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St Charles
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The beautiful little river town of
ST CHARLES
, 25 miles northwest of downtown St Louis and forever threatened by flooding - in 1993 it briefly became an island in the swirling waters - remains redolent with lazy charm, despite the advent of its first riverboat casino. Three small though distinct
historic districts
are crammed with antique shops, specialty outlets and good cafA©s and restaurants, including the
Trailhead Brewery
, 921 S Riverside Dr. (tel 636/946-2739), a modern pub housed in an 18th-century grist mill. Lewis and Clark set up strategic camp here in 1804, and are remembered in the interesting small
museum
.
St Charles's
CVB
, 230 S Main St (tel 636/946-7776 or 1-800/366-2427,
), has details of downtown's growing range of elegant and amply porched
B&Bs
. The popular
Katy Trail
, which hugs "Big Muddy" along the route of an old railroad before turning west to Clinton, is excellent for hiking or cycling. Ride Me Recycles (tel 314/707-7433 or 1-888-274-4626,
) rents bikes and provides pick up and drop off along the trail, as does Touring Cyclist (tel 636/949-9430). Gambling and showboats are anchored along the riverbanks, while the
St Charles Princess
operates sightseeing, lunch and dinner
cruises
from Frontier Park (tel 636/946-4995). Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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United States,
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