DeSoto Magazine April 2015

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APRIL CONTENTS 2015 • VOLUME 12 • NO. 4

features 50 Go Golf!

No time to play? Think again

64 The Memphis Zoo Growing and growling strong

58 Let’s See St. Louis Be amazed by the Gateway Arch city

departments 14 Living Well Dealing with the stings and bites of the season

42 A Day Away Hernando

18 Notables Malcolm White talks Mississippi tourism

46 Greater Goods

22 Exploring Art The amazing talents of Moonbot Studios 26 Exploring Books Oxford’s author Ace Atkins

72 Southern Harmony Memphis’ Brad Birkedahl sings on 74 Table Talk Water Valley’s Crawdad Hole draws food lovers

30 Into the Wild Stay in a Missouri treehouse cabin

76 In Good Spirits Mai Tai, anyone?

34 Exploring Cuisine It’s time to catch and cook!

78 Exploring Events

38 Exploring Destinations Kentucky’s Run for the Roses

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70 Homegrown Travel in style with the Colonel

80 Reflections Away

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editor’s note }

april

travelin’ My first solo excursion into the world occurred when I was a 16-year-old teen.

Determined to visit my friend Anne, I climbed into my grandpa’s 1982 Ford F-150 and drove eight hours from Memphis to Louisville. A year later, when I asked to spend five weeks in France, my parents didn’t hesitate in saying yes.

Travel can be transformative, especially for kids. It opens young minds to the idea of others---other cultures, languages, food, music and more. Just ask Malcolm White. In my interview with him on page 18, White reminds us that perceptions are everything. Only direct experiences can wipe away imagined fears or prejudices.

But where to go? Well, this month we’re here to give you a few ideas, from a local trip to the Memphis Zoo or a long weekend to a treehouse. Treehouse?

Follow Andrea to the River of Life Farm in south central Missouri and explore an inspirational and breathtaking geography where owners Myron and Ann McKee offer guests a restful night in the Ozark treetops. Golf writer Eric Eckard speaks straight to the golfers in his piece on page 50, offering destination ideas for those golfers set on play but tight for time.

Down in Louisiana, Chere takes us to one of the coolest places I have ever visited. Moonbot Studios will make everyone want to be a kid again. Located in downtown Shreveport, this awardwinning studio has cranked out some of the most memorable and creative books and video.

April 2015 • Vol. 12 No.4

PUBLISHER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR Adam Mitchell

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Paula Mitchell

EDITOR Karen Ott Mayer

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Virginia Jenkins

Having lived half of my life in Louisville, Jill’s Derby story on page 38 pulls at my childhood heart strings.

Every May, we’d watch steamboat races, balloon races and place $1 bets on our favorite horse. Winning never seemed as important as all the fun leading up to the big day.

Wherever the road takes you this spring and summer, be sure to catch Bobby’s helpful tips on page 14 about how to deal with all those pesky summer stings and bites

It’s Spring--finally! Roll down the windows, throw the kids in the car and take a drive. We’ll be waiting for your post card.

Karen on the cover Your next golfing vacation awaits!

The sunset makes a spectacular view from hole number 2 at Top of the Rock golf course near Branson, Missouri. Read more about these beautiful golf getaways on page 50.

CONTRIBUTORS Karen Ott Mayer Adam Mitchell Paula Mitchell Cheré Coen Bobby L. Hickman Jill Gleeson Corey Latta Andrea Brown Ross Devin Greaney Mary Ann DeSantis J. Eric Eckard Robert Gaiennie

PUBLISHED BY DeSoto Media Co.

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living well }

spring stings

When Spring Stings

By Bobby L. Hickman. Photography courtesy of spirit-animals.com

Summer means outdoor fun--mostly. Nothing can disrupt an outdoor jaunt quicker than getting a little too close for comfort with Mother Nature. Sunburn, snakebites, mosquito attacks and jellyfish stings are painful and can be unhealthy; but, a little planning and preparation goes a long way towards ensuring a good time wherever the road takes you. Following are some tips from the experts at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, WebMD.com, and the Mayo Clinic to help ensure summer fun.

In the Woods

Whether it’s the Appalachian Trail or your own backyard, getting outside can bring you up close and personal with all sorts of flora and fauna. However, watching deer graze by a moonlit mountain stream can also bring unwelcome contact with spiders and snakes, bees, and poison ivy.

Prevention is always the best medicine. Determine where these rascals hang out and stay away – or at least be careful. Learn to recognize poison ivy, sumac and oak. Bee hives are easy to spot, but yellow jackets nest in the ground.

Stick to the center of the trail: ticks and chiggers use tall grass and low-hanging tree limbs to hitch a ride on your clothes and/ or skin. Black widow spiders favor decaying wood, while the brown recluse prefers closets and attics. Snakes generally favor 16 DeSoto

moist, cool darkness. Most spiders and snakes are not aggressive, but if you cross their path, they won’t back down. Mosquitos can attack anytime and anywhere (particularly near standing water), but peak biting times are dusk and dawn. You’re less attractive to bees if you wear light-colored clothes and avoid perfumed soaps (particularly banana-scented).

An insect repellant containing at least 20 percent DEET, will keep mosquitos and ticks away. Picaridin, IR3535, OLE, and PMD also repel mosquitoes and many flying insects.

Clothing can be treated with permethrin for extra protection from ticks and mosquitoes. Covering your skin by wearing long sleeves and tucking your pants into your socks improves your defenses.

While mosquitos and ticks can carry diseases such as West Nile virus, most insect stings are simply a nuisance.

Avoid scratching bites; wash with warm water and soap; apply ointments; and gently remove stingers with gauze. However, bites from poisonous spiders and venomous snakes can cause severe illness. Some people are also extremely allergic to bee and wasp stings. In those situations, clean the wound as quickly as possible and seek medical treatment.

Flip flops are fun and fashionable around the pool, but offer little protection in the woods against snakes, insects, rusty nails, or falling rocks. Choose sneakers or boots when hiking.

At the Beach

One common problem for swimmers and beachcombers is jellyfish stings.

Jellyfish are not aggressive, so avoidance is the best strategy. However, it can be difficult to see their slimy tentacles when they float near the surface during times of low sunlight.

Still, don’t believe everything you see on TV. Despite one popular “Friends” episode, the best treatment for a jellyfish sting is not urine. Experts say that’s an old wives’ tale -- along with rubbing in vinegar or meat tenderizer. The best advice: get out of the ocean immediately and rinse the affected area repeatedly with salt water.

Salt water can actually deactivate the stingers, while fresh water or rubbing the skin releases more venom. Use a credit card to gently scrape away the tiny stingers.

Most jellyfish stings are not life-threatening, and the itchy rash will go away with home treatment. However, some poisons are stronger and some people are more sensitive than others. Call 911 if there are signs of an allergic reaction (such as nausea or difficulty breathing), or if the affected area covers more than half an arm or leg. Seek immediate medical treatment for stings from the box jellyfish and the Portuguese man-of-war (rare along the U.S. coast).

Like jellyfish, stingrays are not aggressive, but they are difficult to spot burrowed into the sandy ocean floor (usually between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.). Serrated spikes in their tails can cut your feet, and their barbs contain deadly venom. Wear water shoes and shuffle your feet in shallow water to scare off stingrays. Seek immediate emergency care for cuts and stings. If help is not easily available, soak the affected area in hot water, remove the stingers, clean any wounds with soap and fresh water, and apply pressure to stop bleeding.

While sea life is only a danger at the beach, overexposure to the sun is a constant threat for anyone outdoors. It can lead to sunburn and sometimes skin cancer. The risk of sunburn is even higher near large reflective bodies of water like oceans and lakes. Apply plenty of SPF 30 or higher sunscreen, and reapply frequently when swimming. If you burn, aloe, hydrocortisone and other moisturizers can soothe the redness and pain while promoting healing. However, if your sunburn blisters, see a doctor.

Summer First Aid Kit A well-stocked first aid kit with bandages, ointments and cotton balls is a must-have throughout the year. Include any specific medications you family might need, such as an epinephrine autoinjector for severe allergic reactions. But for extra safety in the woods or at the beach, it’s a good idea to add: Sunscreen Aloe vera gel Calamine lotion or other poison ivy treatments Saline solution to cleanse eyes Tweezers to remove splinters Hydrogen peroxide Sanitizing wipes Bug spray Hydrocortisone cream Instant ice packs Antiseptics to clean cuts Anti-infection creams such as Neosporin A credit card to remove stingers Swimmer’s ear drops Over-the-counter medications, such as anti-diarrhea and motion sickness pills DeSoto 17

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notables }

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malcolm white

Mississippi’s

Malcolm White

By Karen Ott Mayer. Photography courtesy of Malcolm White

Native Mississippian Malcolm White has traveled a road or two, which makes him ironically well suited to his current role as Mississippi’s Tourism Division Director with the Mississippi Development Authority.

White is no stranger to many Mississippians. As coowner of Jackson, Mississippi’s restaurant Hal & Mal’s which he and his brother opened in the 1970s, he has also sat on countless boards and commissions, headed up the Mississippi Arts Commission and has founded events that decades later are still going strong. A recipient of the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2004, White’s easygoing personality and sharp observations have helped locals and visitors better understand the complex landscape called Mississippi.

Growing up in Perkinston, Mississippi he knows all about small town living. “The town was more of a hamlet

with about 200 people, a general store, a gas station and post office.”

