“Flat-boatmen drifting down the river at night could know when they are passing Ste. Geneviève by the perfume of the flowers wafted across the river.” ~New York Times Aug 22, 1935 Page 14 Staying true to their past, the sweet smells of perfume still waft in Ste. Geneviève. Enjoy the colonial gardens at the Felix Valle, J. B. Valle, and the Bolduc houses, as well as several mini-gardens located around town. Also, the Master Gardeners of Ste. Geneviève hosts garden walks and tours each year. An enduring symbol of Ste. Geneviève’s French culture, the fleur de lis, is based on the lily, the official town flower. Fleur de Lis can be seen all over Ste. Geneviève.

Following Nature In Her Walks “During all these years there existed within me a tendency to follow Nature in her walks.”~ John James Audubon That “tendency” inspired the naturalist and ornithologist, John James Audubon to follow Nature when he came to Ste. Geneviève in 1812. After a brief stint as a storekeeper with his business partner Ferdinand Rozier, Audubon soon abandoned that venture for the work that would define his life. Visitors can learn more about this visionary in the lobby of the hotel named after him. Hikers can “follow Nature in her walks” in the same scenic areas Audubon did – Hawn State Park, Pickle Springs, Hickory Canyon, and Magnolia Hollow. And closer to town, visit the Ste. Geneviève Levee Wildlife Refuge and Lake Audubon in Ste. Geneviève.