Missouri Adventure Tour September 2004 . . $125.00 The exploration of the northwest was one of the most exciting periods in American history. Lewis & Clark set out from a point near St Louis to explore the Lousiana purchase and find a northwest passage. Troop 33 experienced this area on an adventure tour that included paddling on four rivers, caving, camping, museums, and exploring one of the nation's largest zoos.     We began by touring the great city of St Louis. Our first activity was to visit the Gateway Arch and explore the Westward Expansion Musuem to learn about the history of Lewis & Clark and their expedition. Our next stop was the Missouri Historical Museum where we gained more insight in the history of the region.         Another great museum we visited in St Louis was the Science Center. Complete with a life size animatronic T-Rex, there are many hands-on exhibits. Another great place we explored was the St. Louis Zoo, with over 3,000 animals, it is one of the largest zoos in the United States. We enjoyed the eveything from the penguins to the rhinocerus and all those animals in between. Our last visit of a very long day was at the unique and interesting St Louis City Musuem, a place that is part museum, part playground, and also an arts and cultural center.       One of our canoeing adventures on this trip was along the Huzzah Creek which took us flowing into the beautiful Meremec River. We paddled through heavily wooded areas past exposed rock cliffs in some areas.       Another adventure took us deep beneath the earth at Onondaga Cave State Park. We did some cave exploring within the realm of Crystal Cave with its intricate spelealogical formations. Finally we traced an adventure of Lewis & Clark by reliving a portion of their trip log while canoeing on Gatineau Creek, which they explored to find nesting rattlesnakes and a salt spring. Today a bridge along the Katy Trail passes over the Gatineau Creek. Paddling along the mighty Missouri River we passed under the Interstate 70 highway bridge with the Gatineau cliffs to our north. One of today's hazzards are giant river barges, which rocked us, as we paddled in the wake of Lewis & Clark. The expedition of Lewis & Clark was one of the most exciting times in American history representing tremendous growth along a new frontier. Troop 33's Missouri Adventure tour will always be remembered for fun, adventure, challenge, excitement, and the thrill of new experiences. Our boys returned with newfound knowledge, greater confidence and skills, and a sense of accomplishment. It was a great experience E-Mail Cliff Golden [email protected]