His father, who worked at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, later moved his family to Booneville, Mississippi where he served as President of Northeast Mississippi Community College. From that point on, White says he was off and running. He played football, went to Mississippi State, the University of Mississippi and left the state. “I lived for awhile in Los Gatos, California, then New Orleans, D.C. and Florida.”

In his past travels, White spent several years running DeSoto 21

the Bourbon Orleans Hotel in New Orleans and also promoted shows and bands. When talking to locals or outsiders about his native state, White can’t disguise his passion or enthusiasm, nor does he back down from the tough discussions about Mississippi’s history.

“One of the most interesting things to me about Mississippi is that our values haven’t changed at all. We’re still a curious, hospitable, friendly state. Race relations have changed everything and the climate has changed for the better.” He believes strongly in all things comprising Mississippi’s rich culture including food, literature, music, history, the Civil War, and Civil Rights.

“With the internet, we’re able to connect and tell our story. All of these things have been elevated to a place where the conversations are bringing more civic pride,” said White.

White says the ability to talk about history, good or bad, has moved Mississippi’s darkest moments into the light--and instead of apologies--he takes any criticism head on.

“We have taken so much of our history and turned it from a negative to a positive. Where our food was once considered really poor, we’re now bragging about fried chicken and barbecue. If you want to talk about Civil Rights, we’re going to talk about the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Trail. Music? Let’s talk about the fact we have the only statesupported Grammy Museum in the entire country. We’ve put a stake in the ground now.” Likewise, White doesn’t suffer from any naiveté; he’s simply brutally honest. “If we are the poster child for Civil Rights, then so be it. We will tell that story”. He encourages visitors who have never been to Mississippi to do one thing.

“Don’t accept the prejudices that are out there. Come play golf or see a concert or visit a town.”

White is wholly focused on telling local stories, not what he deems as the “Hollywood-ization” of Mississippi. His message to those who have never been to Mississippi is crystal 22 DeSoto

clear. “If you consider yourself a serious student of literature, or the Civil War, or Civil Rights and you haven’t been here, then you haven’t received an education. If you haven’t been to the birthplace of the blues or Faulkner’s home or Eudora Welty’s house, then you haven’t really received an education.”

With so many choices available to tourists, many of whom travel in very specific forms and plan or research their own trips, White wants to know one thing from potential visitors.

“What are they interested in?” In his role, he is dedicated to showing visitors the rich diversity of Mississippi.

As an entrepreneur and businessman for over 30 years in the private sector, White then moved into the public sector, working for government. In his own life, he finds particular pride watching his daughter who chose to work in the family business. “She feels a particular urge to carry on what we have built.”

When he received the Governor’s Excellence in Arts award, White truly felt humbled. “I had no idea about it and it really meant a lot.” He laughed, adding, “I have been super successful in business and have just had a great run. I just believe the more you give, the more you get. When we first opened the restaurant, we used part of it as a community space. We found the more we gave away, the more successful we became.”

It seems perfectly fitting that someone like White, who was born and raised in Mississippi and then ventured into the world creating, working and traveling, now serves as Mississippi’s tourism voice. More than knowing the frailties and potential of the landscape, he believes earnestly in Mississippi as a place of exploration.

“I have the great honor of changing people’s perceptions and I am enthusiastic about it. But this is really slow, methodical work. I know for me that I am in an opportune place at an opportune time and I deeply believe we can make changes.”

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exploring art }

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william joyce and moonbot studios

By CherĂŠ Coen. Photography courtesy of Moonbot Studios

When award-winning animator, author and filmmaker William Joyce turned in an illustrated book for his fourth-grade student book contest, he felt confident he would win an award. Any award.

Instead, the principal’s office called.

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That experience is the basis for Joyce’s latest children’s book, due out in June, titled “Billy’s Boogers.” The story follows a young boy who’d rather draw than do math or spelling and gets excited about a school book contest. He then pens a story about mucus with super powers.

The current book is “a picture book autobiography,” Joyce explained with a laugh. “In real life — not in the book — they (school officials) asked my parents for a consultation.”

The book showcases the broad imagination of Joyce — which may have eluded the judges of that fourth grade contest. It may also encourage other creative types to continue on, for Joyce exemplifies success in the animated world. His Hollywood work includes “Toy Story,” “Robots,” “Epic” and Disney’s “Rolie Polie Olie,” to name only a few. Variety named him among the “Animation Elite” of 2012.

Joyce returned to his hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana to open Moonbot Studios, where much of his current work is created, including the animated short film “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore,” which took home the 2012 Oscar and became a New York Times best-selling book, and “Scarecrow,” commissioned by Chipotle Mexican Grill, which nabbed two daytime Emmys in 2014.

His recent children’s books include “The Numberlys” with Christina Ellis, based on the 1927 Fritz Lang silent movie “Metropolis;” “A Bean, A Stalk and a Boy Named Jack” with Kenny Callicutt; and “The Guardians of Childhood” series, the basis for the film, “Rise of the Guardians.” In addition to “Billy’s Boogers,” Joyce will release this year a young adult novel titled “The Lost” and a Jack Frost book that continues the “Guardians” series.

Moonbot also just acquired film rights to “The Extincts” by Veronica Cossanteli that explores the imaginative world at Wormestall Farm and its extinctly scary creatures. If produced at Moonbot Studios as Joyce plans, it will be the first full-length animated feature created in Louisiana and one of the first in the South.

Joyce prefers his hometown for many reasons — it’s cheaper to do business there, Shreveport is a good place to raise kids and the Louisiana location offers distance from the sometimes “ruthless” atmosphere of Hollywood.

“I figured out early on, the way technology was changing, it didn’t matter where you lived,” Joyce said.

The team at Moonbot continuously has fingers in many animated pies.

In addition to filmmaking and Joyce’s books Moonbot has worked on apps, games, commercials and literary projects, such as short films on the works of Edgar Allen Poe for Amplify curriculum company.

In many cases they combine those talents. “The Numberlys,” for instance, began as an interactive app by allowing readers to use their smart phones or tablets to explore the story. Later, Moonbot turned the story into a film, which was in the 26 DeSoto

semi-finals running for the 2014 Oscars for best animated short.

Joyce admits that when working on a project — which may take years due to the demands of animation — his “imagination starts to roam,” which is why he has so many irons in the fire. But the different mediums all lead to the same goal — good storytelling — which can sometimes relate to one another such as a children’s picture book and app combination.

“You can expand that core experience to a few other interesting eddies of storytelling,” he explained. “And it seems like magic. Tablets won’t go away. Books won’t go away. And the twain shall meet. It gives an author/creator a little more room to play.”

A visit to Moonbot Studios in Shreveport equates to a visit inside Joyce’s imaginary world. Morris Lessmore welcomes visitors, Dinosaur Bob and other toys adorn a fanciful sofa and stuffed members of “The Numberlys” rest beneath a tapestry that’s a paint-by-number replica. Along a wall are copies of “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” in several languages; the book has been published in 33 languages.

There’s also a feel of nostalgia, harking back to days more aligned with Joyce’s youth, something to be found in the upcoming “Billy’s Boogers.”

“It’s a loving memoir of that age,” Joyce said of his upbringing when his black and white TV had only three channels, people read newspapers and children played outside. “It was a culture that made me story aware, kept me thinking about stories all the time.”

The book also thanks those who nourished his career.

“It pays tribute to teachers, my parents and people who put up with me and funneled my creativity,” he said.

Joyce hopes to bring the original book from fourth grade to book-related events this summer, scorched shards of the 45-year-old manuscript on yellow Manila paper that survived a garage fire.

“We’re trying to peace it together in a Dead Sea Scrolls kind of deal,” he said.

Even though “Billy’s Boogers” is a “close to perfect facsimile” to the original story, Joyce said there is one word he put back in after his parents forced its removal back in fourth grade.

“I put ‘darn’ back in the book,” Joyce said with a laugh.

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exploring books} ace atkins

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Oxford’s Ace in the Hole

By Corey Latta. Photography by Joe Worthem

Over 50 years ago, Faulkner said of his Oxford, Mississippi home, “I discovered that my own little postage stamp of native soil was worth writing about and that I would never live long enough to exhaust it.”

Oxford’s literary tradition of playing host to prolific fiction writers who can’t quite seem to exhaust Mississippi’s rich regionalism hasn’t waned. If there is an author whose quality of literary output keeps Oxford’s richly renowned heritage alive, it’s New York Times Bestselling novelist, Ace Atkins.

As a former newspaper reporter, who covered crime stories for papers like the Tampa Tribune, Atkins learned all too well the importance of native soil in storied southern places like Oxford when writing good prose. Atkins’ first novel,

“Crossroad Blues”, was published in 1998. Set in New Orleans, “Crossroad Blues”, would begin a literary career closely tied to the South. Atkins’ work delves deeply in Southern, Mississippi Delta, and Mid-South life, each novel peeling another layer of rich cultural history.

A fan of writers the likes of Elmore Leonard and Raymond Chandler, Atkins’s approach to a person, place, and plot explores the granular details of real life in similar fashion.

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strong feel for how gritty life can be. Atkins mastery of the crime novel is partly owed to his love for Southern social topography.

“It’s not about the crime. It’s about the place. The people,” Atkins said, “You learn a lot about a city from its crime.” For Atkins, good fiction needs to uncover what is there, and as a novelist with a reporter’s instincts, Atkins needs to write from what is true. Often drawing from stories by law enforcement officers or newspaper articles, Atkins gets at what is true through what is living, local, and native to real stories concerning real people.

