Detours Magazine Winter 2011

Winter 2011 Vol. 16 No. 1 $3.99

River Rendezvous

Sights, sounds and smells of a bygone age live on

Truman S T A T E

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SPRING

First Place ENERGY AND MOTION

Winter 2011

By Paul Friz

First Place RETURN TO YOUR ROOTS

Summer 2011

By Marilyn Kiss

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The theme for the Spring 2012 photo contest is Show Your Spirit.

The contest is open to any and all kinds of photos. Entries must include the photographer’s name, address and telephone number as well as the location and title of the photo. We also encourage contestants to include a short caption.

The deadline for entries is February 10, 2012.The winning photo will be published in the Spring 2012 issue, and the winner will receive a free, two-year subscription to Detours.

The photo with the most “likes” on our Facebook fan page also will be published in the magazine, along with the other honorable mentions.

For full rules and regulations, visit www.detoursmagazine.com.

Submissions may be emailed to:

photo@detoursmagazine.com.

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DETOURS STAFF

EDITOR

Jessica Scheetz

MANAGING EDITOR

Elizabeth Koch

PUBLICITY MANAGER

Jared D’souza

ONLINE EDITOR WEBMASTER

Dear Readers, For this issue of Detours, we decided to shake things up a bit, bringing two of the elements we do so well — stories and photos — and adding a twist. Stories in this issue include the Midwest, our beloved home and sanctuary, and a trip to the northeastern corner of the U.S. We’ve even managed to include a photo essay about St. Louis’s Forest Park (pg. 18).

Travel back in time by visiting Hartford, Conn., to see Missouri-native Mark Twain’s home (pg. 40), riding a stagecoach at the last stop left on the Santa Fe Trail (pg. 42) and walking the historic streets of Cherokee Antique Row (pg. 32). Visit the largest Amish and Mennonite settlement west of the Mississippi River in Kalona, Iowa (pg. 14), and explore Fort de Chartres during its annual Rendezvous festival, where loincloths and powdered wigs transport visitors to earlier times (pg. 26).

We also traveled across Missouri, visiting Foo’s Custard in Kansas City (pg. 24), the Glore Psychiatric Museum in St. Joseph (pg. 20) and then Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis (pg. 6). We then headed south to visit the largest stretch of tallgrass prairie still in existence (pg. 46) and to taste some of the delicious treats found at Hoeckele’s Bakery and Deli in Perryville, Mo (pg. 12).

Don’t forget to visit our website for exclusive content, including our blog, Landlocked, and additional photos we weren’t able to fit into the magazine.

Maggie Bennett Chris Brown Bethany Coury Scott Henson Jenna Hurty Elizabeth Koch Jane Krienke Elizabeth McBride Mia Pohlman Calli Price Jessica Scheetz Brooke VanCleave

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Alison Abbenhaus Rachel White

COPY EDITORS

Casey Henderson Jenna Hurty Elizabeth Koch Katy Spence Brooke VanCleave

DESIGNERS

Rebecca Fels Rebekah Gates Burgundy Ramsey Rose Runser

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE ADVISER

ON THE

Detours Barnett Media Center 100 E. Normal Kirksville, MO 63501 Phone: 660.785.7438 Fax: 660.785.7601

COVER

editor@detoursmagazine.com www.detoursmagazine.com

COVER PHOTO BY ELIZABETH KOCH Members of the 42nd Royal Highlanders Band from Lafayette, Ind., march into Fort de Chartres at the annual Rendezvous in Prairie Du Rocher, Ill (pg. 26).

Patrick Gross

WRITERS

Enjoy life’s detours,

Jessica Scheetz Editor-in-Chief

Alison Abbenhaus

Noreen Vohra James Cianciola

Detours is a copyrighted publication, produced biannually by the students of Truman State University. No material may be reproduced in any form without prior written consent of the Detours adviser and staff. The editorin-chief is responsible for all decisions.

Detours is distributed across the country, particularly in the tri-state area of Missouri, Iowa and Illinois. Opinions expressed in Detours are not necessarily the views of the Detours staff. Detours is not responsible for the full cost of an advertisement if an error occurs.

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LETTER FROM THE

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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06 10 12

ART IN THE WILD

14 18 20 24 26 32 34 40 42 46 48 49

KALONA, IOWA: A STITCH IN TIME

Laumeier Sculpture Park offers outdoor adventure

WE ALL SCREAM FOR iCREAM Ice cream shop revamps traditional dessert

THE SECRET INGREDIENT Small-town bakery unites community with tasty treats

Amish and Mennonite town bound together by history

EXPLORING FOREST PARK Photo essay

A TRIP THROUGH THE MIND Psychiatric museum opens its doors to tourists

FROZEN IN TIME Custard shop perseveres despite local competition

RIVER RENDEZVOUS Sights, sounds and smells of a bygone age live on

AS TIME GOES BY A walk down Cherokee Antique Row

ENERGY AND MOTION Photo contest winners

MISSOURIAN IN YANKEE TERRITORY East Coast museum shares local icon’s legacy

LITTLE FARM ON THE PRAIRIE Site provides peek into 1880s farm life

BONDING WITH BISON Finding biodiversity and fun in the southern Missouri sun

BECOMING MISHPOCHEH (FAMILY) Columnist shares her experience at the NCJW

CALENDAR Upcoming events in the tri-state area

LAUMEIER SCULPTURE PARK OFFERS OUTDOOR ADVENTURE

STORY AND PHOTOS BY SCOTT HENSON

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Outside of Laumeier Sculpture Park’s indoor gallery, a lizard scuttles beneath a giant fiberglass eyeball. Yards away, while trekking along the park’s forest trail, visitors might spot a hawk alighting on a piece of conceptual architecture or a family of deer roaming behind a series of steel poets.

The natural elements surrounding the sculptures at Laumeier Sculpture Park, located in St. Louis County, are what separate it from other art showcases in the area.

Laumeier sprawls across open lawns, hills and woodland areas in its 105-acre span, so each piece of art has a gallery of its own — walled by trees, flowers, rolling grass and sky.

The park is home to more than 70 installations in a city that boasts three other major outdoor sculpture parks, the newest being Citygarden in downtown St. Louis. While Citygarden highlights the compact space and energy of a metropolitan setting, Laumeier offers its visitors a different experience, Communications Director Mike Venso said.

“We’re more of a suburban park environment, more naturalistic,” Venso said. “We have topography that they can’t provide. ... Ours is a little more open air, a little more engaging of the natural environment.”

Sandy Rickey of DeSoto, Mo., has visited Laumeier Sculpture Park three times. She said the leisurely atmosphere of the grounds and the challenge of interpreting its artwork have kept her returning to Laumeier.

“It’s peaceful,” she said. “They have a lot of birds and beautiful trees, and then the sculptures, of course. We always try to figure out what [the artists are] trying to do,

but that’s always never-ending.”

Few maps are located throughout the park. Visitors could follow the park’s nature trails for several minutes without seeing a single sculpture before stumbling into a house-sized bowl seemingly sculpted from raw earth. While exploring, they might look up at the trees and discover an artist’s rendition of a Native American folk icon clinging to the bark.

“It’s not a bird hunting experience, where it’s a check list and making sure you see everything,” Venso said. “It’s really one that’s more organic, more free-flowing that allows you to explore not only your creativity but your curiosity, in hopes that you make a turn and suddenly you discover something you didn’t expect to see there at all.”

A few potential discoveries at Laumeier weren’t even commissioned by the park. Instead, they echo the property’s private ownerships prior to its public opening. A tall concrete structure at the park’s southern end, for instance, resembles a nearby set of contemporary block-like pieces by artist Donald Judd. However, it actually is a cistern built at some point during the property’s past to provide a previous owner’s cattle with rainwater. A stone grotto tucked away deep in the nature trail wasn’t the work of artists by trade but likely that of the Griesedieck family of brewers, used as a makeshift springhouse when they owned the property from 1908 to 1916.

Laumeier’s indoor museum also is an artifact of the property’s past. The Kahle family, who acquired the land from the Griesediecks, originally built the two-story house. It has since been repurposed for two-dimensional wall pieces,

DETOURS | LAUMEIER

video artwork, a gift shop and the museum library.

The property then passed to Henry Laumeier in 1940.

After Henry passed away, his wife, Matilda, requested in her will that the St. Louis County Parks Department convert her property to a park memorializing her husband. She intended for it to be used passively, which meant no swimming pools, baseball diamonds or soccer fields.

When it eventually opened its gates as a sculpture park in 1976, its founders planned for it simply to be an exhibition of contemporary sculptures, Park Docent Ann Bauer said. While the park receives anywhere from one to three new sculptures a year, some of the original pieces in the 35-year-old park’s collection have become dated since the park’s commencement.

“At the time, every single artist that was chosen to exhibit here were alive, but now some of [them] ... like Alexander Lieberman and people like that, they’re dead,” Bauer said.

“We’re trying to figure out how to do this thing and keep it contemporary when people want the old pieces that they’re familiar with out here. They don’t want those things to go away.”

In keeping with the attitude that the park’s sculptures should interact with their natural environment, Bauer said one way to phase out older works is by simply allowing nature to run its course through weathering.

“This is the outdoors, so most of the artists who do these pieces don’t expect them to last forever,” she said. “It’s not like the old monuments that you put up and expect to last for

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Robert Chambers built “Sugabus” (2004) to depict a sucrose molecule in the shape of a poodle.

Alexander Lieberman constructed “The Way” from 18 salvaged steel oil tanks (1972-1980).

2,000 years.”

Finnish artist Tea Mäkipää chose to use the park’s outdoor elements to enhance her collection, “The Dog Days of Summer,” at Laumeier last summer. She was commissioned by the park to build canine-oriented sculptures for the more than 20 percent of visitors who, according to Laumeier’s website, bring their dogs to the park. Her collection included a small stage and microphone, playing high-frequency blues music for dogs to sing along to, as well as a village of five dog homes that ranged from a McMansion to a burnt house tagged with graffiti.

Mäkipää said she appreciated the park staff’s hands-off attitude in allowing her to create her vision and enjoyed taking part in the Laumeier sculpture collection’s constant fluidity.

“They gave me great artistic freedom and also gave me a lot of inspiration,” she said. “[Laumeier] has taken different roles and changed itself. It doesn’t stay stiff or solid as it was, but it’s always changing, so this was a wonderful opportunity for me.”

“House of the Minotaur” by Tony Rosenthal (1980).

