Missouri Life April/May 2012

[ 5 SCRUMPTIOUS BRUNCHE S

S P R I N G F E S T I VA L S ]

THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY

War of 1812

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Contents APRIL 2012

departments>

On the Edges

[12] MISSOURI MEMO

[34] A HIKING GUIDE TO MISSOURI

Meet our readers and give us 10

Our writer braves the wild Ozark Forest of the Taum Sauk Trail,

[14] LETTERS

and we bring you a guide to 21 of Missouri’s greatest hikes.

More praiseworthy Missouri women

[16] ZEST FOR LIFE Betty Grable, 25 years of Ozark theater, beautifying St. Louis, a Fredericktown festival, and retiree hot spots, plus new books and an artist who chip carves

[28] MADE IN MISSOURI Spicy seasonings, colorful hammocks, and American gin

[82] DINING WORTH THE DRIVE The best of Missouri brunches and breakfasts

[84] MISSOURI BEER AND WINE A pub off the trail and a relaxing winery (86)

[91] MUSINGS On accepting what you cannot change

featured>

[52] BUILDING A BALLET COMPANY

[101] CALENDAR Our listing of 81 fun festivals and events

Missouri Contemporary Ballet in Columbia takes its passion for dance around the state.

[114] MISSOURIANA

[58] MAKING THE JUMP

ML

Our writer accepts the challenge and experiences her first tandem skydive.

[66] WAR OF 1812: MISSOURI TERRITORY

Content by Location

Unstable alliances with Indian tribes characterized the War of 1812 in Missouri Territory.

[74] A MISSOURI BERRY

18, 92, 96

The native elderberry, known for its healing properties, is taking the state by storm.

74

58 52

28

86

16, 18

84

74 16

[92] A CITY LANDMARK For more than 100 years, the City Market has brought fresh, local food to Kansas Citians.

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28

18

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[96] HOMECOMING Kansas City filmmaker Sean Hackett believes the best storytelling starts at home.

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– THIS ISSUE –

On the Web www.MissouriLife.com

follow Ron>

WANT MORE MUSINGS on Missouri?

Head to our website for a weekly blog post written by Ron Marr. He’s got plenty to say about our fair state.

behind the vines>

WATCH WINEMAKER Ed Staude as he tends to the vineyards of Rolling Meadows Vineyard and Winery. He’ll show you just what goes into trimming and harvesting his vines.

elderflower cordial>

JOIN IN on a centuries-old tradition, and is a beverage made by adding sweetened water to the flowers of an elder plant.

take the plunge>

TRY SKYDIVING! We’ve got a list of topnotch skydiving facilities to help you cross one more item off of your bucket list. Plus, check out exclusive footage of our writer making the leap.

Missouri Hiking Guide>

HIKING THE OZARK TRAIL Photographer Matthew Looby captured this image of writer Melanie Loth and friends trekking the Taum Sauk Trail in the Ozark Mountains.

See her guide to hiking in Missouri

COURTESY OF RON MARR AND ROLLING MEADOWS; NINA FURSTENAU; JEFF SCHAPLER; MATTHEW LOOBY

make your own elderflower cordial. The cordial

on page 40.

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THE SPIR IT OF DISCOV ERY 501 High Street, Ste. A, Boonville, MO 65233 660-882-9898 Info@MissouriLife.com

Publisher Greg Wood Editor in Chief Danita Allen Wood Executive Office Manager Amy Stapleton EDITORIAL & ART Creative Director Andrew Barton Associate Editor Lauren Hughes Associate Art Director Sarah Herrera Associate Art Director Thomas Sullivan Calendar Editor Amy Stapleton Editorial Assistants Emily Adams, Lauren Schad, Lauren Young, Ashton Zimmerman Columnists Tom Bradley, Nina Furstenau, Ron W. Marr Contributing Writers and Editors Amy Backes, Nichole Ballard, Sandy Clark, Pam Clifton, Sabrina Crider, Nicole Heisick, Beth Hussey, Gretchen M. Jameson, Melanie Loth, Emily McIntyre, Dan R. Manning, Sarah Redohl, Jackie Smith, Rebecca French Smith, Ron Soodalter Contributing Photographers Matt Faupel, Matthew Looby, Ron McGinnis, Emily McIntyre, Jeff Schapler, Scott Sullenger, Tina Wheeler MARKETING Senior Account Manager Mike Kellner DIGITAL MEDIA MissouriLife.com, Missouri Lifelines & Missouri eLife Editor Sarah Herrera

TO SUBSCRIBE OR GIVE A GIFT AND MORE Use your credit card and visit MissouriLife.com or call 877-570-9898, or mail a check for $19.99 (for 6 issues) to: Missouri Life, 501 High Street, Ste. A, Boonville, MO 65233-1211.

Change address: Visit mol.magserv.com/scc.php and enter email address or your label information to access your account, or send both old and new addresses to us.

OTHER INFORMATION Custom Publishing: For your special publications, call 800-492-2593, ext. 106 or email Greg.Wood@MissouriLife.com.

Back Issues: Order from website, call, or send check for $7.50.

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Memo

MISSOURI

WHO ELSE READS MISSOURI LIFE?

GIVE ME 10, AND WIN

YOU PROBABLY don’t realize this, but we keep a close eye

IF YOU’LL give us 10 minutes, we’ll give you a better magazine.

on you. Now don’t get me wrong—we don’t send out secret agents or spy on you through your computer. And don’t worry—no microchips are embedded in your magazine.

Instead, every year we have an independent circulation audit company research the readers of our magazine and give us an official multi-page report that tells us just who is reading Missouri Life.

That’s because we want to let our advertisers know what audience they reach when they buy advertising in our magazine, and we want to understand as much as we can about you, too.

The audit company we hire, Circulation Verification Council, is nationally known but based in St. Louis. Naturally, we went with a Missouri-based company. Their people talk to hundreds of you readers and GREG WOOD, PUBLISHER complete in-depth questionnaires.

I thought it might be interesting for you to know who else reads Missouri Life. Here are some interesting facts: Our numbers keep growing! We’re up to 74,984 readers per issue of Missouri Life. That’s up by more than 4,000 readers from the year before. > 83% of you plan to travel for vacations in Missouri. > 81% of you like attending festivals. > 71% of you enjoy gardening. > 71% of you frequently purchase products or services you see in Missouri Life. > 65% of you will drive more than 50 miles for a unique shopping experience. > 65% of you like attending live music performances. > 56% of you will visit a Missouri winery this year. > 56% of you plan to visit a spa. > 48% of you like to fish. > 25% of you enjoy boating. > Your average age is 54.

But guess what is the number one thing our readers like to buy?

Hint: 70% of our readers are women. Yes, it’s clothing.

When we put it all together, you enjoy all that Missouri has to offer, and that’s why you enjoy Missouri Life. Many of you keep Missouri Life and don’t throw old issues away—ever! In fact, Missouri Life set a record for our auditing company just a year or so ago. Out of about 5,000 publications they audit nationwide, Missouri Life had the highest retention rate of any publication they had ever recorded!

On behalf of all of us here at the magazine, thank you so much and keep on enjoying Missouri Life! —Greg Wood

That’s a big promise, but if you will give us 10 minutes to answer only 20 questions, we think we can do a better job creating exactly the Missouri magazine you want.

I want you to know that Greg and I quite independently and coincidentally wrote our columns this month, so after I read his I came back to add this paragraph. While the audit company can tell us who reads, it doesn’t tell us why you read. So that’s why I’m asking for your help: to tell us why.

Please take a moment to visit this site: www.research.net/s/MissouriLife or scan the QR code below with your smart phone, and answer 20 short questions. You will be entered into a drawing to win cash, and three lucky winners will be drawn to receive a check for $100.

DANITA ALLEN WOOD, EDITOR We’ve been having fun this past week or two brainstorming lots of new story ideas, which we will have to keep as a surprise for now. As we were doing this, we kept asking ourselves, “I wonder if you make our recipes. I wonder if you still read all the events in our calendar. I wonder if you like our stories on Missouri artists and products made in Missouri.” So that’s why we’re asking.

We’ve also been evaluating everything we do, starting with our table of contents and even this column, and continuing through our features all the way through our back page entitled “Missouriana.”

(If you’re curious: We made that word up when we were trying to name that page. We thought about calling it Missouri Trivia, but that seemed to trivialize the sometimes obscure but always pertinent, delightful, and even important information we deliver on that page. We kept coming back to “Missouriana” which seemed warmer and more substantial than trivia. We don’t usually allow made-up words in the magazine, but this was the exception that proves the adage about rules being made to be broken. We have now trademarked that name.)

But back to our evaluating process: Spring always seems like the time to clean house, toss out a few things, and bring in some new. And that’s exactly what we’re doing—a bit of house-cleaning, freshening up, and making some new plans. And who better to help us with this than you who read and visit Missouri Life?

So please give me 10 today! Visit www.research. net/s/MissouriLife right now or scan the code at right with your phone to help us make a better magazine and for your chance to win that cash.

(If you need the 20 questions on paper, write to us, and we’ll mail them.) —Danita Allen Wood

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APRIL 2012

LETTERS from all over You write them. We print them.

Jane Froman was a performer from Missouri who used her life’s obstacles as inspiration to give back.

TOP 10 WOMEN

Just got my copy in the mail, and it’s another good

location should not be a factor. Beyond that, only

I just received my February copy of Missouri Life

one. I do have a couple of comments about your “Top

two from the western side of the state (and that

magazine. I thought I would give you some feed-

10 Women who Changed Missouri.” First, I certainly

counts Senator McCaskill!) and only two from the

back. As usual, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the

share your anguish over narrowing the list down

St. Louis area. Then throw in the outliers from Ken-

articles. My favorite was the article on the “Top 10

to 10. For that matter, I could think of many other

nett, Kirksville, and Springfield—whoopee! Not very

Women who Changed Missouri.” Your magazine is

women who should have made the list in addition to

diverse if you ask me.

one of the few that has ever highlighted the con-

the ones you noted with anguish in your comments.

tributions of women in history. I too cringed when

Then, I was a bit disappointed in the composition of

Rebecca Boone was not included in the top 10, but

the selection panel. Certainly they are all success-

FROM OUR FACEBOOK FRIENDS

then again I am somewhat biased, being her hus-

ful women in their own rights, but what historic

Just introduced to Missouri Life and read it cover

band. Other Missouri women of note were: Jose-

perspective did they bring to the panel? In addi-

to cover—very interesting! The Nelly Don feature

phine Baker, famous black entertainer, civil rights

tion, eight of the 15 members are currently from the

caught my attention because mom worked in Kan-

activist, and French resistance leader during World

center of the state. I realize you’re in Boonville, but

sas City for Nelly Don/Hal Hardin for 30-plus years.

War II; Zerelda Cole James Samuel, the mother of

with the means of modern communication, physical

—Jean Warren, Liberty

—Gail Ashley Burkhart

Jesse James; Marie Watkins Oliver, the Betsy Ross of

SEND US A LETTER

nie Ream, sculptor, whose statue of Abraham Lincoln is in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C.; Harriet Robinson Scott, wife of Dred Scott and slave.

Christmas ornaments in your December 2011 issue. It was an honor to be chosen along with the other artists. What a wonderful article featuring ornaments

The famous court case about their freedom indi-

Email:

rectly contributed to the Civil War and the eventual

Fax:

abolition of slavery.

Facebook:

I am constantly touting your magazine to anyone

I would like to thank Missouri Life for featuring my

that will become family heirlooms.

—Pat Mehaffy

CORRECTION

Address:

who will listen. I tell people it is Missouri’s magazine.

“Top 10 Women who Changed Missouri” in our February

Keep up the great work. I always look forward to it

issue said Laura Ingalls Wilder grew up in the Missouri

showing up in my mailbox.

Ozarks. Instead, she grew up moving around the Midwest

—Daniel Boone (reenactor Barney Combs, Arnold)

and moved to the Ozarks at the age of 27. —Editors

COURTESY OF THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Missouri, who designed the Missouri state flag; Vin-

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Zest FOR LIFE

St. Louis

MISSOURI’S OWN: BETTY GRABLE OF ALL THE stars that Missouri has produced, this pin-up is one of the nicest to look at. Betty Grable was aptly nicknamed “the girl with the million dollar legs” after Twentieth Century Fox studios insured them for a full million—no small sum in the ’40s. Born in St. Louis in 1916, Grable received dance training at Clark’s Dancing School in St. Louis. In her early teens, she got her start as a chorus girl in the musical Happy Days. By the 1940s, she was Twentieth Century Fox’s leading lady, featured in films such as Pin Up Girl, Diamond Horseshoe, and Mother Wore Tights. She was the highest-paid actress in Hollywood in 1947, with the U.S. Treasury reporting that she earned $300,000 per year. She also became a sex symbol in the box office. “There are two reasons why I am

successful in show business,” she once said, “and I am standing on both of them.” In 1943, Grable posed for her infamous pin-up photo, which catapulted her fame among GI’s in World War II. One of her last major roles was in the mega-hit How to Marry a Millionaire, in which she was featured alongside her intended replacement, Marilyn Monroe. Grable, whose career as a star wasn’t peppered with scandals like many from that era, died in 1973. She once said, “The woman’s vision is deep-reaching, the man’s far-reaching. With the man the world is his heart, with the woman the heart is her world.” She is permanently featured in the Hall of Famous Missourians in the Missouri Capitol and has stars on the St. Louis Walk of Fame and Hollywood Boulevard.

—Nichole Ballard

Rolla

NESTLED IN the Ozark hills, the Ozark Actors Theatre is

organization has produced

celebrating 25 years of live theater this year. The theater group

more than 70 shows. The the-

hosts its silver anniversary celebration on May 11 at Leach The-

ater will present The Wizard

atre on the Missouri University of Science & Technology cam-

of Oz, Noises Off, The Diviners,

pus. A program highlighting past performances will be featured

and Les Miserables during this upcoming season. Les Miserables

at the celebration. Ozark Actors Theatre, founded in 1987 by Gail

will be the first show presented from the theater’s youth educa-

Andrews-Hintz and F. Reed Brown, began with a performance

tion program, OAT Jr., which teaches students 18 years and

of Godspell in 1988. Shows are performed in the Cedar Street

younger leadership and acting skills through a summer drama

Playhouse, which was converted from the historic First Baptist

camp and a theater production camp. —Lauren Schad

Church into the theater it is today. Since its origin, the non-profit

www.ozarkactorstheatre.org

COURTESY OF TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX FILM CORPORATION AND OZARK ACTORS THEATRE

25 Years of Theater

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SPRINGFIELD MISSOURI

A place to Explore, Experience and Enjoy.

Good times and cherished memories are just down the road.

Call or click today to begin planning your vacation. www.VacationSpringfield.com 800-678-8767

VisitMO.com I Love Springfield, MO

@springfieldCVB

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Zest FOR LIFE

St. Louis

Kansas City and St. Louis

LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

City Hot Spots for Retirees

THE DAFFODIL-LINED high-

WHEN THINKING of top cities for

ways of St. Louis blossom thanks in part to the volunteers of Brightside St. Louis. That organization’s Project Flower Shower plants millions of flowers every year along St. Louis highways, downtown, and around Lake Louie at exit 38 on Interstate 64.

Last year, Brightside enlisted the aid of the U.S. Marines to build a Demonstration Garden and plant 2,700 native Missouri plants for its new learning center at Brightside’s headquarters on Shenandoah Avenue.

Operation Brightside, now Brightside St. Louis, was born in 1981 after a city survey revealed that citizens thought St. Louis was dirty. Today, Brightside has cleaned up graffiti

senior citizens to live, destinations like Key West and Phoenix may come to mind more frequently

from 120,000 homes and businesses in the city, planted more than 14 million daffodils, and implemented a litter awareness campaign.

The litter slogan reads: “Litter Bugs Me! Stop it! Don’t Drop it!” Brightside also hosts Project Blitz, a citywide clean-up every spring.

Brightside holds free workshops on the benefits of the Missouri native plants Brightside provides to beautify and clean up neighborhoods. Other non-profits throughout the United States have modeled their beautifying programs after Brightside. —Nichole Ballard

than Kansas City and St. Louis. But, according to

www.brightsidestlouis.org

their communities. The study was done to find

Bankers Life and Casualty Company, both rank in the top 15, along with other cities such as Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, and Milwaukee.

Based on categories such as healthcare, economy, social, environment, spiritual life, housing, transportation, and crime, Bankers came out with a list of the top 50 cities for seniors. Kansas City ranked in the top 10 at number nine, and St. Louis came in at number 14. Seniors today are living longer, managing more chronic conditions, trying to live economically, and staying active in the best cities for them to do so in, not to find the top retirement communities.

