3 Spins to enjoy the day trip, more.
3 Spins to Embrace The Day Trip
Have you taken a staycation or a day trip in your town/city/community? Maybe you think you’ve seen it all. You haven’t. How then, can YOU expand the offerings in your city?
As the most organized person in the room, and a recovering control freak, it is a given that event/vacation planning usually becomes my duty. We put pressure on ourselves to make outings/trips sooo special. What if it were easier, to simply observe what is around you? Here are my top 3 spins to embrace the day trip.
1. Explore the natural resources around you.
I live in St. Louis, MO area. Here, we are in a great river region where the Mississippi and Missouri converge (in geographic terms - the confluence). The rivers shape our landscape here. There are several dams that can be visited, normally tasked with river-way transportation control and flood management. Most are operated by the Army Corps of Engineers.
When you venture to the top of these mega structures, you’ll be graced with panoramic views of the region's natural areas. Many of these sites also have visitor centers, museums, and kid-friendly activities. National Great Rivers Museum & Melvin Price Locks & Dam is one of my favorite places to visit. My family spent time boating in this pool of the Mississippi for over 10 years. There are shops and restaurants to visit in Alton and the Great River Road is captivating with its soaring cliffs. Highway access from St. Louis is easy, but if coming from farther west, there is a ferry to get there too, which is also fun!
Takeaway: See what natural resources are in your area/region and look into visiting them. We get used to these features being part of our everyday scenery, but there is more to explore.
2. Big business can mean big fun.
St. Louis is a science and innovation hub with companies like Bayer and Pfizer making it their headquarters. Long before these companies had their footing, the St. Louis area served the nation during World War II creating explosives/weapons. Crazy right? The plant responsible for this in Weldon Springs, MO (30 minutes west of St. Louis City) was operated until the late 1960s. It then became a dumping ground for other hazardous waste materials. Yikes! These days the federal government is doing its best to take care of the mess it commissioned. The site now contains conservation areas, trails, a visitor center, and a stunning view of the rolling tree-filled hills in the area from the top of one of the waste mounds, don’t worry it is totally safe (now). Learn more about visiting here + other activities around the site.
Takeaway: Figure out what your region is known for. There may be remnants left from World War II like the Weldon Springs Site. Additionally, many companies and government sites offer tours.
3. Just look up.
Driving down Highway 44 on your way to a Cardinal’s baseball game [in the heart of the city], you might look to the south and see a soaring gothic-looking tower and ask yourself, “what is that 179-foot obélisque doing there?” Built in the late 1800s, The Compton Hill Water Tower was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 for its architectural and engineering significance. The tower can be climbed [when not being renovated] and the site has a beautiful park.
Takeaway: How many things have you driven by in your region and asked yourself, what the heck is that? Find out! Get curious. Look up and down, and all around.
Summary:
“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” -Epictetus
Look around you and see what you have in your region. There is probably more than you think.
