We were recently looking for a new place to hike with the dogs. We decided to head to St. Louis and visit the Jefferson Barracks Park hiking trails. The weather was going to be hot, so we were not looking for something too long nor in the sun too much.
If you are not familiar with the location, the Jefferson Barracks Military Post is approximately 1,780 areas located on the Mississippi River in Lemay, Missouri, south of St. Louis. It was an important and active U.S. Army installation from 1826 through 1946. On the premises, there are 3 different paved trails that are available for walking or bicycle riding. You can also play on the playground or play a round of Frisbee golf. There are several pavilions for picnics and family events and two museums – powder magazine and an ordnance museum. Check the local website for closures and times due to COVID-19 restrictions.
We chose to hike the Dennis A. Schick Trail which is named after a long time, now retired Park Construction Supervisor. This trail is directly off the main entrance road to Jefferson Barracks Park, but you can use other parking lots to pick up the trail in numerous spots. The trail is kept very neat and clean and is smooth. It is also mostly flat with only slight inclines and could be considered handicap accessible. The part of the trail we chose to start at makes a nice 1.6 mile loop if you stay to the north loop or you can add an additional 1.1 mile loop by turning onto the south loop.
We enjoyed seeing some natural wooded and prairie areas along the trail. There was lots of wildlife! Jaime spotted some wild prairie flowers growing where some bumble bees were busy pollinating. We also stopped for a moment in a wooded area to enjoy the sight and sounds of a male cardinal flitting around. The park also highlighted several areas where deer frequent.
The trail was definitely a breathe of fresh air. There was plenty to see and do at Jefferson Barracks, and we only explored a small, beautiful part of it. If you are looking for some outdoor activities for the entire family, we encourage you to stop by and check out the park. We hope to see you there!
UPDATE:
We have visited Jefferson Barracks walking trails a couple of times since we first posted about it. We walked on the 1.1 mile south loop of the trail for a longer walk and it was excellent like the rest of the trail. The area is beautiful and it is easy to forget that you are just minutes away from downtown St. Louis. We also found that you can connect to the Mississippi Green Way trail that we will check out later and possibly ride our bicycles on. There are plenty of sites to see around the Barracks as well. History of the area is in abundance along with some splendid views and overlooks of the Mississippi River.
The park also gives you an excellent chance to see deer up close. We have seen deer on each visit to the Barracks. In the picture below, you will see a herd of deer that had several nice bucks with large racks along with an abundance of does. Sometimes the deer are tucked in the wooded areas and sometimes they are roaming out in the open. The picture below was a little later in the day and the deer were grazing in the area near some softball fields.
It was a warm day this summer when we decided to head to our local conservation club lake to have some fun on our inflatable stand up paddleboards. We did a couple of laps paddling around the lake. Then we decided to play. Jaime wanted to do some yoga on the board, and Wade tried to fish while sitting down on the board. Sometimes balancing on solid ground in yoga poses is difficult enough, but Jaime likes the challenge on the water. Wade was getting a feel for sitting and balancing while trying to cast and set the hook…definitely different from standing on the bank or in the boat. Wade had a couple of bites, but was unsuccessful with hooking up while balancing. We still had a great time enjoying the beautiful outdoors in nature.
A little while back, we decided to take a day trip to see some of the beautiful scenery in the Ozark Mountains in South Central Missouri. We set out looking for some hiking trails and to see some beautiful springs and rivers that the Ozarks have to offer. After a stop and short hike near the Current River, we headed to Alley Spring to see the the beautiful spring and restored mill. This was our first time in this area of the Ozarks. The drive there was nearly 3 hours, but we will be back. Checkout our photos of Alley Spring, Alley Mill, and the hiking trail around the park. They say Alley Mill is the most photographed mill in Missouri and you will see why in the pictures. There are some parts of the trails that are handicap accessible and some slightly rugged. The park offers some nice picnic areas as well. Some trails are also open to horseback riding also.