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Currently, the indoor gallery displays art from “Electric is the Love,” part of Laumeier’s Kranzberg Exhibition Series, exploring the way technology affects society. On Mother’s Day weekend 2012, Laumeier will see more than 150 creators of jewelry, photography, sculpture, painting, drawings and prints on the grounds as it hosts its 25th annual Art Fair.

Temporary attractions like these aren’t the only components of the park that make it dynamic, Venso said. Unpredictable natural conditions surrounding the art also add to the park’s changeability.

He often recommends visitors return to the park during each of the four seasons so that falling snow, blooming flowers, blue skies or fall leaves can influence a viewer’s experience with his or her favorite piece. It’s encounters with nature like these, he said, that make a trip to Laumeier such a novel experience.

“There’s a real cycle to life here at Laumeier,” Venso said.

“For us, it’s a real holistic experience, and one that you can get only in a setting like this.”

Park visitors look at “Eye” by Tony Tasset (2007). “On a bright, sunny day, it’s like looking at yourself in a mirror,” Park Docent Ann Bauer said.

DETOURS | LAUMEIER

Park visitors climb to the top of “Cromlech Glen” by Beverly Pepper (1985-1990).

ELECTRIC IS THE LOVE

25TH ANNUAL ART FAIR

CAMP OUT

NOW THROUGH JAN. 22, 2012

MAY 11-13, 2012

SPRING THROUGH SUMMER 2012

Part of the Kranzberg Exhibition, this indoor exhibit shows the way technology has influenced our culture and society. The exhibit includes artists such as Robin Assner, Dave Derington, Eric Hall, Christopher Ottinger, Adam Watkins, Kenneth Tracy and Christine Yogiaman.

More than 150 artists from all around the country come to exhibit and sell their work for two and a half days.

Various artwork includes jewelry, photography, sculpture, painting, drawings and printmaking.

Various artists and architects will create different architectural forms in the park. The exhibit also explores the way different cultures develop their dwellings. Some past structures have been suspended off the ground, while others have been interactive, allowing visitors to go inside.

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UPCOMING EVENTS AT LAUMEIER

i ream

We all scream FOR

ICE CREAM SHOP REVAMPS TRADITIONAL DESSERT

STORY AND PHOTOS BY BETHANY COURY

A iCream, located in Chicago, Ill., gets about 700 customers a day in the summer.

Jose Louro prepares to take his second bite of frozen raspberry and vanilla-flavored frozen yogurt with Nutella mixed in.

At first glance, it looks like a contemporary ice cream shop.

Customers step up to the counter, choose their ingredients and wait for their desserts. Rather than scooping ice cream into a cone, however, the worker puts the customer’s order into a computer.

Suddenly, liquid nitrogen is injected into the mixers, and cold steam rises from behind the counter. iCream, located in Chicago, Ill., is a revolutionized way of selling ice cream.

At iCream, what normally might be called the kitchen is referred to as the iLab. Workers use beakers and rely on chemical ingredients more than appliances for their product’s temperature.

It takes between 25 and 45 seconds for the nitrogen to freeze the ice cream, depending on the size and base ingredients. Because it freezes so quickly, the crystals in the ice cream are smaller, making the texture denser than traditional ice cream. The result is a fresh, silky dessert. Amazed customers walk away with their personalized creations, such as purple, lemon-flavored ice cream.

The idea behind iCream initially was not meant to be founder Cora Shaw’s career. Shaw, who earned her master’s in business in 2007, was taking a class that required her and a partner to create a business.

When Shaw first learned about people making the dessert with liquid nitrogen, she thought it would be a great idea for the project.

“Basically what happened is, I love ice cream,” Shaw said. “I eat tons of ice cream.”

The professor, who gave Shaw an “A” for the project, strongly suggested she consider making it her career. Her professor’s instinct was right. iCream, which officially opened in March 2009, only has about 20 customers daily during the cold and wintry months. However, as soon as summer rolls around, the shop receives about 700 customers per day. With such a large number of visitors, iCream needs a variety of options to match.

Shaw said they’ve made a point to have choices for diabetics,

DETOURS | iCREAM DETOURS | ICREAM

vegans and lactose-intolerant customers. Anything can be ordered dairy-free, and 95 percent of their flavors are offered sugar-free.

“That was one of the things that was really important to me,” Shaw said. “It’s kind of made ice cream accessible to everyone. If you wanted full-fat, full-sugar ice cream, you can do that. If you want something healthy, low-fat, you can do that.”

Shaw’s professor told her she needed to choose a specific market, but she said she was determined to keep her customer base diverse.

“This is one of those things where [the market] literally is everyone,” Shaw said. “And being here is proof of that.”

Frequent visitor Kelsey Romanik said she always takes her friends from out of town to iCream.

“It’s fresh — you can pick exactly what you want,” Romanik said. “I love that you have so many options.”

Customers have 256,000 options, to be exact. They can order traditional ice cream flavors, such as strawberry or chocolate, but they also can make unusual choices, such as root beer or cayenne. Toppings range from bananas and blackberries to gumballs and granola. iCream has pre-made options, such as “White Bob Chocolate Pants,” a white chocolate ice cream with strawberries and chocolate chips, or “Mom’s Favorite,” a chocolate ice cream with Nutella and

raspberries. The most popular order is “That Guy From Florida,” featuring white chocolate and cream soda flavors with Nutella.

Server Brittany Blanding said iCream attracts a lot of different groups, including many families, tourists and couples. Blanding said she thinks it’s because the shop is so different.

“When you see something cool and awesome, you’re going to tell other people about it, and then they’re going to want to experience it,” Blanding said.

Blanding said she understands the customers’ reactions, because she was speechless the first time she came in. After working at iCream for 14 months, she said the atmosphere and her hands-on boss make for a fun job.

Interaction with staff is one of Shaw’s favorite aspects of the job.

“Part of what I love about my work is growing my team and teaching my staff,” Shaw said. “It’s really like being a coach all the time.” iCream now is looking to become a franchise, specifically in places with warmer climates. Shaw said she’s not concerned about the future. She’s the kind of person who waits to see what kind of opportunities present themselves. One thing Shaw said is certain — ice cream is a staple in her life. She’s banking on that being the same for her customers.

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iCream offers more than just traditional toppings, such as fresh fruit, candy and chocolate, for ice cream lovers. The shop has a vast array of ice cream flavors, including coffee, green tea and Irish cream.

Doughnuts in the display case are ready to be ordered.

WINTER 2011

SMALL-TOWN BAKERY UNITES COMMUNITY WITH TASTY TREATS

The smell of homemade doughnuts, icing and freshly baked bread wafts through the air as customers select cinnamon rolls and cookies from glass cases. Several tables full of people can be heard talking and laughing. It’s 9 a.m., and Hoeckele’s Bakery and Deli has already been open for six hours.

Employees at Hoeckele’s Bakery in Perryville, Mo., have been waking up before the sun for almost 75 years. Founded in 1937 by brothers Paul and Joe Hoeckele, it has remained a family business through the Great Depression, the Atkins Diet craze and commodity price increases. Today, the third generation of Hoeckeles — Paul Hoeckele III, Joe Hoeckele and their wives, Angie and Yvette — own the bakery, and their children are employed there, too.

The bakery, locally referred to as “Hoeckele’s,” is known for its wide selection of melt-in-your-mouth doughnuts, breads, birthday and wedding cakes, and coffee cakes.

“Most of the recipes we still use are Grandpa Paul and Joe’s original recipes,” co-owner Angie Hoeckele said. “Our signature is our peanut coffee cake. If you ask anyone about Hoeckele’s Bakery, they say, ‘That’s the place that makes that good peanut coffee cake.’

It’s a secret recipe.”

The secret recipe traditions began when Paul and Joe opened the bakery on Perryville’s town square after they worked for a few years at a bakery 30 miles south of town. In 1975, the second generation of Hoeckeles bought the bakery.

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While Angie and Paul Hoeckele III were living in Texas, Paul’s parents asked if they wanted to become involved with the bakery.

Angie took some cake decorating classes before she and Paul moved back to Perryville to become part of the family business.

After 68 years on the town square, Hoeckele’s Bakery needed room to expand. Perryville businesses were beginning to build up around Highway 51, so in 2006, the Hoeckeles decided to build a strip mall and move their business there.

“It was a good move, but a scary move,” Angie said. “When you move a business that’s been in an original spot, customers won’t always move with it.”

With the relocation, the bakery added soft serve ice cream and more options in the deli, which previously had consisted of only a few cold cut choices. Fortunately for the Hoeckeles, customers followed the bakery to its new location, and business doubled.

On most days, there are a few sweets left unsold at Hoeckele’s Bakery. After closing time, the employees freeze the doughnuts, breads, cookies and cakes that didn’t sell during the business day.

Once a week, these leftovers are taken to local food pantries and soup kitchens in St. Louis to give back to the community.

For loyal customers, coffee and doughnuts at Hoeckele’s Bakery is a morning ritual. Six customers at a rectangular table in the center of the bakery proudly admit to being Hoeckele’s Bakery “regulars” ever since they retired. They each have their favorite

DETOURS | HOECKELE’S

Co-owner Angie Hoeckele decorates an anniversary cake. During graduation season, the bakery uses as many as 17 five-gallon buckets of frosting to decorate cake orders.

Customer Priya Maillacheruvu takes the first bite of a doughnut on her first visit to Hoeckele’s Bakery.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY MIA POHLMAN

From the kitchen of

Hoeckele’s Bakery - Each week, Hoeckele’s Bakery uses 120-150 lbs of fresh yeast, 2,500 lbs of flour, 1,500 lbs of sugar, 1,000 lbs of shortening and 120 lbs of raw peanuts.

- Each day, 200-500 dozen doughnuts are made — not including all of the Danishes, bread and sweet dough that also is made.

- Fresh food is shipped to 17 Rhodes Convenience Stores in an 80-mile radius, from Chaffee, Mo., to Ste. Genevieve, Mo.

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items to order, from French crullers and coconut cake doughnuts to spinach wraps and doughnut holes. The regulars each have their own story about how they first started coming to Hoeckele’s Bakery. Now they stop by at least twice a week to sit in the bakery with friends, drink coffee, eat doughnuts and discuss current events.

“We solve a lot of [the world’s] problems here,” regular Dean Berkbigler said.

“The only problem is, no one’s here to listen,” regular Richard Weber laughed back.

Kathy McCune has worked at Hoeckele’s Bakery for 11 years.

While placing their orders, customers often reminisce with her about their favorite memories of the bakery through the years.

