When Jenny and I first bought our canoe, we took a camping and canoeing trip to Southern Illinois to the Cache River State Natural Area. This swampy land lies at the Southern tip of Illinois, between the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. If you didn't know any better, you would think you were somewhere in the gator country of the Southern US.
State Champ Bald Cypress from our first visit. Anyone else see the face~???
Since Saint Louis was so close to Southern Illinois, we thought we would go back and re-visit our favorite swamps to kayak. The large Cypress Trees and the duckweed floating on the water gives the swamp it's authentic feel. Birds of prey are everywhere hunting for fish in the shallow waters, but the Asian Carp that plague many of Illinois Rivers have unfortunately made their way into the Cache as well.
Warning: Be careful not to let these invasive species jump in your boat and capsize you!!!
Paddling the swamp trails is very similar to paddling on a lake, there were no currents, just easy paddling in any direction. For a longer trip, you can paddle out to the Cache River, but we love the swamps because it does not require a shuttle vehicle.
Lower Cache River Access
It is very remote in this area, so make sure to check the website above for maps. A nice resource to have if you can find it, is the book Paddling Illinois by Mike Svob.
The book above contains better maps than those provided on the IDNR website, and I highly recommend buying it for that reason alone. If you put in at the Lower Cache Access though, the "trails" are fairly well marked.
Signs like these will lead you through the swamp to points of interest.
Lots of open lakes between the swamp trails.
Just thought this tree was pretty cool, out here by himself.
We usually tie up to the shady side of a tree to get out of the sun for awhile.
I believe this was our shady lunch spot on the water.
State Champion Bald Cypress believed to be over 1000 years old.
Another canoe trail marker.
So peaceful on these lakes.
The stumps you see above the water are this trees 'knees'. This one has 209 total.
Funny story: The first time Jen and I came here, we were so busy taking selfies after, that our boat floated off the ramp and out into the swamp. Scott had to swim out in the swamp to go get it. There are no gators here, but there are poisonous snakes and snapping turtles. A quick dive off the dock and a short swim to the boat were successful. No harm done except the duckweed in Scott's beard. Man I wish we would have got a picture of THAT!!!
Made sure to pull the boats WAY up on the ramp this time.
Make the trip to go visit this Illinois wetland, you wont regret it.
Our next article should post on Friday, August 2nd.
The good things in life are free!!! That was our Jerry Springer-like final thought at the end of the last article. So I figured this would be a great opportunity to take a break from our current adventures in Illinois, and talk about our favorite past-time there.
I mentioned buying our canoe in one of the first articles. It must have been lined with lead. In fact, it was such a PIA to load onto the truck, that we decided to buy a couple of kayaks too.
Kayaking took over our free-time like nothing else. We enjoyed other cost-effective activities like hiking, but lets be honest, Central Illinois is not a hikers paradise. It IS surprisingly rich with rivers and small streams that are ideal for canoeing and kayaking though. The Mackinaw was one such river, and it was the closest non-commercial waterway near our home.
Luna being a good girl and protecting our beer for us.
The Mackinaw River is one of few navigable rivers in Illinois that has remained in its wild, undammed, state. It runs for 130 miles, from its origins near Sibley, to its mouth at the Illinois River near Pekin. Jenny and I have floated countless miles on this river. We introduced her brother to kayaking at a young age.
Wyatt, in his first kayak, on the Mackinaw River.
His first camping trip ever was on the Mackinaw River. Forget those overpriced campgrounds. Beach camping is THE best.
From L to R: Jen's brother, Wyatt. Her Mom, Jamie...and some drunk Ginger.
Different day. Same island that we were camped on in the picture above.
Jenny's work friend, Melissa, was a kindred spirit that we hung out with on several occasions. Her husband Jamie also played guitar and we ended up supporting each others bands at shows whenever we could. So, like any good friend would do, we had to get them hooked on float trips.
Melissa, Jamie, and Scott on the Mackie.
Party Pirates
Maybe we should have let Melissa try the kayaks b4 we started drinking.
Another great place that we used to go was Kickapoo State Park, near Danville, Illinois. The area used to be strip mined, but the state purchased the land in the 1930's, and began to restore it as much as possible. The strip mines left numerous lakes in what is now Kickapoo Park, one is even deep enough that they teach SCUBA lessons there.
The Middle Fork of the South Vermillion River runs through Kickapoo State Park, and is the only National Scenic River in Illinois. It is a very seasonal float, and is best done in Spring or after periods of high rain. The park had a shuttle service on-site that would give you a ride up the river. You could float right back to your car. You can also walk your boat a short ways from the river, to a lake, and float over to your campsite. Here is the DNR website for Kickapoo State Park:
We took family and friends to Kickapoo several times. One of our favorite trips was with Jenny's bestie, Jessica, and her husband Kolton. This was the first time we had talked them into camping or kayaking with us.
Middle Fork of the North Vermillion River. Kolton took his sunglasses off so we would match.
Many of the small rivers in Illinois are seasonal, and Summers can be tough to find anything to float but a lake. Eventually, we discovered that a unique Illinois historical landmark called the Hennepin Canal was a great Summertime float. The canal was dredged out to connect the Mississippi River with the Illinois River. There are tunnels under roads and even several aquaducts OVER rivers or creeks. I'm not sure you can do this anywhere else in the country.
A spider-web-lined tunnel on the Hennepin. I can only assume the swiss-cheese-effect is from peoples paddles.
Jonsey, Jenny, and Scott on a Hennepin aquaduct, with a creek running underneath.
Jonsey in one of the aquaducts of the Hennepin.
OK. There is our trip down memory lane...or maybe more like memory canal. We wanted to do this so we could include some of our friends, but we also hope this was informative for anyone who is looking for some diverse kayaking trips in Illinois.
