This might be the first guild/convergence/corporation/whatever that I actually feel inclined to be active in. More on this as it develops. ;)

The event isn't specifically highlighting things to do at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, as the Arch is officially known. Instead, it has brought in some rock climbing walls, archaeology tools, tents, fishing reels, canoes, and map-and-compass activities. There'll also be live music (10-11 a.m. Saturday and 1-4 p.m. Sunday) and a couple of VIPs. I quote: "Historic Americans like Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt will also recount how they were moved to create and undertake iconic works that remain their legacy to millions of Americans today."

Park Palooza runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. The site doesn't say when the former presidents will be making their appearance, but if you call 314.655.1700 the Arch staff may be able to tell you.

If you likewise want to bone up on the outdoors lesson you can teach your kids, consider the "Inside-Out" class at the Powder Valley Nature Conservation Center in Kirkwood next weekend (Sept. 27). It's geared specifically for caregivers of children under age 10. To sign up, call 314-301-1500; for more details, visit the Missouri Department of Conservation homepage.

If you're simply looking for new places to explore, the site's atlas function can give you a list of all MDC locations in a given county (St. Louis City is included under the St. Louis County listing).

And so, in honor of older kids who're likewise not in soccer, here are a couple of unique facilities you may wish to check out:

The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis in the Central West End -- With a goal of expanding the chess-playing population by offering a hangout for pick-up games, if you will, and supporting schools' chess teams, this new center is worth a visit (one-day memberships start at $1 for full-time students and those under 21). Beginners are welcome to play or to take lessons; advanced players are welcome to mentor others or take on those of their own calibre as they prepare for tournaments. The center's hours span the afternoon and evening times when kids are most likely to be bored.

RampRiders in Benton Park -- An industrial warehouse facade is a great disguise for this skate and bike ramp complex; you wouldn't even know it's there except for a few telltale edges of ramps visible through the windows. Oh, and the carloads of kids going in, skateboards in hand.  Admission rates are $10 per session (a signed waiver and a helmet are absolutely required).  Hours go late, as you'd expect at a hangout for teens, but there's also a special Sunday morning session just for novices age 8 to 10. In a testament to how well-run the facility is, its neighbors have nothing but praise.

Organizers say food and drink will still be sold, leading me to believe picnics will also still be welcome. It's a nice atmosphere for that, but there's also something to be said for having the mobility to go from one roaring, shooting flame to another without worrying about your picnic blanket. Either way, be sure to stick around for the 9 p.m. fireworks display.

Be sure to note that both the glow and the race (Sept. 20) take place on Central Field by the Jewel Box this year. They're both still free, and there will still be all kinds of activities for kids on Saturday from noon to 6:30 p.m., before and during the race. Approximately 70 balloons will compete this year.

Racecourse Ramble
Tour of Missouri cycling fans get a chance to ride the course of the Stage 7 St. Louis Circuit Race during Racecourse Ramble, sponsored by Trailnet. Following the ride, participants can visit the Family Fun Festival, which features bike safety programs on the hour, activities, and food and beverages.
314.416.9930, ext. 114
http://www.trailnet.org
Ages: All Ages
Time: Registration 8am-8:30am; Festival 9am-1pm
Cost: Free

Honeycrisp, our household's favorite apple by far, is one of the early varieties, along with Jonathans, Earliblaze, Ginger Gold, Ozard Gold, Royal Gala and Jonagold. Call ahead to confirm that the orchard you're visiting will have the varieties you want, and to find out what the picking hours are. You might also ask if there's any festivals this fall -- these tend to be a lot of laid-back fun, especially for kids -- and, if not, whether there is food for sale other than apples. If there isn't, you might want to pack a little lunch, because city kids can really work up an appetite out there picking. They, at least, thing farmwork is a whole lot of fun!

Here's M. and one of the kids' honorary grandmas, Nini, sharing a bag of their favorite vice, kettle corn, at an apple festival last September.

I admit I'd never even heard of this event until earlier in the summer, when organizers in the St. Louis Fire Department announced it was moving from its traditional date and site. Another new feature this year is a skill-based FireFighters Challenge that sounds like it mimics an actual fire situation. Four-person engine companies can sign up to show their stuff in that at 11 a.m., an hour after the parade of apparatuses (is that the right plural?) and an hour before the demonstrations begin. Word is that one of the demos is a water rescue on the river -- see, the Arch grounds have some real perks! There's also a flea market for fire-related memorabilia and a kids' activity area. The parade route starts at First Street and Chouteau Ave. and goes north, then loops back to foot of the Arch. Naturally, after the parade many of the vehicles will be open for inspection and some for climbing aboard.

The seven-acre field at Glazebrook Park features two mazes, mowed in a safari theme this year. It's a total of 2.4 miles of trails. Depending on how many times you get lost, your trek could be more than that. (Help from above is available for those who get well and truly stuck.) Navigating it during daylight is challenging enough, but on Fridays and Saturdays, the maze stays open after dark, so bring your flashlights. Hours are: Fri.--6 to 10 p.m., Sat.--11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sun.--1 p.m. to dusk.

Admission is a very reasonable $6 for adults, $4 for ages 6 to 11, and free for kids 5 and under. (There's also a $1 off coupon on the homepage.)  Throughout the fall the maze hosts various events -- haunted trails, free movies, a corn festival -- and during the week school groups can visit at a reduced rate.  For details, call All Around Alton, the convention and visitors' bureau, at 800.258.6645.