“Someone sent a Christmas card [to Hoeckele’s Bakery] that said they always remembered the peanut coffee cake from their grandma’s house, and some people come in and say they remember when these [doughnuts] were 10 cents,” McCune said.

McCune said Hoeckele’s Bakery has remained a Perryville tradition and is a must-visit place for people passing through the area for many reasons.

“It’s the same faces,” McCune said. “[The workers] recognize people and call them by their names. It’s family.”

Maybe the secret ingredient that keeps Hoeckele’s Bakery customers coming back for more is not just the sweets. It is the very foundation that Hoeckele’s Bakery has been built upon — family.

Verna Weaver handcrafts each rug on the only Singer sewing machine she has owned since 1945. Weaver keeps count of each rug and said she ensures they are guaranteed not to unravel because they are double knit.

up to 9,076 rugs, and ‘‘ all Iofamthem were sewn on this machine. ’’

WINTER 2011

VERNA WEAVER AMISH RUG MAKER

This piano is available to buy in the Kalona Antique Company shop, which is housed within an 1890s Baptist church near the downtown square.

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DETOURS | KALONA

Kalona, Iowa:

a Stitch inTime AMISH AND MENNONITE TOWN BOUND TOGETHER BY HISTORY

STORY AND PHOTOS BY JANE KRIENKE

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On the corner of 560th and Orange, in the heart of Iowan Amish country, a large house sits nestled under a grand maple up a long, winding lane. Attached to the far corner of the main house is a smaller home known as a grandpa house. Inside this dwelling, the nimble-fingered 91-year-old Verna Weaver, Amish rug-making extraordinaire, practices her craft. As one of eight sisters, Weaver began sewing at a young age.

“My mom taught me to sew,” Weaver said. “I was the oldest and so of course I had to learn to sew because we made our own dresses and clothes. So I learned to sew, and I always liked it.”

Weaver is one of many Amish entrepreneurs in Kalona, Iowa, who utilize their crafts and skills to cater to the large number of tourists. Because Kalona is home to the largest Amish and Mennonite settlement west of the Mississippi River, the Amish traditions and values transcend into the business sector.

Local Amish stores in Kalona, such as the Golden Delight Bakery and the Community Store, sell Weaver’s double knit rugs.

Thirty years ago, Weaver’s neighbor taught her how to make them.

Ever since, she has been making them on the same black treadle Singer sewing machine she received in January of 1945.

“I am up to 9,076 rugs, and all of them were sewn on this machine,” Weaver said. “I got this machine when we got married.

My folks gave it to me. More than once I’ve had to have someone come and fix it, but it’s working really good now.”

Multiple family members often are employed to help run a business, which then is passed on to younger generations. The Golden Delight Bakery is no exception. Owner Eunice Miller has the support of her family to thank for helping her business become a success. They helped her reconstruct an old barn on their land and transform it into the bakery it is today.

“My grandma had Alzheimer’s [disease], and she lived with my parents, so I was looking for something to do for income besides

Amish are Mennonites ‘‘ butAll not all Mennonites are

Tour Guide Daniel Nisly drives for the Chamber of Commerce’s bus tours every Saturday.

The Kalona Cheese Dairy is a popular place for tourists to visit. Inside the dairy, visitors can observe the famous cheese curds processing through the glass in the lobby area. Further within the factory, visitors can sample an array of cheeses, ranging from traditional cheddar to Blueberry Stilton.

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‘‘

Amish.

helping out at home,” Miller said. “I started baking for [the] farmers’ market out of my mom’s kitchen. Then later some stores asked me if I’d be interested in baking for them, and to be able to do that, we needed to get an inspected kitchen.”

Many other shops, museums and festivals in Kalona showcase local residents’ talents, including quiltmaking. Kalona is known as the quilt capitol of the Midwest. One of the more interesting quilts often seen in Kalona shops is the “crazy quilt.”

The quilt historically was made from scraps of leftover fabric.

However, despite the seemingly mismatched shapes and colors, the same thread stitches all the pieces together. Similarly, the quiet city of Kalona contains a common thread, despite the dramatic differences in culture, religion and lifestyle.

These differences are most prominent between the Amish and the Mennonites. A phrase that commonly is used to describe this phenomenon is, “All Amish are Mennonites, but not all Mennonites are Amish.” This phrase hints at how the Mennonites and Amish split during the 1600s. Although both groups share the same core beliefs in God and the Bible, the Amish do not use electricity and their children are only educated up to the eighth grade. They speak a German dialect as their first language and do not learn English until they reach school age. Mennonites sometimes wear traditional Amish clothing but can choose to drive cars, pursue higher education and use electricity. Some Amish orders are considered more “liberal,” including several Amish families in Kalona who utilize a telephone.

However, it is located in an unlikely spot.

“That structure that resembles an outhouse is actually a phone,” said Daniel Nisly, a Kalona Bus tour guide, as he pointed to a shed-like structure at the junction of two farms. “Usually several families will share a phone, but it is located far from the house so that it’s inconvenient to use it. The phone is mostly for workers who help with the farm.”

Nisly is knowledgeable about the Amish lifestyle because he and his wife were Amish until they left the order in 1961. Now, every Saturday, Nisly drives the tour bus for the Chamber of Commerce’s bus tours.

Although the Amish have lived in Kalona since the 1840s, the railroad helped to make the city what it is today. The train depot was built in 1879 and was the first building constructed in the town. To help commemorate the importance of the depot, Kalona native Glenn Wahl and the Alpha Club purchased the depot from the railroad company for $50 to save it from being torn down.

DETOURS | KALONA

They collaborated with the Kalona Historical Society to relocate the depot to what now is known as the Kalona Historical Village. The village is home to 15 historical structures, such as a one-room schoolhouse, a grandpa house and a post office. There also are three museums that can be toured, including an extensive Mennonite museum.

These structures are pieces of living history and provide people like Cletus Bender and his family a chance to revisit their hometown. It also provides a history lesson for anyone who wishes to tour it.

“I spent a lot of time here back when I was herding cattle,” Bender said. “We would sit around here waiting for the trains to come in.”

A tour around Kalona does more than acclimate tourists with Kalona’s countryside. It provides a glimpse into the different aspects of a diverse yet cohesive community of people who help each other despite beliefs, culture and origin.

The town, like a quilt, is bound together.

Since the Amish do not believe in using electricity and modern conveniences, the horse and buggy are their main form of transportation. There are several different types of buggies. The typical buggy can seat five to six passengers. However, buggies such as the market buggy and carriage buggy can generally seat two passengers and do not have top covers.

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This sidewalk quilt block is one of 41 other blocks that adorn the downtown Kalona sidewalks after a $2.8 million revitalization project. The project was funded by grants, donations and city funds. This quilt block is called the “Double Wedding Ring” and is sponsored by John and Joanne Roetlin, owners of the Twin County Dairy and Kalona Cheese Factory.

EXPLORING FOREST PARK

WINTER 2011

PHOTO ESSAY BY ALISON ABBENHAUS

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Forest Park, located in St. Louis, offers more to visitors than just a casual stroll through the park. This photo essay includes the park’s many attractions, including The Jewel Box, The St. Louis Art Museum and St. Louis Zoo.

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DETOURS | FOREST PARK

PSYCHIATRIC MUSEUM OPENS ITS DOORS TO TOURISTS STORY AND PHOTOS BY BROOKE VANCLEAVE

The halls are quiet, and the cool tile floors are worn smooth from decades of curious wanderers passing through. Although sunlight bathes the rooms, one can’t help but feel unnerved by the stillness of the mysterious old place full of strange history. This feeling heightens when, upon viewing one of the many exhibits, visitors see a woman strapped up to her neck inside a large machine as heat engulfs her body, supposedly purging her of impurities caused by syphilis. After a few moments, however, it becomes evident the woman is just a mannequin, and the machine hasn’t been in use since the 1950s. This is just one of the many strange and spooky sights at the Glore Psychiatric Museum in St. Joseph, Mo. Founded in 1968 by Dr. George Glore, the museum consists of artifacts from State Lunatic Asylum #2, the reigning mental health facility in northwest Missouri until the early ’60s. The asylum eventually was converted into a psychiatric rehabilitation center that still is in use today. Across the street, in what formerly was the patient clinic, the museum now serves as a tribute to the history of mental health disorders and treatments. It displays methods dating from the witch trials of the 17th and 18th centuries through methods used today to show how the perception of mental health has changed.

This display is full of empty cigarette packets collected by a patient who believed that the hospital would receive a new wheelchair if he acquired enough.

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DETOURS | GLORE

This mosaic is made out of nearly 1,500 small objects removed from the stomach of a patient suffering from pica, a disorder in which a person eats unusual items. The woman died during surgery.

Old crutches and wheelchairs from the original asylum fill a hallway on the second floor.

This mannequin displays how a straight jacket would have been worn by a psychiatric patient.

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Known locally as “the Glore,” the museum has fascinated visitors of all ages for more than 40 years. Three floors of exhibits contain displays ranging from early medieval torture devices and modern medical equipment to patient art and personal belongings.

Eerily lifelike mannequins inhabit the displays to show how some devices were used, often startling visitors when they catch a glimpse and think it’s a real person.

The Glore is a popular destination for group visits, especially local schools, allowing children to learn about the mental health field in a fun and educational environment. It is considered a local hot spot in St. Joseph, but the Glore also is a nationally renowned institution and has been recognized as one of the best, albeit unusual, places to visit in the country.

Some of its more notable achievements include TV features on the Discovery Channel, the Syfy Channel and an episode of “Ripley’s Believe It or Not;” articles in several books, magazines and regional newspapers; and Cracked.com’s list of “The 7 Most Horrifying Museums on Earth.”

Kathy Reno, the Glore’s marketing and public relations director, has worked with St. Joseph Museums for 28 years. She began overseeing responsibilities at the Glore when it was absorbed by the museum association after losing its state funding six years ago.

She said the museum occasionally even receives literary attention unbeknownst to the workers or the community.

“Sometimes we know we’ve been listed in a book, and sometimes we don’t,” Reno said. “We’re in a book called ‘Weird Missouri,’ and it happened to have two big glossy pages all about us, and we didn’t even know it. An employee was waiting for a plane at the airport and happened to find the book in a gift shop, and there we were!”

Ten-year-old McKenzie Dubbert was visiting the Glore for the first time with her sister and grandmother. Despite thinking the mannequins were “creepy,” she said she would recommend the museum to her friends. Her favorite display was a large mosaic made up of 1,446 nails, buttons and several other small trinkets. They were the stomach contents of a female patient suffering from pica, an eating disorder in which the afflicted habitually consumes inorganic and potentially dangerous objects.