Fredericktown

“We weren’t interested in another study on

50th Azalea Festival

where to enjoy your retirement, but instead to

WHEN THE COAL mine shut down years ago in Fred-

what come to mind when you think about where

the services and support that seniors need,” says Scott Perry, president of Bankers Life and Casualty Company. “The top ranked cities aren’t to spend your golden years, but they scored high

ericktown, the Azalea Festival was created to raise morale and

in the criteria most important to the 65 and up bracket.” —Nicole Heisick

improve the town’s economy. Fifty years later, that tiny festival in 1963 has grown into a four-day event that brings people back each year. The Azalea Festival, held during the first full weekend of May, draws a record crowd to enjoy car shows, tractor pulls, a diaper derby, and more. There are more than 100 craft and business vendors as well as live music. The event this year is themed “May Time is Azalea Time–Reliving the Memories: 50 Years and Counting.” Find the festival at Azalea Park on North Main Street, just past the historic Madison County Courthouse and county jail in Fredericktown.

— Pam Clifton

Contact the Fredericktown Democrat-News at 573-783-3366 for more information.

COURTESY OF BRIGHTSIDE, ST. LOUIS CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU, AND FREDERICKTOWN DEMOCRAT-NEWS

find the cities that did the best job in providing

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Zest FOR LIFE

SPRING READS Find these reads at bookstores or publishers’ websites unless otherwise noted.

BY SARAH REDOHL AND ASHTON ZIMMERMAN

The Mormon War: Zion and the Missouri Extermination Order of 1838 Brandon G. Kinney, 400 pages, Westholme Publishing, hardcover, nonfiction, $28 Kinney traces the life of Joseph Smith Jr., the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, through a short and bitter religious and ideological war following the Mormon settlement in Missouri. Smith believed that Zion should be established in Jackson County and sent followers to settle the New Jerusalem. Though the build-up to the conflict led to eventual violence by both parties, Kinney successfully outlines the complicated history and the eventual schism of Mormon Church leadership into the several factions we know today. Kinney outlines the religious differences and Missouri’s struggle during this lesser-known war, while explaining the founding of the Mormon religion in this informative selection.

Ballpark Dog

Jere and Emilee Gettle with Meghan Sutherland, 256 pages, Hyperion Books, hardcover, nonfiction, $29.99 Praised by O, The Oprah Magazine and Martha Stewart, The Heirloom Life Gardener brings a fresh excitement to growing heirloom vegetables.

Authors Jere and Emilee Gettle run Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company, stationed near Mansfield. With their love of gardening and vast expertise, the Gettles have created this unique and complete guide to growing the vegetables you love.

Clella Diane Yates, 192 pages, CrossBooks Publishing, hardcover, fiction, $11.95 Clella is based on the true story of Missouri author Diane Yates’s mother. Clella’s trouble begins when her husband leaves her. Soon after, she finds out she is pregnant with her seventh child. Set in Ozark hill country, it is the telling tale of one Missouri woman’s struggle with how to be a virtuous woman in the eyes of God.

Michael Ray Palmer, 28 pages, Tate Publishing, softcover, children’s book, $9.99 This picture book is about a baseballloving dog that enjoys spending time at the ballpark and the countless treasures he finds there. Baseball fans of all forms will love this story showcasing the joy of the game. Author Michael R. Palmer grew up in Kansas City with a passion for baseball. He now lives in Columbia, where he has coached his children’s peewee baseball and youth basketball teams.

Call Me Tom: The Life of Thomas F. Eagleton James N. Giglio, 328 pages, University of Missouri Press, hardcover, nonfiction, $34.95 Often thought of as Missouri’s own Kennedy, Thomas F. Eagleton was elected as the youngest Circuit Attorney of St. Louis at age 27 and quickly climbed the political ladder to eventually become a vice presidential candidate for George McGovern. When his mental health issues surfaced, he withdrew from the race.

Giglio brings readers into Eagleton’s presence, while illuminating the tribulation of the modern Democratic Party in this historical portrait of one of Missouri’s most successful senators.

ANDREW BARTON

The Heirloom Life Gardener: The Baker Creek Way of Growing Your Own Food Easily and Naturally

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A wonderful surprise - The Hotel Frederick was a delight.. the rooms, the staff, the restaurant! – Dan www.hotelfrederick.com • 888-437-3321 • 501 East High Street, Boonville, MO 65233 [22] MissouriLife

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Zest FOR LIFE

One Chip

AT A TIME

Carol Wherry creates intricate chip carvings in Fair Grove.

BY DAN R. MANNING | PHOTOGRAPHY BY RON MCGINNIS

APPROACHING her retirement years, Carol Wherry of rural Fair Grove was searching for something to fill her upcoming hours of freedom. She found the answer while visiting a crafts festival at Silver Dollar City where Pam Grisham was demonstrating chip carving. Having taught college and high school math, Carol realized this was a way she might incorporate her affinity for geometry into a creation of art.

After reading one of Grisham’s books, Carol realized she was doing nearly everything wrong. She learned her choice of wood was incorrect, as was the carving knife she bought and the way she used it.

After taking her first lesson in 2006 and finding a specially shaped, extremely sharp knife that fit her hand well, she purchased some basswood blanks and began to chip carve correctly. Most of the basswood she uses comes from Wisconsin and Minnesota, and recently she’s begun to carve willow from Romania.

Besides standard chip carving, Carol also does gouge chip carving by tapping curved gouges with a wooden mallet and follow-

ing patterns drawn on pieces of hardwood (such as cherry, maple, and walnut) and then accenting them with adjacent knife cuts. She rubs a paste made of baby oil and cocoa into the depressions to enhance the carving.

“It is a poor-man’s type of wood carving,” Carol says about the peasant art form found

in several countries. “I was first attracted to a style that developed in Europe. In Germany and Switzerland they call it kerbschnitzen. For centuries people have carved decorations into spoons, wooden shoes, ox yokes, and furniture. I studied Old World methods that originated in Romania before learning a type of more modern gouge chip

carving created by a man in Springfield.”

Carol, with years of teaching experience, has developed her skills well enough to show others how to do chip carving. “I tell people that to be good at it they need to like precision, creativity, and enjoy working with wood.”

Carol uses a mechanical pencil with a metal shaft and a 15-centimeter ruler to draw her designs before she carves. Each tool has its own purpose. “The pencil has a very fine graphite lead, soft enough to make clear marks but not so hard that it will penetrate the wood’s surface.”

With the right tools, Carol also needs the right technique. “As I was learning, my instructors said that pushing the knife at just the right pressure would eventually feel natural,” Carol says. “I have finally achieved that stage of touch.”

Carol has created various decorative pieces over the past 15 years. She has kept a few of them as examples of her work. They range from a six-sided kaleidoscope to a Greek key chessboard to treasure boxes of many shapes and sizes to a hail-damaged tulip tree limb fashioned into a decorated

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Artist Carol Wherry uses specialized tools and basswood to create these intricate, one-of-a-kind chip carvings.

walking stick. There is one chip-carved cabinet in her house, perhaps to prove that she can create a piece of furniture just as fine as her German predecessors might have made.

At yearly gatherings of the North Arkansas Woodworkers Association, Branson’s Artfolk Show, and the Rio Grande Valley Woodcarvers in Texas, Carol has received many awards. However, she has not sold any of her creations.

Part of this is due to watching her father’s success as a craftsman. After her father retired, he began hand-making wooden chairs. They sold well enough that he took them to craft shows, so he hired additional workers to keep up with the increased demand.

Seeing her father’s hobby become overpowering influenced her to keep production small and to stay away from sales.

Instead, she enjoys giving them away or donating pieces to benefit auctions for the Fair Grove United Methodist Church.

Her works of art are received and kept as treasured gifts by her many beloved friends and relatives.

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natIonaL Photo CoMPetItIon & exhIbItIon

NATURAL ANTLER-HANDLED LETTER OPENER

MarCh 10 – MaY 6

features original, hand-etched scrimshaw.

Choose a cardinal, hummingbird, dogwood, or rose. $25, plus $3 shipping/handling

juror

PhotograPher andreW L. Moore

Check/Money Order/Visa/MasterCard 31 High Trail, Eureka, MO 63025 • www.stonehollowstudio.com

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  

 

 

detail: Offering, diana greene, Winston-Salem, nC

  

222 W 3rd St JoPLIn, Mo 64801 417.623.0183 www.spivaarts.org



[26] MissouriLife

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www.thebenttree.com www.stacyleigh.etsy.com www.thebenttreegallery.blogspot.com

Bent Tree Gallery

Rustic Furniture & Accents Handcrafted Handbags Fiber Art and Baskets H I S T O R I C C L A R K S V I L L E M I S S O U R I 573-242-3200

The

Manitou Studio A gallery of fine crafts in clay and fiber.

302 Columbia Street, Rocheport, MO 573-698-4011 ∙ www.preusceramics.com

MACAA.net Your connection to Missouri’s community arts agencies, artists and arts events!

Artists: Click on the

icon to list yourself on Missouri’s Creative Artist Resource Directory. It’s FREE!

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Made

A CULINARY ADVENTURE JEFF BRINKHOFF, president of Red Monkey Foods, thought the spice industry lacked, well ... spice. He wanted to add fun and excitement back into preparing food. In 2002, he founded Red Monkey Foods on his farm near Golden City. Because of an exponential increase in business, the company now resides in Mount Vernon. Red Monkey Foods offers either organic or all natural spices, and the production of these seasonings often follows trends of professional chefs. Jeff says one of the most popular products is the Mango Habañera seasoning, a balanced blend of sweet mango and spicy habañero pepper. But his personal favorite is the Tres Chili Cilantro seasoning, a blend of red and green peppers, paprika, and lime juice. Jeff is especially proud of the company’s website, which offers a wide variety of recipes and tips on how to prepare food using the spices. While most orders are placed online, Red Monkey seasonings can be found at grocery stores like Price Cutters and Kroger in the Springfield area.

—Lauren Schad 417-466-9109 • www.redmonkeyfoods.com

New Haven

All-American Gin WINNER OF THE 2011 MicroLiquor International Spirits Competition, Pinckney Bend American Gin of New Haven has a smooth balance between juniper and citrus. This gives the product a bright and crisp flavor that martini drinkers and those who imbibe in mixed drinks will love. Made in a distillery named for a vanished town and a treacherous bend in the Missouri River, this gin is the epitome of “all-American,” says distillery co-owner Ralph Haynes.

The company uses organic botanicals grown in the United States and is bottled in American-made glass. Keep on the lookout for Pinckney Bend vodka and whiskey, which Ralph says he is currently developing. Pinckney Bend’s Gin is found in major liquor stores in the St. Louis area and grocery stores such as Straub’s and Schnucks.

—Ashton Zimmerman

www.pinckneybend.com

Ava

A Hammock for Every Color UNDER THE TREES rocking on a hammock—this is how Mary Hoelterhoff prefers to spend her days. So Mary created Rainbow Hammocks, selling hammocks and hammock chairs of all different colors: red, purple, green, navy, sandstone, black, lambswool, earthtone, rainbow, and watercolor. These eyecatching hammocks are made with olefin rope, which is strong, colorfast, sunlight resistant, and highly resistant to mold and mildew. To Mary, what makes these hammocks great is that relaxing sensation of being rocked. “Everybody likes being rocked.” —Ashton Zimmerman 417-683-3610 www.rainbowhammocks.com

COURTESY OF RED MONKEY FOODS, RAINBOW HAMMOCKS, AND PINCKNEY BEND GIN

Mount Vernon

THE INVENTOR OF THE MICROCHIP, JACK KILBY, WAS BORN IN JEFFERSON CITY.

IN MISSOURI

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Upcoming Events MARCH 29-APRIL 1, 2012 Man of LaMancha PRESSER PERFORMING ARTS CENTER www.mexicomissouri.net | 573-581-2100 APRIL 20 & 21, 2012 Coppelia Ballet PRESSER PERFORMING ARTS CENTER www.presserpac.com | 573-581-5592 MAY 5, 2012 Bluegrass Jam PRESSER PERFORMING ARTS CENTER www.mexicomissouri.net | 573-581-2100 JUNE 6-9, 2012 Miss Missouri Scholarship Pageant and Miss Missouri Outstanding Teen Pageant MISSOURI MILITARY ACADEMY www.missmissouri.org | 573-581-2765 or 800581-2765

Mexico is a perfect combination of small town charm and urban style. Artsy boutiques, jewelry, quilt shops, scrapbooking, antiques and cultural offerings give Mexico a sophisticated air, but with a family-friendly attitude. Come visit us today!

JUNE 23, 2012 101 Dalmatians PRESSER PERFORMING ARTS CENTER www.presserpac.com | 573-581-5592

PRESSER PERFORMING ARTS CENTER’S mission is to inspire, entertain, and educate people in the arts by providing the finest venue, productions, and programs. It also serves as a resource and gathering place for this and surrounding communities. www.presserpac.com | 573-581-5592 MEXICO AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE works hard to be the pulse of the community, assisting all to provide services that will nurture and encourage businesses and strengthen the community. www.mexico-chamber.org |573-581-2765

Tour the AUDRAIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY Tues.-Sat. 10 AM-4 PM and Sun. 1 PM-4 PM www.audrain.org | 573-581-3910

MISSOURI MILITARY ACADEMY is one of the premier all-boy private military boarding schools in the country. MMA has an impressive record of college admission and thousands of accomplished alumni who have assumed positions of authority in business, finance, education, the arts and the military. Its structured program creates a learning environment that promotes academic excellence and character development, stressing the time-honored values of honor, integrity, perseverance and duty. The Academy prepares young men for college and life by creating a venue that challenges cadets to unlock their inner potential. www.missourimilitaryacademy.org | 888-564-6662 [29] April 2012

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PROMOTION

A Treasure Trove of Food Columbia prides itself on having great tasting food produced locally in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way. It’s the perfect destination for foodies, says Linda Kissam, a board member for the International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association.

“Trendy, urban, flavorful, and innovative come to mind when I think about Columbia,” she says. ” It’s definitely the type of place foodies love. This hip, small city has a strong sense of self, emphasizing ‘local matters,’ especially when it comes to culinary offerings. It’s worthy of your time.”

[30] MissouriLife

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COURTESY OF CHERT HOLLOW FARM

Food in Columbia is nothing short of a treasure.

3/2/12 3:27:31 PM

PROMOTION

Visit the Producers To start, we’ve got a bounty of farms.

The friendly farmers at Chert Hollow Farm (www.cherthollowfarm.com), an organic vegetable farm just north of Columbia, and Pierpont Farms (www.pierpontfarms.com), a small family farm, pride themselves on growing food people will love. Both farms, which are happy to host visitors, produce quality ingredients for Columbia’s restaurants, and Pierpont Farms even has a successful partnership with Boone Hospital. Patchwork Pork (www.patchworkfamilyfarms.org), a group of 15 family hog farmers, raises hogs the traditional way, without antibiotics or growth hormones and with plenty of access to fresh air and sunshine. Their pork products are sold in locally owned natural food stores, and Columbia’s best chefs create delightful dishes with Patchwork Pork meat.

But that’s not all! Columbia offers scrumptious locally produced goods. Patric Chocolate (www.patricchocolate.com), a craft chocolate company, has been churning out sinful batches of handmade chocolate bars since 2006. Even Food & Wine magazine recognized Patric Chocolate as the “Best New American Chocolate” in 2010. Another chocolate contender is The Candy Factory (www.thecandyfactory.biz) a Columbia favorite since 1974. The Candy Factory makes small-batch confections such as chocolate-covered strawberries and gourmet truffles. Our city even has its own coffee roaster. Lakota Coffee Company (www. lakotacoffee.com) hand roasts small batches of coffee beans every day, offering up the freshest coffee possible.

Columbia’s also got gourmet cheese and honey. Goatsbeard Farm (www.goatsbeardfarm.com) crafts artisanal cheeses from its herd of 50 goats. Try the fresh rounds of creamy goat cheese or try the Walloon variety, an aged hard cheese with a nutty flavor. Walk-About Acres (www.walk-aboutacres.com) is a small farm outside of Columbia that produces and sells honey and honey ice cream.

Patric Chocolate

The Candy Factory

Visit the Markets

COURTESY OF PATRIC CHOCOLATE, THE CANDY FACTORY, PIERPONT FARMS, PATCHWORK PORK

Chert Hollow Farm

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Then you can buy all this great locally grown food at farmers markets and locally owned natural food and specialty stores.

The Columbia Farmers Market (www.columbiafarmersmarket.org) has more than 90 vendors selling local meats, vegetables, fruit, canned goods, and more throughout the week.

Clovers Natural Market (www.cloversnaturalmarket.com) sells organic produce and gourmet local goods. In the North Village Arts District, Root Cellar (Facebook: Root Cellar) provides a diverse selection of Missouri products.

We also have a selection of ethnic food stores such as Chong’s Oriental Market (701 Locust Street), which sells specialty Asian ingredients, from meat and seafood to produce and dried goods. For Mediterranean and Middle Eastern fare, check out the Olive Café and Food Store (21 N. Providence Road). This charming market/café combo serves up freshly prepared meals and also sells packaged goods from the Mediterranean and Middle East.

Pierpont Farms

Visit the Restaurants But the best way to discover Columbia’s food treasures is by tasting them!

In Columbia, it’s not just our high-end restaurants using fresh, local ingredients—it’s our cafes, diners, and brew pubs too!

