St. Charles has a special place in the Lewis & Clark expedition: in May 1804, St. Charles was their point of departure for points west. St. Charles honors this history in its historic downtown with plaques, statues, and restaurants that commemorate the expedition. St. Charles also had a large French settlement, and there is still a Frenchtown section of downtown. It's an incredibly picturesque town:
It turned out to be a great coincidence that we ended our ride in St. Charles on the 4th of July. Not only does Independence Day commemorate the same spirit that inspired me in the Lewis & Clark expedition, but St. Charles also does its 4th of July celebration up right. It's a large small town, with a historic downtown and a gorgeous riverfront. When we walked down to Riverfest, we happened to be approaching just as a traditional band was playing the fitting Liberty Bell March by John Philip Sousa, which is perhaps best known as the theme song for Monty Python's Flying Circus. As four Monty Python fans, we all appreciated the simultaneous celebration of individual liberty and fine British comedy!
The St. Charles train depot is charming and quaint, and beautifully maintained:
We sat near it to watch the fireworks that night, which were seriously probably the best fireworks I've ever seen!
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