Outdoors

Do you delight in twinkling lights and spectacular sights during the holidays? Do you find joy in dazzling displays of illuminated Christmas characters, ornaments, and more? Then this magical, free drive-through light display fills the bill.

Missouri is the cave state. This state park is one you should not miss. For more than seventy-five years before its 1982 acquisition as a park, Onondaga Cave was one of the major public attractions in the Midwest, and it still is. Come see why!

John Denver, that is! You can enjoy “Rocky Mountain High Experience®, A John Denver Christmas” starring Rick Schuler, America’s Top John Denver Tribute. The show will take you back to the ’70s when John Denver’s music filled the radio airways.

Nathan Boone, son of the famous pioneer, Daniel Boone, and family moved to the homestead in Ash Grove from their estate in St. Charles County. The site is now a State Historic Site and well worth a visit. His cabin, home furnishngs and the gardens are available to tour.

If you enjoy natural history and unusual local plants, animals, and geology, then St. Francois State Park is just the place for you. The park is filled with interesting Civil War history and you can learn how the hills of the park have been a hideout and a refuge for a long time.

What a perfect way to enjoy the holiday lights and slights – a free horse drawn “carriage” ride! Bundle up and take your seats, then ooh and ahh at the decorations. Find out where you can clip and clop and see the decked-out shops.

Bollinger Mill and Burfordville Covered Bridge provide you with a step back in time to experience genuine grist milling, a stroll through the oldest covered bridge in Missouri, and a peaceful rest along a tree-lined stream.

Big Sugar Creek State Park is full of nooks and crannies that are worth exploring. The rugged landscape is filled with rare plants and animals. This park is one of the only places in Missouri where the Ozark Chinquapin survives.

Cuivre River State Park consists of more than 6,400 acres centered on Big Sugar Creek, a tributary of Cuivre River. A dozen different hiking, backpacking, biking, and equestrian trails total some thirty-five miles make this park a great place to visit.

Writer Matt Crossman fills us in on his first foray into deer hunting. He finds that the harvesting of an actual deer is not the most important part of deer hunting. And you will find out why he thinks of Raisinettes differently now.