All Entries Tagged With: "parks"
Ice Sledding returns to Sioux Passage Park
If you’ve never whizzed down a grassy hill on a big block of ice, my friend, you have not lived! Snow sledding is one thing – definitely a glory of winter. But for the sheer absurdity and fun of it, there really is nothing like warm-weather ice sledding on grass!
Lucky for us, this delightful “sport” is returning to NoCo twice in the next month. First up is May 29, when you and your sweetie (or best pal) can zip down a hill at Sioux Passage Park, with nothing but torches to light your way. The cost is $10 per person and you’ll need to bring a carpet square or towel. You might also want to wear old clothes. To sign up, call (314) 615-8840. The event runs from 6-9:30pm, and you must be at least 18.
If you can’t make it on May 29, definitely mark your calendar for June 19. That’s when grass stains and ice blocks make way for romance! You’ll still be sledding by torchlight at Sioux Passage, but this time, you can also enjoy a lovely dinner under the stars! The full-course meal includes smoked chicken breast, baked potato, salad, bread, baked beans, dessert and drinks, and the cost for this whole experience is just $16 per person.
Same rules apply: carpet square, old clothes, register in advance. But for this event, which runs from 6-9:30pm, you must be 21 or older. To sign up, call (314) 615-8840. Maybe I’ll see you there!
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.
A view of NoCo from the Confluence
The great Missouri River, flowing swiftly past the northeastern border of North County. Breathtaking even on a cloudy day.
In my opinion, St. Louis has done a dreadful job of showcasing one of its finest features: the mighty Mississippi River. Approach the river on 90% of the local shoreline and you’ll find a dismal, dirty view of factories and other commercial operations. That’s if you can even get near the water.
St. Louis has this amazing natural wonder right at its doorstep and you’d barely even know it’s there. That’s why I think we NoCo residents should count our lucky stars, because North County is the best place in St. Louis to experience the Mississippi.
It also offers a front row seat to the Missouri River and one of nature’s most awesome displays – the confluence of two of the grandest rivers in North America. As if that’s not cool enough, you can view the Mississippi/Missouri confluence either from NoCo, at the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area, or looking at NoCo, from the Ted & Pat Jones Confluence Point State Park in West Alton.
Are you getting ready for the big day? NOCO is a proud sponsor of the 3rd annual Live Well Ferguson 5K