The first floor of the tour, in the basement of the museum, introduces visitors to what life might have been like for a State Lunatic Asylum patient during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Patients were encouraged to participate in group activities like carpentry, metalworking and needlework as both a form of therapy and as a way for the hospital to produce material goods that could be sold to the public.

Other displays showcase various forms of patient treatment, including large machines supposedly used for physical therapy.

Also located in the basement is the morgue, a grim reminder to visitors that not every patient who passed through the asylum’s doors was able to leave. Some patients without families were buried in the hospital cemetery across the street from the museum, with only a number on a plain stone marker by which to remember them.

The second floor shows much of the history of the public’s perception of mental health through the years. One wing is devoted entirely to early misconceptions of the mentally ill, who often were thought of as demon-possessed maniacs or witches. Torture devices like the Hollow Wheel and the O’Halloran Swing were used to abuse mentally ill people by spinning them around for hours at a time until they became submissive. Other times they were restrained in dark cells or cage-like cribs.

wanted to bring “ theHesubject of mental illness out of the shadows and into the public so that it would reduce the stigma of getting treatment for mental illness … [and] with being mentally ill, for the patients and their families.

”

KATHY RENO THE GLORE’S MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR

A room containing objects of items that were used every day by patients, especially those who learned trades and helped with work around the hospital.

Reno currently is writing a grant for a travelling exhibit to come during April and the first two weeks of May 2012 called “The Lives They Left Behind.” It is a collection of personal belongings retrieved from patients’ suitcases when they were admitted to other area mental hospitals in the early to mid-20th century. The exhibit attempts to show what the patients’ family and personal lives were like before they needed psychiatric treatment. If the grant is approved, the exhibit will remain at the Glore for six weeks.

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Today, more than 350 phobias are recognized.

- The fear or dislike of beards is called pogonophobia.

- Ephebiphobia, or the fear of teenagers, originally meant the fear or loathing of teenagers.

- The fear of going to school, also known as didaskaleinophobia, is sometimes referred to as separation anxiety. Some doctors believe the term describes the fear of separation from parents rather than of attending school.

- The fear of vegetables is known as lachanophobia.

- Pentheraphobia, or the fear of a mother-in-law, comes from the combination of two Greek words — penthera, meaning mother-in-law, and phobia, meaning fear.

DETOURS | GLORE Reno said her favorite visitor reaction came from a woman who was responding to these torture devices and the doctors who used them. “[The visitor] said, ‘If they really thought this was going to work, why didn’t they try it on themselves first?’” Reno said.

Visitor Dustin Robinson of Elwood, Kan., came to the Glore with his wife and children. Although he had been to the museum on a school field trip many years before, he wanted to bring his family back so his kids could learn about it, too. He had forgotten some of the ways in which psychiatric disorders were treated.

“I can’t believe the changes in cures that have been made,” Robinson said. “Some of the things they used to do [to patients] we’d consider inhumane now. It’s shocking.”

The third floor contains examples of patient art collected by State Asylum staff. The works of art often are very intricate, and they offer an intimate glimpse into the minds of people suffering from debilitating psychiatric diseases. Art therapy was, and still remains today, an important part of patient recovery. Notable pieces from the collection include eggshell mosaics, ceramic masks and figurines, watercolor paintings and pencil drawings.

One woman suffering from chronic schizophrenia created a large wall tapestry filled with words describing her condition and how she viewed the world around her. Another man spent years collecting cigarette packages because he thought the tobacco companies would donate a new wheelchair to the hospital if he

collected enough. Although no such contest existed at the time, the hospital administration graciously donated a wheelchair to reward the man’s efforts anyway.

Despite the psychiatric health field’s dark beginnings, care for mentally unstable patients eventually grew to be a well-organized and respected profession. Other exhibits show examples of doctor and nurse treatment rules and guidelines, modern medical equipment, and various forms of therapy and healthcare practiced on patients to achieve effective recovery.

Reno likes to share the vision George Glore had with the visitors and tour groups who come to the museum. She said George wanted the public to understand that mental illness isn’t shameful or scary but instead is something from which everyone can learn.

“He wanted to bring the subject of mental illness out of the shadows and into the public so that it would reduce the stigma of getting treatment for mental illness … [and] with being mentally ill, for the patients and their families,” Reno said. “Everybody has a little issue of some sort.”

As visitors make their way back downstairs to exit the Glore Psychiatric Museum, a small plaque on the second floor summarizes the goal the museum hopes to achieve. Although the inhumane practices of the past slowly are fading away, the plaque reads, “the age-old stigma associated with mental illness and the lack of knowledge and understanding still prevails in segments of our society today. … An even greater awareness is needed and must occur.”

An example of an exam room that patients would have visited for checkups or illnesses while under the asylum’s care.

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IN TIME I

CUSTARD SHOP PERSEVERES DESPITE LOCAL COMPETITION

It’s a hot July day in Brookside, Mo., as people walk the historic downtown streets lined with old brick buildings. While Foo’s Fabulous Frozen Custard looks much like the other buildings with its red and blue canopy, the welcoming ambience and intimate setup distinguish it from the rest.

A tinkle of bells greets customers as they walk into the small shop, containing only a few metal tables and chairs. Whirs from the custard machine can be heard constantly as customers glance at the bright blue and yellow counter and colorful chalkboard menu.

Within minutes of arriving, customers seem at ease in this eclectic, friendly environment.

Foo’s began its business in June of 1988 when Joe “Foo” Bremser and his wife, RoseAnn, were in-between jobs. RoseAnn, who is from St. Louis, knew frozen custard was something

STORY AND PHOTOS BY CALLI PRICE

popular there during her childhood. Since there were only a few frozen custard stores in the Kansas City area at the time, Joe and RoseAnn decided to open a shop.

The inspiration for the name Foo’s came from a 1940s cartoon strip called “Smokey Stover” in the Chicago Tribune. He was a fireman, and after he spoke, he would always say, “Foo.” Betty Bremser, current owner of Foo’s and Joe’s sister, said the name eventually stuck.

“My dad was a big nickname guy,” Betty said. “He just started calling my brother Foo. He’s even in the phone book under Foo. His real name’s Joe, but very few people call him that.”

The frozen custard comes from an old-fashioned recipe made from a whole egg-based custard cooked on a stove. What differentiates custard from ice cream is the amount of air beaten into the product. With custard machines, only 20 percent of the product is air, while commercial ice cream usually includes about 50 percent air, making it lighter. This difference has helped Foo’s maintain a successful business, especially during its early history.

“Since we were one of the only frozen custard stores at the time, we had to work to explain what it was because no one knew,” Betty said. “They didn’t know what a concrete was, that you mixed stuff in. Business started slowly. People who knew it would love it and tell their friends. It was almost

[ ] DETOURS | FOO’S

OPPOSITE: The chalkboard displays the items for sale at Foo’s in Brookside, Mo. Most of the concrete flavors have been invented by past employees during the 23 years it has been in business.

HISTORY OF FROZEN CUSTARD originated on Coney Island • Custard around 1919. It was invented by

• • •

mistake. The inventor was actually trying to perfect a new ice-cream mixer, which didn’t work.

In the coming years, custard could be found in Atlantic City and other East Coast resort communities.

In 1932, the Kirkhoff family of Lafayette, Ind., opened its first stand of custard ice cream. Today, it is considered the oldest continuously operating custard stand.

Milwaukee currently sells more frozen custard than anywhere else and is known as the “Custard Capital of the World.”

Customer Brenda Price eats a Butter Pecan Concrete at the Brookside, Mo., location. Price has been visiting Foo’s since it first opened in 1988.

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100 percent word-of-mouth, very little advertising at the beginning.”

Joe thought he would have to sell Foo’s in 1996 when RoseAnn received a job offer in Charlotte, N.C. Betty was against this idea, so she bought the store from her brother even though she was teaching French at one of the local schools at the time.

“I thought, ‘Oh my God. You can’t do that. You can’t put Foo’s up for sale,’” Betty said. “I just live one minute away, so I went to the bank and got a loan and bought it.”

Betty is still a French teacher, working at Kansas City Academy High School while she runs the custard shop. New creations have been added to the menu throughout the years, especially by previous employees with a creative eye.

“There are only four things right now that were on the original menu,” Betty said. “Everything else has been added and made up by employees. The only originals are berry banana, butter pecan, chocolate fudge and German chocolate. Some names and some ideas have changed, but it’s still just vanilla custard coming out of the machine since day one.”

Foo’s has won multiple awards for its customer satisfaction, including KC Magazine’s Best of KC award in 2010, Parent’s Pick awards and recognition from Missouri Traveler and AAA magazines.

Betty employs many of her students at Foo’s. One such student, Clare Odegard, has worked there for two years and loves her job.

“Everybody knows Foo’s in this area,” Odegard said. “It’s a big part of a lot of people’s travel plans. You can see from the pictures on the wall how long it’s been around. Old employees come in and say ‘hi’ again. It happens all the time. It’s a big part of everyone’s experience in Kansas City — it’s a rock that’s always been around.”

Although Betty often was approached about the idea to create a second store, it wasn’t until she met her current business partner, Jeff Stottle, that she agreed to it. The second store, located in Leawood, Kan., has been running for five years and has a few different items to offer from the original Brookside location.

Sandwiches, coffee and chocolate by Kansas City, Mo., native Chris Elbow are included on the menu.

Although the economy has taken a recent downturn during the past few years, business at Foo’s has remained successful. The addition of the second location also has helped the business, but competition from frozen yogurt stores still threatens Foo’s. During the past two years, more than 20 new stores have opened in Kansas City.

Despite the additional competition, Betty remains positive that her frozen custard will keep customers coming back. Topeka, Kan., resident Evan Meyer said customers will keep coming back because they consider it a signature part of the Kansas City area.

“I grew up here in Kansas City, and my mom would always bring us down as a special treat when she wanted to go shopping here at Brookside,” Meyer said. “I got my wife hooked on it.”

Even during the cold, wintry months, loyal customers and old employees will still come back to grab a bite of their favorite flavors.

“People who have moved away remember it and come back,” Betty said. “I’ve employed 23 years of people. Just even that is a massive amount of people out on the earth who know what Foo’s is.

It’s great.”

River

The 42nd Royal Highlanders Band of pipes, fifes and drums from Lafayette, Ind., performed at Rendezvous on Saturday and Sunday.

