Ideas for places to visit in the Midwest
Now is a good time visit the Mississippi River to view migratory birds. Pelicans, eagles, ducks and geese are all active in the Midwest migratory routs. Good places to view are Riverlands, the River Road through Grafton and the lock and dam in Clarksville.
This was taken in Clarksville last February near the lock and dam. The area was full of Pelicans and Eagles.
Click on the photo for more information. Click here for more from this visit and other birds.
Early in the New Year, means a trip to the family plot in Bellefontaine Cemetery in the northern section of the City of St. Louis. Founded in 1849 as St. Louis’s first rural cemetery, Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum (the first west of the Mississippi) became a unique garden landscape for prominent figures like William Clark and Adolphus Busch, featuring significant architecture, and remains an active, historically vital resting place and arboretum today, listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its beauty and history.
Shown here is the Wainwright Tomb, located near my family and is one of the many historic structures I like to visitt while there. In 1892, soon after Louis Sullivan completed the Wainwright building in downtown St. Louis, he was commissioned to design a tomb for Charlotte Dickson Wainwright, the wife of Ellis Wainwright. The tomb is located in Bellefontaine Cemetery at 4947 West Florissant Ave.
Click on the photo for more information. Click here for photos of historic sites in the cemetery.
A pair of Mallards hanging out in Forest Park. The park is filled with waterfowel, particularly geese and Mallards. Not far from the lagoon, these birds flock together making it a good area to observe them.
Forest Park in St. Louis has a series of lakes hosting an array of waterfowl. Today I was looking for Wood Ducks but mostly found Mallards and Geese.
Click here for more birds.
St. Charles, Missouri, is an old 18th Century river town and trading post. Main Street, which runs along the Missouri River has been nicely restored, and is the sight of many Christmas activities. Diane and I drove over there from St. Louis for dinner in one of their many unique restaurants. While walking down the street we ran into Father Christmas. The jolly man was giving directions, answering question and posing for photos.
If you are in the area, this is a great place to visit during the holidays.
Click on the photo for more information. Click here for more info.
The Nathan Frank Bandstand on a cold winter day. We had a brief snow but not enough cold weather to freeze Pagoda Lake. A snowy day is a great time to visit Forest Park with the geese and ducks still swimming around and sledders on Art Hill. The park is only a few miles from my home, so it is easy to get there in this type of weather and it is always worth the trip. Places to photograph are the bandstand, areas around Post Dispatch Lake and the Grand Basin.
Click on the photo for more information. Click here to see more of St. Louis’s Forest Park.
Winter is setting in in Forest Park and St. Louis. This is one my favorite areas in the park with the suspension foot bridge and ducks, geese and egrets hanging around. Just east of the park’s Grand Basin, this was the site of the St. Louis World’s Fair, 120 years ago.
Click on the photo for full screen. Click here to see more of Forest Park.
One more of the Henry Shaw Home at the Missouri Botanical Garden. This image is called Architectural Projection Mapping which projects images on a building aligned with the building’s features. The Garden holds a “Garden Glow” event every year and this is from this year. If you are in the area, get tickets and enjoy more than 2 Million Christmas lights and fantastic displays.
Click on the photo for a larger size. Click here for more Missouri Botanical Garden moments.
During special events at the Missouri Botanical Garden, they like to project images like this, set to music. This is called Architectural Projection Mapping which projects images on a building aligned with the building’s features. This is from this year’s Garden Glow.
Built in 1849, Tower Grove House is Garden founder Henry Shaw’s restored country residence. Today, staff and volunteers encourage visitors to take a step back in time to learn more about the people who made the Garden grow.
Click on the photo for a full screen image and more information.
A nice way to start the season is to visit Missouri Botanical Garden’s Garden Glow. A walk through the park gives you scene after scene of the upcoming holiday. See the Climatron with its reflecting pools, walk through Henry Shaws home, see the beautifully decorated gatehouse and endless holiday lights. The grandkids love the train display.
Here the reflecting pools are filled with Christmas Trees in front of the Climatron.
Click on the photo for full size and more. Click here for more from the Missouri Botanical Garden.
Great Rivers Imaging 