Travel back in time and explore the Boone’s Lick Trail June 7

Participants are invited to step back in time to the 1820’s with Missouri State Park’s First Missouri State Capitol State Historic Site and The Historic Daniel Boone Home and Heritage Center on June 7. 

This ticketed event will allow travelers to experience what it was like to travel on one of America’s early “highways,” the Boone’s Lick Trail.

The journey begins at the First Missouri State Capitol where participants will learn about the role of the trail in westward migration and the original travelers. Visitors will also get a look at an 1820s dry goods and hardware store. This introduction will take place in the buildings where Missouri’s first legislators met to undertake the task of reorganizing Missouri’s territorial government into a progressive state system.

Instead of covered wagons, modern day travelers will be transported through time via motor coach bus and travel the first 20 miles of the original route. Location of significant sites, such as forts, taverns (inns), bridges and stagecoach stops will be discussed along the way. In locations where remnants of the original sites exist, the bus will stop and allow for a more in depth experience.

The tour will then leave the original route and travel to the historic Daniel Boone Home. Travelers will experience frontier life through period demonstrations, hands on activities and an early 1800s meal served in a “dog trot” cabin. There will also be a tour of the original Boone home.

The tour will take place from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Cost is $75 and includes transportation, a “frontier meal”, a snack and program materials. Participants must register in advance by calling 636-940-3322 or e-mailingFirstStateCapitolStateHistoricSite@dnr.mo.gov.

Co-sponsors of the event include Missouri State Parks, Historic Daniel Boone Home and Heritage Center, the City of Cottleville and Boone’s Lick Road Association.

First Missouri State Capitol State Historic Site is located at 200 South Main Street, St. Charles. For more information about state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Related articles

• Earth Day volunteer workday at Nathan Boone Homestead State Historic Site on April 20 (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• Frontier Children's Festival planned May 19 at Nathan Boone Homestead State Historic Site (family-outdoors.blogspot.com)
• Missouri State Parks invites everyone to Great American Backyard Campout June 23 (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• Homestead Days Festival celebrated Oct. 15-16 at Nathan Boone Homestead State Historic Site (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)

Missouri River Pedestrian and Bike Bridge opens in Jefferson City

JEFFERSON CITY, MO -  The Missouri River Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge is now open! Walkers and riders can now cross the river with more than just a couple of feet of roadway between them and vehicular traffic. 

The Missouri River Pedestrian/ Bike Bridge has been attached to the side of the northbound Hwy. 54 Missouri River Bridge.  With this new attachment, pedestrians and bicyclists will be able to easily and safely cross the Missouri River Bridge to travel back and forth between north Jefferson City and the heart of the city.   Katy Trail users will be able to navigate through North Jefferson City and Noren Access to then travel up the ramp to the bridge.  And for those who are in Jefferson City and want to head toward the Katy Trail, the entrance to the bridge will be at the intersection of West Main and Clay streets. 

The new bridge attachment is eight feet wide and includes two lookout points with a spectacular view of the Missouri State Capitol and the Jefferson City riverfront; it will be fully ADA accessible. From the entrance near Noren Access up the ramp and across the bridge to West Main St., the bridge is about .7 miles long.   

The total cost of the Missouri River Pedestrian Bridge was $6.7 million, $5.6 million came from federal Bicycle/Pedestrian Enhancements program.  The remaining $1.6 million was funded jointly by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, City of Jefferson and the Missouri State Parks Foundation.  A partnership between these entities and the Missouri Department of Transportation allowed this project to become a reality. 

Videos from last Friday's ribbon cutting can be seen here.  For more information, contact the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau at (573) 632-2820 or www.VisitJeffersonCity.com