St. Charles

Located on the Missouri River, St. Charles, like its neighboring city St. Louis, has a long and illustrious history. It was founded in 1769 by Louis Blanchette, a Canadian fur trader who christened it Les Petites Côtes, The Little Hills. Daniel Boone and his family were the first American settlers to arrive here in 1799. Boone was appointed as a commandant by the U.S. Army to oversee the Femme Osage Native American tribe in St. Charles. Today St. Charles's streets are lined with historic 18th century buildings that are home to antique shops and galleries. The Haviland Museum contains 1000 pieces of Haviland china dating from 1850 to 1920. ...

Located on the Missouri River, St. Charles, like its neighboring city St. Louis, has a long and illustrious history. It was founded in 1769 by Louis Blanchette, a Canadian fur trader who christened it Les Petites Côtes, The Little Hills. Daniel Boone and his family were the first American settlers to arrive here in 1799. Boone was appointed as a commandant by the U.S. Army to oversee the Femme Osage Native American tribe in St. Charles. Today St. Charles's streets are lined with historic 18th century buildings that are home to antique shops and galleries. The Haviland Museum contains 1000 pieces of Haviland china dating from 1850 to 1920. Tours are offered of the Boone Home, a 200-year-old Colonial estate and Boonesfield Village with several 19th century buildings. A few miles from town is the Missouri Weinstrasse, a country road dotted with wineries offering tours and tastings. Katy Trail State Park is the beginning of the Katy Trail, a 264-mile hiking and biking trail that travels across Missouri. Converted railroad tracks of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad make up the trail, which affords scenic views of bluffs towering over the Missouri River to farms and meadows and country towns.

About the Expert

Frances Folsom is the author of CitySpot Palermo, a contributor to the Reiskits guides to Milan and Italy's Lakes Region, and Thomas Cook's Independent Traveller USA.