We wanted to share one of our favorite places to go walk our dogs that we visit frequently. The Meramec Greenway is just across the Meramec River from Arnold, Missouri. The main trail is paved and very easy to walk. The Lower Meramec Trail does not loop and is 2 miles long. There are some other trails that branch off that are natural/earthen trails, but we usually keep to the paved trail. Along the trail, you will see some beautiful views of the Meramec River and wildlife. Since the trail is close to the river, there are some low lying areas and is prone to flooding when the river rises and can sometimes be closed. We like the the trail during warmer months because it has a lot of shade, but be sure to bring bug spray to keep mosquitoes away. In cooler months, the trail can be protected from cold winds making it more pleasurable to walk compared to other parks and trails. Check out our pictures below.
We recently visited Maramec Spring Park near St. James, Missouri. It is worth the drive to see the beautiful blue water of the spring, the trout hatchery, hiking trails, trout fishing, and the history and remains of Maramec Iron Works and the iron ore quarry. There is a fee to enter the park and to fish. The walking trail around the spring is wheelchair accessible. There are other trails around the park that are not wheelchair accessible. The park has a designated fish cleaning area for those that would like to keep and eat what you catch. There is also a campground close by. This was our first time visiting and we plan to go back. We only hiked this time and took in the scenery.
The photo gallery below shows the beautiful spring and the trout hatchery. The spring is home to both brown trout and rainbow trout. The area that these photos were taken are off limits to fishing.
The photo gallery below shows river below the spring and trout hatchery. Some pictures are of the river are off limits to fishing.
The photo gallery below shows the foundry and tools from the Maramec Iron Works that still remain. A picnic area is also close by.
The photo gallery below shows the iron quarry where the iron ore was taken from and transported down to the foundry. There is a scenic and historic drive that accesses the area and highlights the history and people of the area.
You might see some other wildlife on the scenic drive through the park.
We took a recent trip down to Elephant Rocks State Park located near Belleview, Missouri to walk our dogs on a shaded trail. It was a very hot day on this visit, and the trees created nice shade. The park is located less than 2 hours south-southwest of St. Louis and is the site of a retired rock quarry. As you can see in our pictures, the park is named for a string of enormous granite boulders which resemble a train of pink circus elephants.
There is a nice paved walking trail that is wheel chair accessible. Dogs are welcome to be walked on a 6 foot leash and bags are also available to pick up after them. Along with the paved trail, there are options to walk off the trail to explore more of the park and access for rock climbing on some of the big rocks. Keep in mind, the side trails are rugged, narrow, and not paved. Signs are posted to let you know which way to go for the wheel chair accessible path. There is also a nice picnic area where you can sit and eat lunch with the elephant rocks. This was not our first trip to visit the Elephant Rocks, and we feel it is well worth the approximately 1.5-2 hour trip from St. Louis.
This is the follow-up post to the preparation post for the MO’ Bass Club fishing tournament held on Kinkaid Lake in southern Illinois on July 11, 2020. Welcome back if you are following along. To get up to speed with this post, check out the previous post about how I prepared for this tournament. The weather was definitely hot and the fishing wasn’t bad. The anxiety of trying to catch a keeper fish (minimum 16 inches) on Kinkaid Lake was definitely prevalent as only 3 out of the 5 boats attending had a keeper. Everyone caught fish, but keepers were hard to come by. Remember, due to high temperatures, the tournament time was shortened, and we were only keeping 1 fish and the biggest one wins.
We arrived to the lake with the sun already up and warming up quickly. Unfortunately, Jaime wasn’t able to join me this time due to COVID19 restrictions. Our group of boats blasted off from the marina. I made a short run to a place where I thought my game plan would work best. With the short run, I was able to begin fishing quicker.
I started on a main-lake point that led to some coves on either side of it. The water clarity was good, but not super clear. The weeds that grow in Kinkaid Lake are growing well, but were not as matted up as I had expected. Looks like some other fisherman had the same ideas as there were a few other boats already fishing in the area.
I made a few casts with some top water baits around the point, but could not find any fish interested in my offerings. I noticed some shad swimming in the the first cove that I entered. I tried the top water baits around them, but again no takers. With the shad swimming around in schools, my thinking was there would surely be a bass that would mistake my bait for the real thing.
