STLife

CLOCKWISE
FROM TOP LEFT:
THE HISTORIC
STAIRCASE AT
FORT BELLE
FONTAINE
PARK. LAUMEI-
ER SCULPTURE
PARK IS FULL
OF EYE-
CATCHING ART,
INCLUDING THE
ICONIC EYE.
NEAR GRAFTON,
ILLINOIS, PERE
MARQUETTE
STATE PARK
OFFERS SCENIC
VIEWS AT THE
NEXUS OF THE
MISSISSIPPI
AND ILLINOIS
RIVERS.
SHAW PARK
Clayton’s oldest and largest park is
home to some carefully chosen public
art, including James Surls’ Molecular
Bloom with Single Flower, Carol Fleming’s
ancient-looking Egg (in the Sensory
Garden), and Ernest Trova’s Geometric
Abstract No. 2 (in the Moneta Garden).
SHAW NATURE RESERVE
Missouri is a big state with a startling
variety of terrain and plant
life. At this 2,400-acre reserve
near Gray Summit, you can trek
through prairieland, wetland, and
woodland to get a sense of the
state’s diverse topography. The
short Prairie Trail aff rds views
of 70-plus types of wildfl wers.
SUSON PARK
If your child yearns for the country, head
to this 98-acre park in South County,
where there’s a working animal farm,
three stocked fishing ponds, and a full
schedule of activities. (Visit stlouisco.
com/parks for dates.)
TILLES PARK
Sure, the holiday light display is a draw
to this park in Ladue, but it’s the playground—designed
for children of all abilities—that
attracts families year-round.
WELDON SPRING CONSERVATION AREA
Near Weldon Spring, you’ll find the
trailhead for the Lewis and Clark trails,
which wind through the tree-lined hills
to the limestone bluffs overlooking
the Missouri River. The Lewis Trail is
an 8.3-mile loop, or you can take the
Clark Trail cutoff for a shorter jaunt
of 5.3 miles. The most scenic stretch is
along the trails’ southernmost reaches,
where several spurs offer stunning
river views.
Photography courtesy of the Illinois Office of Tourism, @eakdesign
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