Best Bets

Destination Augusta, Mo.

Barbara Gibbs Ostmann

Although you might have considered Augusta a wine country destination for adults, there’s plenty for the entire family to enjoy in this picturesque village on Highway 94, about an hour’s drive from most points in St. Louis.

Just getting there is part of the fun, as the hilly, winding highway is one of the “most scenic drives in America,” according to Reader’s Digest. During the fall, the colorful foliage along the route is itself reason enough for the drive.

Small-Town America
For those used to the hustle and bustle of city life, a day or weekend in Augusta is a return to small-town America. The old-fashioned town square includes playground equipment, picnic tables and shade trees. You can walk from the square to most points in town. Your first stop should be the Augusta Visitor Center, across from the park, where you can pick up brochures and maps and explore the exhibits. The free Historic Walking Tour pamphlet will introduce you to the town’s German heritage in the National Historic Register Architectural District. Stop at the Augusta Historic Museum, open on Sunday afternoons, to learn more.

Pick of the Crop
As autumn arrives, two kid-friendly Augusta attractions -- Centennial Farms and Aholt Farms -- go into high gear.

Centennial Farms offers fruits and vegetables throughout the growing season. Apple-picking in September and the pumpkin patch in October top the list of things to do with kids. The market in the century-old timber-framed barn carries apple butter, preserves and honey – all produced on site. Bob and Ellen Knoernschild are the fourth generation to operate the farm, which has been in their family for more than 150 years. Your family will enjoy a taste of history along with the seasonal produce.

The farm transforms itself into Pumpkin Fantasyland from Oct. 2-31; on weekends, the farm-theme playground will be open, with activities geared to children ages 3 to 12. Admission to the pumpkin patch is $4, ages 3-12; $2, over 12. Hayrides are $2 for adults; $1 for children.

Aholt Farms celebrates its Season of Fun on weekends from Sept. 18 through Oct. 31. Willie and Kathy Aholt open their family farm, which overlooks the Missouri River bottomland, to visitors seeking an autumn outing. Pumpkins, gourds, apple butter, crafts, hayrides, haunted house, corn maze, straw tunnel, petting zoo and more offer hours of family entertainment. Admission is $10, ages 2-12; $7, 13 and older; $4.50, 60 and older.

Blaze a Trail
If your family enjoys biking or hiking, the Katy Trail is made to order. It runs right past Augusta, along the river bottomland. There’s a trailhead just below town, and another just east of town at Klondike Park, a 250-acre park that offers cabins, campsites, nature trails, picnic areas, a playground, fishing lake and a Missouri River boat ramp.

Celebrate a Frontier Hero
In nearby Defiance, the historic Daniel Boone Home and Boonesfield Village offers a look into life on the frontier. Tour the four-story, 200-year-old Boone home, which is furnished in period style. The living history village includes more than a dozen 19th-century structures. Check out the Pioneer Days Sept. 18-19 or listen to tales of historic haunts on Oct. 23 during Spirits from the Past.

Wine and Dine
All this exploring is sure to work up an appetite, and there are several eateries, from tea rooms to winery cafes. The wineries and breweries are family-friendly, with plenty of soft drink choices for montelle_sm the kids, including Missouri grape juice. The views of the river valley from the patios at Montelle Winery and Mount Pleasant Winery are spectacular, making them a scenic choice for a family meal.

When you go:

Augusta Visitor Center, 5577 Walnut Street, Augusta, Mo., 63332, 636-228-4005, Open 12-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and by chance. For Augusta info, visit www.augusta-chamber.org and www.augusta-missouri.com.

Augusta History Museum, 275 Webster Street, Augusta, Mo., 63332. Open 1-4 p.m. Sunday or by appointment. For appointments, call Anita Mallinckrodt at 636-228-4821.

Centennial Farms and Orchard, 199 Jackson Street, Augusta, Mo., 63332, 636-228-4338, www.centennialfarms.biz

Aholt Farms, 6133 Augusta Bottom Road, Augusta, Mo., 63332, 636-228-4896, www.aholtfarms.com

Klondike Park, Highway 94, Augusta, Mo., St. Charles County Parks and Recreation, 636-949-7535; parks.sccmo.org

Katy Trail State Park, www.katytrailstatepark.com

Daniel Boone Home, 1868 Highway F, Defiance, 63341; 636-798-2005; www.lindenwood.edu/boone

Montelle Winery, 201 Montelle Drive, Augusta, Mo., 63332, 636-228-4464, www.montelle.com

Mount Pleasant Winery, 5634 High St., Augusta, Mo., 63332, 800-467-WINE, www.mountpleasant.com

Barbara Gibbs Ostmann has been writing about travel, food and wine since 1975. The author of 13 books, she lives with her husband and lots of pets on 50 acres in Franklin County.

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Best Bets to Prepare for Baby

Jessica Pupillo

So much of preparing for a new baby involves nesting at home, creating a calm yet stimulating nursery, clearing a cabinet shelf for bottles and sippy cups, and buying baby's first wardrobe, toys and equipment. Classes, support groups, play groups and sibling activities can also help you -- and siblings and grandparents, even -- prepare for and adjust to life with baby.

