Places to Go, Things to Do

Eagle Days is a must in January

If it's January, it must be time for eagle watching. When winter's cold and ice hit northern states, eagles move south where rivers stay open so they can hunt for fish.

The St. Louis area is ideal. The locks and dam near Alton keep the ice from closing the Mississippi. That open water brings the eagles and then people who watch the eagles.

The 11th annual Eagle Days at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge will be held Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 14-15.

The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Arch and the St. Louis Science Center have a couple of indoor events that focus on past outdoor adventures.

If you want to prepare for outdoor activities, the Missouri Department of Conservation is holding hunter education certification classes in January. Completion of the course gets you ready to qualify for Missouri hunting licenses.

And then there's a chance to tap maple trees and learn how maple syrup is made.

Each month, Young Saint Louis.com samples some of the events that would make good outings for you and your family. YSL.com doesn't try to give complete details. Rather, we include links or phone numbers for further information.

Here are some of the interesting Places to Go, Things to Do for January:

 

Eagle Days at Chain of Rocks Bridge

The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge across the Mississippi is an ideal spot to do your eagle watching. During the Jan. 14-15 Eagle Days, the bridge is outfitted with viewing scopes and lots of other fun things to do.

A highlight this year will be Lewis & Clark re-enactors who will have a camp set up. Visitors will get a glimpse of what it was like during the 1804-1806 exploration of the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean.

The bridge is just south of the area where eagles find concentrations of fish. Also, nearby, there are big trees where the eagles roost after their food searches.

Free parking is available on both the Missouri and Illinois sides of the Mississippi.

For more about eagles, visit www.mdc.mo.gov/nathis/birds/eagle.

 

Titanic "camp-ins" at St. Louis Science Center

The St. Louis Science Center will start a series of overnight "camp-ins" that focus on the sinking of the ocean-liner "Titanic." The first is Friday, Jan. 27 but others will follow throughout 2006.

Bring your sleeping bag and get lots of information about the liner said to be unsinkable.

There is lots of information about the Titanic and its demise. But, there are also hands-on experiments about ship construction and looks at how to recover Titanic artifacts.

For information, visit www.slsc.org and get details on registration. Also, you can find a list of future overnight "camp-ins" by linking to the Just4Kids section of the website.

 

Lewis & Clark film at The Arch

The Arch Odyssey Theater at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial is showing a film about the 1804-1806 exploration by Lewis and Clark.

The film is titled "Lewis & Clark: Great Journey West."

The film is shown on the theater's giant screen in the museum area under the Arch.

For more information, visit www.gatewayarch.com.

 

MDC hunter education classes

Missouri Hunter Education Certification classes are being held in January at both the Busch Memorial and Henges Outdoor education centers.

The Busch classes will be Tuesday through Thursday, Jan. 17-19. The Henges classes are Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 28-29.

Completion of the classes is mandatory if you plan to obtain a Missouri hunting license.

For information about the classes, call (636) 441-4554.

 

Maple Tree Tapping

Although it's winter, the maple trees are getting ready for spring. One of the ways is to start the sap flowing into the branches.

There's where humans get into the act. They tap into the maple trees and collect some of the sap. Then, by boiling off excess water, they can create that maple syrup that goes so well on pancakes and waffles.

A "Maple Sugar: Tree Tapping" class will be held Monday, Jan. 23, at the Rockwood Reservation in western St. Louis County. The class is from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and open to kids 10 and up.

This class isn't about making syrup. It's about gathering the sap from maple trees in the Rockwood Reservation forest.

For information and reservations, call (636) 458-2236.

 

St. Charles Boat Show

The first boat show at the new St. Charles Convention Center will be held Jan. 20-22.

Ten boat dealers will take part in the show. All sorts of cruisers, pontoon and deck boats and personal watercraft will be on display. Also fishing gear will be displayed.

For information visit www.letsgoshows.com or call (314) 355-1236.

 

Arbor Day Poster Contest

Missouri 5th graders still have time to enter the 2006 Arbor Day poster contest. The contest is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

The deadline for entries is Feb. 17.

The Missouri winner will be entered in the national contest.

Check with your 5th grade teacher for information that was sent to all public and private schools.