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DETOURS | RENDEZVOUS

SIGHTS, SOUNDS AND SMELLS OF A BYGONE AGE LIVE ON

STORY AND PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH KOCH

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I

It’s like a step back in time. Walking in a French fort surrounded by people in traditional 18th-century clothing or dressed as Native Americans seems surreal in the tiny town of Prairie Du Rocher, Ill. The smells of cooking food and smoke from the booming cannon transport the thousands of visitors who travel to Fort de Chartres each July to attend the annual Rendezvous back to the 1700s.

Darrell Duensing, Fort de Chartres site manager, said Rendezvous, the largest event on site, is one of his favorite events. Duensing has been part of Rendezvous for the past 39 years.

“It is entertainment with a little bit of education thrown in, or education with a whole lot of fun,” he said.

Duensing is in charge of planning the event, including the traditional entertainment and vendors, which is a nice break from the typical daily tasks at the fort, he said.

The stone fort has been partially reconstructed, while other on-site buildings, such as the powder magazine, guards’ house and king’s storehouse, have been rebuilt. The storehouse now serves as a museum, displaying artifacts from Fort de Chartres. From 1720 to 1763, the French regime, which governed the Illinois Country, was headquartered at Fort de Chartres. The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency is preserving the wooden forts’ archaeological remains.

There were more than 300 camps around the outside of the fort this year at Rendezvous, where people can stay for an entire week, living as though it’s the 18th century and wearing pre-1820 clothing. Anyone up for the challenge can participate. During the evenings, campers enjoy each other’s company, socializing and dancing together. Many participants make Rendezvous a tradition and become friends with fellow campers.

kids that have been “hereThere’s since they were1-

year-old that are now adults at Rendezvous.

”

DARRELL DUENSING FORT DE CHARTRES SITE MANAGER

“You can have a guy out here at Rendezvous, … who is 100 percent head-to-toe portraying an individual from the 18th century, hand-sewing all of his clothes,” Duensing said. “But there’s a lot of them who are [newcomers] who are not really that interested in doing some time period 100 percent. They’re just here to have fun.”

Inside the fort, vendors invited by Duensing demonstrate daily chores, such as doing laundry, while reenactors sell crafts and keepsakes. There were nearly 800 reenactors this year. Duensing said he was pleased with the crowd who came out for the weekend to explore and learn, despite the scorching July heat.

He said Rendezvous is important because it generates interest in Fort de Chartres and brings visitors and revenue to the community.

Rendezvous started in 1970, making this year’s the 41st Rendezvous.

“Now it’s become a tradition,” Duensing said. “There’s kids that have been here since they were 1-year-old that are adults now at Rendezvous.”

Among the vendors scattered throughout the fort, there are basket makers situated toward the entrance. Darrell Thurston of

Reenactors perform 18th century tasks throughout the day. A blacksmith was just one of many examples at Rendezvous.

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DETOURS | RENDEZVOUS

White Oak Baskets in Pulaski, Ill., sat dressed in traditional clothing, hat and all. Thurston said he has been a vendor at Rendezvous for about 12 years and started making baskets about 14 years ago.

“I started experimenting with tools and wood … and read books,” he said. “I pretty well learned on my own. There wasn’t anyone around to learn from.”

Thurston makes baskets out of white oak, using the same methods and tools early Americans used more than 150 years ago.

The craft of making white oak baskets is rarely practiced because of the effort needed to split the wood and the lengthy process of constructing a basket. But, he said, white oak baskets last a lifetime.

“The French people lived here, farmed here, gardened here … and they used containers just like you see here,” he said.

Thurston travels to other historic sites throughout the year to demonstrate the basket-making process and sell his crafts. He said one of the benefits of going to historical sites like Fort de Chartres is meeting other vendors or demonstrators and the sense of community that forms among them. Thurston said he thoroughly enjoys acting out history and feeling like he’s part of it.

“History is always important, and living history is so much

more interesting than book history,” he said. “If you have an interest in it, you study it, you learn and you pass that on to other people at places like this.”

Thurston said anyone could enjoy Rendezvous at Fort de Chartres because there is delicious food, various music genres and a one-of-a-kind living history experience. He said children particularly enjoy watching reenactors and wandering around the wide open spaces of Rendezvous.

Jerry Wylie from Swansea, Ill., is a member of the Missouri-based band Booneslick Strings, which has performed at Rendezvous for about 20 years. Wylie said the band enjoys the music and dressing up at Rendezvous. Other Booneslick Strings members said they also like to mingle with friends.

Booneslick Strings said the hot summer weather can seem unbearable at times, especially in the traditional clothing, but being a part of living history is worth it. Wylie said bringing to life music most people never have heard before is rewarding for all the band members.

“Everybody talks about the ‘good ol’ days,’” a band member jokingly said. “Well, you can come out and see it for yourself.”

Booneslick Strings plays songs that would have been heard

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Performers spend time rehearsing in the shade and try to cool off. Many visitors enjoy listening to the multiple drum groups that perform.

WINTER 2011

Reenactors find a shady spot against the fort. Rendezvous participants can camp at Fort de Chartres for up to a week.

during George Washington’s time, including a song that was supposedly Benjamin Franklin’s favorite. The music comprises of sounds from instruments like the banjo and hammer dulcimer.

Ray Weakly from Waterloo, Ill., said he enjoys walking around the fort, looking at crafts and eating lunch at Rendezvous.

“It’s always a good time — sit, relax and get away from work,” Weakly said.

He said he has come to Rendezvous every year for the past 10 years, and even met his wife at the event. Weakly said his favorite parts, besides the food, are looking at the items vendors construct and the spirited atmosphere.

History and fun might not go together often, but Rendezvous helps make that possible for thousands of people near southern Illinois. Being able to watch history come to life for a weekend each summer is just one of the rewards of Rendezvous at Fort de Chartres.

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It is entertainment “with a little bit of

education thrown in, or education with a whole lot of fun.

”

DARRELL DUENSING FORT DE CHARTRES SITE MANAGER

People dressed up as Native Americans and French villagers often mingle during Rendezvous.

DETOURS | RENDEZVOUS

As

Goes By: A Walk Down Cherokee Antique Row STORY AND PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH McBRIDE

WINTER 2011

T

Inside Retro 101, one cannot help but notice the display of vintage shoes — an infinitesimal glimpse of all that Cherokee Street offers.

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The enchantment of Cherokee Street has little to do with its ability to stir a grandma’s memory or an old Hollywood lover’s infatuation with the past. Rather, it has everything to do with the way in which history permeates every object, right down to the very bricks on each building. One must only step out onto the tree-lined, iron-fenced six blocks that constitute Cherokee Antique Row to understand this is much more than a typical shopping district.

Located in the historic Cherokee-Lemp area about 10 minutes from downtown St. Louis, Cherokee Street showcases an interesting array of old homes, antique shops, novelty stores and restaurants. There are more than 20 venues, including vintage clothing boutiques, home décor shops and a bookstore boasting a stock of more than 80,000 books.

The Riverfront Times named one of the venues, Retro 101, the “Best Place to Buy Used Clothing” in 2010. It offers a mixture of furniture, lighting and accessories from the ’50s and ’60s, in addition to its vast clothing selection from the ’20s through the ’80s. Racks upon racks of vintage shoes, hats, purses, dresses, nightgowns and lingerie, as well as a number of knickknacks and novelty items, pervade every inch of the small shop. Shoppers might browse numerous websites looking for mere replicas of some of these items, but on Cherokee Street, they’re sure to find the original.

The charm of the street, however, is viable for both shoppers and young entrepreneurs. Haffner’s Antiques Proprietor Shirley Wallace has been a part of the antique business for nearly 20 years. For her, it’s been a passion since childhood. She said people don’t seem to recognize the value of their inherited possessions.

“Once you understand what you’re looking at — realize

DETOURS | CHEROKEE STREET DETOURS | STORY

It’s not necessary to be a fanatic of antiques to fall in love with the charming ambiance of the street.

breakfasts … [like] mine are all about history. When I’m looking for an antique, it’s not only my business. I can see what a time period was like — how they ate, slept. I collect that for my house.”

The shops of Cherokee Antique Row can be seen as a bridge between history and modernity, providing a sense that St. Louis embraces its rich past without being restrained by it. When visitors leave Cherokee Antique Row and re-enter the modern world, there’s a good chance they’ll have inherited a newfound admiration for the past and, specifically, for an exceptional St. Louis tradition.

It’s just a great way for “families to connect —

share in the history.

”

CHEYENNE PFEIFFER ELDER’S LTD. OWNER

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the difference between old and new — you can sell it,” Wallace said. “It will always have value. There is a finite number of these things out there.”

Cherokee Street seems to accommodate everyone, from sellers interested in profit and adults rediscovering their childhood to history enthusiasts and young individuals with a flair for the classic. In fact, Wallace has sold something to a person from every continent except Antarctica.

A journey along Cherokee Street could include a visit to Elder’s Ltd., which specializes in traditional, dark wooden furniture from the 1930s and the 1940s. For owner Cheyenne Pfeiffer, Cherokee Street goes hand-in-hand with family because her mother founded the store.

“I can really appreciate it when the older mother brings her daughter in and tells her the names of things,” Pfeiffer said. “You know that she’ll grow up with it, too. It’s just a great way for families to connect — share in the history.”

Friendship can bloom when owners and customers come together through their passion for the past. Brian Helms, White Cliff Manor Bed and Breakfast and Gardens’ owner, is one of Pfeiffer’s most loyal customers.

He has furnished much of his building with antiques found at Elder’s Ltd. “Antiques are just part of creating an overall feeling for going back in time,” Helms said. “I have a 132-yearold estate. Most people who stay in older bed and

energy & motion PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS

FIRST PLACE “The Train Bridge”

by Paul Friz Kirksville, Mo.

DETOURS | CONTEST

HONORABLE MENTION “On One Winter Afternoon...”

by Jordi Elias Sant Antoni de Mar, Catalyuna

HONORABLE MENTION “Progress, Eventually”

by Casey Henderson Johnson’s Shut-Ins, Middlebrook, Mo.

35

HONORABLE MENTION “Goal”

by Alexandria Witt London, England

36

DETOURS | CONTEST

HONORABLE MENTION “Blurry Vision”

by Kalie Schumacher-Smith Madrid, Spain 37

HONORABLE MENTION “Untitled”

by Shelby Feistner Springfield, Mo.

DETOURS | CONTEST

FACEBOOK FAN FAVORITE “Untitled”

by Tawanda Kanhema Kirksville, Mo.

