Choo choo (Sundays through October)

They say Amtrak ridership is up thanks to the cost of oil … I wonder if coal is likewise rising in cost?  On Sundays now through October you can ask the folks at the Wabash Frisco and Pacific Rail Road Association if it’s getting more expensive to fuel their coal-powered steam locomotives.  The trains run every week, rain or shine, giving two-mile round trips along the Meramec River in Glencoe (part of Wildwood).  They depart every 20 minutes or so between 11 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. for a 30-minute ride.  Cost is $3 for those age 4 and above; younger kids ride free.  For details, call 636.587.3538 or visit the organization’s homepage.  The weather this weekend looks excellent for a jaunt to the country — and Wildwood is not too far from the wineries, should you get thirsty …

But I digress!  If you click on the little train icon at the bottom of the homepage, and then click from the new page’s menu to see a list of the inventory of engines and cars, you’ll note that coal isn’t the only fuel — some run gasoline, others oil.  But the coal-burning old-time engines are fascinating to see in action just for the sake of history.  For one thing, they’re much dirtier and smellier than I expected!  For any trainspotters out there, the roster includes engines made in 1907, 2006 and everything in between, from local and overseas manufacturers.

Under normal circumstances I’d expect S. to balk at the noise of the engines, but he the other day he took a ride on my cousin’s tractor — without me along, and he was smiling the whole way, so it seems he’s getting braver lately!

Third in the playground games series (anytime)

Several months ago I read an article about EnTeam, a St. Louis-based nonprofit that advocates modifying traditional competitive games to a win-win format where cooperation is the only way players can achieve a successful outcome. The founder, Ted Wohlfarth, gave a great interview about why and how cooperation should be introduced into sports. It really made an impression on me, and I thought of it again last week, when M. attended a bowling party where not only did the kids on each lane compete against one another to “win” or “lose,” but they also kept track of the bowlers on the next lane to see who was winning and losing over there. M. didn’t win, and his sad reaction made me sad too, because I wanted him to focus on the fun of the special outing, not the final scores.

I’m no Pollyanna, but I do think kids can benefit from learning cooperative game strategies — it’s the same reason adults hunker down for team-building retreats, right? If you agree, check out the EnTeam homepage, which has tips on setting up games (and debriefing kids afterward to make sure the lesson sticks) for academic settings, physical sports and social settings. Anyone up for cooperative poker?

Two more nights of Wednesday Magic (Aug. 13 and 20)

With the weather so fabulous I sort of hate to plug an indoor event! But the final two sessions of the Magic House’s free Wednesday evening admission (5:30 to 9 p.m.) are coming up this week and next. We took advantage of Wachovia Securities’ generosity a couple of weeks ago, the evening it was pouring down rain, and it worked out really well because most of the museum-goers were slightly older than my boys, and the preschool areas were less crowded than I’d expected.

For those who haven’t yet attended, note that this free admission deal is only applicable to families (two parents and no more than four of their own children). As always, the third Friday of the month continues to be a free evening at the Magic House as well.

And in case you’re curious, the new addition is really taking shape. It’s scheduled to be up and running at the end of December. There you go — your winter break plans are set before summer vacation’s even over!

A great weekend to bike the Katy Trail (Aug. 9-10)

An August weekend where the temperature barely breaks 90!?!?  I can’t wait to get outside and do something that doesn’t involve wet towels and shovelfuls of sunscreen.  Earlier this week, I was doing an interview with a 71-year-old Californian who’ll be biking across the United States starting early next month to raise funds and awareness for Habitat for Humanity.  He mentioned how much he had enjoyed biking the Katy Trail when he’d visited Missouri, and I realized I’ve never blogged about it here.  It’s an unpardonable oversight because the trail is absolutely beautiful, even to non-cyclists like myself.

He said it’s one of the best trails he’s biked, from the crushed limestone surface to the Missouri River valley scenery.  He advised renting a mountain or hybrid bike (the surface can be tricky for the narrow tires on road bikes) but the trail’s FAQs page suggests it’s not 100% necessary if you’re careful on the less-well-packed sections.

