Eastern Texas Trip - Day 2

April 8, 2025 - Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site

We had breakfast in the camper and took a short walk at our private campground. According to a ranger who drove by to check us in, the area with electric sites was a bit busier. Our camper has a large battery, so we didn’t need electrical hookups. It was a beautiful but chilly morning.

We drove 3 hours to the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site and arrived in time for lunch in the camper before exploring the mounds. Unfortunately, the visitors center is closed for renovations. They are actively working on it, so the funding hasn’t been cut, yet. Being a state site, it might survive the disastrous mess engulfing the federal government. We found a sign and a website with a map and started out. From the sign we learned…

10,000 – 20,000 people lived in the area 450 years before Columbus discovered America. The site is very pretty with large trees. The trees are just coming out here and the grass is very green. Violets are blooming. We’ve seen lots of evidence of the recent flooding. Most of the walking paths are dry, but fields are still waterlogged or flooded. The trails around the mounds could use better signage, but we found our way around. We climbed the steps of the biggest mound and were rewarded with excellent views of the surrounding area and the St. Louis skyline.

We waved to the Gateway Arch as we headed south into the Ozarks.

Our next stop was the historic town of Ste. Genevieve. It is the oldest permanent European settlement west of Mississippi, dating back to the 1750’s. The town is a National Historical Park. We stopped in the visitor's center than walked around the town. It was pretty quiet, and most businesses were closed by 5:00. The old architecture was interesting. Now, was it as cute as Niagara on the Lake, Bar Harbor or Alexandria, definitely not. Would I recommend that you go out of your way to go there, no. But if you’re in the area, it’s worth a look. We had dinner at a historic tavern, the roast beef was good, but not anything special.

After dinner we took the bikes off the camper and went for a quick ride. We found a levee that wasn’t officially a bike trail but offered neat views of the lowlands. We also rode around the town.

We’re camping at Hawn State Park and have a site next to a large creek. Here too we can see evidence of the recent floods. We tried out our new mini-Solo fire pit, worked great.