After putting down the rods rigged with top water baits, I picked up a rod with a deep diving crankbait tied on and began throwing it to deeper water. My thinking was if they didn’t want to come up above the schools of shad then maybe they were under them. A few casts later I hooked up with a bass that was under the minimum size and released him. However, he was the only one that was interested in my deep diving crankbait!
Trying a new bait for the day, I began pitching a jig and craw to the edges of the weeds. A few pitches later, SPLISH SPLASH I WAS CATCHING MY SECOND BASS! Although under the size limit, two fish catches in the first hour of the tournament wasn’t bad. But I needed to push on to find one big enough to keep.
The sun was getting higher and the heat of the day was starting to set in quickly. I continued fishing back out of the cove and around the point to another cove. My past experiences in the cove told me to pick up the rod with the Texas rigged creature bait tied on. Sure enough, I convinced a bass that measured almost 15 inches to eat the creature bait. I released him and continued fishing on.
The pressure was setting in and it was time to make a change again after trying the edges of the weeds and some deeper main-lake banks with a couple of the presentations I had prepared for the day. Three fish so far and no keepers. It was definitely hot already.
It was time to make a move before time slipped away from me. I made a run down to the dam and spillway area of the lake. There is some deeper water near the dam that I felt was worth trying now that the sun was up and the air temperature was getting very hot. With the boat sitting in about 35 feet of water, I started casting the jig and craw toward a rocky point and waited for it to hit the bottom before hopping it along. I hopped the jig another time and felt the tap-tap of a fish eating it for sure. I set the hook and landed a chunky 14 inch bass. As the bank got shallower, I started throwing the Texas rigged creature bait to the weed line. A few casts later, I got a bite from and landed a 15 inch bass…getting closer to a keeper, but still not there.
I moved across the lake to fish a couple of points that were covered in weeds. I continued casting the Texas rig to the weeds to no avail. I could hear Jaime in head my asking the same question she always does, “I don’t understand why you are not trying to catch them on a crankbait. You know they always eat a crankbait.” So I said okay, I will try the shallow running crankbait. But I couldn’t find a fish that was interested in eating it today.
The lake was getting busy with pleasure boaters and time was running out. That deep feeling of disappointment of not bringing a keeper fish to the weigh-in to at least give myself a chance to win was setting in. I figured I would fish around a point a that was littered with weeds and a little bit of old trees. I flipped the Texas rigged creature bait to the edge of the weeds and felt a fish pick it up. I set the hook and felt what seemed like a hefty fish pull back. I kept tension on it as it started to come out of the weeds while hoping it was going to be a very large fish -and it was my largest of the day! A keeper that measured 16 inches. And just in time as I had just a few minutes to head back to the ramp.
I met up with my MO’ Bass competitors who also struggled to get a keeper. I was the last boat to have my fish weighed and was told that I had to beat a 2 pound and 9 ounce bass. Moment of truth!! We put my fish on the scale and it weighed 2 pounds and 8 ounces and good enough for a second place finish.
While I did not win, I still enjoyed the day being outside in nature and the challenge of trying to catch those elusive fish. I look forward to the next challenge and the chance to enjoy nature at its finest. All fish that were kept for the weigh-in were quickly released back into the lake and unharmed.
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The second Saturday of the month means another MO’ Bass Fishing Club Tournament. Follow along as we prepare things for this tournament. We will then have a follow up post to tell you how things went. This tournament is being done as a 1 keeper fish limit due to the heat that is expected.
The MO’ Bass Fishing Club chose to go to Kinkaid Lake in southern Illinois for the July 2020 tournament. The original time was scheduled to be 6:30 to 2:30, but with the temperature expected to be in the 90s and a heat index of 103, a decision was made to end 2 hours early for angler safety and fish health. Everyone is going to have to find a keeper fish during the morning. If you read the previous post about Kinkaid Lake, you will remember that the minimum size limit is 16 inches. If you haven’t read it, check it out and you will find information about the lake and area.
