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Home PageFIT FAMILY FUN INTO YOUR SCHEDULE WITH A VISIT TO MISSOURI STATE PARKS AND HISTORIC SITES
JEFFERSON CITY, MO, OCT. 27, 2005 -- With the cooler weather arriving, the kids settled back into the classroom and the chaotic schedule back on the calendar, it's the perfect time of year to take a break with the family for an affordable weekend getaway. Spend a couple of days relaxing, enjoying the outdoors and learning a bit of Missouri history at Missouri state parks and historic sites in northeast Missouri. Mark Twain State Park, Mark Twain Birthplace State Historic Site and Union Covered Bridge State Historic Site can easily be visited in a weekend without feeling rushed. Plus, they are very affordable and provide opportunities for exercise, education and rest.
Ponder a time when life traveled at a slower pace as you stroll across the 120-foot long covered bridge at your first stop -- Union Covered Bridge State Historic Site near Paris. Imagine the echoing sound of horse hoofs and wagon wheels as a farmer made his way across the bridge pulling a wagonload of hay. Union Covered Bridge is one of only four surviving covered bridges in the state and is the only one left that was built using the Burr-arch design. It was built in 1871 and served travelers in Monroe County for 99 years not only as a bridge, but also as a local landmark, emergency shelter and signboard. It remains an important structure in the area's history and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Information at the site highlights the history and design of the bridge as well as other covered bridges in the state. Cost: Free.
After your leisurely visit, hop in the car and head for some outdoor fun at Mark Twain State Park near Stoutsville. Begin with a picnic lunch in the Buzzard's Roost picnic area, where you can also enjoy a picturesque view of Mark Twain Lake from an overlook atop a towering limestone bluff. Add exercise to your after-lunch agenda with a hike along six miles of trail that affords opportunities to view woodland plants and animals as well as more scenic views of the lake. The lake also offers numerous quiet coves for fishing enthusiasts. Spend the cool fall evening gathered around a campfire in the campground or nestled in one of the park's new camper cabins, which offer electricity, heat and sleeping space for six. The campground showerhouse is available through Oct. 31; after that, a vault toilet is available in the campground and water at the park office. Campsite and camper cabin reservations can be made by calling 1-877-422-6766 or online at www.mostateparks.com. Cost: Park admission is free. Camping: $8-$14 per night (on-season rates until Oct. 31) and $7-$12 per night (off-season rates beginning Nov. 1). Camper cabins: $50 per night.
Before heading home, make sure you visit Mark Twain Birthplace State Historic Site, which is located within park boundaries. The museum serves as a tribute to one of America's unique and best-loved personalities and one of Missouri's most famous citizens -- Mark Twain. The two-room cabin in which Samuel Clemens (author-humorist Mark Twain) was born in 1835 is preserved inside the museum. Imagine how eight people (his parents, four siblings and a teenage slave) would have lived in such a small space. You'll have the opportunity to view exhibits that detail his remarkable life from his humble birth to his well-known career, with first editions of his works, a handwritten manuscript of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and furnishings from his Hartford, Conn., home. Cost: Tours are $2.50 for adults and $1.50 for children ages six to 12.
Missouri state parks and historic sites are funded primarily by the one-tenth-of-one-percent sales tax, which allows visitors to enjoy these resources at little or no cost. The Department of Natural Resources manages state parks and historic sites to give visitors the opportunity to discover Missouri's unique landscapes and heritage.
For more information, contact the Department of Natural Resources toll free at 800-334-6946 (voice) or 800-379-2419 (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf). For more information about Missouri state parks and historic sites, visit the Web at www.mostateparks.com.
Oct. 31, 2005