Café Berlin (www.cafeberlin.com) is a favorite breakfast spot known for its organic menu sourced locally from Pierpont Farms, Uprise Bakery, Patchwork Family Farms, Lakota Coffee Company, and more. Try

Patchwork Pork

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Main Squeeze Natural Foods Cafe

Red and Moe

573-875-1231 | www.visitcolumbiamo.com 300 South Providence Road

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44 Stone Public House LAUREN HUGHES; COURTESY OF MAIN SQUEEZE, RED AND MOE

Cafe Berlin

the “Butch” Jones, a small pancake burrito stuffed with apples and sausage, a mixture of apples, garlic, red onion, local Patchwork Andouille sausage, cinnamon, and maple syrup. Or head to Lucy’s Corner Café (522 E. Broadway), which serves up Patchwork Pork alongside pancakes the size of a dinner plate. Fresh bread is baked daily at Uprise Bakery (Facebook: Uprise Bakery), but you’ll also find soups, salads, and sandwiches worthy of your attention.

For healthy food to feel good about, try Main Squeeze Natural Foods Café (www.main-squeeze.com). Here you’ll find organic, vegetarian fare sourced from more than a dozen farms from 50 miles around Columbia. Try the Buddha Bowl full of rice, tofu, cabbage, broccoli, carrot, scallions, sesame seeds, and sprouts. If you are in the mood for pizza, head to Red and Moe (www.redandmoe.com) a gourmet pizzeria that sources its ingredients from local farmers.

At Murry’s (www.murrysrestaurant.net), the extensive menu includes delicious sandwiches such as the Philly Cheese Steak and juicy hamburgers made with Show-Me Farms (www.borntenderbeef.com) beef. Locals like Mom’s Onion Rings, thinly sliced and fried, and Brock’s Green Pepper rings, battered green pepper topped with powdered sugar.

If it’s beer you are looking for, you’re in luck! Columbia has two brew pubs. Broadway Brewery (www.broadwaybrewery.com) is a local favorite, and it’s no surprise why. The brew pub has a rotating seasonal menu that uses ingredients from local farmers to craft dishes such as Pulled Pork made with slow-smoke Patchwork pork, Goatsbeard cheese, and house barbecue sauce. Plus, you’ll find a variety of house-brewed beer from the Pale Ale and Wheat Beer to the Extra Special Bitter and Porter. Flat Branch Pub & Brewing (www.flatbranch. com) brews craft beer such as Katy Trail Pale Ale, Honey Wheat, or Oil Change Stout. The beer is always fresh, and the food is always good!

Though Sycamore (www.sycamorerestaurant.com) doesn’t brew its own beer, its beer menu is refined and extensive, and the restaurant offers multi-course beer dinners. Sycamore is committed to crafting culinary creations from local and wholesome food. Sycamore prides itself on serving seasonal, market-driven food, providing local produce, cheese, meat, and other products from the Columbia area. 44 Stone Public House (www.44stonepub.com), an English gastropub, also hosts beer dinners, and its beer list offers a plethora of domestic and imported craft beers. The food at this pub is more refined than pub food—it’s high end and uses local ingredients.

For wine lovers, nothing beats an evening at the Blufftop Bistro at Les Bourgeois Vineyards (www.missouriwine.com). Dishes such as the hand-rolled orecchiette pasta with lamb sugo, almond lamb sausage, herb whipped feta, and braised kale, or the gorgonzola cheesecake pair beautifully with Les Bourgeois’s own Missouri wines. Norton is a favorite robust red, and the LaBelle is a crisp white wine. The real winner is the Brut Sparkling Wine, a 2011 gold winner at the Tasters Guild Wine Competition. You’ll enjoy a candle-lit dinner at The Wine Cellar & Bistro (www.winecellarbistro.com), another wine-inspired gem in Columbia. With more than 1,000 bottles of wine in house, the Wine Cellar & Bistro serves a market-inspired menu using local ingredients whenever possible.

Try Bleu Restaurant & Wine Bar (www.bleucolumbia.com) for your next special occasion, or for any night of the week! Though Bleu has an inventive, upscale menu that is sophisticated and the atmosphere is big city, you’ll find the restaurant to be approachable and casual as well.

Columbia is tasty! From our farms to our markets, and especially through our restaurants, we define ourselves through fresh food, produced locally with care and attention.

Find your own food treasure!

3/2/12 5:13:59 PM

LAUREN HUGHES; COURTESY OF SYCAMORE

House

Broadway Brewery

Sycamore

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ON THE EDGES OF THE

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OZARKS Story by Melanie Loth Photography by Matthew Looby

On our third day of hiking the Ozark Trail, we trudged along a rocky ridge on the side of a hill. The four of us marched in a single file line, which was all the space the trail allowed. I could only focus on Dave’s feet plodding along in front of me.

That was until he turned abruptly, shouting, “SNAKE! Snake! There’s a snake!”

My fear of snakes is so severe that I have issues watching them on television. If they show up in a commercial, I casually leave the room and occupy myself until it goes away. This rattlesnake completely freaked me out, but it was like a train wreck. No matter how much anxiety I knew the snake would give me, I had to see it.

Knee-high grasses lined the sandy, rocky path. I peered over a small hump in the trail and saw the creepy black and gold rattlesnake coiled in the middle of the path just four feet in front of me. I darted back to safety as the dreaded rattling began.

Throughout the past three days, I had slept on rocky ground. I ate only freeze-dried food or oatmeal. I had massive blisters on the backs of my heels that rubbed against my boots for every single one of the 25 miles we had hiked so far. The rattlesnake brought me to the brink of a panic attack. The only thought in my mind was: Why did I decide to do this?

My three friends, Dave, Jim, and Matt, go on a long hiking trip every summer. They come back with hilarious stories and amazing pictures. I knew that I wanted to go with them; they just had to decide if a girl was tough enough to do it. They finally conceded because of my persistence, and we planned to hike the Taum Sauk section of the Ozark Trail.

Long hikes aren’t about being comfortable. In fact, it was probably one of the most uncomfortable experiences

I have ever had, and the infamous rattlesnake day was the worst. Yet, I would never trade those days spent hiking through the Ozarks with my friends for anything.

Our trip started in Black at the Bell Mountain Wilderness Ozark Trail trailhead. We planned to hike through to Taum Sauk Mountain, where we had left my car. Once we parked the second car, it was time to gear up. My beloved flip flops were traded in for wool socks, sock liners, and an old pair of hiking boots. To don my 30-pound backpack, I held a shoulder strap with one hand and swung the pack around to my back by holding the handle at the top.

Hiking packs have a belt strap that anchors all of the weight on your hips as opposed to across your shoulders, which makes it easier to carry. Naturally, I buckled my belt and chest straps immediately to keep from falling backward.

“No belt strap for me,” Jim joked.

“First one to use their belt strap is a loser,” Matt replied, as Dave ran around the empty parking lot in his brand-new synthetic hiking underwear, “Just to test it out,” he said. It was clear to me that I would be the wuss in this group of “manly” hiking men.

The Taum Sauk section began with a crawl up a mountain. The Ozark Trail pulled out the big guns against us right away. We hiked upward on switchbacks for at least a half hour. This was my first what-am-I-doing

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ON THE EDGES OF THE OZARKS moment—my legs began aching, but I kept going. Only one of my two water bottles remained when we made it to the top of the first mountain.

We came to a clearing and looked out across the Ozarks. The mountains used to be higher than the Himalayas, but now they are mere shadows of their former size. The dark green of the mountaintops contrasted with the light blue sky, creating waves of hills for miles, and I was caught off guard by the sight. Many of us think we need to go to the ends of the earth—like Patagonia or Indonesia—to see wondrous, exotic landscapes. But, they are here, only a few hours away in the heart of the Missouri Ozarks.

Unfortunately, I had to snap back to reality. All we had to accomplish on our first day of hiking was to reach the first water source. We had brought a water purifying pump, and we needed more water than we could carry to make our dinners and breakfasts. From the trailhead, it was about six miles to the first creek on our map, but we thought there might be some smaller ones along the way in case we needed more water.

After passing a couple of dry riverbeds, things did not look so good for us. We started conserving the water we had left and hoping the creek on the map wasn’t like the others.

It took about an hour to descend from the mountain crests. The sun started to set, and lucky for us, the creek we had been searching for was at the bottom of the mountain. Every good Boy Scout adheres to the “leave no trace” rule of camping, but we were pleased when we found a previously cleared campsite with a fire ring of rocks. My stomach grumbled uncontrollably as we gathered firewood and set up our campsites.

Dave brought the JetBoil, a nifty gadget that boils two cups of water in three to four minutes yet is still easy to carry. I looked on with disgust as we poured our boiled water into the freeze-dried food we brought with us. The package claimed to be beef stroganoff with noodles, but the mushy mess didn’t look like any beef stroganoff I’d ever had. But Jim, Matt, and Dave all raved about these meals, so I dug in out of hunger and curiosity. In the end, I felt bad about criticizing the freeze-dried food—it was amazing.

Once everyone had their fill, we set up tents and hung our food in a tree so the bears wouldn’t eat it. After an evening spent playing Euchre, we called it a night. Though I slept on rocks that night, I have never fallen asleep faster.

Our gourmet meal the next morning consisted of oatmeal and peanut butter bagels; both are high in calories, carbs, and protein—all of which I knew I needed for our first full day of hiking, which started with another immediate uphill climb. This climb went straight up; I went primal on all-fours. Twenty minutes into day two, and it was time for a water and snack break.

That day was our hike through the jungle. I have never been to the Amazon, but I doubt it looks different from the bottomland forests of the Bell Mountain Wilderness. It wasn’t warm, but it was noticeably humid.

I brought my sunglasses but didn’t need them. A thick canopy of trees towered over our heads. We rotated leaders when one person got tired of getting covered in spider webs and swatting gnats away. Matt made the unfortunate decision to wear shorts instead of normal trekking pants, and the abundant thorn bushes were not kind to him.

Our next landmark was a highway; this would signal that we were almost to Johnson’s Shut-Ins, which meant we had hiked at least six miles and only had another two to go. Every time I came around a corner, I expected to see a road in the distance, but every time I turned that corner, it was still more forest. We were in the middle of the forest with no highway in sight all day. It wasn’t terribly discouraging until the sun started to set. We tried to stay positive, but as 5 pm came and passed, and 6 pm came and passed, we had to complain. And complain we did—about everything from the gnats to the lack of water to those darn thorny bushes all over the trail. We didn’t think we would ever make it to the water just beyond the highway. We fretted that we would have to hike back to our car or at least to the stream we stayed by the previous evening.

Then, while in the middle of our rant, we turned another corner in the trail. I could hear the rising hum of a car coming closer, passing us, and then moving farther away. I peered through the trees and saw a road in the distance. The clouds had parted, and the heavens shone down on this special piece of asphalt just a quarter mile ahead. Spirits lifted. The gnats weren’t so bad, and water would be just another mile or two after the road. It started raining, and we didn’t mind.

We hiked into Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park and followed the trail to a wide, shallow river. The trail went across the river, so we found a way across some rocks. Dave was the only one to slip and get his feet soaked. We sat on the riverbank to eat our dinner while the clouds spit little droplets of rain. I took my shoes off and let the soft river pebbles massage my feet.

We started throwing rocks at a huge boulder; it became a game to see who could throw the farthest. I took it all in—the sound of the river running over the rocks as I inhaled the fresh, mountain air and played with my friends. I felt like I was standing in an Evian commercial, but I had better company.

We set up a campsite and dried our socks and shoes by the fire while it warmed our bodies. After more rounds of Euchre, we went to bed ready for the next day, or so we thought.

The morning started out normal: oatmeal and peanut butter bagels, then a steep climb to begin our hike. I knew it was going to be a scorcher, though, when I was already sweating profusely from the combined heat and physical exertion at 11 am. Most of the morning was a relentless uphill slope. We wanted to find a nice lookout for lunch like we had on the first day. With no lookout in sight, we settled for some shaded large boulders.

While eating our lunch of tuna, crackers, and summer sausage, we

“The dark green of the mountaintops contrasted with the light blue sky, creating waves of hills for miles.”

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Top, clockwise: Writer Melanie Loth and friend Jim Franke stand next to one of the trail markers on the Ozark Trail. Using a water filter, Melanie and Jim pump stream water into their water bottles. The Timber Rattlesnake is Missouri's largest venomous snake. They typically live on rocky hillsides and can be seen sunbathing from April to October.

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ON THE EDGES OF THE OZARKS The hikers take a break to sit on the edge of the dry Mina Sauk Falls. After a thunderstorm, water falls 132 feet, making Mina Sauk Falls the highest waterfall in Missouri.

began a heated discussion about who lived in the superior town. We sat there debating while slapping tiny red bugs off our legs. It was hot, and each whap at the bugs fueled the fire of our argument. We agreed to disagree, but there was lingering tension among the four of us.

We pressed on. Without checking, we knew the heat index was climbing well into the 90s. If yesterday we had been in the Amazon, today we were hiking across the African Savanna, but on an incline. I decided to forego my “tough girl” attitude and started asking for frequent water breaks, a far cry from my first night of hiking when I had cut my toenails with a pocketknife because they kept jamming into the front of my boots.

The guys were impressed with that, but that bravado was long gone.

What kept me going through the heat were the mile markers along the trail between Johnson’s Shut-Ins and Taum Sauk Mountain State Park.

We all searched for them as we trekked along, feeling accomplished when we saw them in the distance. During our pursuit of mile seven, we encountered the rattlesnake. My blisters hurt, I feared heat stroke, and I smelled almost as rank as the guys. I could handle all of these things. But not the rattlesnake.

When I saw it, I sprinted away to cower by a boulder. I could hear it rattling at us. We took another break to calm down and decide what to do about it. Jim, being the largest of us four, kept arguing that if someone got bit, he would get a big enough adrenaline rush to carry that person to Taum Sauk Mountain and drive to a hospital. Our biggest issue would be if Jim were bitten, because no one could have carried him. The best decision was to go off the trail and around the snake.

For the rest of the day, every dark spot among the long blades of grass

was another rattlesnake. Placing my foot between rocks and grass became a skill; I thought about each step while searching for another predator. We hiked faster and more carefully than we had in the last three days.

Our trip around the snake made us miss the mile seven marker, and I felt cheated. When we found water, we stopped for the night. It had been a long, rough day, and I was completely spent.

We ate and set up our tents on the least rocky patch of ground we could find. The exhausting day took us to bed early, and we slept on top of our sleeping bags, trying to cool off. I fell asleep dreaming of sandwiches and iced tea for our drive home the next day.

The last day’s hike felt much easier, as our journey would be over soon.

The terrain was just as difficult as the previous three days, but anticipating a shower lifted our spirits.

We came to Mina Sauk Falls, which signified only a mile and a half to the parking lot. The Ozarks had been dry all summer, so there was no water in the falls. We sat at the top of the empty waterfall looking out at the wilderness we had conquered.

I marveled at the sea of trees, knowing I had trekked 29 miles through the Ozark Mountains. Here I am, a 120-pound young woman with no real muscle, and I carried a pack that was a quarter of my body weight on my back the whole way. I slept on rocks, swatted my way through spiders, cut my toenails with a pocketknife, and escaped a rattlesnake.

What did I learn? I am strong. My body can accomplish so much when I have no choice but to put one foot in front of the other. Incredible journeys are close to home. Most importantly: nothing brings friends closer than sweating out 29 miles together.

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St. Louis Zoo

Take a vacation for less in Missouri. For affordable trip ideas, go to VisitMO.com.

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MISSOURI

Compiled by Melanie Loth

Want to camp overnight on your hike? Check www.mostateparks.com for information on camping availability and to see if reservations are allowed.

courtesy of missouri state parks

HIKI G GUIDE

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Elephant Rocks State Park, Belleview

Graham Cave State Park, Danville

If hiking a 30-mile trail seems like a bit too much for you, Missouri has plenty of other hiking opportunities that would be great for an afternoon, a day, or a weekend. With state parks around every corner, the great outdoors isn’t too far from your door. Trail experts helped us highlight some Missouri hikes for people of all skill levels and abilities. Pack up some trail mix and a bottle of water, and hit the trail!

Unless otherwise noted, horses are not allowed on trails, but pets are allowed and must be kept on a leash. >>> Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park, Middlebrook

Hawn State Park, Ste. Genevieve

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DEER RUN TRAIL Wallace State Park, Cameron A forested escape less than an hour away from Kansas City can be found while hiking Deer Run Trail at Wallace State Park. Numerous oaks and hickories take root along the trail, as well as wildlife such as turkey vultures, small fish, amphibians, and deer. Look for the unique pawpaw. This tree can reach 20 feet high and has green fruit resembling a stuffed banana or a papaya. If it’s a hot day, finish the hike with a dip in Lake Allaman. > Length: 3 miles, loop Difficulty: Easy to Medium > Camping: In designated camping areas. > Directions from Cameron: Take U.S. Highway 69 South about 5 miles. Turn left onto Route 121 South. Turn right to enter Wallace State Park. > Directions to trailhead: Park in the south parking lot. It has a shelter and is located at the northwest corner of Lake Allaman.

Take the trail leading you into the park when you get to the first trail intersection, which is at the southwest corner of the lake.