Forest Park, at 1,293 acres, is 450 acres larger than New York City's Central Park. Aside from lakes, streams, multiple picnic areas, hiking trails, and other green spaces...the park houses the Saint Louis Art Museum, The Missouri History Museum, The Muny Outdoor Theater, The World's Fair Pavilion, The Highlands Golf and Tennis Center, and the McDonnell Planetarium. There is even a boathouse that rents out paddle boats and the like...and of course...there's the Saint Louis Zoo.
Completely funded by taxes and donations, the STL Zoo is one of the top rated Zoo's in the country. It is always free to get in, and if you get there early enough, you can find free parking spots along the streets surrounding the zoo. There are gated, secure parking lots available for a fee at both the North and South Entrance.
Here is a link to the Midwest's, and possibly the Nation's, best zoo:
Elephant statue at the North Entrance of the STL Zoo.
Since it was such a hot and humid Summer in 2018, we made it a habit to visit the Arctic animals first. Turn left once inside the North Entrance to head for 'the Wild' and your first stop should be Huck and Finnley, the Grizzly Bears.
Finnley, the female Grizzly.
Waiting for the Salmon to jump.
All of the enclosures at the zoo were well built, but this was one of our favorites.
Just around the corner from the Grizzly exhibit, was the penguin house. If you can handle the smell, you are in for an air-conditioned swimming show from these water lovers. It is amazing how close you can get to these guys in here. Thankfully, there were always guards watching the animals.
Feeding time!!!
Just around the corner from the penguins, was Khali the Polar Bear. This girl was like a big puppy dog and she was always busy playing with toys or swimming. We really miss getting to hang out with her on a regular basis.
After crossing some train tracks, the path opens up to a large circular crossing. An old wooden carousel offers rides on the North side and a lake borders the South side. Lakeview Cafe can be found on the other side of the lake, and is the largest cafe in the Zoo. You can get food, soda, and beer inside...and if you work here, this is where you get your discount.
Flamingos by Lakeview Cafe.
The next stop would be the primate area. When we did see the animals up close, the people had swarmed so bad that we couldn't get any good pictures. I think they were in the process of re-building the primate enclosures after we left STL, so check their website for updates if you like.
Their aviary had a nice collection of birds, but this horn-bill was by far the weirdest looking bird I have ever seen.
This reminds me of that South Park episode with the genetically modified pig.
Continuing on from the aviary is the area known as 'Red Rocks' and the Giraffes were the first exhibit we came to from this direction.
Juvenile Giraffe at Red Rocks.
The big cat area was also part of Red Rocks. The spotted Snow Leopard was our favorite to watch. It was always pacing by the fence, and you could really see how it had evolved to grow thicker fur on it's paw pads and lower legs to deal with the cold ground.
After spending the Winter of 2017 in Tucson, Arizona, we learned that Jaguars are making a comeback in the USA. Historically, the Northern range of these cats habitat had been pushed South into Mexico, but recently there have been several spotted in the mountain ranges of Southern Arizona. The most famous of which was named, El Jefe, and was known to inhabit the Santa Rita Mountains where we loved to hike. So, we have a special place in our hearts for jaguars, and we made sure to spend some time getting a good picture of this lounging kitty.
The reptile house is next if you continue along the outside path. Plenty to see in here, but nothing as photogenic as this chameleon.
A chameleon at the reptile house.
One of the best exhibits is here in the center of the park and you do NOT want to miss it. When you get to the South Entrance, head north towards Lakeside Cafe. Sea Lion Sound has been consistently voted the best attraction in the park. The pool has a see-through tunnel that runs underneath. You can get great views of the animals from here while staying out of the heat and direct sunlight. You can also pay a few dollars to watch the trainers and the animals interact in a sea lion show.
Sea Lion swimming up to the tunnel glass.
Sliding sea lion:
Back to the South Entrance, and continuing along the outer path, will bring you to the 'Rivers Edge' exhibit. This area is always very busy and is hard to get pictures. Jenny and I came here when we were first dating, and the Hippo enclosure was one of our favorite then.
Adult Cheetah
Hyena
The elephants were always fun. Jenny ran over here on here lunch breaks many times...even though she was late getting back and always got in trouble.
These guys had a nice enclosure. Behind them, you can see they even had a waterfall.
The last exhibit before completing the circle back to the North Entrance is the Butterfly Enclosure. Part of the Monsanto Insectarium (Now know as the Bayer Insectarium), it is a touchy subject for us. Most people who know about pollinators, know that pesticides like those produced by Monsanto/Bayer, are responsible for the death of pollinators like bees and butterflies. So if you are still using pesticides that contain neonicotinoids, please STOP!!! Actually, if you can do anything to reduce the use of pesticides and herbicides, you should. OK. Rant over. Here are some pictures.
Jenny had made a couple of good friends at the zoo, and frequently gave her friend Tony a ride home since he lived right down the road from us. He was from New York and his big interest was nature photography, so he was hoping the zoo would plug him into some connections for other work.
Shortly after I started at the lab, another temp from my agency began his contract. His name was Kissel, he was from Houston, and his family was Nicaraguan. He had a great sense of humor and we hit it off right away. Luckily, he lived out past the zoo, so he was always generous enough to drop me off on his way home if I needed a ride.
Sharing a vehicle with both of us working was difficult, but I rode my bicycle home from work many times too and it was a blast. Also, the Metro Rail had a station literally right outside my lab building. I would get off the train at Union Station and have to walk several blocks to get home, but it wasn't bad at all.
Our next article should post on Monday, July 29th.
Until then, here's a link to our last entry about the City Museum.
