Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
At one time, St. Charles was the last outpost for westward-bound pioneers. (It was
here that Lewis and Clark launched their historic expedition to the Pacific.) Also, the city
served briefly as Missouri's first state capital. Both key roles undoubtedly stemmed from
St. Charles's strategic location on the banks of the Missouri River. Plied by low-slung
barges transporting goods from America's interior, this muddy-green waterway parallels
Rte. 94 as it exits town, and remains a constant companion for the rest of the drive.
2.
August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area
Among the best ways to discover the varied habitats you will traverse along the drive is
to visit this 7,000-acre preserve, located about 10 miles to the west of St. Charles. Numer-
ous trails weave through rolling prairie, white pine forest, and river bottomland—all of
them home tothousands ofbirds.Fleet-footed sandpipers race across the mudflats. Plovers
scurry madly to no place in particular, only to halt abruptly and then start up again. And
chunky woodcocks, wanderers of the night sky, plummet toward the earth in zigzags, land-
ing gracefully in marshy thickets, where they poke their lengthy bills into the ground in
search of earthworms.
At the nearby Weldon Springs Conservation Area, a portion of the 240-mile-long Katy
Trail twists along an old railroad bed, showcasing a very different assortment of natural at-
tractions—tiger lilies, black-eyed Susans, trumpet vines, and a host of other seasonal wild-
flowers. On summer weekends, the scenery is further brightened by swarms of bicyclists
and hikers sporting kaleidoscope tights.
3.
Defiance
As it meanders southwest, Rte. 94 enters a hardwood forest thick with maples, elms, hick-
ories, and oaks and rich in frontier lore. Traveling this way in 1804, explorers Meriweth-
er Lewis and William Clark are thought to have visited a then-aged Daniel Boone in his
wilderness home. Today, Boonesfield Village is a reconstructed 19th-century village. The
legendary frontiersman had moved to this isolated spot in the pretty Femme Osage Valley,
just north of present-day Defiance. His distinguished four-story, Georgian-style house with
a breezy veranda and walnut mantels—a far cry from the rustic cabin one might expect for
such a pioneer—stands with many of its original furnishings, providing a worthwhile reas-
on for a detour. Also, Defiance is home to three wineries: Chandler Hill Vineyards; Sugar
Creek Winery; Yellow Farmhouse Winery.
Leaving Defiance, the drive hugs the banks of the Missouri River, following its lazy
course through countryside confettied with tidy farmhouses, red barns, white country inns,
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