Look for the Deer Run Trail sign. > Trail blaze color: Red > State Park information: 816-632-3745 • 10621 Northeast Highway 121

LOCUST CREEK RIPARIAN TRAIL Pershing State Park, Laclede Riparian Trail is a destination trail, so you can hike part of the trail to finish it in one day. This trail is an easy weekend getaway in northern Missouri. Water should be abundant because the trail follows Locust Creek, which travels throughout Pershing State Park. With more than 100 species to find, it is a great place for bird watching. > Length: 6 miles, one way Difficulty: Easy > Camping: Allowed 50 feet off Riparian Trail. Any other camp-

Deer Run Trail, Wallace State Park, Cameron

NORTHEAST GRAHAM CAVE AND INDIAN GLADE TRAILS Graham Cave State Park, Danville These trails take you on a walk through the past. Graham Cave served as a shelter for inhabitants 10,000 years ago and Graham Cave Trail, which is paved, leads to the entrance of the cave. Exhibits about this part of the past are located along the trails. Continue your hiking excursion onto Indian Glade Trail, which ends near a campground where you can spend the night. > Length: Graham Cave Trail: 0.3 miles, loop; Indian Glade Trail Trail: 0.9 miles, one way; 1.2 miles total Difficulty: Medium to Difficult > Camping: Only allowed in designated campsites. > Directions from Danville: Get on Route 161 South. Turn right onto Route TT. Drive about 2 miles. Route TT dead-ends into Graham Cave State Park. > Directions to trailhead: Follow Route TT until it dead-ends, and turn left. Park in the east end of the lot. Follow the sign for the cave, and start the hike on Graham Cave Trail. > Trail blaze color: Graham Cave Trail: Yellow; Indian Glade Trail: Blue > State Park information: 573-564-3476 • 217 Highway TT

LONE SPRING TRAIL Cuivre River State Park, Troy Lone Spring Trail shows hikers the wild areas of Cuivre River State Park. The north section of the trail goes through Northwoods Wild Area, a Missouri designated wild area, and a white oak canopy covers the forested parts of this area. The trail also goes through Big Sugar Creek Natural Area, named after the creek running through the park. You can see a number of sinkholes and springs along the way that are reminiscent of the Ozarks to the south. > Length: 4.75 miles, loop Difficulty: Medium > Camping: There is a designated backpack camp for groups of seven or more along Lone Spring Trail. > Directions from Troy: Take Route 47 North. Turn left onto U.S. Highway 61 North toward Hannibal. Turn left onto Old

COURTESY OF MISSOURI STATE PARKS

NORTHWEST

ing in the park must be at a designated campsite. > Directions from Laclede: Take U.S. Highway 36 West for 2.5 miles. Turn left onto Route 130 East. > Directions to trailhead: Cross the bridge over Locust Creek, and head south along Boardwalk Trail. Continue on Boardwalk Trail until it meets with the trailhead of Riparian Trail. Start the Riparian Trail hike along Locust Creek. > Trail blaze color: Blue > State Park information: 660-963-2299 • 29277 Highway 130

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Riparian Trail, Pershing State Park, Laclede

Highway 61/Route KK. Turn right onto Route KK. > Directions to trailhead: Trail starts in parking area. > Trail blaze color: Yellow > State Park information: 636-528-7247 • 678 State Route 147

COURTESY OF MISSOURI STATE PARKS

RIVER SCENE TRAIL Castlewood State Park, Ballwin St. Louisans vacationed and partied in the early 1900s in the area that is now Castlewood State Park. The Union Pacific Railroad once went right through the park. The trail provides the park’s most spectacular views, including panoramic vistas of the Meramec River. River Scene Trail takes you on a journey into the past, while staying in the natural beauty of Missouri. > Length: 3.25 miles, loop Difficulty: Medium > Camping: Not allowed. > Directions from Ballwin: Take Ries Road south for almost 3 miles. Turn left onto Kiefer Creek Road. End at Castlewood State Park. > Directions to trailhead: Park in the third parking lot on the right. The trailhead is just off the southwest corner of the parking lot, beyond Lone Wolf Trail. > Trail blaze color: Red > State Park information: 636-227-4433 • 1401 Kiefer Creek Road

River Scene Trail, Castlewood State Park, Ballwin

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Thousand Hills Trail is on the opposite side of Forest Lake from the park’s main use area so this is a quiet hike. The trail goes through hilly and rugged woodland terrain and passes through and along savanna restoration units. You will also pass along the shores of Forest Lake. > Length: 10.5 miles, one way Difficulty: Medium > Camping: Primitive camping is allowed along the trail with registration first. > Directions from Kirksville: Go south on S. Franklin Street.

Turn right onto Shepard Avenue. Turn right onto Route H. Turn left onto Rainbow Basin Trail/County Road 226. End at Big Creek Conservation Area. > Directions to trailhead: Thousand Hills trailhead is the only trailhead located in parking area. > Trail blaze color: Red > State Park information: 660-665-6995 • 20431 State Highway 157

> Directions from Camdenton: Take U.S. Highway 54 West toward Court Circle. Turn left to go south on Route D. It leads to Ha Ha Tonka State Park Visitor Center. > Directions to trailhead: Castle: When entering the park on Highway D, take the first right to get to the trailhead. Follow the road until it ends. Follow the signs for Castle Trail. Turkey Pen Hollow: At the Visitor’s Center, park in the parking lot between the River Cave and the old post office. Start the trail at the Ha Ha Tonka Oak Woodland Natural Area. > Trail blaze color: Castle: Yellow; Turkey Pen Hollow: Red > State Park information: 573-346-2986 • 1491 State Road D

CENTRAL

DEVIL’S ICEBOX TRAIL Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, Columbia

CASTLE AND TURKEY PEN HOLLOW TRAILS Ha Ha Tonka State Park, Camdenton Castle Trail is paved and accessible the entire distance.This trail goes past the ruins of Robert Snyder’s private retreat from the early 1900s. He never finished the castle, and even though his sons did, it burned down in 1942. All that remains are ruins, but the natural Missouri wilderness still abounds. Overlooks also provide spectacular views of the valley and the lake.

The Turkey Pen Hollow Trail offers impressive geologic features because Ha Ha Tonka State Park rests on the Red Arrow fault line.

Hikers can see exposed bedrock and dolomite glades along the trail. > Length: Castle: 0.4 miles, one way; Turkey Pen Hollow: 6.5 miles, loop > Difficulty: Castle: Easy to Medium; Tukrey Pen Hollow: Medium to Difficult > Camping: Castle: Not allowed. Turkey Pen Hollow: Primitive camping 100 feet off trail, and a backpack camp is available.

Travel to the entrance of Devil’s Icebox Cave with this trail. Hikers must first climb up then descend down to reach the mouth of the cave. The boardwalk to get to the cave offers numerous scenic views of the forested park, and the trail offers views of karst features such as sinkholes and a natural rock bridge. > Length: 0.5 miles, loop Difficulty: Medium > Camping: Not allowed. > Directions from Columbia: Take Providence Road south about 4 miles. Turn left onto Route 163 South. Park in the second parking lot on the right. > Directions to trailhead: Follow main path into park. Devil’s Icebox Trailhead will be visible. > Trail blaze color: Yellow > State Park information: 573-449-7402 • 5901 South Highway 163

MCBAINE TO LEWIS AND CLARK CAVE Katy Trail State Park Almost every Missourian knows about the Katy Trail. It’s the epitome of a Missouri trail. Whether you are walking, biking, or

COURTESY OF MISSOURI STATE PARKS

THOUSAND HILLS TRAIL Thousand Hills State Park, Kirksville

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McBaine to Lewis and Clark Cave, Katy Trail State Park

Devil’s Icebox Trail, Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, Columbia

jogging, the Katy Trail offers miles and miles of flat path, making it the ideal hike for those of all fitness levels. The hike to the Lewis and Clark Cave from McBaine is especially scenic with many old bridges crossing flowing streams. > Length: 5 miles, one way Difficulty: Easy > Camping: Not allowed. > Directions from McBaine: The Katy Trail McBaine access point is in downtown McBaine, off of Route K. > Directions to trailhead: Access to trail just off of the parking lot. Head north on the trail. > Trail blaze color: No color, but the trail is obvious. > Horses: Not allowed on this section, but they are allowed between Clinton and the State Fairgrounds in Sedalia. > State Park information: 573-449-7402

COURTESY OF MISSOURI STATE PARKS

ROCKY TOP TRAIL Lake of the Ozarks State Park, Kaiser If you are looking for a beautiful Missouri overlook, hike Rocky Top trail in Lake of the Ozarks State Park. The trail winds through the forest and dolomite glades. Dolomite (a rock that can be white, gray, brown, or red and has a pearly luster) is prominent in this area, but dolomite glades are becoming a rare sight as cedars encroach upon native vegetation. After the forest and the glades, you come to an amazing view of the lake. > Length: 2 miles, loop Difficulty: Medium > Camping: Not allowed on the trail. > Directions from Kaiser: Take Route 134/Route 42 East. Turn right onto Route 134 to enter Lake of the Ozarks State Park. > Directions to trailhead: The trail begins at the Grand Glaize Beach picnic area, on the west end of the park. > Trail blaze color: Yellow > State Park information: 573-348-2694 • 403 Highway 134

SOUTHWEST COY BALD TRAIL Hercules Glades Wilderness, Beaver The Hercules Glades Wilderness is almost entirely secluded from civilization. Part of the Mark Twain National Forest, Coy Bald Trail offers a great wilderness excursion. Be prepared to encounter wildlife because deer, raccoons, rabbits, turkeys, quail, rattlesnakes, copperheads, roadrunners, tarantulas, and collard lizards have all been sighted in this area. Check online for water scarcity before planning your hike. > Length: 6.75 miles, loop Difficulty: Medium to Difficult > Camping: Camping allowed 20 feet off of trail. > Directions from Forsyth: Take U.S. Highway 160 East. Turn left on Cross Timber Road. Go north about 2 miles to the Coy Bald Trailhead. > Directions to trailhead: Start from parking lot. > Trail blaze color: No designation. > Horses: Allowed. > Information: 417-683-4428 • 1103 South Jefferson, Ava

PATH OF THE SKY PEOPLE AND SANDSTONE TRAILS Prairie State Park, Mindenmines Hike through Missouri’s largest tall grass prairie on Path of the Sky People and Sandstone Trails in Prairie State Park. Watch for bison roaming in the area. Start by hiking on Sandstone Trail, which leads to Path of the Sky People Trail. > Length: Path of the Sky People: 1.75 miles, loop; Sandstone Trail: 4.25 miles, loop; 6 miles total Difficulty: Easy to Medium > Camping: Camping is allowed in the primitive camping area. > Directions from Mindenmines: Take S.W. 150th Lane/S.W.

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courtesy mingo national wildlife refuge

Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, Puxico

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>

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160th Lane north for 2 miles. Turn right onto W. Central Road. Take the first left onto N.W. 150th Lane. Turn right into Prairie State Park.

Directions to trailhead: From the Visitors Center, go south on N.W. 150th Lane. Turn left on Central Road, and go east for about 2.5 miles. Park in the Tzi-Sho Natural Area on the left.

Look for the trailhead marker.

Trail blaze color: Path of the Sky People: Brown; Sandstone Trail: Yellow Pets: Pets are prohibited on the trails.

State Park information: 417-843-6711 • 128 Northwest 150th Lane

WHITE RIVER VALLEY TRAIL Table Rock State Park, Branson White River Valley Trail has four different loops that can extend or shorten a hiking adventure. The trail includes views of scenic waterfalls, overlooks of Table Rock Lake, and Lake Taneycomo. > Length: Orange Loop: 0.6 miles; Green Loop: 1.25 miles; Red Loop: 2.5 miles; Blue Loop: 3 miles; 10.25 miles total Difficulty: Medium to Difficult > Camping: Not allowed on the trail. > Directions from Branson: Take U.S. Highway 65 Business South for about 3 miles. Continue onto Route 165 North for 6 miles. Turn left at the Table Rock State Park Visitor Center. > Directions to trailhead: Continue on Route 165 North. Make the first right after the park’s visitor center. Park in the parking lot. The White River Valley Trail marker will be visible. > Trail blaze color: Four different loops of varying lengths: Red, Blue, Orange, and Green. Hike all of them for the full 10.25 miles. > State Park information: 417-334-4704 • 5272 State Highway 165

SOUTHEAST BIG PINEY TRAIL Paddy Creek Wilderness, near Licking This 17-mile hike is one loop that is divided into a north and south leg by the Paddy Creek. The hike slopes up and down like many in the Ozarks.

It has the characteristic dense forests with deep, steep-sloped valleys. > Length: 17 miles, loop Difficulty: Medium to Difficult > Camping: Primitive camping allowed 100 feet off of the trail. > Directions from Interstate 44: Take exit 153 for Route 17 toward Buckhorn. Turn left onto Route 17 South. Take a slight left to stay on Route 17 South. Drive about 23 miles. Turn left onto Forest Road 274/Lake Drive. Park in the parking lot for Roby Lake Recreation Area. > Directions to trailhead: After parking in the Roby Lake Recreation Area parking lot, walk north on the driveway, back toward Route 17. There is an iron gate in the fence on the right that is the marker for Big Piney Trail. Enter the gate and start the hike. > Trailhead marker: Iron gate

> Horses: Allowed. > Information: 417-967-4194 • 108 South Sam Houston Boulevard, Houston

BRAILLE TRAIL Elephant Rocks State Park, Belleview One of the most interesting geologic formations in Missouri is the elephant rocks seen along Braille Trail. These rocks measure up to 27 feet tall, 25 feet long, 17 feet wide, and are 1.5 billion years old.

Along the trail, which is mostly wheelchair accessible, you will also see an overlook of an old granite quarry. It was used in the late 1800s, and it is the oldest recorded granite quarry in the state. > Length: 1 mile, loop Difficulty: Easy > Camping: Not allowed. > Directions from Pilot Knob: Take Route 21 North for about 2 miles. Turn left to stay on Route 21 North for another 1.5 miles.

Turn right onto County Road 53. Go straight to enter the parking lot of Elephant Rocks State Park. > Directions to trailhead: Start from northeast end of the parking lot. > Trail blaze color: Red > State Park information: 573-546-3454 • 7406 Highway 21

HARTZ POND AND BLUFF TRAIL AND BOARDWALK NATURE TRAIL Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, Puxico The Mingo National Wildlife Refuge is a swamp that protects the abundance of amazing plants and animals found there. It was established as a resting and wintering area for migratory birds in 1944.

It is comprised of bottomland forest, marshes, cropland, and grasslands. The wildlife area has 279 resting and migratory bird species, 38 mammals, 30 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 46 different fish. The highlighted trails offer views of the amazing wildlife. > Length: 1.75 miles total Difficulty: Hartz Pond and Bluff Trail: Medium; Boardwalk Nature Trail: Easy > Camping: Not allowed. > Directions from Puxico: Take Route 51 North about a mile and a half. Turn left onto Visitor Center Road. Drive straight into the parking lot of Mingo National Wildlife Refuge. > Directions to trailhead: Start at Hartz Pond Trail, which is located at the front of the parking lot. > Cost: $3 entry fee per vehicle. > Pets: Must be on a leash unless under voice control. > Trail blaze color: Not designated, but obvious. > Information: 573-222-3589 • 24279 State Highway 51

KAINTUCK TRAIL Mill Creek Recreation Area, Newburg The Mill Creek Recreation Area is part of Mark Twain National Forest, and Kaintuck Trail’s Northern Loop is a slice of Missouri paradise. Hikers, bikers, and horseback riders can use this trail yearround. Primitive camping is allowed along Kaintuck Trail, perfect for those wanting to get lost in the beauty of the wilderness.

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Taum Sauk Trail, Part of the Ozark Trail, Southeast Missouri

SCOUR TRAIL Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park, Middlebrook The Scour Trail leads hikers into the channel that was created in 2005 when the Taum Sauk Reservoir breached, sending billions of gallons of water rushing down the mountain and scouring everything in its path.

Today, hikers can see the exposed geology that reveals how some of the oldest mountains in the world were formed. An interpretive pavilion and an overlook provide information about the geology in the scour. > Length: 2.25 miles, loop Difficulty: Medium > Camping: Camping is available in the designated campground.

Hikers can also camp along the Ozark Trail in this park. They

>

>

> > >

must be at least two miles from both trailheads and camp 100 feet from the trail.

Directions from Middlebrook: Take Route NN South. Turn onto Route 21 North. Take the second left onto Route N, and continue for about 13 miles. Turn left onto Taum Sauk Trail. End at the main entrance to Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park and park store.

Directions to trailhead from the park store: Go back out to Route N, and turn right. Park in the parking lot just past County Road 214. Look for the Scour Trail marker.

Trail blaze color: Red Pets: Prohibited in the shut-ins area and on the trail. They must be kept on a leash in all other parts of the park.

