Caitlan Hester
Host, Backroad WeeklyCaitlan Hester is the founder and publisher of Backroad Weekly, a free weekly newsletter featuring day trips for Southeast Missourians. A Se/MO native and SEMO grad, Caitlan spent 11 years abroad before returning home and seeing the region through a new lens. Today, she shares the best of the region with thousands of readers each week, helping them make the most of what's close to home.
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Down a shady gravel road in the woods, you'll find two cabins packed with 185 decorated Christmas trees. -
For many, Sam A. Baker State Park is a go-to spot in Southeast Missouri: ancient hills, clear water, cabins nestled in the woods, and trails that almost make you forget our next president will probably be AI-generated. -
Did you know the first national park area to protect a river system is in Missouri? -
If you're in the Cape Girardeau area of Southeast Missouri like me, this week's day trip is a long haul, at about a 2.5-hour drive. But holy Ozarks, is it worth every gas station bathroom that you have to brave. -
Suddenly, the forest opens into a clearing of ancient volcanic rock that has formed in a cluster of short, blocky columns. The locals call it the Devil's Honeycomb. -
Tiptoe away to an ancient place where a cool, clear river spills around giant pink boulders. Then, idle down into the canyon to soak in the shallow, gravel-bottomed wading pools. -
Founded in the 1850s, with a current population of only about 130 people, Kimmswick, Missouri, was revived and restored by the 7-UP heiress in the 70s, when she hauled in historic buildings for preservation and vibe. -
There's one road in the world that has closed every year, twice a year, for over 50 years, all in the name of snakes. -
Ride the rails in 100-year-old passenger cars while you take in a show. -
Hey, local day trippers! Obviously, I'm a travel writer and not a singer. But you know who is singing this time of year? Wild elk.
