I grew up in St. Louis, which is essentially a flat prairie town where two rivers meet, the Mississippi and the Missouri.   It’s the higher ground, the bit on the other side in Illinois floods frequently.  As far as we know, the Illinois side was the site of a great native city, Cahokia that was abandoned long before European contact.   St. Louis was established as a fur trading outpost and grew into a large city of brick houses and prosperity.

Of course that is the distant past, in my past it has a different story.   I remember it as a place that is hot in the summer and cold, cold, cold in the winter.   The winters are full of grey skies, the clouds hang so low that it looks like you could reach up and touch them, or bump your head on them if you are not careful.   In contrast, the beautiful skies and wide open spaces are part of why I love Colorado and New Mexico.

In the far distance is Spanish Peaks, which is about 120 miles away.   the bluer mountains are the Wet Mountains, about 50 miles away.

Cheyenne Mountain is in the foreground, it is the site of NORAD, a (not-so-secret) military installation that extends for a mile inside the mountain.

A different view of the Peak.

The bump on the horizon to the north is Castle Rock.   It doesn’t look very impressive in this view as there is a pass (high point) between here and there.   It’s about 45 miles away.  All of these pictures were taken on one of the many trails that run throughout the city.   Anyone can enjoy these spectacular vistas.