State Park information: 573-546-2450 • 148 Taum Sauk Trail

TAUM SAUK TRAIL Part of the Ozark Trail, Southeast Missouri The Taum Sauk Trail takes hikers through a number of different landscapes, from dense forests to dry hilltops. After hikes up the hills, the trail offers beautiful views of the St. Francois Mountains. It is a difficult trail but worth the trek. > Length: 35 miles, one way Difficulty: Medium to Difficult > Camping: Primitive camping allowed 100 feet from trail, except within two miles of Johnson Shut-In’s main parking lot. > Directions to Highway A trailhead from Bixby: Take Route 49 South. Turn left onto Route 32 East/Route 49 South, continue for 5 miles. Turn right onto Route 49 South for almost

MATT FAUPEL

> Length: 9 miles total, loop Difficulty: Medium to Difficult > Camping: Primitive camping allowed 100 feet off of the trail. > Directions from Rolla: Take Interstate 44 West for about 7 miles.

Turn left onto Route T. Turn left on First Street and right on Water Street. Cross the railroad tracks and Little Piney Creek, then turn right onto Route P for about 3 miles. Turn left onto County Road 7550.

Travel 2 miles to the Mill Creek picnic area. > Directions to trailhead: From the picnic area, take the first gravel road on the left. Cross the Mill Creek Bridge and travel a half mile on the gravel road. Park on the side of the road or in the pull-off on the right for the trailhead. > Horses: Allowed. > Information: 417-967-4194 • 108 South Sam Houston Boulevard, Houston

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Elephant Rocks State Park, Belleview (pg. 47)

10 miles. Turn left toward Route A. Parking lot will be on the left side of the street. Trailhead will be visible. > State Park information: Calls for the Taum Sauk Trail are directed to Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park: 573-546-2450.

Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park, Middlebrook

WHISPERING PINE TRAIL Hawn State Park, Ste. Genevieve

COURTESY OF MISSOURI STATE PARKS

Whispering Pine Trail, Hawn State Park, Ste. Genevieve

The Whispering Pine Wild Area got its name because on windy days, the wind blows through the trees making it sound like the pines are whispering. The trail winds through the park past Pickle Creek. It is comprised of two loops, so you can choose to do a shorter hike if you want to accomplish it in one day. Otherwise, primitive camping is allowed along the trail, and it is a fantastic weekend hike. > Length: North Loop: 6 miles; South Loop: 3.75 miles; 10 miles total Difficulty: Difficult > Camping: Camping is allowed 100 feet off of trail. > Directions from Ste. Genevieve: Take Route 32 West for about 16 miles. Turn left onto Miller Switch Road. Turn right to stay on Miller Switch Road. Turn left onto Route 144 East. Continue straight onto Bauer Road. Hawn State Park office will be on the right. > Directions to trailhead: Continue along Bauer Road. Park in parking lot after the park office and before the campground.

There is a sign marking the trailhead. > Trail blaze color: North Loop: Red; South Loop: Blue > Other information: Trail users must register at the trailhead.

Campfires are prohibited for backpack campers. > State Park information: 573-883-3603 • 12096 Park Drive

Many of the trails were selected with the help of Missouri State Parks (www.mostateparks.com), and information about the trails’ difficulty ratings were from Hiking Missouri

by Kevin M. Lohraff.

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Missouri Contemporary Ballet has carved out a place for itself.

By Amy Backes

B

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C O M P A N Y

From its beginning,

Missouri Contemporary Ballet traveled to studios in different cities in Missouri, including Columbia Dance Academy, Dancer’s Alley in Jefferson City, and Presser Performing Arts Center in Mexico, simply for a place to rehearse. Almost six years later, the company is still traveling, but not in the same nomadic way. This time, it is traveling to perform for audiences all around the state and nation.

Artistic and executive director Karen Mareck Grundy, a Las Vegas native, founded Missouri Contemporary Ballet in July 2006. In a move that matches her bold personality, she made the switch from dancer to director early in her career. She’s the force behind MCB, managing nearly all aspects of the non-profit, professional ballet company and choreographing many pieces for its shows.

Karen found permanent studio space in Columbia. The tin building with bright red window frames, now known as Orr Street Studios, was once a produce warehouse. Now the building houses art studios, businesses, and a coffee shop with a window looking into the dance studio so patrons can watch the company rehearse. Often, artists perch on tall chairs outside to watch rehearsal, using the dancers’ movements as inspiration for their own works of art.

When the dancers perform on stage, the audience sees nothing but grace, beauty, fluidity, and movement in perfect unison.

The women complete picturesque turns and the men lift them effortlessly. Everything is seamless. But after the dancers come off stage, aches and pains surface. Reality sets in.

The dancers work through their soreness daily, trying to ignore the pain and continue dancing. Elise Eslick wraps a blue heating pad around her feet while standing in the dressing room before a performance. She has Haglund’s deformity, a bony bump on the back of her heel that rubs against her shoes. The tissue around her Achilles tendon becomes irritated and causes painful inflammation between the bone and tendon. Sometimes during practice, she’ll close her blue eyes and wince because of the pain. She ices her sore heels and takes

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COURTESY OF ROMA MARTIN ERB

ELISE ESLICK

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pain medication regularly. Doctors have suggested a surgery that would lengthen her Achilles tendon, but that would mean being in a boot for eight months without dancing. For her, that’s not an option. So she works through the pain.

The dancers’ schedule isn’t an easy one. They arrive at the studio and begin at 9 am every weekday. They have ballet or jazz technique classes until 10:30 am, and then they rehearse, eat lunch, and rehearse again until 3 pm. After leaving the studio, the dancers work second and third jobs to help supplement their pay. Elise holds a part-time job at Starbucks to cover living expenses in Columbia.

Last season, Jena Ferrigno, a former trainee from Pennsylvania, worked as a waitress on top of the 30-plus hours a week she spent dancing. Trainees weren’t compensated, and their pointe shoes weren’t paid for like the company members’ are. During morning technique classes, she avoided dancing in her pointe shoes. Costing anywhere from $40 to $80 per pair, she made them last as long as possible. When the flat, hard toe of the shoe, “the box,” would get soft from continual use, she covered it with Jet Glue, an instant glue that hardens to make the box last a little longer.

MCB has sometimes struggled to raise operating money. In the past, both the Missouri Arts Council and Columbia’s Office of Cultural Affairs provided MCB with grants. In 2011, the Missouri Arts Council presented a grant of $21,267. MCB also holds its own fundraisers, the biggest being Dancing with Missouri Stars in May, based on the television show Dancing with the Stars.

Cassondra Roloff

On stage, the dancers of Missouri Contemporary Ballet don’t exactly fit the image of classical ballerinas—the kind that wear tutus and slick their hair back into tight buns on top of their heads.

The women wear costumes for each dance number, from flowing dresses to leotards to suit coats and fedoras. The men wear billowy crop pants, leotards, or collared shirts and dress pants, all depending on the performance piece.

When performance time arrives, the dancers try to calm their pre-show jitters as best they can. Originally from Pennsylvania, Genene McGrath has danced with MCB for three years. Just like in practice, she is calm and poised before going on stage, but with emotions and nerves amplified during a performance, even the slightest slip-up can feel like a catastrophe.

Following a performance, her wail echoes from the stairwell down into the open door of the dressing room. Genene walks into the room and throws her pointe shoe on the dressing room counter.

“My shoe came off!” she manages to say between sobs.

She picks up her pointe shoe and pulls it on her foot to show how the heel had slipped off while she was performing on stage.

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courtesy of roma martin erb and bassinsight productions

Alex Gordon and Genene McGrath

even noticed that her shoe had started to slip off. And that’s what makes a great dancer, he tells her. After a costume change, she performs another piece. She kicks her leg high up behind her then bends her body down into a forward roll. She beams radiantly after completing one of her most difficult moves in the show. It seems as if the incident earlier in the show was the furthest thing from her mind. The assurance from her fellow company members helped her move on and perform beautifully.

Back in the studio, the company usually eats lunch and visits together at a long table in the cafe outside the dance studio. It’s like going out to lunch with a group of friends, but these friends spend a good chunk of each week working together. One particular day after lunch, Elise and Carrie Millikin, a fellow company member, lie down on the floor of the studio to rest before rehearsal begins again. They cuddle up to each other, and Carrie uses Elise’s hip as a makeshift pillow for her head. As company members enter the studio, Carrie and Elise invite them to join the cuddle pile. Even Karen joins in, finding an opening in the jumble of limbs.

Shenanigans abound during day-to-day rehearsal in the studio.

The dancers have become so comfortable with each other that they share almost everything, and they spend a lot of their down time joking around. Fernando usually initiates some of the silliness. Whether dressed in a green sweatshirt and red shorts looking vaguely like a Christmas tree, or rehearsing a piece with an exaggerated grin, his humor always entertains his fellow company members.

Practices are stricter when a performance is near. Instead of a laid-back, goof-around atmosphere, dress rehearsals become much more rushed. The dancers do run-throughs of each piece and ask questions about problems with spacing or movement. Karen reads aloud notes she has taken, and Shannon West, the resident choreographer, does the same. Karen and Shannon’s comments and feedback help make each piece look crisp and together.

“We are not moving on,” Karen says, after the company performs a piece that still needs work. They run the section again, and when the final notes of the song resonate in the air, the dancers run backstage gasping for air, sweat beading on their bodies and wetting their hair.

The mood lightens when Karen says, “The spacing on that one was really good. I was looking for a note on that one, and I didn’t have one. You guys are professionals.”

Before the premiere of MCB’s original full-length ballet Tennessee Williams: Lightning in a Bottle in March of 2011, Jason Stotz, a company member, walks into the women’s dressing room as Tennessee Williams. Everyone giggles at how different he looks after shaving off all his facial hair, leaving only a mustache.

“I just texted Karen to come look at my makeup and Jason’s face,” Genene says, looking at Jason, unable to keep herself from chuckling.

“You look like what’s-his-face from Reno 911!” Elise tells him.

She is referring to Tom Lennon, who plays Lt. Jim Dangle on the show. Jason does look almost exactly like him, from his face shape, to his full-bodied blonde hair to his brown mustache.

Jason Stotz, Alex Gordon, Joshua Hasam, Fernando Rodriguez, and Joel Hathaway

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Karen calls everyone—the dancers, the singers, the musicians, the techies—into the men’s dressing room for a pre-show speech, telling the company to form a big circle and grasp the hands next to them.

“So, this show couldn’t happen without me,” she says to the group, laughing. “Just kidding.”

She thanks everyone and assures them that the show wouldn’t be what it was without their talent and hard work for the show to run smoothly. Then, she squeezes the hand next to hers, sending the squeeze around the circle of hands.

After a moment of silence, Fernando enters the room shouting, “Heeey MCB!” and squats down into a Cossack-style dance, kicking his legs out in front of him. He then starts a chant, “Come in and check it! Let’s get in the flow, to put on a good show, so they come back fo’ mo’! Here we go!” It is a moment for them to laugh and release nervous tension before they walk into the stage wings to begin the show.

For a company that’s striving to gain both state and na-

Cassondra Roloff

tional recognition, it is taking large steps toward that goal. Dancing with Missouri Stars has raised more than $100,000 for the company for two consecutive years.

At National Dance Week St. Louis in 2011, MCB was recognized as the honorary dance company out of more than 50 performers and companies in attendance. Company members traveled to New York City in January to perform at the Association of Performing Arts Presenters conference, and for two weeks in July, they will be a resident company in the Great Friends Touring Festival in Newport, Rhode Island.

This past fall, the School of Missouri Contemporary Ballet opened at Orr Street Studios. Carrie Millikin is the school’s director, and company members teach classes for people of all ages. The company added two more dancers and replaced the trainee program with apprenticeships. There are now seven full company members, who are paid a salary, and four apprentices, who are paid for their performances. Just as each individual dancer has had ups and downs, the company has, too. But in its short existence, it has already seen great success.

Cassie Roloff, a company member from Wisconsin, stands in the wings with her back toward the stage. Before her very first backward step onto the stage, she takes a deep breath, almost as if she is preparing to leap back off a high dive. It is a full-body breath; one that helps calm her nerves and propels her into the spotlight.

It’s not an easy road that the dancers of MCB are on, but they’re following their passion. And for every injury they work through, for every hour they work second and third jobs, they’ll tell you it’s absolutely worth it. They know they can’t dance forever, that their bodies won’t allow them to. So they’re giving it everything they have for their one shot to continue pursuing their dreams of dance.

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SEE THE MISSOURI CONTEMPORARY BALLET IN ACTION Below are the upcoming performance dates for the spring/summer 2012 season.

APRIL 13 AND 14 > “Live” at the Missouri Theatre Center for the Arts featuring performances by local musicians and new work by MCB. Doors open at 7 PM. Show begins at 8 PM. Tickets purchased in advance are $27-35 for adults and $24-32 for seniors, students, and children 12 and under. The night of the show tickets will be $3 more.

MAY 17 > The Sixth Annual Dancing with the Missouri Stars at the Southwell Complex, Columbia College.

Doors open at 6 PM. Show begins at 7 PM. General admission tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for seniors, students, and children 12 and under. Tables on the floor can be purchased by contacting Amy Pugh at amypugh@mac.com, 573-445-5044.

COURTESY OF RECESS INC. AND ROMA MARTIN ERB

MAY 20 > Choreographic installation featuring works created by MCB dancers and a performance by the students of the School of MCB. The show starts at 3 PM at the MCB studio, 110 Orr Street, Ste. 102. Tickets are $10 at the door.

JULY 9-22 > MCB will be the resident company at Island Moving Company’s Great Friends Touring Festival 2012 in Newport, Rhode Island.

Performances will be on July 12 through 22.

For more information about these and other events, please visit www.missouricontemporaryballet.com.

–Lauren Young

JASON STOTZ

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Making the

JUMP DESPITE THE GROWING excitement during the preceding weeks, my stomach turned and settled for reasons other than the curves and straights of the highway I was driving that morning. The music stayed at a low volume and the conversation to a minimum—a subtle tension between personal quiet time and friendly reassurance.

The printed directions eventually lead Tina and me off the paved highway and down a gravel road. I felt as though my nerves had muddled my usually astute internal navigational abilities and we had taken a wrong

turn, but brightly colored canopies drifting down from the sky reassured us of our nearing destination.

A few years ago, a new acquaintance asked if I wanted to go skydiving as he had experience and his license.

This invitation, albeit an exciting adventure proposition, was entirely random from someone I hardly knew. I graciously declined, however, I had a tinge of regret within the following month, after my younger sister beat me to the experience when she skydived for her 20th birthday. So I jumped at the opportunity to visit a drop zone in Missouri and skydive.

A First-Time Experience Tandem Skydiving

BY SARAH HERRERA

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tina wheeler

“We fell forward, turned sideways and upside down. I had no reference point for where I was in the big open sky.�

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The photographer, Tina Wheeler, had lined up our tandem jumps at Missouri River Valley Skydivers after thoroughly researching drop zones. She spoke with drop zone owner Tom Dolphin and the manifest manager Doris Dooley multiple times. With the information she had gathered about the years of experience and standards of this particular drop zone, I felt comfortable with the idea of diving. And here I was heading to the Lexington Municipal Airport, a little unsure of what I had gotten myself into.

Tina and I arrived at the airport parking lot packed with vehicles. She eagerly hopped out of the car as soon as we parked and went inside the metal building to the airport office, beaming with excitement and camera in hand. I lingered near my car for a moment as though it were a security blanket before finally making my way inside to check in.

The office was a sectioned-off corner room with a window looking out to an area filled with a few rows of chairs. Photographs of skydivers and information on drop zone policies and safety regulations covered the walls.

Adjacent to the office and seating area in a large gym-like room, chords and oversized backpacks were laid across the floor as people carefully repacked parachutes.

A teenage girl and her mother were gearing-up for their tandem jumps. The girl

had just turned 18; the mom was 40. It was a celebratory first jump for the pair.

The tandem instructors adjusted the women’s harnesses and then reviewed body position for exiting the plane and the free fall. In a few moments they were headed to the plane just off the runway. I joined spectators lining the edge of an open field waiting for any sight of divers and hoped my shaking arms were unnoticeable. Dogs milled around the various family members and kids. Men did dirt dives and practiced their formations on the ground.

Tom stood with his hands in his pockets, wearing a blue Missouri River Valley Skydivers t-shirt with the words “Trust Me” on the back. He surveyed the area where the jumpers would land. He turned his attention to the sky and waited. And waited. He waited for signs of divers approaching the ground. He kept a watchful eye on their landings.

“I’ve been doing this for years,” Tom said to me. “I’ve jumped enough times and seen enough jumps to see a situation and know how it will turn out.”

He was right. As a tandem came in, a wind gust pulled them back. Tom hollered at another watcher, who ran to meet Tom, and they yanked the chord down to get control of

the parachute. The landing was safe.

Tom told me that his drop zone’s safety record is perfect, which eased my nerves.

Skydiving is a surprisingly safe sport, I found out. In 2010, The United States Parachute Association reported only 21 fatal skydiving accidents and 1,308 injuries, or around four injuries per 10,000 skydives. It’s even safer than skiing—the National Ski Areas Association reported 38 ski-related deaths during the 2009-2010 season.

As a drop zone owner, Tom wanted to know every single aspect of the operation he was running. So he made a point to learn everything related to the business, from jumping out of an airplane to flying one, and even fixing one. He learned it all.

