Shareby Jo Schaper
In 1967, measurements had been taken of the upper Meramec for its brand-new dam. The lower Meramec, once the destination of choice for weekend parties, anglers, horse riders and boaters threatened to become the big southern brother to the concreted and sewage stinking River Des Peres
William Schock and Al Foster decided enough was [...]

ShareBy Jo Schaper
If St. Louis County successfully shuts down county parks from Meramec River mile marker 162 to 180 (West Tyson Park, Sherman Beach, Lone Elk, Simpson, Unger and George Winter parks) one of the shining success stories of riparian management will have gone for naught.
Ask Brittany Barton, project manager of the Open [...]

ShareCommentary By Jo Schaper
(Here’s a little historical backstory why targeting St. Louis county parks along the Meramec for possible closure may not be a good idea. These thoughts are Jo’s alone…)
The lower Meramec River, from about the Pacific Palisades to its confluence with the Mississippi south of the modern town of Arnold, has been a [...]

Share“Huzzah!” yelled the cannonneer in a clean, dark blue Union uniform. The big gun roard at his side, fire and smoke billowing from the throat. The sting of freshly burned powder smarted in my eyes, from about 40 feet away.
I looked down at the lady in the lawn chair in front of me, [...]

ShareFloods are nothing new, as anyone familiar with the Bible story of Noah will tell you. Twenty-five years ago, high water took one southeast Missouri landmark but spared another. With plans for an intentional flood of the Meramec River valley blocked after a bitter public battle, property acquired for the failed lake project went up [...]

ShareI had plenty of opportunity to experience southeast Missouri’s extreme weather on Tuesday and Wednesday on my monthly newsstand/ad sales route. Photos from Van Buren, Poplar Bluff, Lake Wappapello, Sam A. Baker State Park, Clearwater Lake, Black River, Bellview Valley and Valley Park are posted below. Pictures of the Big River and Jacks Fork were [...]

ShareEditor’s Note: Traveler is pleased to provide readers with the blog, Ozarks Law & Economy by Harry Styron, a Branson attorney of the firm, Styron & Shilling. Harry, who happens to be my brother, often writes on topics relating to the Missouri outdoors. I think you’ll find his comments educational and thought-provoking. Please feel free [...]

ShareNow on permanent display in our Photo Gallery: 2010 Traveler Readers Choice winners. Check out this album for our readers picks of the best outdoor, places and people and businesses in Traveler  Country.
Ballots for the 2011 Traveler Readers Choice awards will be published in our September and October issues. Be sure to vote for your favorites [...]

ShareIn the August 2010 issue of
River Hills Traveler
Remember the favorite outdoor places, businesses and people readers voted for last September and October? The winners in Traveler’s second annual Readers Choice Awards are profiled in this issue. Make this section your guide to outdoor enjoyment in Traveler Country.
Other Page 1 stories:
Cool rivers pull crowds on hot [...]

ShareEveryone has to be from somewhere, and Jo has spent the great majority of her life somewhere in the Meramec River Valley. Seven years ago she wrote a short piece (reproduced here) about the origin of the word “Meramec”. Enjoy!
So: just what is a “Meramec” anyway?
The earliest in-print reference to the Miaramigoua River seems [...]