camp host site. After they moved the camp host spot to a place more central to receiving incoming travelers, the old host's site was maintained and is now available to campers through the state reservation system. We stayed for two nights. We liked Arrow Rock State Park with its nice lot sizes, clean bathhouse, and trails. It was a fine spot to relax for a day and take in the nearby Arrow Rock Museum and Village. The museum and village recognize the once-thriving community here that also served as the head of the Sante Fe Trail. The keelboat recreation was impressive, as were the quilts on display. Evie also found time for some squirrel-watching and hiking.
While we were enjoying some gorgeous spring weather, the nighttime temperatures were unsettling. The forecast didn't show any signs of improving, so while we had planned a northern return through Iowa, we opted to return via a quicker route through St. Louis in an attempt to beat the below-freezing overnight temps. On route, we visited the real Boathouse in St. Charles and toured the Lewis and Clark Museum. Later, we dined and shopped in the beautiful rivertown of St. Charles, Missouri, on the Missouri River. Our overnight stay was back at Babler State Park; however, as weekends in the spring are tight for reservations, we managed to get the last "parking" spot in the camp. There was no electricity or water, but we were on a concrete slab with a modest incline and enjoyed a peaceful night in the woods. Next to us, a couple had driven their two Teslas to the park and set up tents for the weekend. One of their license plates read, "WATT FUN."
We made the seven-hour trip back home and unloaded quickly before returning the RV to storage and away from the freezing temperatures.
We were impressed with Missouri and its state park system. There are so many more unique parks to explore, along with the rich history of this pioneer state. We just touched the surface of our Lewis and Clark understanding and will return again to learn more, and that's where you may find us Along the Pooka Trail.
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