SOME NEARBY PLACES THAT OFFER FUN, OUTDOORS BEAUTY AND HISTORY

Here's a list of some of the state and national parks and historic sites in Missouri, Southern Illinois, Southeast Missouri and western Kentucky and Tennessee:

MISSOURI

State parks:

-- Trail of Tears, Cape Girardeau County.

-- Hawn, Ste. Genevieve County.

-- Big Oak Tree, East Prairie.

-- Elephant Rocks, Iron County.

-- Johnson's Shut-In, Reynolds County.

-- Lake Wappapello, Williamsville.

-- Mastodon, Imperial.

-- Meramec, Sullivan.

-- Montauk, Salem.

-- St. Francis, Bonne Terre.

-- St. Joe, Elvins.

-- Sam A. Baker, Patterson.

-- Onondaga Cave, Leasburg.

For information and brochures, call or stop at the Trail of Tears State Park Visitor Center, 334-1711.

Department of Conservation forests, wildlife and recreational areas:

-- Millstream Gardens State Forest west of Fredericktown.

-- Castor River Conservation Area, Bollinger County.

-- Apple Creek State Forest, Cape Girardeau County.

-- Dark Cypress Swamp Conservation Area, Bollinger County.

-- Crowley's Ridge Wildlife Area, Stoddard County.

-- Ten Mile Pond Conservation Area, Mississippi County.

-- Seventy-Six Conservation Area, Perry County.

-- Duck Creek Wildlife Management Area near the federal Mingo Wildlife Refuge near Puxico.

-- Seven Island Conservation Area, Mississippi County.

-- Perry County Community Lake west of Perryville.

-- Pickle Springs Natural Area east of Farmington.

For information and brochures, call or stop by the Missouri Department of Conservation's Southeast Missouri Regional Office and Visitor Center in North Cape County Park, 290-5730.

Historic Sites:

-- Bollinger Mill, Burfordville.

-- Felix Valle Home, downtown Ste. Genevieve.

-- First State Capitol, downtown St. Charles.

-- Ford Davidson, Pilot Knob.

-- Hunter-Dawson Home, New Madrid.

-- Missouri Mines (lead mine), Park Hill.

For information contact the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Historic Preservation, Box 176, Jefferson City, Mo. 65102, or call 1-314-751-3443.

National parks, forests:

-- Clark National Forest.

-- Mark Twain National Forest.

-- Mingo Wildlife Refuge.

-- Lake Wappapello.

-- Ozark National Scenic Riverways --- Current, Jack's Fork, and Eleven Point rivers contain a number of parks and recreational areas including Big Springs at Van Buren and Round Spring Park.

-- Alley Spring and Mill west of Ellington.

For information contact the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Box 490, Van Buren, Mo. 63965, or call 1-314-323-4236

ILLINOIS

State parks, outdoor recreation areas:

-- Trail of Tears State Forest and Tree Nursery east of Wolf Lake.

-- Giant City State Park near Makanda.

-- Ferne Clyffe State Park near Goreville.

-- Cave-in-Rock State Park and Cave-in-Rock ferry boat, Cave-in-Rock.

-- Garden of the Gods Recreation Area, Hardin County.

-- Union County Wildlife Refuge south of Ware.

-- Fort Massac State Park and Fort Massac Historic Site.

-- Horseshoe Lake Park, Olive Branch.

-- Dixon Springs Park near Dixon Springs.

Lakes:

-- Lake Murphysboro (state).

-- Crab Orchard, (U.S. Department of Interior).

-- Devil's Kitchen.

-- Little Grassy.

-- Lake of Egypt south of Marion.

-- Mermet north of Metropolis (state).

-- Cedar near Makanda.

-- Rend near Benton (Corps of Engineers).

Historic sites:

-- Magnolia Manor, Cairo.

-- Old Custom House and historic district, Cairo.

-- Fort Massac and museum, Metropolis.

-- Fort de Chartres near Prairie du Rocher.

-- French Colonial District in Prairie du Rocher.

-- Fort Kaskaskia near Ellis Grove.

-- Pierre Menard Home below Fort Kaskaskia.

-- Kornthal (St. Paulus Evangelisch Lutherischen Gemiende) Church south of Jonesboro.

-- Old Courthouse at Thebes.

-- Fort Defiance south of Cairo.

For information contact Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, Old State Capitol Building, Springfield, Ill., 62701 1-217-782-4836.

National parks, forests:

-- Shawnee National Forest from Mississippi River to Ohio River. Includes: Little Grand Canyon, La-Rue Pine Hills, Garden of the Gods, Millstone Bluff plus many other attractions.

-- Oakwood Bottoms-Turkey Bayou Wildlife Area. Hunting and fishing along Big Muddy River northeast of Grand Tower, Ill.

-- Crab Orchard Lake Recreational Area and National Wildlife Refuge east of Carbondale.

For information and brochures contact Southern Illinois Tourism Council, Whittington, Ill., 62897, 1-800-342-3100; Shawnee National Forest, Harrisburg, Ill., 62946, 1-618-253-7114 or 1-800-699-6637; Southernmost Illinois Tourism Bureau, Ullin, Ill., 62992, 1-800-248-4373.

KENTUCKY

-- Kentucky Lake State Park.

-- Tennessee Valley Authority's Land Between The Lakes, Grand Rivers, including The Home Place, 1850.

-- Columbus-Belmont State Park, Columbus.

For more information contact Tennessee Valley Authority, Land Between the Lakes, Golden Pond, Ky., 42231; Kentucky Western Waterland, Rt. 1, Box 84, Grand Rivers, Ky., 42045, 1-502-362-4282

TENNESSEE

State parks:

Reelfoot Lake.

Historic sites:

Fort Donelson and Fort Henry (Civil War), between Kentucky and Barkley Lakes.