Pandemic-related closures and restrictions may be in place. Please check destinations websites before making travel plans.
Arcadia Valley – a region in the St. Francois Mountains that includes the towns of Ironton, Arcadia and Pilot Knob-contains three memorable state parks as well as historic Civil War sites and solid choices for dining, lodging and shopping. Here are some of our favorite activities for a weekend getaway:
1. Elephant Rocks State ParkThe most distinctive feature of this seven-acre park is the massive pink granite boulders that were formed 1.5 billion years ago. They stand end to end like a line of elephants. A self-guiding trail winds among the rocks and also leads to an old quarry, where Missouri red granite was quarried from the 1860s to the early 1900s, and the ruins of a railroad engine house.
Tamara Bretz and her family have had a very unique Christmas tradition since 2003.
Every year each member of their large family completes a quilt block to be added to the annual family Christmas quilt.
This one-of-a-kind functional piece of art becomes a treasured family heirloom.
Every year, each person in the family receives a quilt block to decorate however they choose.
âYou can look at each yearâs quilt and tell what that personâs focus was,â said Bretz.
Once all the blocks have been decorated, Bretz has a quilt completed with each of the colorful squares.
Each Christmas, the next family member in line gets that yearâs quilt. Bretz kept the first yearâs quilt from 2003. The quilt recipients then started with the oldest child and has now reached the line of grandchildren.
The hustle and bustle of the Christmas season sometimes makes all of the festivities a bit exhausting. The list of to-do is often extensive: work parties, classroom celebrations, baking and cooking, shopping and wrapping, and more. Too often these tasks overwhelm people.
Years ago, Christmas wasnât about shopping for hours for that âperfect giftâ and piling beautifully wrapped â and sometimes expensive â gifts under the tree. It was about using what was already on hand to make homemade gifts and enjoying time together.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 has created many complications and caused much uncertainty, one positive result to arise amidst the chaos has been peopleâs desire to find peace and simplicity.