“There was a story in the news about this lady in New Albany, Miss., who set up a ring to sell children. You can’t make this stuff up. It’s real. Or something like the aftermath of the storm that wiped Smithville off the map, I wrote about that,” Atkins said. Atkins’ digging into the rich southern soil of real life through his prose has kept him closely connected with regions like North Mississippi and Memphis.

Since becoming a full-time novelist around the time his of second book “Leavin’ Trunk Blues” in 2000, Atkins has focused many of his works on the sprawled places and scattered people of the Mid-South. Serial characters like Atkins’ Quinn Colson, protagonist of such novels as “The Lost Ones”, “The Broken Places”, and “The Forsaken”, and the music historian/detective New Orleanian Nick Travers of stories like “Dirty South” and “Last Fair Deal Gone Down”, color his depiction of the South with sharp, insightful strokes of compelling crime storytelling.

With the fifth in the Quinn Colson series coming out this summer, Atkins shows no hint of exhausting those stamps of southern inspiration for his character driven series. Characters like Quinn Colson allow Atkins to collide strong fictive personalities with real world social dynamics. As Atkins said, “People who know the Mid-South are going to recognize characters.” Colson, a former Army Ranger returned from war to sheriff in a rural county in modern North Mississippi, creates a volatile climate of conflict that has proven unequivocally appealing to Atkins’ readers. For Atkins, characters like Colson are “essentially about the place and the forgotten counties” of the region, interesting scores of readers by creating a local authenticity few writers achieve. Though part of a series, Atkins’ novels also have a degree of narrative autonomy to them, allowing the reader to pick up almost any work without having read previous volumes, though each volume is interconnected with others in the series: “You don’t have to read the Quinn books in order, but they are interconnected.”

Like many successful novelists, Atkin meets his muse like clockwork. “My process is that I write everyday. I have a story that I’m excited about, and I work on it daily,” Atkins said. Riveting southern stories aren’t the only things coming out of Atkins’ Oxford office. Atkins is also the official writer for the Robert B. Parker Estate. Robert Parker, whose popular Spenser series novels sold millions of copies, won awards, and enjoyed a successful TV adaptation, wrote extensively about crime in Boston. Shortly after Parker’s death in 2010, Atkins took up the mantle as the estate’s official novelist. “The Spenser books are a widely-known series and very much in the same crime vein as my southern set stories. Spenser is a private investigator in South Boston.” The true crime feel that distinguishes Atkins’ southern world is just as present in the Spenser novels like “Cheap Shot and Wonderland”, and readers are just as enamored, as Atkins has so vividly captured the native soil of Boston’s criminal underworld.

“Kickback”, the newest volume in the Spenser series, is out this May, while “The Redeemers”, the fifth volume of the Quinn Colson series, is set for a July release.

www.aceatkins.com

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into the wild } river of life farm

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Finding a

Higher Place

By Andrea Brown Ross. Photography courtesy of River of Life Farm and Brian Wise

If you’re looking for a trip that goes out on a limb and off the beaten path, River of Life Farm (ROLF) can accommodate. About a half-day’s drive from the Memphis, Tennessee area, guests can find this family-friendly haven in south central Missouri. Myron McKee, along with his wife Ann and staff, have been providing memorable getaways since 1994.

It all started when McKee had to consider a career change when his employer decided to close its doors in the fall of 1994. At the time, he was a father of seven children. At the suggestion of a family friend, McKee began considering what he could do with the inherited 80 acres he lived on. Relying

on more faith than funds, McKee pursued the possibility of renting cabins, fly fishing, and float rentals.

Now with 10 treehouse cabins and 355 acres and more lodging planned in the future, ROLF offers a variety of outdoor experiences. Fly fishing, bird watching, star gazing, DeSoto 33

camping, and floating are among the activities from which to choose. If nature is not your thing, there is plenty of history to be appreciated. Local gristmills and antique shopping are all within a reasonable drive from the farm.

For the McKee family, helping guests feel at home is an important aspect not only of their business, but of their lives. ROLF provides a way for the McKee family to contribute to a cause near and dear to their heart: caring for orphaned children by financially supporting orphanages. Having been in foster care as a child following a series of family troubles, McKee personally knows what it feels like to need a home.

“We truly feel so blessed to be able to offer these experiences to our guests. By staying at the ROLF, our guests are also helping children placed in orphanages in third-world countries. So while our guests are enjoying the fishing, their honeymoon, or just spending quality time with their family, they are making a difference to children around the world.”

One of the most unique aspects of ROLF is the lodging. There are rooms available at the lodge for single fisherman, spaces for RVs and camping, but it’s the treehouse cabins taking guests to new heights. Erected on steel beams, when one steps out onto the deck of the treehouse cabin, you are literally up in the trees. Guests are afforded a bird’s eye view of the beautiful Ozark landscape.

Treehouse cabins are equipped with kitchens. In addition, a charcoal grill and fire pit are available to guests outside of their cabin. For those who would prefer to have someone else prepare their meals, Bob Davis, ROLF cook, 34 DeSoto

would be happy to oblige. Drawing upon his previous experience as a restaurant manager in Branson, Mo., Davis makes meals from scratch.

“I make everything from scratch with only a few exceptions. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served seven days a week. During our busy season, buffets are available. We can also cater large groups such as reunions, receptions, and conferences,” said Davis.

Dining can also take place indoors or out--and even on the river.

“Guests enjoy a variety of menu options from salad and fruit to country fried steak and mashed potatoes smothered in gravy. “Float lunches” are available for those going out in a canoe. We also offer fine dining options such as ribs, blackened salmon, and steak. We do our very best to accommodate guests with special dietary needs, also.”

Brian Wise, head fly fishing guide, commented on what makes ROLF’s location on “the Falls”, on the North Fork of the White River, a special place to fish.

“We have phenomenal brown trout along with wild rainbow trout. Approximately 50 years ago, the stocking of rainbow trout was stopped. So what exists now are selfsustaining rainbow trout, which ROLF offers access to.”

“What’s great about this place and fly fishing is that it is available year round any day of the week. We can guide up to 5 drift boats at a time. We offer half-day and full-day guide trips. From someone who has never touched a fly rod to someone who has fished their whole life and wants to be

guided to some of the best fishing stops, we can do it all. Everything from equipment to the fishing license is offered at ROLF lodge, “Wise said.

Returning guest, Dorothy Holden, commented on what keeps her family going back to ROLF.

“The River of Life Farm is rustic beauty with all the comforts of home. It’s a retreat out in the wilderness. I love walking out on the deck in the morning, drinking coffee, watching the river below, and the eagles fly into the trees across from the deck.

It’s very peaceful and quiet, even with a full camp. We’re going back in June for family time.”

Vicki Fredenburg, of Des Moines, Iowa, has had similar experiences.

“The ROLF is a place to walk the trails and absorb the simplicity of a gentler pace. A place where the family makes you feel welcome and at home, to the point you don’t want to leave, and you can’t wait to come back.”

To learn more about ROLF, 417- 261-7777.

Find them on Facebook, or www.riveroflifefarm.com.

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exploring cuisine } cooking the catch

Sunrise while surf fishing in Grand Isle, LA

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Brad McMillin cleaning speckled trout & redfish

Cooking the Catch Story and photography by Robert Gaiennie

Grand Isle, Louisiana, a remote oasis located on a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico at the mouth of Barataria Bay, served as my outdoor classroom as a child. It is there where I learned how to catch and clean fish, and most importantly, how to cook them.

The fish that I first caught was the speckled trout (or spotted sea trout for those who prefer the proper name).

One of the best places to fish by shore is Elmer’s Island, just west of Grand Isle but still considered Grand Isle.

Before fishing the inshore waters of Grand Isle, I always check the tides which can either make or break a day on the water.

The better the tidal movement the more active the bait fish and shrimp hence the more active the speckled trout. I usually always refer to www.rodnreel.com to check the tides for the area I’m going to be fishing. The site will rate the day from a 1 to 10 with 10 being the best and tell you the best times to fish during the day.

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Robert’s Trout Meuniére

For beginners, the gear you’ll need for fishing the shore: • A minimum rod length of six feet; I prefer a medium weight rod that is 6’6” • Either a spinning reel or baitcasting reel • 12 lb. test line for the reel and 25 lb. test line for the leader • Floating fish basket to keep your catch • Live bait bucket for your live shrimp • Three dozen live shrimp • #2 size treble hook • Popping cork • Size 8 barrel swivel • Water shoes

A trout will usually take the shrimp right after you pop the cork. If it doesn’t, reel in the slack and do it again. In no time you’ll have your limit of 25 speckled trout. Once back at the fish cleaning station (almost every marina and motel will have a fish cleaning station in Grand Isle), it’s time to fillet the catch. In order to properly fillet a fish, you’ll need a good sharp knife or ideally an electric knife, as well as one-gallon zip lock bags, and an ice chest. There are numerous ways to fillet a fish, 38 DeSoto

however this method is by far the most effective way I’ve found to do it on speckled trout, specifically.

• Lay the fish down with the stomach facing up.

• Right in front of the anal fin with your knife blade closest to the head, cut down perpendicular on the fish until you hit the spine.

• Once you hit the spine turn your blade parallel to the fish and cut along the spine, feeling the spine as you go for guidance, until you reach the head.

• Upon reaching the head lie the fish on its side, without removing your knife, then cut back down that side again following the spine for guidance until you reach the tail. Do not cut through the tail.

• Once you hit the tail flip the entire fillet over where the meat should be facing up at this point.