39

issourian Yankee Territory

EAST COAST MUSEUM SHARES LOCAL ICON’S LEGACY STORY AND PHOTO BY JENNA HURTY

BELOW: Architect Edward Tuckerman Potter built the Mark Twain house in 1874.

1

DETOURS | MARK TWAIN

M

Mark Twain has been a household name since he wrote his first classic “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” in 1885.

Although he was a Missouri native, he raised his family in Connecticut to be close to his publisher. The restored Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford, Conn., offers tours, allowing literature fans an opportunity to become acquainted with the classic author.

Jay Brown has worked at the front desk and as a tour guide for the Mark Twain House and Museum for 10 years.

“Our goal here is to represent a man who was an outstanding writer and traveler and speaker, and to really show his heritage and to share that with people of present and future generations,” Brown said.

Kathryn Bigelow, a local Connecticut visitor, considers Twain an inspiration for aspiring writers like herself.

“Seeing where he came from and what he made of himself is kinda cool,” Bigelow said. “He’s a big part of our culture and of the writing culture of today in America.”

Guests are taken on a guided tour through the fully restored house, which has 19 rooms and 12 fireplaces. Many view it as one of the smaller homes in the area, especially when compared to some of the mansions nearby. Because of this, the Twain house was designed to appear much grander than it actually is.

The architectural manipulation can best be seen in the main staircase located in the house’s entryway. As the floors go up, the height of the stair railing becomes shorter in order to give the optical illusion of the house being much taller.

In addition to showing off the architectural ingenuities of the house, guests are told the story of Mark Twain, whose real name was Samuel L. Clemens. Justin Tito, a summer intern at the Mark Twain House and Museum, said he considers this story to be one of his favorite aspects of the museum.

“We kind of go through a whole narrative of the entire house, so the story of Mark Twain and his family is really great and cool to hear about,” Tito said.

Twain was raised in Hannibal, Mo., along the Mississippi River. His boyhood adventures and the years spent working on a riverboat provided much of the inspiration for many of his novels. After becoming a soldier in the Civil War, Twain met his future brother-in-law, Charles Langdon. During their time together, Langdon showed Twain a picture of his sister,

Livy. Twain claimed it was love at first sight, and the two were married in 1870.

Twain was a family man who adored his wife and three daughters, a fact re-emphasized by the guide’s stories. One of the guests’ favorite stories takes place in the greenhouse.

Supposedly, Twain’s daughters often would climb onto his back while he was pretending to be an elephant. The four then would all go on a merry adventure through the “jungle.”

Both for its stories and its atmosphere, the Billiard Room has earned its spot as a guest favorite. Tito also names it among his favorite rooms in the house.

“I refer to his billiards room as his ‘man cave,’” Tito said.

“He used to go up there, smoke cigars [and] drink whiskey.”

It was in this room that Twain would entertain his friends. They would stay up there drinking and partying late into the night, Tito said.

Twain did most of his writing in the Billard Room.

When he did not want to be disturbed while he was writing, he would walk onto the adjacent balcony when guests came to visit. His wife then could honestly say her husband had “stepped out for a minute.”

The Mark Twain House and Museum is not merely a local attraction. It also is visited by people from throughout the world, Tour Guide Jay Brown said.

“Just today I had people here from Italy, Pakistan and England,” he said. “All in just one tour. This is one of the prime attractions here for all tourists.”

With his humor and multifaceted personality, Mark Twain appeals to a variety of people, Tito said.

“He’s got the dark, the funny, the serious, the happy, the sad — all that,” Tito said. “He’s a well-rounded human being. And when he was alive, he was the most well-known man in North America.”

Although Twain wrote most of his stories in Connecticut, he never forgot his Missouri roots, which often served as the inspiration and location of several of his novels. Even his pen name, Mark Twain, comes from his riverboat days on the Mississippi River. The phrase “mark twain” means “two marks” or “clear water” and was a term used to signify the water was deep enough for the riverboat to pass through. He was Missourian through and through. Nothing would ever change that.

When he was alive, he was the most wellknown man in North America.

Mark Twain lived close to Harriet Beecher Stowe, and the two families were good friends.

Mark Twain named three of his six dogs, “I Know,” “You Know” and “Don’t Know.”

In India, white is the color of mourning.

After his wife and two of his children died, he began to wear the white suit for which he is now famous.

“Always do right. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest.”

-Mark Twain

2 41

Stagecoach drivers take visitors on a short 10-minute journey around the site’s grounds, giving visitors a quick glimpse at what it was like travelling west for thousands of miles on the Santa Fe Trail.

DETOURS | MAHAFFIE

SITE PROVIDES PEEK INTO 1880s FARM LIFE

STORY AND PHOTOS BY JESSICA SCHEETZ

T

43

WINTER 2011

The clip-clop of heavy hooves beats against the dirt-padded ground, the wheels of the stagecoach rolling steadily behind. The horses’ black coats glisten in the sunlight as the driver brings the stagecoach to a complete stop. As Historic Site Interpreter Norman Pommerenke reaches to open the door, he yells, “All aboard for Santa Fe!” While the stagecoach gently sways back and forth, visitors are greeted with an array of sights and sounds of farm life from the 1800s at the Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm in Olathe, Kan. If not for James “Beatty” Mahaffie and his wife, Lucinda, this national historic site might not exist.

It was in 1857 when Beatty, Lucinda and their five children chose to leave their home in Indiana. Similar to many Americans during that time, they had decided to move westward and eventually settled in Olathe.

“They were serious farmers and had a serious farming operation in Indiana, and like so many people, they were going west to improve their situation,” Site Manager Tim Talbott said. “[After moving,] they also ended up in this business of serving other people who were heading west as well.”

More than 150 years later, their farm now is the only working stagecoach stop left in the public domain on the Santa Fe Trail.

Visitors have the opportunity to experience life on the Mahaffie farm by riding a real stagecoach, visiting the blacksmith, tasting samples baked by the cook and helping with farm chores.

Depending upon the season, visitors can make soap or plant seeds in the garden as well.

“Our farming activities are what help people understand agricultural life in the mid-19th century,” Talbott said. “That’s what we’re really about, getting people engaged in these things.”

Historic Site Interpreter Norman Pommerenke watches as visitors grind corn for chicken feed, one of the many living history activities visitors can experience at Mahaffie.

Talbott said that unlike the static feeling of usual museums, maintenance on Mahaffie is a continuous process. Visitors shouldn’t expect to see the same site every time they visit, he said.

“So many people feel like in a house museum, ‘Oh, I’ve already seen it, so I don’t need to come back,’” Talbott said. “Well, we’re not a house museum. We’re a living history facility. It’s a farm, and there’s always something new.”

Visitors like Don Miller of Fort Scott, Kan., said Mahaffie helps to benefit not only the community but also the many children that visit year-round.

“If you get them involved in the activities, that’s where kids learn,” he said. “It’s not just a teacher behind a desk. It’s the activities that they’ll remember for all their life.”

Miller said the many activities and original buildings, including the ice and farm houses, contribute to the site’s success. He said the stagecoach ride allows visitors to acquire a sense of what it was like travelling on the Santa Fe Trail to California.

“I think that’s where places like this — that have that originality — really come alive,” he said.

Liz Smith, Mahaffie’s daily programs coordinator and collections manager, said the site allows local visitors to take pride in their town’s history, while outside visitors appreciate learning about our nation’s past through a hands-on experience. Seeing that glimpse of history, she said, allows visitors to be grateful for the luxuries of today.

Although the site differs from year to year, it remains true to the way life was in the 1800s, Smith said.

“It seems like we’re always … trying to get it back to exactly the way it was and always adding more to the interpretation,” she said.

“It wouldn’t be so much changing as it would be improving what we already had and including more programming and activities.”

The Wild West Show, the year’s most popular event, provides a variety of entertainment for visitors, including performances from Whip Guy Chris Camp, Gun Spinner Garrett Popek and Trick Roper Marty Tipton.

Occurring annually during the fourth weekend of September, the event draws about 3,000 visitors to the farm, Smith said. It also allows children to have even more opportunities for experiencing farm life by roping steers and stamping leather.

Having the opportunity to see children really learn from the site’s programs is only part of the reason why she loves her job, Smith said.

“When you see children walk away from a school program, and they really understand it and get a feel for the history, you realize this is exactly what you’re doing this for,” she said. “It’s like a hobby plus a job, and I really like that.”

We’re a living history ‘‘facility.

It’s a farm, and there’s

WINTER 2011

“I Knew it was a Fine Country,” an exhibit located inside the Heritage Center, contains items pertaining to westward expansion and 19th century America as well as tales of the Mahaffie family.

44

‘‘

always something new.

TIM TALBOTT SITE MANAGER

MAHAFFIE FACTS • Mahaffie is listed on the National and Kansas Registers of Historic Places.

• The site is recognized by the National Park Service as an official component of the Santa Fe National Historic Trail.

• Mahaffie is the only stagecoach stop left on the Santa Fe Trail in the public domain.

• Although the site is open year-round, the activities vary depending upon the season. o During the winter. activities include making soap and butchering pigs. o Plowing and planting take place during the spring. o The Mahaffie hosts its annual fourth of July celebration during the summer. o The site’s biggest event, the Wild West Show, and the Extreme Cowboy Race take place during the fall.

The historic house showcases artifacts from the time period, including bedroom furniture, clothing and tapestries.

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WINTER 2011

The Mahaffie barn houses the blacksmith shop, where visitors can learn about the many tools and tricks of the trade.

BONDING WITH

BISON

FINDING BIODIVERSITY AND FUN IN THE MISSOURI SUN STORY AND PHOTOS BY CHRIS BROWN

WINTER 2011

I

Imagine going back to see what Missouri looked like more than 200 years ago, to a time before the vast expanses of cities, highways and suburban development. Instead of roads and concrete structures, tallgrass prairie full of flowers and green grass would stretch for miles and miles. Although most of the original prairie land now is developed, Prairie State Park in Mindenmines, Mo., offers tourists an opportunity to explore the historic tallgrass prairie.

Upon entering the state park, it’s difficult for visitors to miss the large yellow sign reading “Caution: Bison and Elk roam beyond this point…” after driving along a tall barbwire fence. Past the sign, tourists can observe the bright green landscape as they drive through Missouri’s largest stretch of tallgrass prairie remaining in existence. At first, there only are grasses and wild flowers covering the prairie’s hills. As visitors make their way down the narrow gravel road, however, they are likely to see a large herd of bison grazing and wandering through the prairie.

