How to describe the Ice Cream Hike? It starts with ice cream, at Crown Candy in Old North St. Louis, blocks from the Mississippi, and ends with ice cream, at Ted Drews on Chippewa blocks from the River Des Peres. From one river to the next, with ice cream at both ends!

To be fair, strictly the hike starts with a ride on the Metro Link downtown to Laclede's Landing. From there, we followed the Riverfront Trail north to St. Louis Avenue through a light drizzle. Jeff Fister, one of the parents on the hike, wrote about the Ice Cream Hike in two parts in the West End Word. Click here for Part 1 and Part 2. Troop 98 developed the trail a few years back as a crew was preparing for Philmont, and we have revisited it occasionally since. It goes past Union Station, Lafayette Square, and Tower Grove Park. The entire hike probably runs about 12 miles, through a cross-section of St. Louis neighborhoods and history. Maybe I'll post a map at some point, as best I can reconstruct it.

It is a toss up as to which place makes the better milk shake. Ted Drews gets the nod on this day, because it was the end of the road (or almost, as there was another short walk back to a bus stop to get home).

Thanks to Jeff Fister for the photos!