• Grasping the fish with your non-cutting hand for support, cut from the tail, between the skin and the meat, until the fillet is removed from the skin.

• When the fillet is removed you’ll have a little bit of bone and blood line which you can easily trim off with your knife.

• Turn the fish over and using the same technique remove the other fillet from the opposite side.

Give your fillets a quick rinse with fresh water and put them into the zip locks bags. Once each bag is full to your liking (I put enough in each one for a meal), throw the bag into the ice chest.

My favorite way to pre pare speckled trout is by lightly dredging it in flour and sautéing it. Here’s an easy Trout Meuniére recipe I’ve been using for years.

Robert’s Trout Meuniére (serves 6) • 1 cup milk • 1 cup flour • 1 teaspoon creole spice • 6 speckled trout fillet • Salt and black pepper to taste • 8 tablespoons butter • Juice of 1 lemon • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley Place the milk into a wide dish. Mix the flour and creole spice into another wide dish, stirring to combine. Season the fillets with salt and pepper, dip them into the milk, and dredge in the seasoned flour. Melt four tablespoons butter in a large skillet over mediumhigh heat. Add the fillets and cook on each side until golden brown, about three minutes per side. Transfer the fish to a serving platter. Add the remaining four tablespoons butter to the same skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl the skillet over the heat so that the butter melts evenly and cook five to seven minutes until the butter turns brownish. Reduce the heat to medium low, add the lemon juice, parsley, and a dash of salt. Spoon the browned butter over the fish and serve.

See a great diagram for filleting your catch at DeSotoMagzine.com/ exploring-cuisine Robert Gaiennie is a trained chef and avid fisherman.

He currently resides in Covington, LA. DeSoto 39

exploring destinations } the kentucky derby

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Derby Days Are Here Again

By Jill Gleeson. Photography courtesy of the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau

The hats. The mint juleps. My Old Kentucky Home.

It’s the most storied event in sports, a tradition-soaked extravaganza beloved by Americans of all ages and from every social strata, across the South and North. But Louisville’s Kentucky Derby – along with the Westminster Dog Show, the oldest sporting events in the country – has come to signify more than just the heart stopping, thrilling two-minute race.

Thanks to the Kentucky Derby Festival and a host of events at Churchill Downs leading up to it, the Run for the Roses has

evolved into, as basketball great Magic Johnson once said of it, “the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras all rolled into one.”

The Kentucky Derby, which will be held this year on Saturday, May 2, attracts roughly 150,000 people to Churchill Downs. Founded in 1875, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime event for the horses that run it – and many of their owners and trainers.

Only three-year-old Thoroughbred colts and fillies are eligible, with only three of the latter having ever won the Derby. Since DeSoto 41

the 1970s the field has been limited to just 20 competitors.

There is another race strictly for fillies, dubbed the Kentucky Oaks, which is held the Friday before the Derby.

“Come to the Oaks if you can,” advised Louisville CVB Marketing and Communications Manager Susan Dallas, “and to the Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs. It’s closed the Friday and Saturday of Derby Day weekend, but you can go on Sunday morning. If you don’t have tickets to the Derby but want to get a feel for it, come between the Sunday and Wednesday before it, because your hotel room will be cheaper. The track opens the Sunday before the Derby for the spring meet, and it’s pretty crowded every day. Plus, they do a Dawn at the Downs, when you can have breakfast at Churchill Downs and watch the morning workouts. And they always have a time that Derby hopefuls exercise on the track.”

“Barn and Backside”, behind-the-scene tours of Churchill Downs, are also great fun and can be arranged through the museum. Just be sure to save plenty of time to savor the more than 70 events served up during the two-weeklong Kentucky Derby Festival (KDF), many of them free with a five-dollar Pegasus Pin. The fest blasts off with the largest fireworks and air show in North America, Thunder Over Louisville, which attracts over a half million spectators. Other highlights of the KDF include the Pegasus Parade; a full and half marathon; waterfront concerts featuring seven national acts; a hot air balloon festival and the Great Steamboat Race.

In fact, with so many activities how do you begin to choose what to do?

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“Plan your trip based on who’s coming with you and what you like,” suggested Aimee Boyd, KDF vice president of communications. “Because there’s so much to do it can get overwhelming and you can’t do everything…I mean, you can try! You can come in and make a whole week of Derby and not find much downtime because there are events going on every day. Schools let out and everybody participates – it’s a big party that people come from all over the world to experience!”

For more information about the Kentucky Derby, visit www.kentuckyderby.com. For the Kentucky Derby Museum, visit www.derbymuseum.org. For the Kentucky Derby Festival, visit kdf.org.

Talk to anyone in Louisville and they’ll agree: everyone has got to experience the Kentucky Derby at least once in their lives.

But exactly how you experience it largely depends on where you experience it. Are you going to hit it high up in the swank boxes on Millionaires Row, or down low with the huddled – and much livelier – masses on the Infield?

The biggest bash in sports happens in the Infield, where upwards of 80,000 pack in on race day. There’s pretty much no limit on the amount of $55 general admission tickets the Derby sells, or the outrageous behavior of some of the folks who buy them. And yes, those rumors you heard are true: there really is a detention center in the Infield. Most jailbirds no doubt come from the infamous Third Turn, where excess is believed to be best. The First Turn, home to family reunions and the like, offers a more laid back atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Millionaires Row on the fourth level of Churchill Downs, a nd the eve n mo re exclusive sixth-floor Mansion – which debuted two years ago is invitation-only and offers tickets at a rumored $12,500 a pop – boast the kind of over-the-top opulence enjoyed by heads of state and kings of finance. Among the Mansion’s more posh touches are access through a private, unmarked elevator and well brands in the bar like Macallan 15-Year-Old-Scotch.

Less pricey are seats in the new Turf Super Suite for $3,400 per person.

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a day away } hernando, ms

Hernando, Mississippi

y Bugg Bakery 9:00 Voted best bakery in DeSoto C ount y, locally-ownedd Lad and specialt y & Cafe bakes up fresh pastries, confections, arti san breaor take a to-go order. desserts---daily. Settle in with your coffee and paper, s alive each 10:00 From Apr il to Oct ober, Her nando’s hist oric square. come Voted Mississippi’s Sat urday morning duri ng the Her nando Farmers Market tem favorite mar ket several years in a row, the livel y mar kets. pts with local products, homegrown fruits, vegetables, dair y and meat h lunches and 12:00 Just acro ss town, Buon Cibo serves up locally-fres e in crafting dinners. Owner and Chef Josh Belenchia takes part iculaOrr ifprid you prefer lunch on pizzas, specialt y sandwiches and homemade desserts. ls enjo y wings, pizzas the square, take a seat at Windy Cit y Gri lle where loca and hamburgers. e now houses the 1:00 Just west of the square, the hist oric Banks Homthro urday, DeSoto Arts C ouncil. The gift shop, open Wednesday kshoughpsSat and classes feat ures unique handcrafted items by local arti sans. Wor are also offered. oto C ount y Museum.

2:00 Take a step back in time with a tour of the DeSDeS The Museum feat ures the hist ory and deve lopment of . oto C ount y, Mississippi from 1541 to the present. Admission is free 3:00 Sho pping is a must in Her nando. There are so mann.y wonderful locallyowned shop s on the hist oric square and throughout tow more!

Apparel , antiques, pottery, gifts, beauty products and y cooked steaks other 6:00 Dinner at AC’s Steakhouse. Besides the perfectl nice, dishes include homemade soup, pasta, seaf ood and burgers. If the weat her is be sure to grab a seat on the pat io.

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Hernando, Mississippi is a family-friendly town with tons of local events all year round. Some upcoming favorites include: A’Fair on the Square, May 16 Summer Concert Series Thursdays in June 4th of July Picnic and Parade June 26 hernandoms.org desotomuseum.org ladybuggbakery.com acssteakhouse.com desotoarts.com buonciborestaurant.com windycitygrille.com

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travelin’ Jon Hart Burleson Bag $309 The Other Side Gifts 122 Norfleet Senatobia, MS 662-562-7349

Travel Hangman $12.99 The Sensory Shop 5627 Getwell Road, Southaven, MS 662-536-6187

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Sugar Booger Backpacks $30 each Mimi’s on Main 432 Main Street Senatobia, MS 662-562-8261

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Zep-Pro Weekender Bag $100 Blue Olive Shop 210 E. Commerce Street Hernando, MS 662-449-1520

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travelin’ Melissa and Doug On the Go Water Wow $5 Merry Magnolia 194 E Military Rd. Marion, AR 870-739-5579 MonoPod Selfie Stick $20 Bon Von Gift Shop 214 W Center Street Hernando, MS 662-429-5266

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Melissa and Doug On the Go Color Blast $5 Merry Magnolia 194 E Military Rd. Marion, AR 870-739-5579 DeSoto 49

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Buffalo Ridge, Branson, MO

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Whitewater putting course, Horseshoe Bay Resort. Horseshoe Bay, TX

time for

G olf

By J. Eric Eckard. Photography courtesy of Buffalo Ridge, Top Of The Rock, and Horseshoe Bay Resort

Time seems like a more valuable economy for today’s generation. Drivethrus, microwaves and overnight shipping are the norms as young people are accustomed to satisfying immediate wants without the planning that was needed decades ago. Even in golf course settings where traditions like doffing your hat and shaking hands after a 4½-hour round, business has become stagnant in recent years. Overall, rounds of golf have remained steady in the past decade, but some clubs have struggled and others thrived.

Could time itself be altering the game?...

