Blue Clipper

Anne had a dentist appointment and since our dentist is in way West County, I made an outing out of this trip. She dropped me off at Faust Park and then went to her appointment. Faust is the home of the Garden’s butterfly house, the Saint Louis carousel, a 19th-century historic village and Thornhill. These attractions were all closed for the winter, except the butterfly house, whose annual closure begins next week. Faust is located off Olive Road, which is a venerable trace that crosses the peninsula that is Saint Louis and connects the Mississippi River to the Missouri. The village is a collection of historical West County buildings that have been gathered at Faust. Thornhill is the former residence of the second Missouri governor. It was eventually acquired by the Faust family, which in turn donated the property to the county.

All of these attractions are located near the Olive frontage side of the park and are on the edge of the river bluffs that overlook the Missouri River. The park has a big equestrian slant and boasts a horse trail that runs down the bluff to the flood plain, across a ravine and then up the bluff on the other side. I hiked this path, had it to myself and enjoyed the solitude of the walk. I made it back to the butterfly house a little before Anne also arrived. The conservatory was very warm and moist. It took my camera fifteen minutes to defog. It eventually did, Anne arrived and I was able to get a few good photographs, a nice outting. 

Looking Down from the Bluffs