The mother and daughter tandems landed.

Their faces lit up as they rushed over to their family members, who tagged along to watch, and shared their excitement by repeatedly saying, “That was so cool!” Big smiles swept across their faces. Their hair was whipped and wind blown. Another group of tandem jumpers landed with similar excitement—another teenage girl and her grandfather, celebrating an 18th and 70th birthday.

Shortly after noon, Doris informed Tina

tina wheeler; jeff schapler

Above: A parachute is being packed.

Right: Author Sarah Herrera prepares to board the plane with her tandem master instructor Steve Osner and several other experienced skydivers.

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Making the jump

scott sullenger; jeff schapler

Above: Tandem master instructor Glenn Burk (left) and Tina Wheeler (center) wait with Sarah (right) in a plane adorned with stickers from drop zones around the country. Right: Steve Osner connects his harness to Sarah’s. Below: Arms up and ready to go, Sarah prepares to jump out of the plane at 9,000 feet above the ground.

and me that we could take our tandem jumps sooner in the day than we had planned if we would like. Absolutely, I thought. By that point, I couldn’t wait. We each sat in the row of chairs alongside Doris’s office window and filled out the infamous waiver forms on brown clipboards. My stomach turned and settled once again. We handed our completed forms to Doris, and she added us to the list. The other tandem jumpers had already dived, so we were the only two in the video room watching the training and safety videos.

When it ended, we returned to the large open room and met our tandem master instructors.

Mine was Steve Osner, a junior high school math teacher of average height with an athletic build and filled with energy. I had just met the man who would control my free fall from an airplane. As the student in a tandem jump, I had no choice but to instantly trust Steve.

I was fitted into a harness and then reviewed proper body position for exiting the plane and the free fall. Doris called our plane load number over the drop zone intercom.

Steve led me to the airplane. Tandem jumps are at an altitude slightly lower than solo jumps, so up-jumpers, or the solo divers who hold licenses, board the plane first allowing the tandems to be closer to the door for exit.

Tina and I sat on a bench across from the airplane door. The ground pulled farther and farther away as the airplane climbed high into the air. The energy inside the airplane was high. Two divers with cameras mounted to their helmets snapped photos of Tina and me. Our tandem masters joined in on the photo shoot by flashing hang-ten signs and big smiles, pumping up our excitement and blasting away our first-time skydiving fears.

As the photo-snapping continued, Steve

motioned for me to move to the floor of the airplane just in front of where he was seated by the door. We sat like children forming a train to go down a slide at the same time.

“I’m connecting our harnesses now,” Steve said quietly in my ear from over my shoulder, the calm focus drowning out the noise of excited voices. He talked me through each movement. “Connecting the right hip.” Click.

“Connecting the left hip.” Click. “Connecting the right shoulder.” Click. “Connecting the left shoulder.” Click. He checked the security of the harnesses again and then prepared me for what was about to take place. “When the door opens, swing your legs out and hook them under the edge of the plane like a bird’s talons,” he said. “I’ll count to three and then we’ll go. Ready?!” I don’t recall answering

Take a Leap!

For videos, a Q&A with Sarah about her experience, and a list of Missouri skydiving facilities, go to www.MissouriLife.com.

[61] April 2012

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Making the jump

with words but with a half-hearted nod and smile instead.

The red light flashed on indicating it was time. We were at altitude—9,000 feet. I pulled the plastic goggles over my eyes. The door groaned as Jeff Schapler, a photographer for Missouri River Valley Skydivers, rolled it up. Cool air rushed into the plane. Steve and I scooted to the door. I swung my legs over the side and hooked them tightly under the edge to resist the wind. I held my arms up and out as instructed. Steve stretched his arms out and held the door frame. What in the world am I about to do? I thought.

“One, two,” Uh oh. “Three!”

Steve pushed forward with his body and we fell. We fell forward, turned sideways and upside down. I had no reference point for where I was in the big open sky. Soon we were falling in a relaxed arch position—chest down, arms and legs out, and knees slightly bent. I felt the air push against my face, pressing the goggles. I waffled between looking at Jeff to smile and wave since he was in front of me with his camera, and simply enjoying the ride, looking out at the patchwork land. I felt balanced on a column of air. I knew I was falling,

but my mind couldn’t register that I was falling; I wasn’t falling past anything. Jeff, my only real focal point, was falling too, but because we both fell at the same rate, it felt like we were suspended, floating around in the sky.

The 30 seconds of free fall felt like so much longer and ended with a jolt when the main chute deployed. We drifted through the air beneath a bright canopy for five minutes. I held onto the parachute controls with Steve, and he instructed me in steering with him.

We soared through the air.

As we prepared for landing, he asked me to raise my legs up and out as we had practiced.

After being suspended in the air for so long, the ground rushed toward us as we approached. I kept my legs raised until we landed gently. I now knew the excitement the women earlier had. Not too long after I landed, Tina did.

Our tandem master instructors took us back to the building to remove our gear, and our diver photographers went back to the media room to begin reviewing the photos. I was already out of my gear and chatting with Tina about the experience when Jeff approached me with a solemn look.

“I’m real sorry,” he said, as he took a seat

jeff schapler

During free fall, Sarah and Steve drop for 30 seconds with nothing but a pilot parachute, a small auxiliary parachute used to deploy the main parachute.

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jeff schapler

Above: Free fall ends abruptly once the main parachute deploys. After deployment, Sarah and Steve drift down to the ground for five minutes. Right: As they approach the ground, the skydivers must prepare to land safely.

near where I was standing, “but I didn’t get any pictures.” A connection in the shutter trigger had not worked properly. I reassured him that it was all right since we still had the set from Tina’s photographer, but Jeff wouldn’t relent. “My favorite part of doing this is capturing people’s first jump, because you only get your first jump once. I didn’t get yours.”

There wasn’t much I could do other than reassure him a second time. Then his expression softened as he gingerly asked, “Would you like to go again?” Yes! Jeff passed the idea by Tom and Steve, who agreed, and within 10 minutes, Steve had me back into gear, reviewed the body positions a second time, and rushed me out to meet the plane for the next load. This load was drastically different then the first. With Steve, I was the only tandem jumper; everyone else was a highly experienced jumper. There was less hoopla and adrenaline arousal—just a cool, calm, collected bunch of people dressed in jumpsuits with parachute packs strapped to their backs who were about to jump out of an airplane. One man was about to make his 10,000th jump.

Steve and I repeated the routine. We sat on the floor and hooked harnesses together.

Steve verbalized everything he was doing, and

he talked me through the exit just as before.

Right as the altitude light came on, one of the up-jumpers leaned over to me and said, “When you are falling out of the plane, look over your right shoulder and wave; you’ll see us waving back.” The door rolled up. Wind whipped in. We scooted over. Legs hooked under. Arms went up. Head turned right.

“One, two, three!”

Into the sky we went. I could see the upjumpers in the airplane waving. Falling, I waved back. I was more aware of what was going on this second time. I adjusted to the fall better, knew how my face would feel, and smiled and waved to a working camera. I paid more attention to the land sprawled out beneath and the air around me. I helped steer again during the descent, this time making sharper turns with the parachute for a wilder ride. We free fell, soared, and landed just as smoothly as before, and relished the excitement of yet another skydive.

“Now this is a skydiver!” Steve said commenting on the unprecedented two jumps within the hour for one new tandem jumper.

Tom took me in to remove my gear while Steve grabbed his single parachute and ran to reload the airplane. The next load was a memorial dive for an experienced skydiver

who had died while practicing for a skydiving competition. His parachute had malfunctioned. When Tina and I scheduled our jump, we had been told his team members and fellow divers would do this special dive, as they were going to spread the ashes of their friend.

I returned to the open field and watched in silence with the crowd as a dozen divers drifted down along with the sun.

The memorial dive culminated in a potluck meal much like one on a Sunday morning after church service, except for the coolers of beer off to the side of the concrete slab. As people gathered under the pavilion area, I half expected someone to offer a prayer for the meal.

Instead, someone finally proclaimed “Let’s eat!” and lines formed on either side of two long picnic tables placed end to end. I was assured that every Saturday at the drop zone does not end with a meal, but this was a special day.

Night came. Talking and laughter filled the dimly lit pavilion, radiating a sense of community, of familiarity and family. I was reminded of something Jeff said earlier in the day: “It’s a family. You can fly to New York or Arizona, go to a facility, show your license, go for a jump–you’re part of the family.”

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[54] MissouriLife MissouriLife [64]

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[65] April 2012 [55] December 2010

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F MISSOURI TERRITORY and

The War of 1812 c A Surprise Attackv On a cold March morning in 1815, Ranger Captain James Callaway, an experienced soldier and grandson of Daniel Boone, led his 15-man company of Missouri Rangers out of Fort Clemson, which stood on Loutre Island next to the Missouri River, to pursue a party of Indians who had stolen some horses. They found the horses in the care of a few squaws, who fled at the rangers’ approach.

The rangers proceeded to lead the stock back toward the fort, retracing the same route they had taken. Callaway’s lieutenant, strongly suspecting an ambush, advised a different route, but Callaway called him a coward and insisted on returning the way he had come.

Crossing a rain-swollen creek, the three men on scout were suddenly fired upon and killed by a large party of hidden warriors. Hearing the gunfire, Callaway spurred his horse into the creek. The animal was immediately killed, and Callaway tried to swim to safety but was shot in the back of his head.

One more ranger was killed as the rest of the company fought their way clear with several wounded. The next day, a burial party cautiously returned to the scene and found the bodies of the slain rangers hacked to pieces and hung in nearby bushes. Callaway’s body, which had immediately sunk and floated downstream, had escaped mutilation.

This was the type of warfare—the surprise raid, the short, bloody skirmish—that defined the War of 1812 on the raw frontier that was the Missouri Territory. When the United States declared war on its old adversary, Great Britain, it was over long-standing maritime trade issues. However, the rallying cry, “Free Trade and Sailors’ Rights,” had nothing to do with the lives of those Americans attempting to hack a life out of the Missouri wilderness or with the Indians fighting to hold onto the land that had been their homes. Here, the greatest threat to Missouri’s settlers came from the fierce tribes with whom the British had allied. >>>

By Ro n So o da lt e r [66] MissouriLife

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Last stage in a 60-year conflict Missouri, designated a territory two weeks before the United States formally declared war on England, was a vast tract of land comprising most of what was acquired in the Louisiana Purchase nine years earlier. With its capital at St. Louis, the territory ran from the Canadian border south to the northern and western borders of the newly formed state of Louisiana.

Missouri Territory encompassed what would one day become Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, the Dakotas, Colorado, and Minnesota. And, as with all such land acquisitions, the United States purchased it with little or no knowledge of the people already living there.

By 1812, armed conflict with Indians was nothing new to Missouri’s settlers. According to Missouri historian Peter Kastor, the War of 1812 merely marked the “last stage in a 60-year conflict for control of the Trans-Mississippi West.” Hostilities between American settlers and the British and their Indian allies began with the Seven Years’ War of the

1750s. For decades, the British had been building trade alliances with various western tribes and supplying them with guns, powder, and lead.

Useful in conflicts between tribes, the weapons were also turned against American intruders who hunted, built settlements, and started farms on what was seen by the Indians as their land.

For the Indians, resistance was a matter of survival. Noted regional historian Stephen Aron described the history of the settlement of Missouri as one of “conquest, colonization, and consolidation.” In this, Missouri was not unique; the same patterns repeated themselves with almost monotonous predictability throughout the entire 19th century, from the east coast to the Pacific, as Americans moved westward. In Missouri, as elsewhere, first came the treaties, none of which benefited the natives. One such document, the so-called “Treaty of 1804,” was orchestrated in St. Louis by Superintendent of Indian Affairs and Indiana Territorial Governor William Henry Harrison, at the urging of President

the state historical society of missouri

Missouri was designated as a territory two weeks before the War of 1812 began. St. Louis served as the capital of the territory, which ran from the Canadian border south to the state of Louisiana.

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Thomas Jefferson. Through deception and the liberal use of liquor, Harrison manipulated the Sac and Fox tribes into ceding 300 million acres of their land in Wisconsin, Illinois, and part of Missouri for $2,000 worth of gifts and the promised protection of the United States. During the Black Hawk War nearly three decades later, Sac warrior Black Hawk himself called this treaty “the origin of all our difficulties.”

When whites violated treaty terms by intruding upon Indian lands, they were often run out by territorial officials with no ramifications. As Kastor points out, though, “Indian transgressions resulted in serious punishment or violent reprisals.” Whether or not the Indians held to the terms of the treaties, the result was ultimately the same: the land they held to be their own was usurped in the name of expansion.

THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI

raids along the rivers Elsewhere in America during the War of 1812, the fledgling U.S. Army and Navy were engaged in fighting Britain’s armed forces. Here in Missouri, the British encouraged their Indian allies in raids along the Missouri and upper Mississippi rivers. Missouri’s white settlers lived in dread of a concerted invasion by thousands of British troops and what they thought were howling savages. Although it never happened, the lesser incursions provided enough fodder to keep them terrified. Missouri merchant Christian Wilt echoed the fears of his fellow settlers: “I don’t see what is to prevent [the British] and Indians from overwhelming this country.” The remote Boon’s Lick region suffered the greatest loss of property, stock, and lives, causing many of the residents to “fort up” much of the time, and others to simply leave. Fear and uncertainty were the day-to-day constants throughout the territory. As the wife of Missouri’s territorial governor William Clark mused, “God only knows what our fate is to be.”

For protection, the military and local populations undertook the construction of a series of forts along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, and on Boon’s Lick Road. They ranged from rudimentary structures—private homes with improvised features, such as gun slits or portholes cut into the walls—to military outposts, with palisade walls and stockades or blockhouses. These were built and occupied by regulars and rangers, and were used as much for staging raids against hostile Indians as for protection. Some structures, known as factory forts, had originally been erected to provide trade centers for friendly tribes but were capable of housing troops as well. In all, some 40 forts were built or modified during the war.

The settlers’ greatest need was for soldiers. By mid-1812, there were fewer than 250 regulars in the entire territory. Americans from Missouri’s remotest corners to the busy streets of St. Louis begged their new federal government for protection. But the government needed its troops elsewhere, and the requests went unheeded.

Congress did, however, pass a resolution allowing for the raising of ranger companies. These home-grown soldiers were paid one dollar a day but were required to provide their own rifles, food, and mounts.

One of the first ranger companies was organized by Nathan and Daniel Morgan Boone, sons of the famous pioneer Daniel Boone. The rangers eschewed outmoded European methods of fighting and instead adapted Indian tactics, which were quite effective.

In addition to the rangers and the handful of federal troops, there was

Above: Black Hawk of the Sac tribe opposed expansion before, during, and after the War of 1812. Eventually this opposition culminated in the Black Hawk War in the early 1830s. Below: Many from the Osage tribe allied with the United States during the War of 1812.

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purpose: to drive the American invaders back across the Appalachians and to reestablish the old boundaries. For years, a charismatic young warrior named Tecumseh and his brother, a purported visionary named Tenskwatawa (known as the Prophet) had been building an Indian Confederacy, attracting member tribes from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. Tribes from widely disparate cultures, with little or nothing in common, sent delegates and warriors to “Prophetstown,” near the modern site of Battle Ground, Indiana, to hear words of hope and war.

The threat to America’s frontier settlements, including in Missouri, was real. William Henry Harrison launched a campaign against the Indian Confederacy, and in 1811, he defeated Tecumseh’s forces at the Battle of Tippecanoe in Indiana and burned Prophetstown. But, Tecumseh rebuilt his alliance, and with British support, he staged a series of attacks on American forces and succeeded in causing Detroit’s surrender. Finally, in early October 1813, Harrison again defeated the Confederacy at the Battle of the Thames in southwestern Ontario. Tecumseh was killed, and with him died hope of a pan-Indian front to stem the American invasion.

Initially, the Americans were determined to maintain neutral relations with the tribes. The secretary of war wrote to Missouri Indian Agent and Territorial Governor William Clark, of the legendary Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery, stating, “No exertion or reasonable Expenses will be spared to keep the Indians quiet and friendly.” Clark, however, realized that ignoring such a powerful military asset was a mistake, especially since they might align with the British. The “Missouri Tribes,” he wrote to the secretary of war in August, 1814, “must either be engaged for us, or they will be opposed to us without doubt.” Consequently, he used the Shawnees and Delawares as a guard against invasion along the Missouri River, and encouraged the Osages—or, those members of the tribe who sided with the United States—against their old enemies, the Sacs.

Part of the territory of Missouri was broken into distinct districts, including: St. Charles, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Cape Girardeau, and New Madrid.

the territorial militia. One of the territory’s laws obligated males between 18 and 45 years of age to serve. They were required to drill once a month and had to provide their own long guns, powder, and shot. Generally, the militia acted in support of the rangers and regulars.

