Spring 2023
Spring is certain welcome this year. Missouri gave us a mild winter, until it didn’t. We finished up with snow, ice and very cold temperatures. Here in Glasgow, I had frozen pipes and stayed in the house as much as possible.
A Missouri spring always brings more than just an end to the winter storms and cold. It brings the promise of new life along with green grass, sweet flowers and weather that can be enjoyed in shorts and t-shirts. It also brings the opportunity to travel in our beautiful state.
I have searched some internet sites to visit online or to help plan for IRL travel.
Echo Bluff State Park, near Eminence, offers some wonderful opportunities for your travel. At EchoBluffStatePark.com, you can read about all the typical park activities, including a lodge, cabins and both tent and RV campsites. The park also features a great restaurant, the Creekside Grill with both indoor and outdoor seating. They also can host wedding receptions if spring has you in a romantic mood.
The Magic House on Kirkwood in St. Lous is a unique place to visit with children. MagicHouse.org/about-us/, explains the attraction’s history and purpose. It is a tax-exempt non-profit that is dedicated to the education of young people. The mission statement tells the story: “The Magic House, St. Louis Children’s Museum will engage all children with hands-on learning experiences that spark imagination, pique curiosity, enhance creativity and develop problem-solving skills within a place of beauty, wonder, joy and magic.”
The Magic House was founded in 1979 and has continued to grow both in size and in programs since then. An award-winning educational destination, The Magic House was recognized in 2021 as the #2 children’s museum in the country by USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice.
This website, OnlyInYourState.com/missouri/wolf-sanctuary-hiding-mo/, promises “A howling good time”. It tells about the wolf sanctuary in Eureka, just west of St. Louis.
Sometimes, we want a relaxing adult weekend. OnlyInYourState.com/missouri/the-remote-winery-in-mo-thats-picture-perfect-for-a-day-trip, might give you some ideas for that get-away. Charleville Vineyard Winery and Microbrewery can be found off the beaten path in Ste. Genevieve. The website provides numerous photos, and the winery offers wine tastings and sales along with their own craft beer. They have a historic cabin which houses a rustic bed and breakfast.
Almost everyone loves the ragtime music of Scott Joplin. He lived and worked in Sedalia for a time and in 1902, he rented a room at 2658 Delmar Boulevard in St. Louis. That location is now the Scott Joplin Museum. MoStateParks.com/park/scott-joplin-house-state-historic-site, features photos of the museum and sound files of some of his music, including “Maple Leaf Rag” and “The Entertainer.
Another ragtime piano composer, who is not as well known as he should be is Lee Edgar “Jelly” Settle, the composer of the Missouri Waltz. He lived in New Franklin, and is buried in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery just north of the town. You can read about the somewhat controversial story of the Missouri Waltz at this site at JYMiller.net/HCGSnews2023feb.pdf. That will take you to one of the newsletters of the Howard County Genealogical Society: JYMiller.net/HCGS.html. Full disclosure, I am the president of the HCGS, and I do a slide show on the Missouri Waltz.
I hope you enjoy a terrific spring in Missouri. If we should cross paths while watching wolves or enjoying a glass of Missouri wine, be sure to say, “Hello.” Sometimes, the best part of travel is to share an experience with a friend.
A Missouri spring always brings more than just an end to the winter storms and cold. It brings the promise of new life along with green grass, sweet flowers and weather that can be enjoyed in shorts and t-shirts. It also brings the opportunity to travel in our beautiful state.
I have searched some internet sites to visit online or to help plan for IRL travel.
Echo Bluff State Park, near Eminence, offers some wonderful opportunities for your travel. At EchoBluffStatePark.com, you can read about all the typical park activities, including a lodge, cabins and both tent and RV campsites. The park also features a great restaurant, the Creekside Grill with both indoor and outdoor seating. They also can host wedding receptions if spring has you in a romantic mood.
The Magic House on Kirkwood in St. Lous is a unique place to visit with children. MagicHouse.org/about-us/, explains the attraction’s history and purpose. It is a tax-exempt non-profit that is dedicated to the education of young people. The mission statement tells the story: “The Magic House, St. Louis Children’s Museum will engage all children with hands-on learning experiences that spark imagination, pique curiosity, enhance creativity and develop problem-solving skills within a place of beauty, wonder, joy and magic.”
The Magic House was founded in 1979 and has continued to grow both in size and in programs since then. An award-winning educational destination, The Magic House was recognized in 2021 as the #2 children’s museum in the country by USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice.
This website, OnlyInYourState.com/missouri/wolf-sanctuary-hiding-mo/, promises “A howling good time”. It tells about the wolf sanctuary in Eureka, just west of St. Louis.
Sometimes, we want a relaxing adult weekend. OnlyInYourState.com/missouri/the-remote-winery-in-mo-thats-picture-perfect-for-a-day-trip, might give you some ideas for that get-away. Charleville Vineyard Winery and Microbrewery can be found off the beaten path in Ste. Genevieve. The website provides numerous photos, and the winery offers wine tastings and sales along with their own craft beer. They have a historic cabin which houses a rustic bed and breakfast.
Almost everyone loves the ragtime music of Scott Joplin. He lived and worked in Sedalia for a time and in 1902, he rented a room at 2658 Delmar Boulevard in St. Louis. That location is now the Scott Joplin Museum. MoStateParks.com/park/scott-joplin-house-state-historic-site, features photos of the museum and sound files of some of his music, including “Maple Leaf Rag” and “The Entertainer.
Another ragtime piano composer, who is not as well known as he should be is Lee Edgar “Jelly” Settle, the composer of the Missouri Waltz. He lived in New Franklin, and is buried in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery just north of the town. You can read about the somewhat controversial story of the Missouri Waltz at this site at JYMiller.net/HCGSnews2023feb.pdf. That will take you to one of the newsletters of the Howard County Genealogical Society: JYMiller.net/HCGS.html. Full disclosure, I am the president of the HCGS, and I do a slide show on the Missouri Waltz.
I hope you enjoy a terrific spring in Missouri. If we should cross paths while watching wolves or enjoying a glass of Missouri wine, be sure to say, “Hello.” Sometimes, the best part of travel is to share an experience with a friend.