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Slickrock golf course, Horseshoe Bay Resort. Horseshoe Bay, TX

“Time is one of the real hurdles to growing the game,” said Bill “Goose” Munguia, PGA Master Professional who runs Mirimichi Golf Course outside of Memphis, Tenn.

To cater to beginners as well as experienced players who don’t have time for a typical 18-hole round of golf, many clubs are offering quality 9-hole and 18-hole executive course options. Some facilities even have 18-hole putting courses.

And these aren’t Putt-Putt courses, afterthoughts or using up leftover land after the “real” courses were built.

Designers like Jack Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones Sr. and others have built these shorter courses with just as much attention to design as their championship courses.

Here are some of the better shorter golf course options throughout the South:

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Little Mirimichi

Located just 15 minutes from downtown Memphis, Tenn., Little Mirimichi, a 9-hole, par-35 executive course, sits alongside the facility’s more well-known Championship Course. Affectionately known as Mini Michi to staff and area golfers, this course features attractive bunkering, spacious tee boxes and large greens.

“One of the assets of Mini Michi is that you can come out and get around quickly,” Munguia said. “It’s good for beginners, beginning juniors and occasional players, as well as seasoned players who want to practice their short game.

“It’s a good venue for all skill levels.”

Munguia said most golfers can get a round in on the 2,500-yard Mini Michi in about 90 minutes. And although he said there are plenty of signature holes on the course, Munguia likes the par-3 No. 2, with its elevated green and water feature down the right side.

“It’s a real nice amenity to the Championship Course.” Munguia said.

Designer Bill Bergin recently renovated the Championship Course, which spans 7,400 yards from the back tees, features six tee boxes and attracts midto high-handicap golfers. Native grassland, waterfalls and creeks highlight Mirimichi’s main course.

Magnolia Grove Short Course

One of seven short courses on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama, Magnolia Grove is located in Mobile. Built alongside two championship courses, the Magnolia Grove Short Course recently was named best par-3 course in the United States.

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Sunset at Top of the Rock, hole 9

Renovated along with its big brothers, this 18-hole, 3,140-yard course features newly designed putting surfaces that offer many of the same challenges as the Falls and Crossings courses at Magnolia Grove. One of the original golf complexes built for the trail in the 1990s, Magnolia Grove sits about eight miles from the Gulf of Mexico.

“It’s a beautiful setting,” said John Cannon, president of Sunbelt Golf Corp., which manages the trail. “It’s really special.”

Forced carries and sloped greens highlight the Short Course, which many players use to sharpen their short game or organize an “emergency round” if the Falls or the Crossings fail to settle things between players. And with four sets of tees, the trail’s short courses offer plenty of opportunity for player development, Cannon said.

“This is not a chip and putt course,” he added. “(Jones) put as much detail into the short courses as he did for the championship courses. They’re not afterthoughts.”

Grand National Short Course

Also one of the original facilities built in the 1990s by Jones for the trail, the Grand National Short Course is another three-course complex. Buoyed by the Links and Lake courses, Grand National winds around the 600-acre Lake Saugahatchee near Auburn.

Another of Jones’ 18-hole, par-3 course, the Grand National Short Course spans 2,798 yards from the back tees. With scenic views of the lake from most of the holes, the short course might be one of the more beautiful executive courses on the trail, Cannon said.

“The conditions, the quality – it really is something special,” Cannon said.

With holes ranging from 65 yards to 275 yards, play on the short courses is “pure golf,” Cannon added. A round on a short course typically lasts about 2½ hours.

And while the championship courses at Grand National have hosted PGA sanctioned 56 DeSoto

events, the short courses along the trail are must-plays.

“If you do not put a short course in your rotation, you’re making a mistake,” Cannon said.

Top of the Rock

Also overlooking a lake, Top of the Rock is a Nicklaus-designed 9-hole, par-3 course that features picturesque views of Table Rock Lake near Branson, Mo. Just a few miles from its longer, 18-hole counterpart – the Tom Fazio-designed Buffalo Ridge – Top of the Rock is the only Nicklaus Signature Course in Missouri.

In 2014, Top of the Rock became the first 9-hole, par-3 course ever to be used in a PGA Tour sanctioned event, a two-man team competition. Fred Funk and Jeff Sluman won the inaugural Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Big Cedar Lodge tournament, which is back this year as a regular stop on the Champions Tour schedule.

PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem reportedly said, “If there was ever a par-3 course worthy of PGA Tour DeSoto 57

tournament play, Top of the Rock is it.”

Ranging from 945 yards from the forward tees to 1,420 yards from the tips, Top of the Rock offers a wide range of opportunities for golfers of all skill levels.

Also part of the Top of the Rock complex is a practice range created

by Arnold Palmer and a Tom Watsondesigned putting area. The Palmer practice area features 16 target greens with synthetic and natural grass and water features.

The Top of the Rock pro shop is housed in a 150-year-old barn from Palmer’s hometown, Latrobe, Penn., and features memorabilia and photos from Palmer’s playing career. Watson recreated the Himalayas putting course at St. Andrews in Scotland, with his one-acre setup and some putting greens of up to 200 feet.

Horseshoe Bay Resort Whitewater Course

One of the more unique courses available to save time and work on parts of the game other than long drives is the 18hole, par-72 putting course at Horseshoe Bay Resort in Horseshoe Bay, Texas.

Maintained like a regular golf course, the Whitewater Course features bunkers, water hazards and Dwarf Bermuda grass on the “fairways” and greens. Throughout the course, golfers can enjoy waterfalls, exotic birds, gardens and meandering waterways. Make no mistake though, there are no clowns’ mouths or windmills. This is a true golf course, on which the putter is the only club needed.

“It’s incredible,” said Steve Hatch, the resort’s director of golf. “It’s not just for kids and grandkids.”

The 1,712-yard putting course complements three Robert Trent Jones Sr. courses and the resort’s newest offering, the Nicklaus-designed Summit Rock, which was named best new golf course in the U.S. when it opened in 2012.

“It’s awesome to have four incredible golf courses like that and a unique putting course,” Hatch said. “(Whitewater is) an incredible place.

“If you can’t relax over there, you can’t relax.”

J. Eric Eckard has golfed in Europe, Canada, Bermuda and across the United States. When he’s not trying to hit fairways and greens, he’s training for marathons.

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St.Louis Scenes

By Karen Ott Mayer. Photography courtesy of the Missouri Division of Tourism

For families accustomed to heading south for vacations, an over-arching reason may change that direction. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, a city where family-friendly destinations and activities are as dizzying as the Arch’s height of 63 stories.

From the iconic Gateway Arch, to the kid-friendly Magic House and the stunning Cathedral Basilica, we find firsttime visitors often are surprised at how much there is to see and do here,� said Amy Susan, who works with the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

Completed in 1965, the arch represents the confluence of all westward expansion of an early America, particularly contributions by Thomas Jefferson. Built as a catenary curve, the Gateway Arch is the tallest monument in the U.S. Standing

underneath the massive arch and staring skyward seems an ideal spot for visitors to begin their St. Louis journey. From that point, families can embark in any direction to find adventure in the city. www.gatewayarch.com

Busch Stadium

Within site of the arch, Busch Stadium welcomes St. Louis Cardinal fans every season since opening in 2006. Founded in DeSoto 61

Missouri History Museum

1882, the baseball team officially donned their latest name in 1900. Not only will families enjoy the excitement, parents may be interested in knowing the Cardinals have donated nearly four million tickets to children and charities over the last 16 seasons. And, in case anyone is wondering, the stadium sells over 500,000 hotdogs each year!

St. Louis Union Station

A magnificent piece of architecture built in 1894, the former St. Louis Union Station once helped thousands of travelers crisscross the country. Now, the setting makes for grand shopping or grand dining in The Grand Hall. Everything from bagels to ice cream are available to satisfy even the pickiest eater in the family. www.stlouisunionstation.com

City Garden

It’s glass, grass and sculpture all in one urban setting. If it’s just too pretty to spend time indoors, then head to city garden.

With thousands of perennials, shrubs, trees, wildflowers and more, the garden is not only attractive, but educational. Rain gardens, roof gardens and planned permeable surfaces, City Garden teaches as well as entertains. www.citygardenstl.org

Lafayette Square and Lafayette Park

The first park west of the Mississippi, Lafayette has never 62 DeSoto

been privately owned. Always for the public, the 30-acre park reminds us of the sophisticated French Victorian past with its lovely architecture. An ideal place to roam or picnic. www.lafayettesquare.org

Missouri History Museum

The Missouri History Museum, located in Forest Park, showcases Missouri history. The museum is operated by the Missouri Historical Society and was founded in 1866. Current exhibitions include “Lost Building of St. Louis” and “State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda.”

Saint Louis Zoo

Also located on 90 acres in Forest Park, the zoo is home to more than 600 species of animals, many of them rare and endangered, and is one of the few free zoos in the nation. Set to open in the summer of 2015, the Zoo’s 40,000-square foot McDonnell Polar Bear Point offers visitors a 22-foot viewing window, where polar bears can come right up to the glass to greet guests.

Saint Louis Art Museum

The Saint Louis Art Museum is one of the principal U.S. art museums, with paintings, sculptures, cultural objects, and ancient masterpieces from all corners of the world. The BeauxArts style building was designed by famed architect Cass Gilbert in the late 19th century. Admission is free.

Missouri Botanical Garden

Founded in 1859, the Missouri Botanical Garden is the nation’s oldest botanical garden in continuous operation and a National Historic Landmark. The Garden offers 79 acres of beautiful horticultural display, including a 14-acre Japanese strolling garden, Henry Shaw’s original 1850 estate home, and one of the world’s largest collections of rare and endangered orchids.

