St. Louis - The Gateway to the West

Day #1 (August 1, 2022): We started our 12-month trek by heading West to experience the beauty of the many national parks and state parks that the West has to offer. Fittingly, our first stop was St. Louis, MO, the Gateway to the West. We stayed in nearby St. Charles, which is where Lewis & Clark started their famous Expedition in 1804. On our car drive earlier in the day, we learned our favorite Missouri fun fact: ice cream cones were first served at the World Fair in St. Louis in 1904 at the 100 year celebration of the infamous Lewis & Clark expedition. So, naturally, that evening, we celebrated the start of our own personal expedition in downtown St. Charles with The Baked Bear beloved ice cream cookie sandwiches and ice cream cones. We even walked on the Katy Trail along the Missouri River, where L&C embarked, for a whole 100 yards or so while we enjoyed our sweet treats. Nice!