Preparing New Moms and Dads

Listen to the medical experts. Most hospitals have childbirth, infant care and breastfeeding classes for expectant parents. Missouri Baptist Medical Center has customized their offerings by providing several private classes for moms and dads including pregnancy massage, sibling-attended birth class, infant care for the adopting family, and special circumstances childbirth class. The hospital also provides an online infant care class for moms who find themselves on bedrest. Call 314-996-5751 to discuss the options at Missouri Baptist Medical Center.

Join a new mom group. Several support groups exist to help new moms and dads adjust to pregnancy and life with a new baby. Many offer playgroups, adult activities and opportunities to borrow, trade and sell baby gear. In addition to offering free lactation consulting and support for nursing moms, Kangaroo Kids in Glendale also organizes toddler play groups, and a nursing moms group. Moms generally After hours emergency call. For mothers of twins and multiples, consider the Greater St. Louis Mothers of Twins Club. In addition to having a two great "Re-Sell-It" sales, members support each other at monthly meetings, family activities and message boards. For moms looking for a faith-based organization, Mothers of Preschoolers, or MOPS, consistently gets good reviews.

At right: Kangaroo Kids in Glendale provides support for nursing moms and opportunities to connect and form playgroups with other moms (they have coffee, too!).

Make a list of places to enjoy once your baby arrives. There's nothing worse than being stuck in the house with a demanding new baby. Before the baby is born, scout out a few places you and your family could visit with your new baby. In the early days when your infant is still very unpredictable, you might be most comfortable planning a free outing at a location where you can come and go as your please. If you have an older child, look for a place where that child can play safely and independently while you're meeting the needs of your baby. Use the Sprout calendar to brainstorm for some options by searching for "free," and be sure to have your older child help you create your list of places to go with your new baby. A few recommendations when an older sibling is involved include local playgrounds, free story times, Whittle Shortline Railroad and Suson Animal Farm. First baby? Grab your stroller or bjorn and take a hike or see a movie (cry baby matinees and sensory-friendly films are great ways to enjoy a flick without worrying about a babbling baby).

A little exercise does a new mom good. Most doctors agree that yoga and exercising with a personal trainer are generally safe ways for moms-to-be and new moms to feel good and stay in shape. Maria Carella, a certified prenatal yoga instructor and counselor, teaches a prenatal yoga classes. By focusing on breath, their bodies and their babies, Carella's class helps expectant moms relax, build flexibility and strength, and prepare for birth and life postpartum. A personal trainer and registered nurse leads Mommies Night Out for Fitness at St. Luke's Hospital. The class is designed for moms at least 6-weeks post-delivery and focuses on cardiovascular fitness, strength, flexibility and relaxation.

Preparing Siblings

Read a book about new babies. For a great selection of children's books, visit Main Street Books in St. Charles. Owner Vicki Erwin has several recommendations for families anticipating a baby. For a general becoming-an-older-sibling book Erwin recommends "I'm a Big Brother" or "I'm a Big Sister," both by Joanna Cole. Older children love to hear their own birth stories, and you can honor their entry into the world with "Tell Me My Story, Mama," by Deb Lund. There's nothing like a pregnancy to prompt questions about where babies come from. To answer that delicate question, Erwin recommends the classic "Where Did I Come From?" by Peter Mayle. (Read more about Main Street Books.)

At right: Main Steet Books is a cozy place to find books to help older siblings adjust to a new baby.

Enroll big bro or big sis in a class. St. Luke's Hospital offers a Big Brother, Big Sister Sibling Celebration class for children ages 6-10 and children ages 3-6. Big siblings will play games, read stories and watch videos to learn more about life with a baby. Younger children will visit the newborn nursery and make a special gift for their new brother or sister.

In addition to classes for younger children, St. John's Mercy Medical Center also offers an Older Sibs class for children 7 and up. During this class, children and preteens can practice diapering a baby doll and have the opportunity to talk about their feelings related to mom's pregnancy and a new baby.

Play in a pretend nursery. Children get a hands on look at a baby nursery at the Children's Village Hospital at the Magic House. This new resource for expectant families allows curious kids to put on scrubs and lab coats so they can play doctor or nurse and care for newborn baby dolls.

At right: Kids can pretend to care for babies at the Children's Village Hospital at the Magic House.

Preparing Grandparents

Got a nervous "Nana" on your hands? Send her and Grandpa to a grandparents class at your delivering hospital. These classes generally include hospital care for mother and baby (ie. reassurance that their baby and grandbaby will receive exceptional care!), the latest infant safety information and tours of the delivery rooms or birthing suites. St. Luke's Hospital, St. John's Mercy Medical Center and Missouri Baptist Medical Center all offer courses for grandparents.

Best Bets articles represent the views and the research completed by St. Louis Sprout & About journalists and are not driven by advertising, or requests by vendors or venues.