City Museum

“Wacky, weird, wonderful” all describe this one-of-a-kind treasure. The museum is a 600,000-square foot “urban funhouse” where children can get lost for an hour or a day, exploring one artisan-designed experience after another, including an eight-story tunnel system, a 20-foot slinky consisting largely of repurposed architectural and industrial objects. City Museum is housed in the former International Shoe building in the Washington Avenue Loft District of St. Louis.

Grant’s Farm

Grant’s Farm is a historic farm and longstanding landmark in Grantwood Village, Missouri. The property was at one time owned by Ulysses S. Grant. A visit to Grant’s Farm includes historic exhibits such as Grant’s Cabin; Deer Park, home to a variety of exotic animal species from around the world; and The Bauernhof, built in 1913 as a replica of a German farmstead, and where guests may see the Busch family’s world-renowned carriage collection and stables.

Endangered Wolf Center

The Endangered Wolf Center was founded in 1971 by noted naturalist Dr. Marlin Perkins, his wife Carol, and a group of individuals that were concerned about the plight of canids. It is a private, nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to the preservation and recovery of the wolf and other endangered canids through education, research and captive breeding.

World Bird Sanctuary

The World Bird Sanctuary rests peacefully on 305 acres of Missouri hardwood forest, next door to Lone Elk County Park and Chubb Trail. Visitors can expect to view live displays of Bald Eagles, Owls, Hawks, Falcons, Vultures, Parrots, Reptiles and DeSoto 63

much more! Â The Sanctuary features free seasonal shows, nature trails, educational programs and picnic pavilions.

The Magic House

The Magic House, St. Louis Children’s Museum, opened to the public on October 16, 1979 in a quaint 5,500 square foot Victorian mansion located in the demographic center of the St. Louis region. Founded by two volunteers, Barbie Freud and Jody Newman, the not-for-profit museum was created as the first totally participatory museum designed just for children.

Museum of Transportation

Talk about on the move. This museum boasts over 190 exhibits which tell the story of transportation in all forms. However, of great interest to the kids will be all the locomotives on display. Starting in March each year, kids can even take a ride on a miniature train. www.transportmuseumassociation.org

Ted Drewes Frozen Custard Stand

Those in the know, know this place is the place to be during the warm months.

A family-owned business that dates to the 1920s, Ted Drewes current Chippewa location opened in 1941. Of note, this location was along the original Route 66. Of even more curious note, Ted Drewes is also known for his Christmas trees which are sourced from Canada. www.teddrewes.com 64 DeSoto

St. Louis makes an ideal central location to explore historic and culinary regions of Missouri, all within an hour or two drive.

Missouri’s wine industry was ranked 4th in 2014 with 175 wineries dotted across the region and inspires many an afternoon drive.

“For example, Ste. Genevieve, an hour south of downtown, has homes dating to the 1700s, while two hours north is Hannibal, Mark Twain’s home town and site of the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum. Ninety minutes west is Hermann, the heart of Missouri wine country, and just one of the places where you can visit one of Missouri’s 10 wine trails,” said Susan.

If ever a phrase lived up to its meaning, “Meet Me in St. Louis” could be the one.

Families looking for vacation ideas, both indoor and out, will find St. Louis the place to be.

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Always the Animals Ever-evolving, the Memphis Zoo is still among favorites.

Story by Devin Greaney. Photography courtesy of the Memphis Zoo

Most everyone who grew up in Memphis, and even those who moved here six months ago have fond memories of the Memphis Zoo.

There was the smell of the hot wax that stamped out those animals for 25 cents each. The rides. Grandma patiently waiting in front of the reptile house for us because the snakes gave her the creeps. There were school field trips which were the best days ever--even when I got lost. And then, the sadness when it was time to leave; but just as well we left because we’d fall asleep in the car on the way home.

Over the last several years the Memphis Zoo is no longer just “Memphis” as it nearly always ends up in the top five zoos in the country. It seems the whole country has adopted the place. Over the years, the zoo has kept the stuff kids from the 1950s can remember, while adding new attractions for their grandkids of 2015.

“People still want the same things, but new things DeSoto 67

and still have that tradition of coming to the zoo,” said Angie Whitfield, director of marketing and communications for the Memphis Zoo.

The for mer elephant building, retired from elephant duty over 40 years ago, is now used as the education department. The entryway lions left their post in 1990 and now guard over the mini- amusement park.

Looking at the last 25 years, change has prevailed. In 1990, the zoo added the Egyptian-inspired entrance, creating a distinctly original first impression. Cat Country gave the giant felines a much nicer home in 1993 and their now 106-year-old carnivore building was repurposed into the Cat House Cafe.

In 1995, Once upon a Farm opened bringing the country to the city along with Primate Canyon and the nocturnal animal exhibit where lights come on at night and go dark during the day so the bats and armadillos scurry about during visiting hours.

Three years later came the Komodo dragon house. But the zoo was far from done. The Chinese building with its pandas 68 DeSoto

opened in 2003, the Northwest Passage in 2006 and the Teton Trek in 2009. This year additions have birthed like rabbits. The zoo has added Zoo Takes Flight, an interactive free-flight bird show in their amphitheater- also new, where cute, colorful birds and big ones that could eat those cute colorful birds, interact with a trainer and the audience. Plus “Little Chick, How do you Grow?” displays a chicken incubator, allowing visitors to potentially see the magic of birth as chickens peck their ways out of shells. Beyond seeing chickens piping out of their eggs there is also information on urban chicken farming, Whitfield said.

“We have added an octopus, a jellyfish, seahorse and cuttlefish to the aquarium,” she said.

The roaring heard today is not just lions, tigers and bears but also construction equipment working on a new exhibit, the Zambezi River Hippo Camp, which is due to be completed next February.

“It will be home to our Nile Hippopotami, Nile crocodiles, African flamingos called greater flamingo ocopi

which is kind of like a giraffe woodland creature and mandrill baboons. We’ll also have an African aviary,” said Laura Doty, communications and marketing director.

T here are over 500 species represented at the zoo and 3,500 specimens. The largest being the elephant; the smallest, newt larvae. They swim. They walk. They fly. They eat meat, vegetables and bugs. The only thing consistent it seems is the staff’s passion for caring for them. “We have a great group of employees who love these animals and love caring for these animals. Last week we were closed because of the ice, but our keepers and staff still came in. The animals were warm and safe. I think everyone is proud to be at this establishment. Not all the animals kept warm, of course, the polar bear made big DeSoto 69

Wilson

news in a viral video rolling in and loving that ice and snow.

When kids are in school there are many other events that keep people coming.

September brings Zoo Rendezvous. Zoo Boo is the Halloween event. Zoo Lights and the ice skating rink are much a part of Memphis’ Decembers.

In many ways the zoo is too big for just one day. Walking from the farm exhibit on the west side and to the Teton Trek alone can be overwhelming. But the zoo has a solution- zoo membership. Just come back the next day and on top of that, membership equals members-only events, discounts at the gift shop and the magazine.

“I grew up coming to the zoo and I bring my kids to the zoo. When I tell people I work at the zoo, they ask ‘is it fun?’ I say ‘I work at the zoo. Of course its fun!’” said Whitfield.

So what do people who work at the zoo suggest? Doty has been there for three years. “If I had to suggest one thing it would be to see the Asian small clawed otters. I think they are my favorite. They have different vocalization. You can just sit and hear them talk to each other.”

The teaching aspect has no measure. “It’s really special to see a child who has been studying elephants in their third grade class, and maybe he’s only seen an elephant in the pages of book or on TV, actually see elephants. Then you see the smile break out on his face as he’s thinking ‘that’s what I’m learning about!’” said Doty.

Sometimes kids can get scared especially of the snakes, but Whitfield pointed out there seems to be no childhood trauma being inflicted at the reptile house. “They like to be scared. Who doesn’t like to squeal?”

www.memphiszoo.org

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The Memphis Zoo Goes to Nashville

This month in Nashville, the world will have a chance to see just what happens everyday at the Memphis Zoo when “The Keepers�, a behind-the-scenes documentary will premiere at the Nashville Film Festival.

Directed by Memphis filmmakers Joann Self Selvidge and Sara Kaye Larson of the film company True Story Pictures, the film will compete against 15 other documentary features at the Green Hills Cinema from April 16 to 25 during the festival. The pair spent three years filming the documentary which focuses on the relationships between zoo animals and their keepers, many of whom have dedicated years to caring for everything from birds and fish to giraffes.

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homegrown } colonel littleton luggage

Traveling Colonel Style

By Mary Ann DeSantis. Photography courtesy of Colonel Littleton.

Ask anyone who travels a lot about the best bags to carry, and you are bound to hear the name Colonel Littleton. The purveyor of fine accoutrements (notably leather) is known throughout the world, but his traditions are rooted in small-town America.

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Opening a box from Col. Littleton Ltd., Inc., is a memorable experience. First, there’s the smell of genuine leather, even if all you’ve ordered is the Colonel’s new “Tales & Tunes” CD which comes in an embossed leather case. Next, you’ll find a journal featuring a few “Colonelisms,” a small leaflet explaining his philosophies about such things as condominium cows, and a story card about Moon Pies and Caviar. Finally, a miniature Moon Pie tumbles out of the package, giving you an actual down-home taste of Tennessee.

