Castlewood's Historical Staircase..

When letterboxing in Castlewood State Park last weekend, I was admiring the crumbling staircase in the background of the above photo...wondering how I would get an interesting image of it to describe.  Suddenly, this rusty, yellow leaf fell and landed right on the 2 inch wide deck railing that overlooked the grand staircase.  I like this photo as much as the many shots I have overlooking the Meremac River from the bluffs.

This staircase leads up into the hills from the river.  As you travel down the boardwalk, on the trail, you pass a tunnel under the Union Pacific railroad.  This spot is the old location of the Castlewood Railroad Depot.  The staircase began there and carried visitors up the bluffs to their resort cabins in the 1920s and 1930s when Castlewood was a popular weekend retreat from the hectic life of downtown St. Louis.  At it's peak, the resort hosted as many as 10,000 visitors on summer weekends.  Resort goers danced, frolicked on Lincoln Beach (a sandbar requiring a ferry across the river to access), and partied the nights away in the large hotel at the top of the bluff.  Many of the remains can be seen on the hike through the park.

I leave you with this shot of my daughter and her friend standing in the fireplace remains of one of the former rental cabins in Castlewood State Park.  Looking at the old foundation, it appears the cabins were one-roomed buildings weighing in at about 250 square feet.  People in the 1920s paid money to ride a train into the woods, swim in a river, carry all their weekend luggage up a 200 foot bluff, and stay in a one-room cabin with no air conditioning, running water, or central heat.

My how things have changed.

Letterboxing with the Kids..

Another look at my friend taking in the views from Castlewood State Park.  He and I took the kids letterboxing, and here is a little detail on the hobby...

So, here's a little explanation of our new hobby, letterboxing.  You get clues from this letterboxing site or this one in the area of the country you would like to search.  A lot of national parks, state parks, and historical sites are homes to these boxes.  Next, you go on your little "scavenger hunt" using the clues.  Once the box is found, you open it to typically find a pad of paper and a stamp inside.  You take the stamp and stamp your notebook with it.  You, then, take your stamp (that you carry with you) and stamp their book.  Now, you are both starting a collection.  You, of the places you've been.  Them, of the visitors that have found their box.  This hobby has been around for years in Europe, but has only been in North America since the late 1980s.

This hobby is perfect, in my opinion, for kids around 10 years old, hiking enthusiasts, and boy scouts.  Often times you need a compass or a fair amount of logic/reasoning skills to decode the clues.  Some can be rather cryptic in nature.  But, this letterboxing certainly gives kids of all ages a reason to go on a hike...something to reward the journey.  As I said before, my daughter and I did this with a friend last weekend, and my daughter had an absoulte blast with it.  She's hooked...already asking when we are going again.

My daughter writing a little note in the letterbox's notepad for the owner to enjoy.

And, now, finishing things off with our stamps.

Have a nice weekend!

More views of Castlewood State Park

Hiking The River Scene Trail in Castlewood State Park.  River Scene Trail is a very scenic trail providing some of the best views in all of St. Louis County.  It is about 3 miles long and also passes ruins from former rental lodges, as the park was a former resort area in the 1920s and 1930s.  This view is the first of the hike, looking southeast (downstream) into the Lower Meremac River Valley.  Again, you can see the steam rising from the forest in pockets of fog.

The Letterboxing crew.  Katelyn (my daughter, 10) with her friend Jack, also 10.  Those daring little letterboxers weren't afraid of the edge of the cliff at all.  More on the hobby of letterboxing over the weekend.

Castlewood State Park overlooking the Meremac River

Took my daughter on her first hike last weekend in Castlewood State Park.  We were on a scavenger hunt, of sorts, called letterboxing (click link for explanation).  On the way to the letterbox, we passed some fabulous overlooks.

Granted, it was a rainy day, but the vistas were spectacular!  We are about 200 feet (60 meters) above the river and can see for miles in spite of the fog/mist...nary a skyscraper in sight.