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    Rend Lake Rest Stop NB

    3.0 (1 review)

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    4 years ago

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    Rest Area WB I-64 MM130 - Four Cups of Coffee at the Rest Area in Mill Shoals

    Rest Area WB I-64 MM130

    (1 review)

    I have a coffee habit that is pretty tame these days, but still a little bit stunning to…read morenon-Seattleites. This habit lead me to this rest stop. For a bathroom break? Yes. So both Randy S. and I hit the head as they say (they are indoors in a very clean and lovely building) and ventured out. Randy wanted some diet pop. He got it out of the vending machine. We were about to run. Then I saw it. A Cafforia (http://www.automaticproducts.com/HTML/products/cafforia_main.html). Oh, I love these hot coffee vending machines that make hot chocolate and so forth. The swimming pool I went to when I was a kid had one of these and I was absolutely fascinated by it. So, I definitely had to indulge. But then came the question... what should I have? So many choices? To be accurate, the Cafforia comes with a multitude of products you can get for yourself, 13 in all. Everything from Cafe Latte to Expresso (I love that they spell it with an X). So, I narrowed my choices to something milky and sweet, because one never knows about the coffee in these things and it's best to have a buffer between you and potential burnt bitterness... I was either going to get: 1) Cafe Mocha - seemed promising, if basic 2) Cafe Vanile - about the same 3) French Vanilla - with which I had a hard time understanding the potential differences from #2 4) English Toffee - this was Randy S.'s choice from the get Okay, so I labored and labored over the decision. Which one to get? It offered to put sugar in the Mocha and Vanile, which I thought was strange, but could point that they aren't too sweet. But on the other hand, I've seen people pour sugar into coffee like they are trying to make fill in a lake, so you never know. Still, the French Vanilla and English Toffee could be sickeningly sweet and then I'd be pissed. Then it hit me: Get all 4! Brilliant idea really. I think they were like a buck a pop, so it's just like buying a latte at Starbucks, so whatever. And, then I'll have a definitive answer... so F it, I bought them all. First out was the English Toffee, Randy S.'s front runner. It was good. Sweet, but not "too sweet" by any means. Actually very yummy. And the coffee wasn't half bad! Especially considering my expectations Next was the Cafe Mocha (which had been my choice), which also wasn't bad. It wasn't very chocolately though, and not very sweet--which I actually view as quite an accomplishment in America, so kudos Cafforia! Next, the Cafe Vanile. Kind of like the Mocha, not too sweet, not too much vanilla. Just kind of a latte with some sugar. Still, given it came out of a machine in Mill Shoals, IL, not half bad. Last was the French Vanilla. I love that they call it French Vanilla, because there's no way that France's vanilla would contain about 300% of the sugar content of ours, but so be it. It was good! Kind of similar to the English Toffee. So, which one to take with me? I had to go English Toffee. Come on. When you get 4 espresso drinks out of a Cafforia in Mill Shoals, IL, and one is English Toffee, you've got to take it. I did. I left the others behind, sadly. What could I do? If I took them I would have had a pulse rate only known to very frightened rats and there is only one cup-holder in the Lexus anyway, so... Anyway, great place... clean, awesome, great Cafforia!

    Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing and Rest Area

    Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing and Rest Area

    (3 reviews)

    $

    Near North Riverfront

    One of St. Louis' hidden gems. I say "hidden" because not many people are aware about this…read moreimportant part of St. Louis history, and the location. There are no roads nearby (just a bike trail) and there's no signs on the main roads that lead to it. Plus, it's literally by the Mississippi River. I say "gem" because, well, I can't think of any other word. But it's always fun to explore areas where a whole lot of people aren't aware of. For those that don't know, the Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing and Rest Area/Visitor's Center is located off of the Riverfront Trail. It's seemingly out in the middle of nowhere. You're very much surrounded by a levee wall with graffiti and then the river. You can access the Visitors Center as long as you're on the trail, and the closest road is 0.2 miles north of it (East Prairie Avenue). You have to drive through the industrial part of the city to get there, and there is a small parking lot. Another big thing to keep in mind is, access is limited throughout various parts of the year. From November to March, the Visitor's Center is not open. And during April to October, it is only open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. I wish it was five days a week, but then they have to pay those people. Lastly, it is open mostly during daylight hours (don't know exactly when...). If you are lucky to check it out during open hours, by all means do it! There is always an attendant on duty, and you can go inside and sometimes they will sell snacks and cold drinks for trail riders. Public restrooms are available, though they are Johnny toilets. I wouldn't go as far as calling it a museum, but there is lots of historical information on the walls inside, as well as two historical markers. The back deck is a great view of the Mississippi River, though there is not very much to see on the other side. One last thing: every year, there is a gathering at the Freedom Crossing, which is the Mary Meachum Celebration. Usually, it happens once a year in May. They have historical re-enactments and food/crafts/games. I still have yet to check it out!

    The Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing and Rest Area is located along the Mississippi River a few miles…read morenorth of Downtown St. Louis on the Riverfront Trail. You can get there by car, but for me, it's more fun to go by bike on the trail. This landmark is a work in progress and consists of murals painted on the levee wall, historic markers, informative signs, and a building which is sporadically open (usually on nice summer weekend days). The building is used for special events, displays and as a rest stop for trail users. A nice deck also overlooks the river on the back side. The area is also used annually for the Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing Celebration which consists of a historic reenactment, storytelling, music and dance. The real reason to come here though, is to learn a bit about our ugly past. I've become fascinated with the story as I've tried to learn more about what happened, and I'll try to give a brief summary of what I've learned from my visits and read on the internet: This site recognizes the first documented Underground Railroad event in Missouri. In 1855 a group of slaves escaped and tried to cross the river from Missouri into Illinois for freedom. Mary Meachum, who was already a free Africa American woman, assisted and accompanied them in their attempt to escape. Mary was the wife of John Berry Meachum who had bought his own freedom, founded the first free black church in St. Louis, and bought other African Americans out of slavery while teaching them how to read and write. When he died, Mary carried on the movement. She was helping a woman named Ester, her two small children and at least two other people to cross into freedom at this very location. Unfortunately, a police officer was waiting on the Illinois side for them and Mary Meachum was arrested and thrown in jail. Ester was "owned" by Henry Shaw who was a very prominent St. Louisan and best known for founding the Missouri Botanical Garden and being a generous philanthropist. Since Shaw was such a well known business man, the local newspapers covered the story in detail and documented what would have otherwise been a forgotten historic event. Ester was returned to Shaw who in turn sold her to a plantation in Mississippi for $350 minus a $161.62 reward to the bounty hunter. Her children were not sold and probably remained behind. While the newspapers documented the story well, I'm still curious to know what happened to Mary Meachum and Ester and her two children.

    Rend Lake Rest Stop NB - reststops - Updated May 2026

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