“Every order gets a Moon Pie. They are made right here in Tennessee and they take me straight back to my childhood,” said Colonel Littleton, the founder of the Lynnville, Tenn., company whose products exemplify Americana. “I want the package to look as good as it can. I want to make a good impression and tell a story. Everything we do is about a story.”

Indeed stories are a significant part of the Colonel Littleton aura, including the one about becoming known as the “Colonel” instead of Garry, his given name.

“Which story do you want to hear?” he asked with a chuckle. “When I started the company, I thought every small town had a colonel. Since Lynnville is a small town (current population: 327), it sounded right. After all, people would rather buy something from a Colonel, not Garry. Most people don’t know my real name. Even my wife calls me Colonel.”

A native of Tennessee, Colonel Littleton started his business in 1987 when he was in the men’s apparel business and calling on stores throughout the country, including several between Oxford and Jackson, Miss. Although those stores had quality clothing, Littleton believed they needed unique, highquality accessories and gift items. He bought 17 pairs of vintage cuff links and carefully hand designed the packaging. He took them to a few of the stores and came home empty handed.

Pocket knives became his next passion, and he designed them to be family keepsakes with Mother of Pearl and bone handles, much like those made a 100 years ago. His business expanded to include leather goods, home and business accessories, and even walking sticks – all personally designed by the Colonel himself and created by local craftsmen.

“He has to shut himself away and block out time to design,” said his long-time assistant Lynn Stevens. “We might not see him for two weeks when he’s designing.”

He said new ideas just come to him, usually while he’s sitting on a wooden swing on the front porch of his Lynnville headquarters, located about an hour south of Nashville.

Occasionally a customer will suggest an idea.

Expensive but synonymous with quality craftsmanship, Colonel Littleton products are known for their rugged Americana look. Well-heeled businessmen and U.S. presidents have traveled with his bags. Actor Tom Cruise owns a Colonel Littleton leather fly swatter. Even rich people, said Littleton, have to swat flies.

“I always say there are only two things that determine what something sells for — the materials you use and the time it takes to make it,” Littleton explains. “No secret to it. That’s why momma makes a better apple pie. Sure, you can buy a cheaper one that was made on an assembly line but it won’t be as good.”

More than 500 retail stores, including Omni Hotel gift shops, carry the brand as do high-end catalogs like Orvis. In addition to the Colonel Littleton website, there are two retail outlets in Lynnville.

“Our products are built to last for a long time,” he said. I fully intend for them to belong to a family’s children some day as heirlooms.”

He’s believes in promoting small-town America and preserving the past. He gets more excited talking about a restored 1871 schoolhouse used for his company meetings than he does about the $10,000 alligator saddlebag briefcase offered on his website. He is currently restoring a tavern where Andrew Jackson recruited soldiers for the War of 1812.

Exuding charm and sporting a thick, handlebar mustache, Littleton really is the epitome of a Southern gentleman… and colonel. His down-to-earth witticisms — known as colonelisms — are the basis of his new CD, “Tales & Tunes: It Ain’t a Story… Until You Tell It.”

“The South is about the story,” the Colonel said. “It’s also about doing the right thing. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It works every time…no exceptions.”

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southern harmony } brad birkedahl

Being Brad

By Corey Latta. Photography courtesy of Brad Birkedahl

Born and raised in Tacoma, Washington, Brad Birkedahl didn’t know that he would make a lasting (and ongoing) impression on Memphis, Tennessee a city 2,000 miles away when he picked up a guitar at 12 years old.

Straight out of high school, the up-and-coming rock and roll guitarist sojourned to the genre’s birthplace. When Birkedahl relocated to Memphis in the mid-1990s, he hit the Memphis music scene running. Birkedahl started playing on Beale Street at the legendary but late Elvis Presley’s Memphis, which was the beginning of a relationship with Memphis music that endures today.

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Beale was only the beginning for Birkedahl, as he joined a band called The Dempsey’s, a three-piece rockabilly group. With the Dempsey’s, Birkedahl found another degree of experience, success, as well as a broader platform through extensive touring. The Dempsey’s played shows in St. Louis, country music’s hometown of Nashville, and abroad in Spain and France. In Spain, The Dempsey’s opened for the well-known

group, the Stray Cats, and Birkedahl has shared the stage with legendary names like Carl Perkins, Wanda Jackson, James Burton, The TCB Band, Gunnar and Matthew Nelson, Billy Lee Riley, Paul Burlison, Malcolm Yelvington and DJ Fontana.

Not only has Birkedahl played with some greats, he has also played for some greats, including presidents and prime ministers. A popular highlight of Birkedahl’s remarkable career was his playing the role of “Scotty Moore” in the critically acclaimed and widely loved bio film, “Walk the Line,” starring Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash and Oscar Winner Reese Witherspoon as June Carter Cash.

After a good run, Birkedahl and The Dempsey’s parted ways.

“We grew our separate ways and I just wanted to do something in a bigger band. I wanted to explore some new experiences,” Birkedahl said. Since going in a different direction Birkedahl has deepened his roots in the Memphis music scene. Birkedahl is now part of a band called The Burnin’ Love Band. He is also a regular presence on Beale, and he plays at Blues City Café nightly. You could say that Birkedahl’s impact on Memphis music was made official when Beale Street awarded him with a “Brass Note,” Beale’s version of a walk of fame star. Birkedahl enjoys good company as other Brass Note recipients include B. B. King, Justin Timberlake, and the “King” himself, Elvis Presley.

When asked what he loves about Memphis music, Birkedahl said, “Memphis has this fusion of so many types of music.

You have rockabilly, rock and roll, country, blues, jazz. Memphis is a musical stew.

That’s what I like about it the most. It’s diverse and it’s universal.”

Birkedahl continues to add his own ingredients to the Memphis stew. His latest CD “Moving On,” released in June 2014, was recorded in the legendary Sun Studios, recording home of Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash. At 37, Birkedahl has a lot of music left in him. His sustained presence in, and musical impact on Memphis, can only mean one thing: better stew.

Interested in Brad Birkedahl’s music or booking him for a show?

www.bradbirkedahl.com

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table talk} crawdad hole

By Andrea Brown Ross. Photography courtesy of Mickey Howley.

The old adage ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ holds true for the Crawdad Hole restaurant in Water Valley, Mississippi. Located in a decades-old former filling station, this fun and funky place offers some of the tastiest seafood this side of the Mississippi River.

“The crawfish are always just juicy perfect, the po’boys just right and the gumbo consistently kicking...and that’s my south Louisiana native opinion,“ said Mickey Howley, director of the Water Valley Main Street Alliance and co-owner of Bozarts Gallery.

Justin Showah, owner and cook, has a family history that traces back to the Mississippi Delta. Assimilating into the local culture from their native Lebanon, Showah’s grandfather and extended family learned how to catch and cook crawfish.

Although Showah’s father worked in another profession for many years, Justin became his father’s first employee when his father began cooking crawfish for the public.

“I haven’t had any formal culinary training. However, 76 DeSoto

I grew up doing every aspect of the grunt work that pertains to cooking crawfish. Although I don’t follow an exact recipe for cooking crawfish, I still adhere to my father’s recipe as it pertains to the ingredients.”

Showah further explained why he and his wife opened the Crawdad Hole.

“It was our intention to open a pizza parlor, but when we realized that another pizza place was opening in town, we decided upon the only other thing I knew how to cook well, crawfish.”

Water Valley, located about 20 minutes outside of Oxford, Miss. has experienced a revitalization in recent years with residents investing in historic downtown buildings.

Lee McMinn, a lifelong resident of Water Valley, as well as county supervisor and real estate broker, explained how the restaurant ended up in its current location.

“This building spent its entire life as a gas station and then fell into foreclosure. It sat vacant for a number of years with potential buyers hesitant to purchase because of fear of environmental issues. After a buyer purchased it, and confirmed it was environmentally safe, Justin was able to get it for a competitive price. Of course, people would buy crawfish from Justin no matter where he sold it.”

“It means so much for our residents to have this kind of culinary choice in Water Valley,” commented McMinn.

Crawdad Hole offers both seasonal and year-long menu options. Showah shared the menu options that are offered year round.

“We serve boiled shrimp, sausage, sweet corn, taters, crab legs, and turkey tamales made in the Delta. We also serve boiled peanuts year round. We serve gumbo during cold weather. Crawfish are typically available from February till about the 4th of July. From July ‘til the crawfish start up again, we serve po’ boy sandwiches. We offer a few different po’ boys such as BBQ shrimp and blackened catfish, all being served on Gambino bread from New Orleans. Oysters from the gulf coast are usually available October through April,” he said.

Crawdad Hole will soon be gearing up for a warm weather favorite which is typically served May through September.

“We use an 80-year-old ice block shaver to make New Orleans style snoballs during the summertime. We make our own blocks of ice as well. It’s a soft shaved ice as compared to a crunchy ice that many people are accustomed to,” shared Showah.

Not only does the Crawdad Hole serve up savory seafood, but they also serve as a gathering place for locals and out-of-town visitors.

“Warmer nights when there is live music, the crowd spills over to the outside, encouraging fellowship among residents and out-of-towners alike. Customers return for the food number one, and the atmosphere is a close second,” said McMinn.

Howley commented on why the Crawdad Hole is such a cool spot, especially on warm summer nights.

“The Crawdad Hole in one of our best examples of creatively using food and drink as a way to re-use an abandoned building. It’s 600 square feet of fun. Sitting out by the old pumps having some hot seafood and a cold local brew, it’s a good satisfying feeling.”

