Midwest Travel Destinations Trivia Quiz

Answer: Starved Rock State Park

My wife and I spent three wonderful days at the lodge for our anniversary in early 2012, hiking, watching pelicans on the river and sightseeing around the area. At certain times of the year, bald eagles congregate around the Starved Rock Lock and Dam which is located just upstream from Starved Rock. Here are a few things we learned during our stay:

An Indian legend, possibly partly true, says that a band of Illinois Indians were besieged and starved to death by another tribe led by Chief Pontiac about 1769.

In 1682 La Salle built Fort St. Louis on top of Le Rocher (The Rock), and it protected the area for ten years or more.

With over ten miles of hiking trails into nearly every canyon and waterfalls, which provide ice climbing in the winter, there is something to do in every season. A huge lodge, built by the CCC, is the centerpiece of the park, with many weddings held during the year.

In 1960, three women were brutally murdered in one of the canyons of the park. There has been controversy about whether the man given a life sentence for the murders was guilty or not.

Answer: Serpent Mound

Believed to be built by Fort Ancient Indians around 1100 A.D., the effigy of a striking snake has an open mouth and is swallowing either an egg or a frog.
I discovered Serpent Mound in a book back in grade school, and always wanted to see it. We stopped by the secluded spot on a vacation, and our kids always want to return when we are in the area.

Answer: Elephant Rocks State Park

Elephant Rocks State Park has hiking trails which wind around the huge rounded granite boulders. Nearby are old quarries where the Missouri Red granite was removed. Stone from these quarries has gone to both coasts of the USA and provided the piers for the Eads Bridge in St. Louis, the first bridge across the Mississippi and the St. Louis riverfront.

Answer: Devils Lake State Park

My dad spent a year in the CCC helping develop this park in the late 1930s. Hiking trails from the lakeside to the top of the bluffs are one of the highlights of the park, some of the trails over the broken rocks being difficult to stay on. Devil's Doorway, Balanced Rock and Elephant Rock are a few of the sights to see on the trails, but the view from the top of the bluffs are spectacular to say the least.

Answer: Mammoth Cave National Park

Twice as long as any other cave system, the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave system has at least 150 miles of passages. Saltpeter was mined for gunpowder during the war of 1812, and the wooden sluices and vats can still be seen. The boat tours on the River Styx are no longer held due to environmental and budget problems. Also the Lantern Tour, in which the tour group would carry lanterns through the cave and rangers would throw lighted torches into crevasses around the passage lighting up the area, are no longer done. I have been on both...guess that makes me kind of old.

There are so many visitors to the park that buying of tickets weeks beforehand is nearly a necessity.

Answer: Parke County

Although the county is unbelievably crowded in places during the Covered Bridge Festival, I have gone every year except one since the mid 1960s. The autumn scenery in places is as good as any in the Midwest. There are also several maple syrup camps in the county, and they host a Maple Syrup Fair in the spring. Five well marked routes guide the traveler from bridge to bridge through the county.

Unfortunately, several of the bridges have been destroyed over the years due to flood and arson. Bridgeton's covered bridge was destroyed by arson in 2005.

A new bridge was built in 2006.

Answer: Itasca State Park

Developed by the CCC, this park has archaeological sites, miles of trails through the forests and Lake Itasca, but the main sight to see is the 44 foot rock dam across the beginning of the mighty Mississippi. Visitors can walk across the rocks, cross on a wooden bridge or wade the shallow waters which leave the lake flowing northwest. Or, like my young son years ago, one can slip and fall in at the beginning of the greatest river in the USA.

Answer: Shiloh National Military Park

Named because the battle took place near a log church called Shiloh, (which means peace) the battle took place on April 6th and 7th in 1862, and saw over 23,700 casualties, more than all of the previous casualties of US wars put together.
The battle was fought to keep the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers out of Confederate hands, as well as the railroads at nearby Corinth. It's a humbling experience to read stories about the battles fought on the very ground you are standing on, and see the monuments to the troops who were involved.

Answer: Crater of Diamonds State Park

Over 600 diamonds are found here yearly, with several weighing from five to eight carats. The largest diamond in North America was found here in 1924 at over 40 carats. My family searched for diamonds one hot July day--without success.

Answer: Chimney Rock

Officially called Chimney Rock National Historic Site, this spire is 300 feet high. All of the wagon trains heading west took special note when they passed the rock. A very nice visitor center gives a beautiful view of Chimney Rock during any kind of weather, as well as an education on the wagon trains.