At the outset of the war, alliances became a necessity for both sides, as the British and the Americans worked to solidify their relations with various tribes of the territory. Through decades of experience, the British were considerably more skilled at maintaining strong relations with tribes than the Americans. Behind the Americans’ repeated failure to negotiate with the Indians was the arrogance they frequently brought to the table. With rare exception, Americans approached the Indians with highhandedness, half-truths, and outright lies. As Blackhawk later recalled: “I had not discovered one good trait in the character of the Americans that had come into the country. They made fair promises but never fulfilled them. ... [T]he British made few, but we could always rely on their word.”

The results were predictable; many of the tribes grew closer to the British and increasingly hostile to the Americans. Shortly after war was declared, the British formed an alliance with an extraordinary tribal union.

From Illinois Territory came emissaries of the Shawnees, with word of a pan-Indian movement that strove to unite all the tribes in common

the state historical society of missouri

unstable alliances The whole system of alliances was complicated by the nature of Indian politics. The tribal system was considerably less defined than it is today, and although belonging to a specific tribe—Shawnee, Sac, Osage, Pottawatomie—and sharing their customs and belief system, the individual villages acted more or less autonomously. While one village of a given tribe might agree to take no part in the conflict, another might take up the hatchet on behalf of the British or the Americans. Some neutral factions actually sent delegations to Washington to meet with the president.

At the same time, members of another village of the same tribe raided American settlements. The decision whether to fight for the British or the Americans or to remain neutral was a difficult one and often prevented villages of a given tribe from uniting against a common foe.

Alliances and levels of commitment changed often and without notice, and it was difficult for the Americans to know who their friends were at any given time. To further complicate matters, the British and Americans each had Indian allies who, while friendly to the whites, were bitterly hostile to one another. While siding with the Americans, members of the Shawnee, Delaware, Choctaw, and Cherokee stood against the Osages, many of whom had also joined with the United States. So bitter was the enmity between two of Britain’s strongest allies, the Fox and Winnebago, that violence erupted. Since the Winnebago were Britain’s

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strongest Indian ally, a number of the Fox warriors left the British camp and remained neutral for the rest of the war.

The Indians’ style of warfare terrified settlers. Indian tribes favored sudden raids and well-planned ambushes—and they were good at it.

These attacks were brutal, and the lack of rules made little sense to white settlers. Indian attacks were often exaggerated, by word of mouth and the press. An Indian raid on the village of Cote Sans Dessein resulted in four deaths. By the time the Missouri Gazette reported the incident, the headline read, “Awful Massacre!” and went on to describe “all the houses … in flames, the place full of Indians, butchering all the inhabitants, whose shrieks could be distinctly heard amidst the horrid yells of savages.” Although the Gazette put out an issue three weeks later giving the facts somewhat more accurately, it also recommended that the Indians be eradicated. Government treaties and promises notwithstanding, the settlers wanted all Indians, friend and foe, out of the way.

Yet, while Indian “massacres” during the war were trumpeted from the nation’s newspapers, pulpits and podiums, the atrocities perpetrated by the settlers went unmentioned. For years, Kentucky veterans of the Thames fight displayed leather strips that they boasted to have skinned from Tecumseh’s body. And it drew no notice when a group of revengeseeking Boon’s Lick settlers indiscriminately slaughtered a band of 49 Indians. As they saw it, all Indians were fair game.

Missouri Territorial Governor William Clark advocated that relations with Indian tribes should not remain neutral, and instead believed “Missouri Tribes” could be a useful asset against Britain.

A Belated End to Hostilities Although the ratification of the Treaty of Ghent formally ended the conflict between Britain and the United States in February 1815, hostilities between Missourians and Indians continued well into the year. The terms of the treaty did not include the Indians, nor did they see any reason to abide by its terms. Despite the fact that they no longer had the British as their allies, they persisted in waging a desperate war of attrition.

Although Governor Clark responded to the Indians’ continued hostilities with “a vigorous display of military force,” he ignored his constituents’ calls for eradication. In the summer of 1815, he and two other peace commissioners, Illinois Territorial Governor Ninian Edwards and trader Auguste Chouteau, convened a vast council at Portage des Sioux, just north of the junction of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, to end the hostilities and discuss peace terms. Around 2,000 warriors attended, representing more than a dozen tribes, and were presented with thirty thousand dollars’ worth of gifts. All the tribes present signed the resulting treaty. At least for now, the war on the frontier was over.

the state historical society of missouri

the victors and the losers The following December, Governor Clark issued an edict prohibiting squatters from occupying Shawnee and Delaware lands and ordering “all white persons who have intruded and are settled upon the lands of the Indians within this territory [to]depart there from without delay.” Clark’s edict was all but unenforceable. His constituents—who, in the words of one historian, “wanted Indians slayed, not paid”—tended to ignore it and followed their own agenda. Eventually, the practice of Indian Removal became national policy, endorsed by its greatest advocate, President Andrew Jackson, and formalized by an act of Congress in 1830. The Indians’ attempts to impede westward expansion into Missouri Territory would

ultimately prove as ineffectual as they were desperate.

There has been debate since the end of hostilities as to who actually won the War of 1812. Although victory was claimed by both England and the United States, most historians agree that in the end, neither side emerged the winner. Both sides won battles and suffered defeats, but neither truly prevailed. Perhaps this is the case.

On the frontier, however, in Missouri, as elsewhere, the Americans were the clear victors and the Indians the real losers. So long as the two world powers collided, the Indians stood to benefit; they were needed.

With the coming of peace, this diplomatic leverage disappeared. Britain chose to abandon its old allies in favor of a rapprochement with the United States, and for the Americans, the floodgates of territorial expansion opened wide and never closed. In the end, it mattered little whether individual tribes or tribal factions had chosen to side with or against the Americans; the result was the same.

Driven time and again from their homes by settlers and soldiers who looked at an Indian and saw only an obstacle, the Shawnees, the Osages, Delawares, Choctaws, Sioux, Sacs, and all the rest soon gave way in the face of an overwhelming tide that could not be stemmed. Finally, in 1821, Missouri became a state and officially embarked on a campaign to evict all Indians from its borders.

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SHOW-ME

Flavor A MISSOURI

Berry

The native elderberry is high in antioxidants.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY NINA FURSTENAU

ELDERBERRIES could elbow out all the bottles in your medicine cabinet. Nearly 2,400 years ago, Hippocrates called the elder plant “the medicine chest of the country people,” says Deni Phillips in the Elderberry ValueAdded Sourcebook. In fact, the elder leaf, flower, and berry can be used in salves, infusions, and syrups to relieve coughs, colic, diarrhea, sore throat, asthma, and the flu. And get this: You can chase mice away with an infusion made with fresh elder leaves or use elder flowers to soothe a burn. It’s a talented plant. And it’s native to Missouri.

Native North American elderberries (Sambucus canadensis) grow in Missouri without special attention, even sprouting along road ditches in summer, and they thrive here with good husbandry. The plants are lush, loaded with huge delicate white blossoms in the spring or rich purple BB-sized fruit in mid- to late summer. Some forward-thinking farmers and university researchers want to encourage this abundance.

They want improved cultivars, developed from Missouri’s wild elderberries, planted in rows for harvest as the next super food. Like the pomegranate, the acai berry, and others lauded in the media, the elder is high in antioxidants. Its flu-fighting ability is prized, but it

may also lower cholesterol, boost the immune system, improve vision, and help heart health.

Folk remedies in North America, Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa have told us so for centuries.

Elderberries may be small, but they’re mighty. The elder leaf, flower, and berry are loaded with polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins—all of which host the elder’s antioxidant capacity. Antioxidants neutralize free radical buildup, but it’s the balance between naturally occurring free radicals and antioxidants that fights stress effects to and in our bodies. (See chart on page 77.)

The elder’s small clusters of berries are also a high producer for farmers. Tim Wright and Larry Buck of Hermann planted 900 elderberry plants on an acre in 2006, and the plants produced at a level that encouraged Tim to plant three additional acres of elderberries in 2010 and two more acres in 2011. He mostly grows the Bob Gordon variety of elderberry but is testing Wyldewood and Ranch varieties.

He predicts his yield should be around 3,000 to 5,000 pounds per acre.

Two thousand of the tiny berries will make one pound, and it takes 20 pounds to make a gallon of juice. After the elderberry plants mature for three to four years, Michael Gold,

The native elder plant produces tiny berries packed with antioxidants such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins.

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ELDERBERRY FESTIVAL, JUNE 7-10

Above: Elderberries have a centuries-long tradition of being used as an herbal remedy for the flu.

Right: Terry Durham’s farm in Hartsburg is the largest planted acreage of elderberries in the country.

research professor and associate director of the Center for Agroforestry at the University of Missouri, says they could produce as much as three to four tons of berries per acre. With Missouri aiming for 100 acres of elderberry plants in production in the near future, there’s a bumper crop on the horizon.

That high return from a small acreage is not only drawing the attention of farmers, but researchers as well. MU and Missouri State University began to study local wild elderberries in 1997 to identify the cultivars that best withstood the Missouri freeze-thaw cycle

and produced high yields. They found Bob Gordon, Wyldewood, Ranch, and Adams II elderberry cultivars to be good bets for farmers. Research at the Center for Agroforestry also focuses on elderberry insect and disease susceptibility, markets for the new crop, and its place in our health and diet.

Currently, the Missouri River Hills Elderberry Producers, led by Terry Durham of Hartsburg, process elderberries and market products made with the fruit: products such as elderberry jelly, pure elderberry juice, or throat coat and herbal cordial.

Frozen berries sell out fast, but when available they ship for $21 for three and a half pounds (order online at www.elderberrylife. com). The processing, done by Persimmon Hill Farms near Springfield, is minimal, and the deep purple juice is loaded with antioxidants. One ounce per day, says Terry, will ward off the flu, “with no side effects.”

So why not grow a plant that produces abundantly in Missouri, has healthy benefits, can run mice out of your house, or soothe a burn? Two things need to come together to

make it work well for Missouri farmers, Terry says. A mechanized harvester is needed. Right now, the elder can be mechanically planted, pruned, and destemmed. Although a mechanized harvester is being developed, harvesting is still done by hand. The other important component is the market. Terry currently runs an elderberry route that includes stores such as Clover’s, Root Cellar, and World Harvest in Columbia, and Sappington’s Market and

“The intriguing thing is that it’s a native plant. I grow all native plants here.”

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INFOGRAPHIC BY TOM SULLIVAN

Maude’s in St. Louis. The Natural Girls in Rolla buys River Hills Harvest products as do nearly 20 Hy-Vee groceries in Missouri. But super-food status for elder depends on getting the word out and becoming an ingredient in more widely marketed foods. In Europe, products such as the cold and flu syrup Sambucol keep the demand for elderberries high. In the United States, the use of elderberry as an ingredient is still developing, and most elderberries are imported. “That’s about 60 metric tons of berries,” Terry says, that could be raised here.

Most imported berries are used in pharmaceuticals, some wines, and food products.

Close to home, buyers such as Wyldewood Cellars in Mulvane, Kansas, use elderberry fruit to make sweet as well as dry wines. The winemakers partner with Missouri State University and MU researchers as well as Missouri farmers to source their berries regionally.

Terry’s Eridu Farm in Hartsburg is the single largest planted acreage of elderberries in the country. He hosts elderberry workshops to encourage farmers to consider the crop. “The first workshop we had eight attendees, the next we had 32, and last summer we had 100.”

Terry is a seasoned grower in Missouri. He grew vegetables and did business as a Community Supported Agricultural (CSA) farm for 11 years prior to his interest in elderberries.

He’s been a part of the Ozark Organic Growers Association, the Missouri Vegetable Growers Association, and the Missouri Organic Association. “I’ve been working on organizing farmers for over 25 years,” he says.

In 2004, he used cuttings from existing elderberry plants to propagate his own stock in his basement. Today, he harvests 32

ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY OF SEVERAL FRUITS

FRUIT

TOTAL ORAC µmol TE/100 GRAMS

acres of the plants by hand with seasonal help.

He has plans to grow an additional 18 acres of elderberries. For him, it’s more than the end product that’s important, though.

“The intriguing thing is that it’s a native plant. I grow all native plants here,” he says of Eridu Farm. He sows indigenous grasses between the rows of elderberries and sees benefit to this restoration. “This was a soybean field for years. Now, the soil is coming back to life.”

Alongside good land stewardship, locally raised elderberries are a strong draw for consumers, Michael at the Center for Agroforestry says. Plus, consumers already recognize that high levels of antioxidants are healthy.

“I talk with people who grow elderberries,” Michael says, “people who work on production, value-added products, like elderberry wine, and nutrition. Across the board, there’s more and more interest in elderberries.”

Markets for elderberries include herbal remedies such as the Elderberry Ginger Syrup, which was the first place winner in Tinctures and Extracts at the 2007 International Herb Symposium. The fruit is also used in wine making, and the pulp remaining after elderberries are pressed can be reconstituted in other value-added products, Michael says.

With all this interest, it looks as if elderberry cultivation will continue to rise in Missouri.

The plant has history on its side: besides being native here and known for its herbal medical cures, the elderberry also carries a lot of ancient superstition on its tiny berry orbs.

Did you know that the elder was a sacred tree to the Druids? In Welsh tradition, if you stand under an elder on Midsummer’s Eve, you can have visions of otherworldly creatures, seeing the “little people.”

Maybe those folks ate the berries before they were completely ripe and before they were cooked. The elderberry is toxic in that form, and could produce visions as well as more hazardous effects.

But it is the good effects on health that have Missouri farmers, consumers, and researchers intrigued and hungry for elderberries.

For more information about Missouri elderberries and elderberry products, log onto www. elderberrylife.com or www.riverhillsharvest.org.

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NOTE: Elderberries are known for their health benefits, but there are dangers in consuming the raw or under-ripe fruit, leaves, bark, or root. Use only the elderflowers or very ripe berries, and carefully remove the stems and cook thoroughly.

—MissouriLife —

Elderberry Sour Cream Pie From “Elderberry Value-Added Sourcebook”

by Deni Phillips

Ingredients >

1 cup sour cream 2⁄3 cup honey 2 tablespoons flour

2 cups elderberries, destemmed 9-inch pie crust

Directions >

1. Mix sour cream, honey, and flour together in a mediumsized bowl. Add the elderberries.

2. Place the mixture in an unbaked nine-inch pie crust, and bake at 400˚ F for 30 to 40 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from the center. Serves 6 to 8.

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—MissouriLife —

Basil Elderberry Vinaigrette

From “Elderberry Value-Added Sourcebook”

by Deni Phillips Ingredients >

1 shallot ½ cup elderberry juice ¼ cup sherry vinegar

½ cup olive oil ¼ cup basil leaves Salt and pepper to taste

Directions >

1. Puree the shallot with elderberry juice and sherry vinegar in a blender. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil.

2. Add basil leaves and salt and pepper to taste.

Yields 1 ½ cups.

—MissouriLife —

Elderberry Sauce

From “Elderberry Value-Added Sourcebook”

by Deni Phillips Ingredients >

2 1⁄3 cups elderberries 3 ½ tablespoons light 1 dried red chili brown sugar, or 3 peppercorns, more to taste crushed 3 allspice berries, crushed

—MissouriLife —

Elderberry Cordial for Sipping

From “The United States Regional Cook Book” Ingredients >

8 quarts elderberries 2 quarts cold water 4 pounds sugar 1 tablespoon whole allspice 1 tablespoon whole cloves

1 stick of cinnamon 2 quarts good quality whiskey, brandy, or bourbon

Directions >

1. Destem and wash the berries.

2. Cover the berries with water, and cook on medium heat until very soft. Strain.

3. Measure the strained juice, and for each quart of juice add 2 cups of sugar. Tie the spices into a loosely woven cloth bag, and add to the pot.

Simmer liquid until thick.

4. Cool the liquid and remove spices; measure again. Add one pint whiskey or brandy for each quart of syrup.

5. Bottle and cork tightly. Improves with aging.

Yields 6 quarts.

Directions >

1. Destem the elderberries and place in a saucepan. Add the chili, peppercorns, and allspice.

2. Cover tightly, and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

3. Strain the elderberry mixture into a clean pan, and add the brown sugar. Bring the mixture slowly to a boil, and cook until it thickens to a syrup consistency.

4. Serve with fresh goat cheese, a wedge of baked Camembert, pork loin, or turkey. Yields 1 cup.

—MissouriLife —

Elderberry Jelly

From “Elderberry Value-Added Sourcebook”

by Deni Phillips Ingredients >

2 quarts elderberries, destemmed 2 cups water

1 box pectin 5 cups sugar

Elderberry Surprise Muffins From Eridu Farm

Ingredients >

1 ¾ cups all–purpose ¾ cup milk flour 1⁄3 cup vegetable oil ¼ cup sugar ½ cup elderberry 2 ½ teaspoons baking jelly (prepared powder jelly available in ¾ teaspoon salt groceries) 1 egg, beaten

Directions >

Directions >

ANDREW BARTON

—MissouriLife —

1. In a saucepan, simmer the elderberries in the water until berries are soft. Strain through a cloth. Be sure you have 3 ½ cups of juice. If not, pour a little water through the crushed berries.

2. Return the 3 ½ cups of juice to pan. Add pectin to the juice and bring to a boil. Stir in the sugar, and bring to a rolling boil. Boil for one minute.