Crawl over to Crawdad’s. Open Thursday to Saturday, call for hours and up-to-date seasonal menu offerings. 662.816.400

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in good spirits} mai tai

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By Cheré Coen. Photography courtesy of Bali Hai Restaurant

There are different accounts of who created the Mai Tai cocktail. Ernest Ray Gantt, owner of Don the Beachcomber restaurant, professed to have birthed the tropical drink in his Hollywood restaurant in 1933. Victor Bergeron, owner of Trader Vic’s in Oakland, Calif., insists it was he who created the Mai Tai in 1944 for visiting Tahitian customers.

“Let’s get the record straight…I originated the Mai Tai,” Bergeron is quoted as saying, according to the Trader Vic web site. “I took down a bottle of 17-year old Jamaican J. Wray Nephew rum, added fresh lime, some Orange Curacao from Holland, a dash of rock candy syrup, and a dollop of French Orgeat, for its subtle flavor. A generous amount of shaved ice and vigorous shaking by hand produced the marriage I was after. Half the lime shell went in for color.”

He handed the drink accented by a branch of fresh mint to Tahitian friends Ham and Carrie Guild. Carrie Guild sipped the new concoction and reportedly exclaimed, “Mai Tai – Roa Ae,” which means “Out of this world” in Tahitian.

Both drinks are different in ingredients and taste but it’s the Trader Vic’s cocktail that’s most commonly served at Trader Vic restaurants around the world, including one in the Hilton Atlanta.

The easiest way to create a Mai Tai at home is to purchase Trader Vic’s Original Formula Mai Tai Mix and add dark rum (Trader Vic’s sells its own brand) along with the juice from one fresh lime. For the most authentic Trader Vic’s Mai Tai, the company insists, combine all ingredients in a Trader Vic’s Mai Tai glass with crushed ice and garnish with a pineapple spear, a cherry and a mint sprig.

Trader Vic’s Original Mai Tai

80 proof J. Wray & Nephew Rum over shaved ice Juice from half a fresh lime Orange Curacao A dash of rock candy syrup A dollop of French Orgeat Shake vigorously in a cocktail shaker, pour into a glass and add a sprig of fresh mint.

Don the Beachcomber Mai Tai From “Hawai’i Tropical Rum Drinks and Cuisine”

2 ounces of water 1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice 1 ounce of fresh grapefruit juice 1 ounce of sugar syrup 1 ounce of dark rum 1 1/2 ounce of golden rum 1/2 ounce of Cointreau or Triple Sec 1/2 tablespoon of Falernum syrup 2 dashes of Angostura bitters 1 dash of Pernod Shake all ingredients together with ice and strain into a tall highball glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with fresh fruit and serve with straw.

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exploring events } april 10th Annual Fishes for Wishes April 4, 7:00PM Snowden House 6025 Snowden Lane Southaven, MS This Crawfish boil benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Mid-South Chapter. Enjoy all you care to eat crawfish, beverages, alternate food by Memphis Barbeque Co., live entertainment and a silent auction.

Dress is casual. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased by contacting Mike Foshee at 901-598-3680. Tickets also available at the gate. For additional information contact Casey Tansey at 901-692-9506 or email ctansey@midsouth.wish.org 75th Columbus Spring Pilgrimage April 6-18 Columbus, MS For more information call 800-920-3533 or visit www. visitcolumbusms.org for a complete listing of events.

New Albany Home & Garden Show April 10-11 Union County Fairgrounds New Albany, MS Come and start spring off right at one of North Mississippi’s premier gardening events. Network with other gardeners, watch Master Gardener demonstrations and equipment demonstrations.

Browse through plant & equipment vendors, yard art & craft vendors. Speak with plant doctors, weed science specialists and more. Talks by Felder Rushing, Lynette McDougal and more! For more information visit www. unioncountymastergardeners.com or visitnewalbany.com.

Holly Springs Home & Heritage Festival and Pilgrimage April 10-12 Holly Springs, MS For more information visit www.hollyspringspilgrimage.com.

12th Annual Juke Joint Festival April 11 Clarksdale, MS Juke Joint Festival is “half blues festival, half small-town fair and all about the Delta”. For more information visit www.jukejointfestival.com.

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11th Annual Mudbug Bash April 11 6:00PM - 11:00PM Panola Street Hernando, MS Live music, crawfish and silent auction. All proceeds benefit Palmer Home for Children. For more information visit www.palmerhome.org/event/ mudbugbash-2015/.

Tunica Rivergate Festival April 17-18 Tunica, MS Free family‑oriented festival anchored by Memphis In May‑sanctioned barbecue cooking contest and featuring live music, games, children’s activities and lots of delicious food. For more information call 662-363-2865 or visit tunicachamber.com.

RiverFest Arts & Crafts Show April 18 Vicksburg, MS A fun time for the whole family and admission is free during the day on Saturday with live music, street performers, children’s activities, food booths, and fabulous side-walk sales with participating downtown merchants. For more information visit www.riverfestms.com.

46th Annual Crosstie Arts & Jazz Festival April 18 Bolivar County Courthouse Cleveland, MS The Annual Crosstie Arts and Jazz Festival, a juried fine arts show, will feature hundreds of exhibitors displaying paintings, sculpture, pottery, fabric and paper designs, hand-made furniture and jewelry. High quality handcrafts will be offered in a marketplace setting. Road races for young and old, an extensive area just for children, live entertainment, a delicious variety of regional foods, and friendly people combine to make a most enjoyable day. For more info visit www.crosstie-arts.org.

Ridgeland Fine Arts Festival April 18-19 Ridgeland, MS Enjoy a splendid weekend of events that showcases some of America’s finest artists offering artwork that

is creative, inventive and unique. Chosen by a panel of independent jurors, selected media include clay, drawing/pastels, fiber, glass, jewelry, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture and wood. For information call 800-468-6078 or visit www.ridgelandartsfest.com.

Taste of DeSoto April 23 5:30PM - 9:00PM Landers Center Southaven, MS The ‘Taste of Desoto’ is a unique food tasting event highlighting the cuisine of approximately 40 restaurants in DeSoto and surrounding counties. For more information visit www.tasteofdesoto.com.

Double Decker Arts Festival April 24-25 Oxford, MS Celebrating 20 years of food, music and the arts. For the complete music lineup and more information visit www.doubledeckerfestival.com.

Hernando Farmer’s Market April 25 - October 31 Every Saturday from 8:00AM - 1:00PM Hernando Court Square Hernando, MS DeSoto County Earth Day & the opening day for Hernando Farmer’s Market are April 25th. For more information call 662-429-9092.

Baddour Annual Youth Fishing Rodeo April 25 7:00AM - 2:00PM 3297 Highway 51 South Senatobia, MS This will be a time for people in the community to participate in activities focused around fishing! The fee is $10.00 per participant. Please bring personal fishing equipment and bait. All participants will receive a Fishing Rodeo t-shirt, a goodie bag, and will be eligible to win lots of great door prizes. Please contact Jenny Hurt at 662.366.6930 or by email at jhurt@baddour.org if you have any questions or would like to request additional registration forms via e-mail.

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reflections} away

Away

By Karen Ott Mayer

Long before I really knew what traveling meant, I became indoctrinated at a young age. With the old brown Chevy station wagon loaded down with eight-track tapes, a few dogs, and supplies enough to drive from Kentucky to northern Minnesota near the Canadian border, we four kids received our marching orders from Mom. Not that we didn’t know them already after hearing them for years.

“Pick out your spot in the back of the car and when we wake you up, just get your pillow and head to your spot.”

Forget how kids travel now with the latest gadgets, screens and extreme comfort in a $50,000 SUV, we took blind pride in our primitive, hippy travel style. As they say, we may not have had much, but no one told us. Besides, we were going away.

And so, somewhere in the wee hours, someone shook me awake and I grabbed my pillow and headed to the car. I remember cold and dark. With all the seats folded down, the only seat remaining was the front one. I climbed in the back and found my appointed spot which consisted of a few blankets or sleeping bag. With no worries except how long it would take to reach my grandparent’s Minnesota farm, I quickly fell back asleep.

With only the rhythms of the road, faint whiffs of justpumped gasoline and the soft sounds of my parents talking to disturb me, I spent those first few hours dozing until daylight.

Sleeping on the backside of a seat felt something like claiming a countertop for a bed. Eventually, I’d wake up enough to stare at the clouds, sky, poles and signs moving fast past me. Coffee 82 DeSoto

smells filled the car. Another kid awoke and stretched. Someone hollered they were hungry or their foot was asleep, and soon all of us kids were awake.

During the endless journey through Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota, we learned how to endure without any technology or gadgets. Music played quite a lot. We’d help Don McLean sing “American Pie,” play cards, and fight until the car stopped and mom threatened to leave us by the road. Occasionally, we’d take along a wild Ohio cousin who was supposed to find redemption in the woods of Minnesota. It didn’t happen.

A good 800 miles into the 1,000-mile trip, imagination became essential to ward off mania. We sucked on crayons pretending they were cigarettes until we became carsick. We played games with string, read magazines...and fought. By the time we reached Minnesota, the road maps had long been wrinkled and stained and the car barely had any juice left.

I have no idea about the timing, but we usually arrived like we left, at night, in the cold with large muddy farm dogs circling the car.

Travel mirrored real life with tears and traumas, laughter and excitement. We worried little about our appearances or being trendy or perfect. We didn’t know the word resorts. We traveled to be together and to explore what worlds existed beyond our Kentucky yards, away from all we knew.

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