All Entries Tagged With: "dog-friendly"
NoCo hosts two innovative Easter Egg Hunts
If you think that Easter egg hunts are only for kids, think again. This year in North County, the Easter Bunny is also hiding prizes for adults and dogs!
On Saturday, March 27, he’s teaming up with Knights of Columbus Council #2951 to host an adult Easter egg hunt for people ages 21 and up. With a $10 ticket plus your own flashlight and basket, you’ll be able to search for the Golden Egg, which comes with a cash prize. There are also attendance prizes to be awarded and food and drinks available for a nominal fee.
The hunt starts at dusk at 50 rue St. Francois (next to St. Ferdinand Shrine) and only 200 tickets will sold, so buy yours today! For more info, call Jerry or Chris Herbert at (314) 837-5526 or visit the Knights’ website.
One day after the adult hunt, on March 28, Easter will officially go to the dogs. Bridgeton Parks & Rec is hosting the canine-only Easter “Beg” Hunt, which challenges dogs and their owners to find as many hidden treats as they can.
Special prizes will be awarded for best-dressed dog and best-decorated basket, and all participants will leave with a bag of goodies. You and Fido can even get your photo taken with the Easter Bunny!
Tickets are $8 for Bridgeton residents, $10 for non-residents, and all dogs must be current on vaccinations and remain on a leash. To join the hunt, which will take place at 2pm at Bridgeton Municipal Athletic Complex, 13161 Taussig Road, register by March 24 by calling (314) 739-5599.
Charbonier Bluff: the height of NoCo beauty
See that speck of a tower at the top of the hill? The challenging hike up there, to Charbonier Bluff, is a one-of-a-kind North County delight.
If you think the Gateway Arch is tall, imagine climbing up it…plus another 25 feet. That’s what you get when you hike to the top of Charbonier Bluff, the 655-foot historical and natural wonder that remains one of North County’s finest treasures and best kept secrets.
For more than 1,000 years, “La Charbonniere” (meaning “coal hill”) has served as a familiar landmark along the lower Missouri River, playing an important role in the lives of early pioneers and Native Americans. It was here that St. Rose Philippine Duchesne disembarked in 1819, preparing to establish a Native American Catholic school.
In May 1804, William Clark (of the Lewis & Clark expedition) described Charbonier Bluff in his journal: “The next morning we set sail at five o’clock. At the distance of a few miles, we passed a remarkably large coal hill, called by the French ‘La Charbonniere.’”
Even before that – long before that – the bluff was considered a sacred place for Native Americans. Burial grounds have been found in several areas there, including beneath two mounds (similar to those in Cahokia, IL) dating to the Mississippian period, 800-1400 A.D.
A short paved trail at the base of Charbonier Bluff, in the St. Stanislaus Conservation Area
One mound was partially excavated in 1837 by students from St. Stanislaus Seminary, which once leased Charbonier Bluff and built several buildings on it, including a chapel directly atop the excavated mound. The ruins of that chapel and other seminary structures can still be seen today, if you look hard enough.
On the other side of the bluff, just east of where Charbonier Creek and the Missouri River converge, evidence of two Native American villages also remains – just one reason why Charbonier Bluff was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995, largely due to the efforts of local resident Christy Love.
Most of the hikers who trek there probably don’t know that (or care), but that’s ok, because the bluff offers plenty of natural joys to see. In addition to lush woodlands, rolling streams and abundant wildlife at its base, if you can make it to the top of Charbonier Bluff, you’ll be rewarded with stunning views in nearly every direction.
I would post a photo of those views, including a gorgeous shot I took of downtown St. Louis, but I think it’s so much better if you earn it yourself. Both the journey and the destination are well worth the effort.
This is actually a great time to visit Charbonier Bluff, because the vegetation has died back, but be cautious if you go. During deer season, hunters are not uncommon in the surrounding river bottoms, and a portion of the bluff rests on private property, where trespassing is not appreciated. Please note that it is also illegal to disturb any of the archaeological sites.
Within St. Stanislaus Conservation Area, where most of Charbonier Bluff is located, you can enjoy 3.5 miles of gloriously primitive (and often steep) trails, some leading to the river, plus a half-mile paved loop trail, a small picnic area and dozens of nice, peaceful spots for fishing and bird watching. If you’re coming from Shackelford Rd, St. Stan’s parking lot will be about 2.8 miles down Charbonier Rd on the right. Just before it, on the left, is another small parking lot, which offers the most direct access to the bluff itself.
So what are you waiting for? Get hiking! And be sure to savor the view from one of the highest points in St. Louis County. Charbonier Bluff and the St. Stanislaus Conservation Area are open every day, 4am to 10pm.
Park in the lot across from this gate on Charbonier Rd, then take the trail that heads to the right, slowly winding your way up the bluff.
Bocce Ball (and more) in Bridgeton
The handsome new band shell at Gentry Park, one of several park upgrades that Bridgeton recently completed with the help of federal grant money
To say that the city of Bridgeton has been “impacted” by Lambert Airport is a vast understatement. For the past 25 years, airport expansion has chipped away at the community, gutting entire neighborhoods and causing many St. Louisans to forget that Bridgeton actually has a rich history dating to the 1700s.
In 2006, the U.S. Congress decided to compensate Bridgeton for its losses, awarding the city an $800,000 grant to fund the replacement of park facilities that were lost to airport expansion. Bridgeton used the money to create McKelvey Park at 3220 McKelvey Rd, but it also invested in upgrades at both Gentry Park and Riverwoods Park.
The new bocce ball court at Gentry Park, 4201 Fee Fee Rd
Gentry Park, where the Payne-Gentry house and Bridgeton Community Center are located, also now has eight new picnic areas, a concrete walking trail that loops through the woods, a sleek new band shell for concerts in the park, and what may be the only public bocce ball court in North County.
Over at Riverwoods Park, which sits at the very end of St. Charles Rock Road at the Missouri River, there have also been some exciting new additions. Complementing the park’s gorgeous riverfront trail, where you can enjoy a magnificent view of historic St. Charles and the river itself, Bridgeton recently installed four new picnic sites, additional benches, several information kiosks, and new restrooms.
Eventually, Riverwoods Park will serve as a trailhead for the Greenway Trail being developed by Great Rivers Greenway. This new multi-use trail will stretch from I-70 to 370 (through Earth City) and connect with a larger trail network running from Creve Coeur Park to the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area near Spanish Lake.
If you haven’t been to Riverwoods Park yet, definitely check it out. It’s a beautiful, peaceful place where you can enjoy nature and get some exercise. Dogs are welcome too.
Take a stroll beside the great Missouri at Riverwoods Park, not far from the shipwreck of the Montana, a large paddle boat that sunk in 1884.
Fun for a rainy day
The best costume winners at Bridgeton’s recent Howl-O-Ween party for dogs… So cute!
Third Place: Bella B. as Snow White
Second Place: Moose Z. as a squirrel hunter
First Place: Fred P. as Fred Flintstone
Don’t we have clever dogs in North County?
Are you getting ready for the big day? NOCO is a proud sponsor of the 3rd annual Live Well Ferguson 5K