Early birds get the worm in this case, because 45-minute tickets are issued at the entrance from 9 a.m. on. Admission is limited to 40 people at a time, and each over-18 caregiver may bring no more than four children. It's open the same hours as the zoo; no advance reservations are accepted.

If you show up and there's already a wait, keep in mind that from 9 to 10 a.m., the zoo has lots of free activities, including the special Dinoroarus exhibit (until Sept. 30), the children's zoo and the Conservation Carousel.

And two more bonus did-you-knows about the zoo: There's a free walking group that meets Tuesdays and Saturdays at 7 a.m. at The Living World. And there's a great Science Seminar Series presentation coming up on Sept. 24: "The Last Polar Bear: Facing the Truth of a Warming World" by author and photographer Steven Kazlowski. If you've been keeping up with the latest reports of the vanishing sea ice in the Arctic, this is a presentation you'll want to attend. It's at 7:30 p.m., and admission is free. For details, call 314.646.4544.

The "Turn Around America" parade route is downtown, from 13th and Olive streets over to Tucker Blvd., and then back on Market Street west to 15th Street. There are a couple dozen entries this year, and with the election coming up there'll probably be more goodies than last year. To learn more, visit the St. Louis Labor Council website.

Members have a range of skill levels and welcome questions (as I discovered during my e-mail correspondence with Donna). You can also just bring a blanket, lie back and marvel at the magical way the kites play in the wind. What better way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon?

The club will be at its usual spot, Central Field near the Jewel Box, starting at 1 p.m. If you can't make it this Sunday, check the online schedule for other dates and locations.

But I digress!  If you click on the little train icon at the bottom of the homepage, and then click from the new page's menu to see a list of the inventory of engines and cars, you'll note that coal isn't the only fuel -- some run gasoline, others oil.  But the coal-burning old-time engines are fascinating to see in action just for the sake of history.  For one thing, they're much dirtier and smellier than I expected!  For any trainspotters out there, the roster includes engines made in 1907, 2006 and everything in between, from local and overseas manufacturers.

Under normal circumstances I'd expect S. to balk at the noise of the engines, but he the other day he took a ride on my cousin's tractor -- without me along, and he was smiling the whole way, so it seems he's getting braver lately!

I'm no Pollyanna, but I do think kids can benefit from learning cooperative game strategies -- it's the same reason adults hunker down for team-building retreats, right? If you agree, check out the EnTeam homepage, which has tips on setting up games (and debriefing kids afterward to make sure the lesson sticks) for academic settings, physical sports and social settings. Anyone up for cooperative poker?

For those who haven't yet attended, note that this free admission deal is only applicable to families (two parents and no more than four of their own children). As always, the third Friday of the month continues to be a free evening at the Magic House as well.

And in case you're curious, the new addition is really taking shape. It's scheduled to be up and running at the end of December. There you go -- your winter break plans are set before summer vacation's even over!

He said it's one of the best trails he's biked, from the crushed limestone surface to the Missouri River valley scenery.  He advised renting a mountain or hybrid bike (the surface can be tricky for the narrow tires on road bikes) but the trail's FAQs page suggests it's not 100% necessary if you're careful on the less-well-packed sections.

Camping isn't allowed along the trail, but because this will be a prime weekend for that activity too, I'm tossing in a tip:  Check out Klondike Park Campground in Weldon Spring.  On the site of an old silica sand quarry that was abandoned to the elements for 20 years, it has a stunning contrast of jutting cliffs and verdant undergrowth, all right along the river. It sounds weird, I know, but I've actually had dreams about this park, it's that special.  The 250-acre grounds have a few hiking/biking trails too, as well as basic amenities for overnight stays.  Sites are $7 for a primitive and $10 for a basic -- none are electric.  It might be too late to reserve a spot for this weekend, but you can definitely just show up and hope for the best; for park info, call 636.949.7535.

But there's no way I can pass up these publications entirely.  There's just too much good under-the-radar info in them.  For example:  Both of today's tips come from St. Louis Kids magazine.  The first is "On the Road in America: Big Truck Day" at the Kemp Auto Museum in Chesterfield.  It happens tomorrow (Aug. 2) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in conjunction with the museum's ongoing exhibit of paintings and its permanent exhibition of 30 "historically significant" cars. I hadn't checked the museum's offerings lately, so I was pleasantly surprised to see what all's happening there this summer -- movie nights, music performances by kid-friendly bands, even a lock-in for ages 6 to 12.  Some of the activities have a nominal fee, but the big truck day is free.

The other tip is about two movie screenings sponsored by the magazine, American Teen (Aug. 5 at 7 p.m., ages 13 and above accompanied by parents only) and Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Aug. 9 at 10 a.m.).  For info on how to get passes for either screening, click on its title.

There are three: the Marquette Pool on Minnesota in South City (the phone listed on the site doesn't work; call the Marquette Center at 353.1250) is the one about which I've heard the most positive comments. It's a no-frills pool for SWIMMING -- what a concept! -- with very straightforward and strict rules that no doubt contribute to its being clean and safe. The other two are the Chambers Pool, at Compton/Caridinal/Franklin, and the Fairground Pool, Grand at Natural Bridge.

The pools opened after school let out for the summer, and they close Aug. 17, the day before city schools start up again (a mere three weeks away!). Check their homepages for rules on what to bring/not to bring and hours. In general, the pools are open in the afternoons and evenings.