The St. Louis region has not had much rain recently with some minor exceptions, and it has been sweltering hot. With the lake being off limits to MO’ Bass anglers since Monday, it is hard to say what the actual conditions will be. We are expecting the water to be clear and the weeds to be thickly matted. In past visits to Kinkaid Lake during this time of year, we have found some smaller fish in the thick grass mats, but not too many keepers. Finding one keeper that is the big fish of the day is definitely going to be a challenge and may need to be found out deeper in cooler water around structure instead of in the grass.
Wade has studied a lake map and, with his recent success, has put a game plan together. The plan is to start out with some topwater lures. You can’t rule out an early morning top water bite even in the grass. So, a frog is tied on one rod and a walking the dog action type bait is ready. After the sun gets up, it will be time to move to the edges of the grass and find some deeper water.
For the rest of the day, deeper water structures (rocks, standing timber) will be targeted. Several rods are rigged up and ready to go. The deep water presentations will include a jig and craw, a Texas rigged soft plastic worm or creature bait, and medium depth and deep diving crank baits. Wade is not the type of fisherman who likes to stop fishing to re-rig a rod, and he will definitely have a lot of rods out to rotate through during the shortened tournament.
Stay tuned for an update about which baits were successful, which were not, and what changes were made. We will also give details about the specific baits used. While there is no money on the line for MO’ Bass Club tournaments, they are still exciting and filled with a lot of anticipation for the competition and fellowship that is enjoyed at each tournament.
If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or anything else for discussion, click the comments button and feel free to share with us. You can also click the contact us button at the top of the page to comment privately. To get updates about this post, the follow up post, and additional posts, be sure to click the subscribe button and enter your email address.
One of the great things about summer is outdoor grilling and cooking. Not only does outdoor cooking help keep temps inside cooler, but there is nothing like the grill flavor on our favorite foods. Wade and I often like experimenting on the grill to see what new flavors we can come up with.
In the recent months, we have been going crazy with pizza dough. Living in St. Louis, cracker style pizza crust is the town’s go to style. However, being natives to Delaware, there is nothing like a New Jersey style pizza crust. You know the kind and if you don’t, you have to try it! Thinner style crust that is crispy, yet chewy and you can fold it in half while you eat it! Just thinking about Jersey style pizza has my mouth watering! Let me reminisce about being on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, walking the boardwalks, and eating pizza. So good!
So what does this have to do with grilling? Well, why not grill pizza outdoors? It may not be the traditional way of baking pizza, but it is just as good. I recently found a recipe for Jersey style pizza dough. It is simple to make but it does take time. The dough needs to rise in the refrigerator anywhere from 1 to 3 days. Planning in advance is a must, but it is worth it in the results. Even if you don’t want to make your own dough or have the time to wait, you can use refrigerated pizza dough or any premade crust.
We use a pizza cooking stone that fits perfectly in our grill. You can preheat the cooking stone, or I prefer just to make the pizza on the stone. I find it easier than having to transfer the pizza from one plate to the other particularly when the stone it hot. You can do whichever you refer, just be careful if you are using a hot stone!
Variations:
Options – there are so many options! Here are some of our favorite ways to make pizza. Feel free to use one and let us know which ones are your favorite!
Classic cheese pizza – who can go wrong with the basic! Pizza sauce, fresh basil, provel cheese (only found in the St. Louis area), and mozzarella cheese.
BBQ chicken pizza – BBQ sauce, canned, grilled, or smoked chicken along with red onion, jalapenos, corn, avocado, diced spinach, cilantro, and your choice of cheese. Add a little flare with an extra swirl of BB sauce on top.
Orange Brie pizza – a recent favorite we experimented with when we had extra brie left over from a new macaroni and cheese recipe. Orange marmalade diluted slightly with orange juice for the sauce ( you could also use peach or other fruit flavor of your preference). Added sliced red onion, brie, smoked/grilled chicken, and some spinach.
Pesto pizza – we make our own homemade pest – so simple and delicious! Use pesto as the base for the pizza, sliced tomato and fresh mozzarella. Add some cooked chicken or steak for an added flavor burst!