The park staff run regular “Bison Hikes,” allowing visitors to learn about the history of the park, the bison and the prairie that used to cover a large portion of Missouri and the western United States.

“The trail hike was cool because I learned basic survival skills about what to eat and what not to eat,” visitor Meghan Woolbright said.

46

Park officials educate tour groups about bison behavior and the history of the Prairie State Park herd. Visitors learn how the bison roamed the prairies of Missouri for thousands of years until, by the end of the Civil War, all the herds disappeared due to hunting and the destruction of their habitat. This is unfortunate, Interpretive Resource Specialist Dana Hoisington said, because the bison are a crucial part of the prairie ecosystem.

“The first bison to be reintroduced here came in 1985, and every five years or so, we get new bison from herds in Kansas and Oklahoma,” Hoisington said.

This practice of introducing new bison helps to keep the gene pool strong and is one of many ways the park staff preserves the park’s biodiversity.

Another method the staff uses to maintain the tallgrass ecosystem is to periodically burn sections of the prairie. Natural Resource Steward Brian Miller said prairie fires are a natural process that occurred on a regular basis before humans arrived.

“Burning acts as a reset button,” Miller said. “It removes builtup thatch, allowing animals better grazing.”

Hoisington said one reason the park exists is because of its location off the beaten path. Initially, the land surrounding the park was fairly undeveloped, and the park itself was relatively poor for

DETOURS | BISON

PARK FACTS • The prairie land once covered at least one-third of Missouri.

• By the end of the Civil War, all of the native Missouri bison were killed or migrated elsewhere.

A large bison lounges in the tall grass a few yards away from the rest of the herd.

• About 1,200 people regularly attend the annual Prairie Jubilee.

• Less than 65,000 acres remain of the some 13 million original acres of prairie.

• The park contains 500 species of plants, 150 of birds, 25 of reptiles, 25 of mammals and 12 of amphibians.

• The park also contains more than 25 elk, in addition to the bison.

farming due to sandstone deposits beneath the topsoil, Hoisington said.

Both Hoisington and Miller insist that there is a purpose in what they do, though there is little hope for a full-scale restoration of America’s tallgrass prairie.

“The park serves to restore and maintain the tallgrass prairie for visitors, the public of Missouri and for generations to come,” Miller said.

There are dozens of ways to explore the park as a guest. In addition to regular “Bison Hikes” during the day, campgrounds are available for those who would like to spend more time there. Five hiking trails of various difficulty levels also offer an opportunity for birdwatchers and outdoor enthusiasts to explore the park at their own pace.

The park regularly has a crowd for its big event, the Prairie

Jubilee, which occurs every two years during the last weekend of September. The event features wagon rides, music and storytelling for visitors to enjoy.

“The Prairie Jubilee offers people an opportunity to experience prairie life,” Miller said.

The event draws visitors from throughout the Midwest.

Between 1,000 and 1,500 people generally show up for the occasion, Hoisington said. The next Prairie Jubilee is scheduled for 2012.

There certainly are many ways for visitors to experience everything the park has to offer. Although there might not yet be a viable way to restore the ecosystem of the former prairie land, Prairie State Park is one of the places where naturalists successfully have preserved a living relic of the past for future generations to enjoy.

47

WINTER 2011

Across the gravel road from the visitor center, the landscape serves as a backdrop for the park sign.

The Back-to-School! Store assists more than 1,000 children by providing essential school supplies each year.

BECOMING

Mishpocheh

(family)

COLUMNIST SHARES HER EXPERIENCE WITH THE NCJW

STORY BY MAGGIE BENNETT AND PHOTO COURTESY OF ELLEN ALPER

I

I had shpilkes (pins and needles) as I pulled up to the Crown Center in St. Louis. It was my first day interning at the National Council for Jewish Women-St. Louis Section. Since I grew up with friends who went to temple every Saturday and got to celebrate Hanukkah, I always have been interested in Jewish customs, so I was excited to be involved with the organization. Also, in high school, I wrote an essay about Jewish culture and was able to travel to Washington, D.C., to spend the week with the Anti-Defamation League, an organization focused on securing equal treatment and civil rights of all.

When I walked into the NCJW, I was greeted by June Thomas, the office manager with whom I immediately connected. She is one of those women who takes you under her wing and is genuinely concerned about your well-being. Luckily, my desk was next to hers, so I always heard about the community news. June took me to Ellen Alper’s office, the executive director of the St. Louis section of the NCJW. Ellen was not only my supervisor but also a wonderful mentor during the summer.

I fell in love with the organization during my first day. I learned about the history and mission of the NCJW as well as about all of the projects they do. It is “a grassroots organization of volunteers and advocates who turn progressive ideals into action. Inspired by Jewish values, NCJW strives for social justice by improving the quality of life for women, children, and families and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms,” according to the NCJW mission statement.

The NCJW works on several projects during the year to uphold this statement. The main project I focused on was the annual Back-toSchool! Store. The project assists more than 1,000 children in the St. Louis area by providing essential school supplies, such as backpacks, pencils and notebooks, and clothes for the school year. The program tries to ensure every child is well prepared to begin school.

This was something that really meant a lot to me. I have been passionate about education ever since I met some of the Freedom Writers in Washington, D.C., in 2008. I think getting children to school is the most important aspect of improving education, and this is what BTSS aims to do.

I heard many heartfelt stories while participating in this event.

My favorite story was about three young children who had to alternate going to school during the winter because they only had one winter coat to share. However, after visiting the BTSS, they were all provided with coats as well as a chance to work toward a better life through education.

When people learn about my experience, they ask me the same questions, many of which are misconceptions. They think you have to be Jewish to work at the NCJW, which is not the case. Because I am not Jewish, I looked at it as a cultural learning experience. The women who are full-time employees vary in religious beliefs, but all of them tend to use common Yiddish phrases. By the end of my time there, even I was saying “oy vey” because it is the perfect expression to use in any situation.

Another aspect of my internship I often am asked about is the kind of office work I did. Simply put, I did a lot of tasks. It varied from typical paperwork to sorting socks and underwear for BTSS. I can guarantee, however, everything I did had a purpose and contributed to the advancement of the mission.

I enjoyed working for the NCJW. It made me feel like I had a purpose. Helping people is what we are all called to do. There is a Jewish motto called “tikkun olam.” It literally means “to repair the world.” I love this phrase because I think we are all put on this Earth to help others and to leave our legacy. I would like to remembered for doing good — even if it was just for a summer.

DETOURS | CALENDAR

EVENTS IN

MISSOURI JANUARY

DECEMBER Christmas Tours at Smallin Civil War Cave Fridays and Saturdays • Ozark Take a lantern-lit tour of the first cave found in the Ozarks. Once you go through the 55-foot tall and 100-foot wide entrance, hear Civil War stories and look at Christmas lights. For more information, call 417-551-4545.

Living Windows Holiday Shopping in the District Dec. 2 • Columbia Famous holiday scenes are reenacted throughout the shopping district in store windows. This also is the first night of prolonged hours for many stores in the area. For more information, call 573442-6816.

Say Cheese Wine Trail Dec. 10-11 • Hermann Various cheeses and wines are paired together to appease the appetite of any participant.

Visitors also receive a souvenir wine glass at the end of the tour. For more information, call 800-932-8687 or visit www.visithermann.com.

“The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Until Dec. 23 • Webster Groves Recall your favorite Tom Sawyer stories as you watch them come to life in this new theatrical production at St. Louis’s premier theater. For more information, call 314968-4925.

Soulard Mardi Gras: Twelfth Night Jan. 6 • St. Louis A musical procession along with fireworks kicks off the Mardi Gras celebration. St. Louis claims to have the second largest Mardi Gras celebration in the country.

For more information, call 314-771-5110 or visit www. stlmardigras.org.

Robert Burns Supper Jan. 14 • Springfield This annual celebration is held in honor of Scotland’s national poet Robert Burns. It features Scottish food, music, dancing and dress. Tickets must be purchased in advance. For more information, call 417890-5653.

Bass Pro Boat Show Jan. 14-22 • Branson View new and existing Bass Pro boats and fishing products at the only store which is located on a lake. For more information, call 417-243-5200.

Sci-fi Spectacular with George Takei Jan. 27-28 • Kansas City Hear music from favorite science fiction television shows and movies while experiencing an equally thrilling show of lights and lasers. Musical selections include pieces from “Avatar” and “Star Wars.”

The production is narrated by “Star Trek” actor George Takei.

For more information, call 816-471-0400 or visit www. kcsymphony.org.

FEBRUARY Acrobats of China Feb. 1-26 • Branson Aerial ballet, trapeze acts and a colorful stage setting wow audiences at this one-of-a-kind performance featuring the New Shanghai Circus. For more information, call 417-823-8645.

Civil War in the West Exhibit Feb. 1-29 • St. Louis This free event allows visitors to take a closer look at Civil War uniforms, weapons and

other artifacts. For more information, call 314-544-6224.

Missouri Pork Expo Feb. 8-9 • Columbia Learn about pork production and current pork research, or attend the swine trade show.

For more information, call 573445-8375 or visit www.mopork. com/events_MissouriPorkExpo. asp.

Eagle Watch Feb. 18 • Cassville

Be sure to wear warm clothes and bring binoculars to this eagle watching event at Roaring River State Park. Enjoy a film about Missouri bald eagles, and then continue outside to view bald eagles flying in to roost for the evening. For more information, call 417-847-2539 or visit www.mostateparks.com.

Chocolate Wine Trail Feb. 18-19 • Hermann Experience samples of perfectly paired chocolates and wine

along the Hermann Wine Trail.

For more information, call 573-486-2744 or visit www. hermannwinetrail.com.

Maple Sugaring Feb. 25 • Cape Girardeau The Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center tells the history of maple sugaring, explaining the equipment used and the process of creating maple syrup.

For more information, call 573290-5218.

MARCH Native Plant Seminar March 3 • Cape Girardeau Author Dave Tylka explores ways of incorporating native shrubs, flowers and grasses along with creating energyefficient lawns. For more information, call 573-290-5218.

True/False Film Fest March 1-4 • Columbia Watch non-fiction films coming straight from prestigious film festivals, like Toronto and Sundance. For more information, call 573-442-TRUE.

One Night of Queen March 11 • Columbia The four-piece band, Gary Mullen and the Works, are known for their lively and interactive concerts. Expect to hear Queen fan favorites,

including “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Another One Bites the Dust” and “We Are the Champions.”

For more information, visit www.concertseries.org/ performances/one-night-ofqueen.

