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NCI
and KMOV-TV Channel 4 Present:
North
County: RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!
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North county has plenty of fun
activities for the whole family.
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| Beautiful municipal and county
parks can be found throughout the area. From
bike riding and skateboarding, to fishing and
just relaxing, visitors and residents will find
a variety of parks and recreational facilities.
During the hot summer months, many prefer to
cool off at one of area's refreshing waterparks
including the new Splash
waterpark in Ferguson. Or visit Bellefontaine
Neighbor's newest putt-putt golf course, or
the New Koeneman Park in Jennings |
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And the fun doesn't stop when summer ends.
North County has several innovative sports
facilities that offer both indoor and outdoor
activities for all ages. Jamestown
Sports Complex offers soccer, volleyball,
swimming, softball, baseball, and flag football
year-round. All types of fitness opportunities
are available in a family friendly environment
at the Emerson
YMCA, where a variety of activites focus
on helping you get in shape and stay fit for
life.
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The new St.
Louis Mill's Sportstreet Neighborhood has
plenty of exciting activities including the
ice zone where you can watch the St. Louis Blues'
practice…or take a spin around the rink yourself.
Enjoy the interactive NASCAR speedpark, where
you speed all you want in your own miniture
race car…or try your skills at the first ESPN
X Games Skatepark in St. Louis. |
| Golf enthusiasts will enjoy playing
at one of North County's many public and private
golf courses including Norwood
Hills Country Club, a former host of the
National PGA Championship, now undergoing a
complete renovation that will give members a
premiere golfing destination, new clubhouse
and a fitness center. |
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If you prefer a public course, try Normandie
Golf Club…a course considered to have one
of the most challenging finishing holes in
the area.
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Nature lovers will enjoy crossing
the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge - the world's
longest pedestrian and biking bridge. One mile
long, the bridge offers breathtaking views of
the Mississippi and is a perfect place to spot
bald eagles during late winter. |
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A short drive north of the bridge, visitors
can hike to the Columbia
Bottom Conservation Area and experience
the unspoiled confluence of the Mississippi
and Missouri Rivers.
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"There are a lot of reasons for people
to come to Columbia Bottom Conservation Area.
First of all, there's an opportunity to see
the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi
Rivers - the two greatest rivers in our country.
Secondly, there's plenty of outdoor recreation
opportunities. There's plenty of opportunities
for hunters, fishermen, for birdwatchers,
for hikers and bikers and people that just
want to get outside on a nice day...
Tom Leifield, Wildlife Management
Biologist,
Missouri
Department of Conservation
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"It is our
goal at the Great Rivers Greenway
district to re-introduce the rivers
and how important they are to
the St. Louis region…and we're
doing that by developing a process
called the River Ring and this
summer in North County we're going
to have three projects for you
to enjoy…about five miles of trail… |
| one of which will
be going from Sunset Park to Old
Towne Glorissant…a trail that
goes from Truman Park to St. Stanislav…and
please enjoy the five miles that
we've already completed in the
Columbia Bottom area." |
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Located at the confluence
of the Missouri and Mississippi, North County
is the home of North America's greatest
rivers, as well as the Great Rivers Greenway
District, building the River Ring, an interconnected
system of greenways, parks and trails that
will comprise a six-hundred mile web of
more than fourty five greenways crisscrossing
the region, with something for everyone
- safe access and beautiful views of the
river, hiking and biking trails, boat ramps
and picnic areas.
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Many visitors enjoy taking
the family to Dos
Doñas, St. Louis' only suri alpaca
breeding farm. Guests can pet and feed apalcas
and even pick up a cozy sweater made from
the fiber of these exotic creatures. |
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Other visitors to North County
prefer to just relax and there are many places
to help them do just that....Many historic homes
are now used for special get-togethers. Built
in the mid 19th century, the Larimore
Plantation House in Spanish Lake was once
one of the largest plantations in the midwest.
Now this beautifully renovated mansion is a
popular place for elegant weddings and receptions.
The Larimore Plantation includes a gazebo area
for garden weddings, a banquet room, and a historic
wedding chapel. |
| Visitors to North County can expect
to find plenty of entertainment. Gamblers can
press their luck at the Las Vegas style Harrah's/Player's
Island Casino in Earth City. Just next door,
the spectacular Verizon Wireless Ampitheater
offers a series of summertime concerts by the
some of top stars in the music industry. |
| Theatrical perfomances can be
enjoyed at the Eagen Civic Center, Florissant
Valley Community College's Terry
Fischer Theatre and now at the new 50 million
dollar Blanche
Touhill Performing Arts Center at UM-St.
Louis. The center has two performance spaces
- a large, main concert hall and a more intimate
music and theatre hall. This new world-class
venue is bringing everything from Broadway to
opera, comedy to Shakespeare, to North County.
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Blanche Touhill Performing
Arts Center
at UM-St. Louis |
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During the summer months, aviation
history buffs can take a tour of Boeing's Prologue
Room. The James S. Mcdonnell Prologue Room tells
the story of more than eight decades of avation
progress, from biplanes to space travel. |
| Visitors will also find hundreds
of unique restaurants throughout North County…not
only is the area home to many of the popular
chain restaurants, there are several locally
owned eateries that only the locals know about
- in the historic Old Towne Florissant neighborhood
- many enjoy fine dining in Hendel's Market
Café...known for it's trendy gourmet menu. |
Hendel's Market Cafe |
Whistlestop Cafe |
All-American dishes can be found
at the Chuck-A-Burger in St. John - a popular
place for weekend classic car shows. Another
favorite eatery, is the Whistlestop
Cafe in Ferguson, a renovated train station
serving sandwiches and tasty ice cream treats.
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| And now in Ferguson…Soma's Coffeehouse
offers a cybercafe, live music, pool tables
and a menu to please coffee lovers everywhere.
From a tearoom style cuisine at Diamond Anna's
Secret Garden to italian at Vincenzo's, mexican
at the well-known Pueblo Nuevo, North County
boasts local restaurants for all tastes. |