Buffalo Chicken Pizza – Ranch dressing or buffalo sauce are both a perfect base for this. You could also use blue cheese if that tickles your fancy. Add cooked chicken, cheddar cheese, diced onion, and maybe some celery seed. And dinner is served!
Alfredo pizza – alfredo sauce is a creamy base for this Italian favorite! Add spinach, diced onion, mushrooms, and cooked chicken topped with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. So good!
Smores pizza – nothing says outdoors like smores. Add chocolate chips (or mix it with caramel chips, etc) as the base. Sprinkle with mini marshmallows and mini graham crackers. You can also add on to this traditional favorite with crushed peanuts or pecans. This also great over a campfire if you have a grate to place the stone on!
This is also a great way to involve every member of the family! Kids love helping create pizzas and they can experiment with their own twist! You never know which one will become a family favorite.
A quick note – keep the heat around 350 – 375F. You need to make sure the dough has enough time and heat to cook thoroughly. If the heat is too high, the inside of the dough could still be uncooked.
After grilling your pizza in the great outdoors, sit back, select a drink of choice, and enjoy!
Late on a Friday, we were wondering what to do over the weekend. We were looking for an outdoor adventure where dogs can have as much fun as we can. After bouncing a few ideas off of each other and checking the weather, we exclaimed – Kinkaid Lake! It was going to be a cooler than normal day, so we could bring the dogs along too and enjoy some fishing time.
For those not familiar with this fun spot in southwestern Illinois, Kinkaid Lake is 2,750 acres of fishing, boating, and camping fun. Getting to the lake is pretty easy as it is only 100 miles south east of St. Louis and you might get to pass through Chester, IL, home to Popeye -but that is another story! The Lake was constructed in 1968 and is owned by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Whether you want to cast a line, have a picnic, or play in the great outdoors, Kinkaid is a must day trip or weekend getaway.
The lake is home to several species of fish including bass (largemouth and smallmouth), sunfish, crappie, catfish, walleye, and muskie. As you know, Wade is an avid fisherman. There are several habitats for these fish including submergent grass, standing timber, and submerged manmade structures. The banks of the lake include bluff walls, grassy points, and riprap rock. Whether you throw a crankbait, jig, or frog, you are bound to catch fish.
The weather was cool in the morning and slowly warmed up. We were on the lake bright and early – about 6:00am. It was definitely a bit chilly for the last weekend in May! Wade was eager to do battle with his underwater competitors – large and smallmouth bass! Remember, Kinkaid does have a fairly large minimum size limit. While we always practice catch and release, only fish above 16″ can be kept.
We launched the boat, and, with our lifejackets on, we idled out of the no wake area of the marina. Wade pushed down on the T-H Marine Hot Foot accelerator pedal and the boat came up on plane quickly. We ran a short distance to a cove and the boat came down off of plane. The manmade structure in this part of the lake that Wade was planning to fish around was a little more submerged than usual. The submergent grass beds were not matted up due to the water being higher than what is normal for the lake. Wade began wondering how the fishing was going to turn out with the abnormality and how he would adapt to the changes.
Wade started off the day casting and retrieving a weedless frog over the weedy area. With no interest from the fish, he moved on to make precision casts towards the manmade structure with a Tokyo Rig technique using a soft plastic creature bait. He was beginning to feel stumped after not having any signs of the fish wanting to eat his offerings and decided to head over to a main-lake point that was covered in weeds and seemed to have some fish activity. With a feeling of optimism, Wade turned back to casting the frog over the weeds…NO takers. Wade needed to rethink his strategy if he wanted to catch a fish!
Tokyo Rig
After the slow start, Wade decided to make a slight adjustment using his Tokyo Rig – making casts to the edges of the weeds and not in or over the weeds. A few casts later, this adjustment paid off with a catch! While it was not a “keeper” fish, it was a good sign that he made the right adjustment.