Camping isn’t allowed along the trail, but because this will be a prime weekend for that activity too, I’m tossing in a tip:  Check out Klondike Park Campground in Weldon Spring.  On the site of an old silica sand quarry that was abandoned to the elements for 20 years, it has a stunning contrast of jutting cliffs and verdant undergrowth, all right along the river. It sounds weird, I know, but I’ve actually had dreams about this park, it’s that special.  The 250-acre grounds have a few hiking/biking trails too, as well as basic amenities for overnight stays.  Sites are $7 for a primitive and $10 for a basic — none are electric.  It might be too late to reserve a spot for this weekend, but you can definitely just show up and hope for the best; for park info, call 636.949.7535.

Big trucks and free movie screenings (Aug. 2, 5 and 9)

In the past year or so I’ve cut down on the number of free publications I pick up. Instead, I’m receiving more of their feeds via e-mail.  This is a detriment to advertisers in the print version, and being a print person I want to support the medium, but having unread material in my inbox (currently the total is 36 e-newsletters alone) is a lot less messy than having it all over my desk!

But there’s no way I can pass up these publications entirely.  There’s just too much good under-the-radar info in them.  For example:  Both of today’s tips come from St. Louis Kids magazine.  The first is “On the Road in America: Big Truck Day” at the Kemp Auto Museum in Chesterfield.  It happens tomorrow (Aug. 2) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in conjunction with the museum’s ongoing exhibit of paintings and its permanent exhibition of 30 “historically significant” cars. I hadn’t checked the museum’s offerings lately, so I was pleasantly surprised to see what all’s happening there this summer — movie nights, music performances by kid-friendly bands, even a lock-in for ages 6 to 12.  Some of the activities have a nominal fee, but the big truck day is free.

The other tip is about two movie screenings sponsored by the magazine, American Teen (Aug. 5 at 7 p.m., ages 13 and above accompanied by parents only) and Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Aug. 9 at 10 a.m.).  For info on how to get passes for either screening, click on its title.

Yes, there are public outdoor pools in the city (until Aug. 17)

I’m not sure if it’s the economic situation or an underground trend toward frugalness or the simple fact that more and more families are living in the city of St. Louis, but suddenly people are talking about the free outdoor public swimming pools in St. Louis. I’ve heard about them from white-collar professionals, immigrants, random parents at the park … and it seems only right that I should pass my intel along, because it seems that very few people know the pools even exist.

There are three: the Marquette Pool on Minnesota in South City (the phone listed on the site doesn’t work; call the Marquette Center at 353.1250) is the one about which I’ve heard the most positive comments. It’s a no-frills pool for SWIMMING — what a concept! — with very straightforward and strict rules that no doubt contribute to its being clean and safe. The other two are the Chambers Pool, at Compton/Caridinal/Franklin, and the Fairground Pool, Grand at Natural Bridge.

The pools opened after school let out for the summer, and they close Aug. 17, the day before city schools start up again (a mere three weeks away!). Check their homepages for rules on what to bring/not to bring and hours. In general, the pools are open in the afternoons and evenings.

Up you go (Jul. 27)

If you’re up bright and early on Sunday (Jul. 27) and reading this blog, you can still catch the Tree Climbers International instructional climbing session for newcomers to the sport (yes, it is apparently a sport, and the international championship is in St. Louis this weekend).  If you want to strap on the safety gear and give it a shot, head over to Lindell Field south of the Missouri History Museum (behind the Forest Park Visitors Center) and look for the folks in helmets and harnesses with ropes in their hands.  The fun climb lasts from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The pros will be there too, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., working their way up tall oak and sweet gum trees. There are men’s and women’s categories for the 50 competitors in various categories; last week the Post ran a detailed article about the sport and a profile of a local climber.

