ABOUT THE PARK: DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 38.57239, -90.39182
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| Kirkwood Trailhead Parking - the end of Grant's Trail. Since I was staying in a neighborhood only 1.3 miles away, I rode my bike through residential streets to start here. |
TRAIL MAPS:
BIKE DISTANCE: 30.4 miles
THE BIKE:
I wanted to get in one last ride before heading back home to NJ and these trails led to my old neighborhood where I lived over 30 years ago. There was a 30% chance of rain at 2:00 PM, no reason not to go. Or so I thought.
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| Starting from the end of the Grant's Trail at mile 9.9, I believe. |
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| Over I-44. |
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| The Sappington Road trailhead seems to be the busiest. |
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| Passing by Grant's Farm where the Clydesdales reside. But those horses must have had insider info on the weather because they were not out. |
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| Look at those clouds breaking up and blue skies peeking out. |
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| There is a long stretch where Grant's Trail follows right next to I-55. |
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| Crossing over River des Peres, more of a storm drainage than a river. If you recall the Great Flood of 1993, it was River des Peres that flooded my house just as I was in the process of moving to New Jersey. They have since installed pumps to prevent that from happening again. |
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| I was going to take the River des Peres Greenway to the right to Jefferson Barracks to where my father is buried but decided to head left into my old neighborhood first. |
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| Crossing back over River des Peres. |
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| From this parking lot ... |
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| ... zooming in to the house I used to live in which isn't visible from this angle but it would be directly behind that garage with the white door to the left of the beige 2-story house. |
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| Continuing on... |
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| ... just look at that beautiful sky. What rain? |
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| Dark clouds up ahead? |
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| I used to go to the shopping center on the left frequently but it was much busier back in the 80's. The large store on the right was a GrandPa Pidgeon's and to the left of that was an aerobics studio where I took step aerobics classes. My memory of GrandPa Pidgeon's was purchasing paint for my son's room - paint that ran down the walls and would never dry. Ah, the memories. |
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| The River des Peres Greenway continues beyond this very busy, multiple crossing intersection but this would be my turn around point. |
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| Heading back. And within minutes, the wind kicked up and it started raining. I was already wet by the time I got my rain gear on. It poured. Camera was packed away. |
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| In between bursts of pouring rain, a few cell phone shots. |
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| It would stop raining, the sun would come out, and it would pour again. |
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| I waited under this overpass for a while until the rain subsided some. |
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| I was able to make it back the rest of the way with very little rain using the camera but then it continued to rain for hours after I was back home. So much for a 30% chance of rain at 2:00 PM. |