Main lake point with weeds leading to coves and deep water main lake bank
Wade idled over to another main lake point that had weeds growing on it, but also led to a couple of coves that looked good to try to find some more hungry fish. Wade fished the edge of the grass and noticed a breeze had started blowing on the main lake edge of the point that led to another cove. With the slight change in the weather, he started throwing a spinnerbait to the edge of the weeds and along the deep slope of the point. And then – BOOM!!…he boats another solid bass. It is slightly short of the minimum length limit, and he releases the fish. Wanting to try another technique, Wade puts the spinnerbait rod down and picks up another rod rigged with a jig. The deeper bank lacks the weeds but has a few logs near the bank that he makes precision casts to with the jig. Within minutes, Wade sets the hook on a 12’’ and then a short time later a 16’’ bass and brings them into the boat. The 16’’ bass would be a keeper if he was in a tournament, but the bass was released today as Wade was just fishing for fun. Wade rarely fishes the jig on Kinkaid, but his recent success has given him confidence in this technique! He will surely use it again in his MO’ Bass Club Tournament in July!
Wade picks up another rod with a Texas Rig with a crawfish imitator and pitches it to the edge of some more weeds. After a few casts, a little bass eats it, and he lands it in the boat. He quickly unhooks it and releases it into the water. After a few more casts and no bites on the crawfish. He puts it down.
Spinnerbait used in this outing
The next rod he picks up has the spinnerbait again, and he casts it to the edge of the weeds. We get to the back of the cove where there is some standing timber. He makes a cast with the spinnerbait next to a rotting tree and sees a large shadow follow the bait. Then he sees a big mouth full of teeth open up to try to taste his spinnerbait! He excitedly pulls the spinnerbait away and watches a very large muskie swim away. He starts to fish his way out of the cove while allowing his heart rate to recover.
We take a break to eat lunch. Even when taking a break, Wade is like a focused hunter looking for prey and is still looking around at the water and contemplating what to use next to get a bass to bite.
Crankbait used during this outing
He pulls another rod out of the rod locker that has a crankbait tied on. He begins casting it near the weeds but tries desperately not to get it hung in the grass. Suddenly a big bass grabs the lure after it ticked a grass stalk. The fight is on as the big bass struggles to get loose from a mouth full of treble hooks. The bass tries to jump out of the water and then the line goes limp. Wade is disappointed that the fish did not stayed hooked. The fish was definitely over the 16’’ minimum and may have been 3-4lbs., but we will never know for sure. Feeling deflated, Wade continues on trying to get another bite.
As we make our way to other areas of the lake, Wade is still casting, winding, flipping, and pitching numerous baits hoping to finally feel the pull back of a fish. We see a splash in a nearby weed mat. Wade spots sunfish swimming around a possible spawning bed and assumes the bass was trying to feed on them. He puts a creature bait on a Texas Rig and flips it into where the splash occurred a few moments ago. The bait falls through the matted vegetation as Wade, full of anticipation, yoyos it up and down. All of a sudden, he sets the hook good into a strong, fighting fish. After the battle between fish and fisherman, Wade swings in a hefty and healthy bass. We hear another splash in another weed bed a little further into the cove. Wade said “there is another one up there that is hungry too”. Wade pitches the bait in the weeds, and he feels a tap on his line and sets the hook hard. He fights the fish out of the grass and swings in another hefty and healthy bass. Wade fishes around the cove a little more but does not get anymore bites.
After five hours of playing cat and mouse with the fish, we feel like we had enough of enjoying the nature and the beautiful day. The sun is high and warm even though the high temperature for the day is only in the mid 70s which is cool for late May. We head back to the boat ramp and put the boat back on the trailer and secure everything. As we start to head home, we are both thinking that we sure could use a nap, but that would have to wait until our 1.5 hour ride home was over. During the ride home, Wade is recollecting on the day and the where, how, and when he caught his fish and is already looking forward to the next visit to Kinkaid Lake. We are both thankful for the wonderful day that nature provided for us to enjoy. We were able to see and hear multiple beautiful birds in the trees and flying over while enjoying nature at its finest on this beautiful day.
All fish were immediately released to grow and be caught again another day.
Most successful baits used on this tripA few lures used during this outing.