Happy 208th B-day, Henry Shaw (Jul. 24)

One of St. Louis’ most noted philanthropists, Henry Shaw, was born 208 years ago tomorrow.  You’ve probably heard of him — even 208 years later, he still has a way with PR — either for founding the Missouri Botanical Garden or for Tower Grove Park, two of the city’s gems.  (You probably haven’t heard of his retribution toward a runaway slave, but that’s a story I’ve already touched on here.)  To commemorate an imperfect life where the balance tilts toward the public good, the botanical garden is offering free admission all day tomorrow.  From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. there will be old-fashioned games and refreshments (while supplies last). Visitors can also tour Shaw’s residence, Tower Grove House.  Cyclists are welcome to participate in the Petal Pedal, a 5-mile ride through the garden.  Registration for that is from 10 to 11 a.m. in the garden’s east parking lot.

Just FYI, this will be a peak day and the main lots will fill quickly.  While some spaces are  always reserved for cars ferrying handicapped or elderly visitors, most likely you’ll have to park at one of the off-site lots to the west and either walk or hop a shuttle to the main entrance.

Roughing it (anytime)

I read this week that fewer Americans are playing in the great outdoors — 18 to 25 percent fewer than in the 1980s, depending on the activity (those studied included hunting, fishing, camping and trips to national and state parks).  The only category that was up, according to the study published last winter in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was day hikes, and increase was very slight (from once every 12.5 years to once every 10 years).  The authors’ contention was not that we’ve grown lazy in the past 20 years, but that we’re losing touch with nature.  And it’s not only Americans; they also studied trends in Japan and Spain and found much the same result. That, they say, could have implications for conservation and environmental policy in the future. For details, read this link to Scientific American.

So in light of this, I’d like to share a few snapshots from our trip to the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois two weeks ago.  We camped three of the nights and “decompressed” with nights in motels bookending the trip.  It was a great experience all around, and although it wasn’t technically free — we stayed at the Lake Glendale campground, where rates start at $12 for a single campsite without electricity — we saved money over a hotel and eating in restaurants.  Heck, even if your idea of cooking over a campfire is heating water to add to the packaged meals at REI (and I can vouch that some of them are pretty tasty and worth the $6-a-bag price for the  sake of convenience).

A big perk to staying at Lake Glendale is that there are two nice swimming areas close by:  the lake’s own beach and a nearby state park with a swimming pool.  We spent quite a bit of time at each, which had the benefit of wearing the kids out to the point where they crashed in the tent at night instead of spending an hour treating it like a bouncy house (which is what I had expected they’d do).  The only two pieces of equipment I consider essential for camping are a good-quality tent and and air mattress.  Especially in summer, it’s totally unnecessary to have sleeping bags.  I’d read online that the national forest won’t allow campers to bring in their own firewood, so we arrived without any only to find that the campground was out and there was only one other place nearby to stock up.  But other facilities (toilets and showers) were widely available and in good condition.

Many other moms have since told met there’s no way they’d ever go camping with little kids, but I found that in some ways it was easier to have young kids who didn’t stress out about “washing” with baby wipes before bed or hauling water 50 feet from the nearest hydrant.  To them, it was all a big game.  It reminds me of another study I read recently, that if kids aren’t exposed to the great outdoors before age 11, they’re much less likely to adapt and embrace the experience.

No dog to walk? Borrow one (first Wednesday of the month)

If your household, like ours, has no four-legged companions for the kids, consider borrowing one for a two-hour block on the first Wednesday of the month (July 2, Aug. 6, Sept. 3, Oct. 1). The Paws on Parade events start at 8:30 a.m. at the Quail Ridge Park shelter #6, and includes three main components: exercising the dogs on a paved trail, letting them play in an off-leash area, and receiving tips on pet care and safety.

The dogs come from the St. Charles County Pet Adoption Center, which asks those interested in borrowing one to give the parks department a call at 636.949.7535 no later than noon on the Monday preceding the walk, in order to make sure there are enough dogs on paw for everyone. For more details, check out the online press release from earlier this year.

If your household does have a pet, you’re welcome to bring it, too — the goal of the walks is responsible pet ownership, not necessarily finding homes for the shelter’s dogs (although I’m sure they’d appreciate that too). There’s no charge for the walk or for borrowing the dogs. The park is near the Interstate 70 and Highway 40/61 intersection in Wentzville.