Break of Reality March 18 • Rolla Break of Reality is comprised of three cellists and one percussionist, creating the break-out genre of “cello rock,” fascinating music lovers across the United States. Fans

of classical, classic rock and experimental rock all can enjoy this different and intriguing sound. For more information, call 573-341-4219.

War of 1812 in the West Symposium March 24-25 • Sibley Be a part of the War of 1812 Bicentennial Commemoration through a series of programs about the war’s impact on the western United States. For more information, call 816-5034860.

49

WINTER 2011

Annual Orchid Show Jan. 28-March 25 • St. Louis See more than 800 species of orchids. This time of the year is the only instance in which many of the orchids are in bloom. For more information, call 314-5775100.

EVENTS IN

ILLINOIS DECEMBER Holiday Time Travel Annual Home Tour Dec. 3 • Taylorville Visitors can tour eight houses on display from different centuries. Stores located throughout the town square also will be open for shopping.

For more information, call 217-824-9447 or visit www.visittaylorville.com.

21st Annual Lights Fantastic Parade Dec. 3 • Carbondale More than 60 entries, including dancers and musicians, participate in this lively parade with eclectic floats, which ends with the appearance of Santa Claus. For more information, visit www.lightsfantastic.com.

Lewis & Clark Arrival Day Dec. 10-11 • Hartford This event celebrates Dec.

JANUARY

12, the day Lewis, Clark and men of detachment reached where the Mississippi, Missouri and Dubois rivers meet.

There are demonstrators and reenactors for visitors of any age to interact with. For more information, call 618-251-5811 or visit www.greatriverroad. com.

Ballet Folklorico Quetzalcoatl Dec. 17 • Chicago This nationally recognized dance troupe from Aurora, Ill., dances in traditional Mexican clothing, exemplifying the rich Mexican culture. There are more than 50 dancers, ranging in age from 8 to 40. This event can appeal to all ages and encourages the audience to cross cultural boundaries. For more information, call 630896-6666.

Chocolate, The Exhibition Until Jan. 5 • Chicago This exhibit at the Field Museum explores the history and rich culture behind chocolate. Discover the different types of chocolate and what it signifies in different time periods and parts of the world during this delicious experience. For more information, call 312-922-9410 or visit www.fieldmuseum.org.

Eagle Days Jan. 1-31 • Madison Learn about eagles on the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, and then spend time watching the magnificent creatures in flight. During the winter months, the Mississippi River has one of the largest bald eagle populations. For more information, call 314-416-9930.

Dailey and Vincent Jan. 25 • Lebanon This pair has proved it keeps its concert audiences entertained by being named the 2010 Entertainer of the Year by the International Bluegrass Association for the third consecutive year. For more information, call 618537-6863 or visit daileyvincent. musiccitynetworks.com.

Mike Super Magic and Illusion Jan. 28 • Grayslake Enjoy the spectacular show filled with special effects by this magician and stand-up comedian. Mike Super is the only magician in history to win a primetime magic competition on U.S. network television.

For more information, call 847-543-2300 or visit www. clcillinois.edu.

FEBRUARY Wing Fest Feb. 4 • Quincy Taste decadent chicken wings made by local chefs the day before the Superbowl. For more information, call 217-223-8380.

Midwestern Herb and Garden Show Feb. 10-12 • Mount Vernon Midwestern vendors, nationally known speakers and exhibitors

discuss all topics of gardening, bird items and antiques. For more information, call 618-2423151.

Big Dam Film Fest Feb. 17-18 • Quincy Watch independent films from around the country in this annually sold-out event. For more information, call 217-2238380.

45th Annual Elmhurst College Jazz Festival Feb. 24-26 • Elmhurst The nation’s best jazz bands come together to provide performances all weekend for jazz enthusiasts. Famous jazz musicians also participate in the festival, critiquing bands and performing themselves. For more information, call 630-6175534 or visit public.elmhurst.

edu/jazzfestival.

Maple Syrup Time Feb. 18 - March 11 • Springfield Visitors can enjoy tasting maple syrup while learning about the process of making it. Many children like to help tap the trees for sap.

For more information, call 217-529-1111 or visit www. lincolnmemorialgarden.org.

MARCH

WINTER 2011

Lincoln’s Ghost Walk: Legends and Lore March 1-31 • Springfield This walking tour through Lincoln sites provides a fun way for visitors to learn history. Stories of Lincoln’s life and death are told. For more information, call 217-502-8687 or visit www.springfieldwalks. com/WalkingTours.

Ice Age Mammals March 1-31 • Rockford The Burpee Museum of National History features this

50

exhibit from the Canadian Museum of Nature. This interactive display allows visitors to touch casts, view fossils and see murals by paleoartist George “Rinaldino” Teichmann. For more information, call 815-965-3433.

WGEM Home and Garden Show March 2-4 • Quincy As the largest home and garden show in the tri-state area, both locals and visitors enjoy seeing what new items vendors come

to sell. For more information, call 217-228-6600.

Scraps Art Music March 8 • Lebanon Become mesmerized through watching choreography and listening to music made from industrial scrap. For more information, call 618-537-6863.

Naturally Illinois Expo March 9-10 • Champaign Scientists exhibit their breakthrough research regarding energy, water and

ecosystem issues. There are 50 displays and hands-on activities available. For more information, call 217-333-5111.

Annual John Deere TwoCylinder Tractor Show March 15-18 • Effingham Displays of two-cylinder tractors can be viewed by visitors all weekend at this event sponsored by Old Nation Trail Two-Cylinder Club and East Central Illinois Two-Cylinder Club. For more information, call 217-347-0623.

DETOURS | CALENDAR

EVENTS IN

IOWA DECEMBER Living Windows Dec.1 • Burlington Take a horse-drawn carriage or trolley ride through downtown Burlington and receive food and warm drinks, while observing the more than 60 window displays. Windows will exhibit storytellers, live nativities, carolers and choirs.

For more information, call 319752-6365.

Tannenbaum Forest Dec. 1-18 • Amana

A forest of live, decorated trees are a beautiful view for visitors. There also is a 16foot handmade Weihnacht’s pyramid. For more information, visit www.festivalsinamana.com.

Mid-America Center Arts & Crafts Show Dec. 3-4 • Council Bluffs More than 200 vendors come to this show, selling thousands of different handmade items.

This is one of the largest shows in western Iowa. For

more information, call 563357-1986.

Taste of Clarinda Dec. 8 • Clarinda The Old Capital Museum hosts this photography exhibit by Stephen Longmire. For more information, call 712-542-2166.

Chocolate Christmas Dec. 10-11 • Preston Live music, wine and chocolate all come together for this weekend of fun. Taste

JANUARY World’s Toughest Rodeo Jan. 13-14 • Des Moines Visitors can have a wild time at this rodeo, with free pre-show bareback riding and bull riding.

For more information, call 515-564-8000 or visit www. iowaeventscenter.com.

The Jack Snowmobile Race Jan. 20-22 • Clear Lake View vintage sleds, watch a race or take a guided tour around the lake for a day filled of winter fun. For more information, call 641-357-2159 or visit www.thejackrace.com.

Snowshoe Hike Jan. 21 • Honey Creek Spend the morning snowshoeing in the Loess Hills.

For more information, call 712-545-3283 or visit www. pottcoconservation.com.

chocolate specially paired with complimentary wines at the Iowa Grape Vines Winery. For more information, call 563689-6347.

Downside Up Dec. 11 • Ames This documentary tells the story of North Adams, Mass., and how it turned from a small, less fortunate city into a hub for contemporary art. For more information, call 515294-3342.

FEBRUARY

Bald Eagle Appreciation Days Jan. 21-22 • Keokuk Besides viewing bald eagles in their natural environment along the Mississippi River, enjoy indoor activities and displays as well. Eagle and woodcarving shows along with seminars and conservation displays are just some of the many learning opportunities visitors have at this event.

For more information, call 319-524-5599 or visit www. keokukiowatourism.org.

Winterfest Jan. 28 • Amana Visitors can view or participate in all types of winter activities, including snow sculpting, log sawing and a ham put competition. For more information, visit www. festialsinamana.com.

Owl Prowl Night Hike Feb. 4 • Honey Creek This educational tour takes visitors on a nighttime hike to learn about the magnificent creatures and even how to owl-call. For more information, call 712-545-3283 or visit www.pottcoconservation.com.

Extreme Winter Festival Feb. 11 • Storm Lake Visitors can participate in a broomball tournament, Extreme Bike Ride or a snowmobile poker run. For more information, call 712732-3780.

HeartFest Fine Art Show Feb. 11-12 • West Des Moines Artists from the Iowa area display different pieces of art. Visitors can expect to see paintings, glass, jewelry, fiber and pottery. There also

is a Valentine workshop for children. For more information, call 515-278-6200 or visit www.stookeyshows.com.

Color the Wind Kite Flying Festival Feb. 18 • Clear Lake Kite-flyers from across the nation come to the Midwest’s largest winter kite festival to fly enormous inflatable kites.

For more information, call 641-357-2159 or visit www. colorthewind.org.

Joseph Hall’s “Elvis” Feb. 25 • Maquoketa See Elvis Impersonator Joseph Hall, a nationally recognized Elvis Tribute Artist by the Elvis Presley Estate. He also has performed in Las Vegas and headlined on an Elvis Presley cruise. For more information, call 563-652-9815.

MARCH

Maple Syrup Festival March 3-4 • Cedar Rapids Listen to live music and watch

how maple syrup is made. Then eat a pancake breakfast with real maple syrup at this annual festival. For more information, call 319-362-0664.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade March 10 • Davenport Tens of thousands of people come out to watch the only interstate St. Patrick’s Day parade in the United States.

The route travels through

Rock Island, Ill., eventually crossing the Mississippi River to Davenport, Iowa. For more information, call 309-277-0937.

Ventriloquist Taylor Mason March 10 • Fairfield The whole family can enjoy this show from Taylor Mason, a ventriloquist, musician and comedian. For more information, call 641-472-2787.

Mission Creek Festival March 26-April 2 • Iowa City Various literary readings, art events and live music are all available downtown during this festival. For more information, call 319-354-5830.

Ring of Fire March 30-31 • Des Moines Hear the story of Johnny Cash told through his music. For more information, call 515-227-6261.

51

WINTER 2011

Heartland Swing Festival March 1-4 • Des Moines Visitors can channel their inner dancer at this festival by partaking in swing dance classes.

Dances and competitions will also take place throughout the festival. For more information, call 515-490-1945.

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