3. Remove from heat. Skim and pour into hot sterilized jars. (Some recipes require lemon juice to acidify and help with set. Follow directions on pectin.) Yields four 8-ounce jars.

1. Preheat oven to 400˚ F. 2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center. Combine egg, milk, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture.

Stir until just moistened. The batter should be lumpy.

3. Grease muffin cups or line with paper baking cups. Fill 1⁄3 full, add one teaspoon of elderberry jelly, and then add muffin mixture on top to fill muffin cup ¾ full.

4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until muffins are golden. Remove from pan. Yields 10 to 12 muffins.

Visit www.MissouriLife.com for an elderflower cordial recipe.

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ril 7, 1-5 pm Saturday, Ap ek Inn, Columbia, M at Stoney CreBrew Pubs, national bran O

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0 2 $ n o Admissi souriBeerFestival.com visit www.Mis Presented by

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Every attendee gets a keepsake Missouri Beer Fest sampling glass!

MissouriLife

The[80] Official Hotel of Mizzou Athletics

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For Stoney Creek Inn reservations, call 800-659-2220 or visit www.stoneycreekinn.com Stoney Creek is offering “Beer Fest� rate for guests, $80 for Friday and Saturday nights.

3/2/12 3:14:39 PM

These sponsors are a sampling of the 50 craft beers and vendors you can taste or visit at the Beer Festival.

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Order tickets at www.MissouriBeerFestival.com

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Flavor Kansas City

DECADENT AND UPSCALE WHEN IT COMES to favorite meals, it’s no surprise so many people choose brunch. Especially if that brunch is at Bristol Seafood Grill in Kansas City’s Power & Light District, where a Belgian waffle bar, tenderloin carving station, and made-to-order omelets are just the beginning. A raw bar featuring fresh bluepoint oysters, sushi, and char-crusted ahi tuna satisfies seafood cravings. Those seeking more traditional breakfast fare will be thrilled with fluffy scrambled eggs, crisp applewood-smoked bacon, and Yukon Gold potatoes. Shrimp enchiladas and a decadent lobster mac and cheese are also popular. The ambience is upscale with a casual vibe—perfect for lingering over morning cocktails before diving into the restaurant’s elaborate dessert buffet. Bring an appetite and good company, and Bristol can absolutely deliver the rest. Bristol also has locations in Creve Coeur, O’Fallon, and Leawood, Kansas. —Sabrina Crider www.bristolseafoodgrill.com • 51 E. 14th Street • 816-448-6007

THE BEST OF MISSOURI BRUNCHES Liberty

Morning Delight EVEN ON a cloudy day, Ginger Sue’s would seem sunny.

Red and gold dominate the high-ceilinged dining room, underpinned by scuffed black and white tiles and fronted by

and lunch restaurant features an exceptionally friendly staff with a great sense of humor and last, but not least, excellent

syrup. The Meat Lover’s Omelet, accompanied by rosemary

food. The Tropical Delight smoothie was refreshing, textured

potatoes that were piquant and flavorful, was exceptional. At

with bits of coconut, and the stack of beautiful apple and

Ginger Sue’s, everything is good. —Emily McIntyre

cinnamon pancakes were presented with a small pitcher of

www.gingersues.com • 12 W. Kansas • 816-407-7707

COURTESY OF BRISTOL; EMILY MCINTYRE

shining glass. Just off historic Liberty square, this breakfast

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Downtown St. Louis

Wake up to Rooster Amid skyscrapers and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, you’ll find Rooster, a European-style urban café offering scrumptious brunch favorites and inventive breakfast cocktails. If you’re craving crepes, you’re in luck, as that’s this brunch spot’s specialty. Get them savory, with black beans, egg, white cheddar, and salsa; or try them sweet with chocolate, Nutella, or fruit. Rooster also offers jazzed-up breakfast staples such as french toast and pancakes with delicious toppings: caramelized bananas and nuts, berries

Columbia

and crème fraiche, and bacon and cheddar. Try the Rooster Slinger: Andouille sausage, breakfast potatoes, fried eggs, and sausage gravy over thick-cut toast. This is one rooster

A Brunch for Everyone

you won’t mind waking up to. —Lauren Hughes www.roosterstl.com • 1104 Locust Street • 314-241-8118

A Sunday brunch restaurant for the family must be selected with care.

Too often the choices are limited to kid-friendly

Point Lookout

(chain restaurants heavy on sugar), senior-friendly (reasonably priced, but sometimes boring), or foodie-friendly (an excuse to serve expensive, tiny food on small plates). Sophia’s, an upscale trattoria in Columbia, manages to bridge the brunch generation gap beautifully. For Sunday brunch, you may choose from any of its traditional lunch

If you are looking for an elegant brunch that

entrees, including ahi tuna salads and open-faced

www.addisonssophias.com/sophias

showcases the Ozarks, the College of the Ozarks has it. At the Keeter Center, you can enjoy a fine meal and give back to the community at the same time. Served, prepared, and sometimes even grown by students, the dishes at the Keeter Center reflect world-class dining and help fund the college, which offers tuition in exchange for hard-work. Executive Chef Robert Strickland has been adding locally sourced menu items and expanding what the College grows and consumes. The school raises and processes its own pork, so every slice of ham or bacon follows a long smokehouse tradition. Certain dishes are available only in season, like the Fried Green Tomatoes and Smoked Tomato Soup, which has a smoky, silky richness. Other dishes make surprising use of traditional ingredients, like the Szechuan Green Beans. The amazing spread they offer on holidays fills up fast—so book far in advance for Easter and Mother’s Day. —Sandy Clark

3915 S. Providence • 573-874-8009

www.keetercenter.edu • 1 Opportunity Avenue • 417-239-1900

steak sandwiches. Sophia’s offers a delightful breakfast menu, too. lauren hughes; courtesy of the keeter center

an ozark Showcase

We highly recommend the Tiramisu French Toast (every bit as decadent as it sounds) or the breakfast strudel stuffed with vegetables, which manages to be healthy as well as delicious. Everyone at the table can find something appealing, from gourmet breakfast pizzas to monkey bread for the kids. All dishes are served with Sophia’s special flair by a friendly staff. Another mimosa, anyone? —Beth Hussey

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TOM BRADLEY

PEDALING FOR BEER SOMETIMES TO FIND

something truly unique you have to get off the beaten path … or in this case, on to Missouri’s scenic Katy Trail. Along the Missouri River bottom you’ll come to a small village with old narrow streets, homes, and churches built on the hillside. This is Augusta, where you’ll find restaurants, wineries, little shops, and cozy bed-and-breakfasts all scattered within walking distance. And you’ll also find beer!

Augusta Brewing Company sits right on the Katy Trail. It’s a beautiful drive in the car down Highway 94 from O’Fallon, but I recommend pedaling a bicycle from a trailhead to work up your thirst.

Once you reach your destination, lean the bike against a tree and wander up a flight of stairs to a shady stand of bamboo and a cold glass of home brew.

Unlike so many other brew pubs that outfit their lairs with dark wood and brass, Augusta keeps it very simple. Picture many of the wineries in Missouri with their unadorned tasting rooms and relaxed outdoor seating and you’ll get the idea. In fact, I treated Augusta just like a winery by sipping a sampler paddle inside, then taking a pint to the Augusta beer gardens outside.

Augusta serves a number of ales including Augusta Blonde, Tannhauser Pale Ale, and the 1856 IPA. To fully disclose, they brew their beer off-premises in Labadie. That fact didn’t seem to bother

my brothers-in-law who quickly found their favorites and settled on the Augusta Saison and Hyde Park Stout. The stout did capture my attention as a rather good beer, but my tastes that day longed for an IPA. The 1856 answered the call perfectly.

Augusta Brewing goes further than a quick glance would suggest.

Inside, they offer simple lunch fare and a more extensive dinner menu for Friday and Saturday nights. Outside, you can relax under the canopy at Pat’s Island Bar with a grill menu, more beer, and live music. Jazz, bluegrass, rock, and country are heard throughout the warmer months. A number of its beers are bottled and available at grocery chains in the St. Louis region.

Out in the beer garden, we raised our glasses as a mile-wide view of the river bottom stretched out below us. We enjoyed our liquid treasures and watched the clouds open up to give us an unexpected sunset. The beams of light drifted through my 1856 IPA, and I realized this is one of the things that makes Augusta a special village and Augusta Brewing Company a spot you’ll want to share with good friends. www.augustabrewing.com P.S. The 2012 Missouri Beer Festival will be held April 7 at the Stoney Creek Inn in Columbia. Details and tickets at www.MissouriBeerFestival. com. See you there!

TOM BRADLEY

Augusta Brewing Company rests right off the Katy Trail.

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SHOW-ME

Flavor

VINEYARD THERAPY

IT COULD BE the teacher in him or that he grew up on a nearly century-old Michigan family vineyard that gives Missouri winemaker and vintner Ed Staude his unique ability to keep the art and science of wine approachable.

Whatever the reason, Rolling Meadows Vineyard & Winery, operated by Ed and Claudia Staude, is a delightfully unexpected stop before reaching Missouri’s more established wine trails.

Rolling Meadows, aptly located on Eden Trail just west of Warrenton, is a working winery where wine lovers and casual enthusiasts alike can experience the craft of winemaking.

In every season, you can usually find Ed tending the tasting room or working the vines. Guests enjoy a rare opportunity to watch a true winemaker at work: pruning, trimming, bottling, harvesting, and crushing.

But Ed is never too busy to visit.

“Although I’m not a talker by nature,” he admits. “My wife is the more conversational of the two of us.”

Still, drop by Rolling Meadows, and you’ll find Ed behind the table pouring and sharing the craft of his wines or leading enthusiastic

patrons out into the vines or the barrel room for a quick tour.

“People are always curious about the process,” he says. “We meet lots of folks who say they’d like to try this when they retire.”

But it’s not as easy as it looks, Ed says.

“Vineyard tending is ‘gentleman’s farming,’ and I suppose that sounds easy, but when our guests learn that each RMV vine is hand-tended and touched at minimum four times per year, you see people do the math and recognize the amount of work it takes to make that glass of wine so memorable.”

Rolling Meadows produces four distinct varietals: two whites, including Niagara, a sweet variety, and Seyval Blanc, a French hybrid; and two reds, including a sweet Concord and a venerable Missouri Norton.

One hundred percent of the grapes going into the wine made at Rolling Meadows are grown in the winery’s vineyards, made into wine, and bottled on site.

Ed laughs at the notion that these distinctions make RMV wines exclusive.

“We’re a small operation, and so we operate by hand for very practical reasons, but it’s definitely a distinction for our wines,

and we’re proud of it.”

Ed was tending vineyards as part of a family operation from the time he was old enough to be in the vineyard. But life has taken him far from his Michigan roots.

A teacher in Missouri since 1982, he holds two master’s degrees, including one in international affairs from Washington University in St. Louis. When not at the vineyard, Ed chairs the humanities department at Lutheran High School in St. Charles County.

The Staudes bought the property in 1998, following the passing of Ed’s mother, and established Rolling Meadows in 2000.

“I suppose building this place was my version of therapy,” Ed explains.

“Wine is not complicated. It’s meant to be enjoyed, and that’s the atmosphere we are cultivating at RMV. This place should feel like the customer’s own vineyard. I’m happy to share our escape with them.”

The winery has limited hours on Saturday from 11 AM to 5 PM, but does offer tastings by appointment. www.rmvwinery.com

To see videos of Ed trimming and harvesting the vineyard, visit www.MissouriLife.com.

COURTESY OF ROLLING MEADOWS

Rolling Meadows Vineyard & Winery in Warrenton is an escape. BY GRETCHEN M. JAMESON

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© Andrew BArton

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PROMOTION

MISSOURI

SPORTS LEGEND

BILL VIRDON BE THERE MAY 17

Virdon, a 1983 inductee of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, will be named the state’s 23rd Missouri Sports Legend on May 17.

The ceremony will be held at the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, which is located in Springfield, Missouri.

For ticket information, call 417-889-3100.

In the fourth game of the 1960 World Series, Bill Virdon makes a game-saving catch with Roberto Clemente providing backup.

by Marty Willadsen

T

he dew from the freshly mown outfield grass penetrated the fabric of the rookie’s jersey. Early morning stretching exercises were nothing new to the player. He had been doing them every spring for the last who-knows-howmany years. But this morning, the stretches seemed easier, the uniform lighter, the sun brighter. Even the wet grass offered little discomfort.

This morning was different. Today was the first day of Spring Training. Bill Virdon propped himself up on one elbow to take it all in. Here at Branson’s Mang Field, the waters of Lake Taneycomo glistened in the background, silhouetting the young players who were vying for a spot on the New York Yankees’ roster.

Some veteran players stood casually in the background, watching the rookies and placing

bets on the few who would make it. Virdon was hoping he would be one of the few. It would be a long two-hour drive back to his hometown of West Plains if he didn’t.

It was a long drive.

Virdon didn’t make the Yankees’ major league squad that year, but rather was assigned to their minor league farm system. But he hasn’t missed a Spring Training since. As a special instructor

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PROMOTION

with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Bill just completed his 63rd consecutive year playing, coaching or teaching the art of the game.

After spending four years in the Yankee organization, Virdon was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals where he opened the 1954 season with their Triple A affiliate in Rochester, New York. So impressed was the Cardinal brass with the play of the outfielder, that the very next year they promoted him to the majors.

Bill wasted no time in showing management that they had made the right decision, as he hit .281 while driving in 68 runs and belting 17 home runs with his smooth left handed swing.

His efforts were good enough for him to take home Rookie of the Year honors.

The next May, the Pirates approached the Cardinals with an offer for the centerfielder, an offer that St. Louis reluctantly accepted. Their hesitancy was well founded, as Virdon finished the 1956 campaign with a .319 batting average, second only to the great Hank Aaron.

From 1956 to 1965, the Pirates were often the overlooked team of the National League.

They were a small market team but loaded with talent.

Alongside Virdon in the outfield of the 1960 team were Bob Skinner and a young phenomin-the-making named Roberto Clemente.

The infield was anchored by Dick Groat and Bill Mazeroski. The rotation boasted Harvey Haddix, Vinegar Bend Mizell, Bob Friend and Vern Law. Even so, most people expected the New York Yankees, who had just won their 10th American League pennant in the previous 12 years, to rout the Pirates in the 1960 World Series.

But, despite being outplayed in nearly every

aspect of the game, Virdon and his mates won the 1960 World Series over Mickey Mantle’s Yankees in dramatic fashion. In Game 7, with the score tied at 9 all, Pittsburgh’s Bill Mazeroski smashed a solo shot over the left field wall, giving the Pirates their first World Championship since 1925. Virdon contributed with a run scored and two hits, one of which was the bad hop grounder which struck shortstop Tony Kubek in the throat.

Adding to his trophy case, already containing a Rookie of the Year award and World Series ring, Virdon was the recipient of the Rawlings Gold Glove award in 1962.

When Virdon’s playing days ended, his career in baseball was far from over. He has served as a coach and special instructor for several teams throughout the majors. He has also been the field manager for four different clubs. In 1972, Virdon took over the managerial reins for the Pirates when the team fired then-manager Gene Mauck. In his first year as a manager, Virdon took the Buccos and a 96-59 record to the playoffs, only to be beaten by the Reds in five games. The following year, he guided the team to a marginal 80–82 record, which earned a dismissal and a rehiring of Gene Mauck, a move that still puzzles Virdon.

After all, his star pitcher Steve Blass, who had posted 19 wins and a 2.49 earned run average in 1972, dropped off the face of the earth in 1973, winning only three games and carding a zeppelin-like 9.90 ERA . If the pitcher had won a mere three more games, the Pirates would have won the National League East.

But the Yankees immediately hired Virdon to run the team for George Steinbrenner. Virdon worked for “The Boss” for two seasons before

falling victim to Steinbrenner’s ever-increasing micromanagement style and his removal of managers on a whim.

The Houston Astros courted Virdon’s services and offered him a contract in 1975. Virdon’s laid-back Missouri demeanor was a good fit for the organization for eight campaigns, and when Virdon left during the 1982 season, he did so as the Astros all-time winningest manager, a title he still holds. Virdon took the team to the playoffs in 1980 but was eliminated in five games by the Phillies. The same fate awaited the skipper in 1981, as his team exited after five games against the Dodgers.

The final managerial chapter for Virdon came in 1983 as he started a two-year stint as the field boss of the Montreal Expos. Since the 1984 season, Virdon has been in demand as a Major League coach or special instructor.

While springtime work calls him to Florida, Virdon and his wife Shirley spend the remaining months at their home in Springfield, Missouri.

Virdon is the local hero in Springfield, always willing to help out different charities and make public appearances to aid a particular cause.

He wears his Missouri roots on his sleeve and is quick with a kind word or a clean joke, but he has not lost his competitive edge. The great ones never do. He stills holds his own on the golf course and plays with the enthusiasm of that youngster trying to make the Yankee’s ball club so many years ago.

Missouri Sports Hall of Fame www.mosportshalloffame.com 3861 E. Stan Musial Dr. Springfield, MO 65809

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on the Square The Albany Chamber of Commerce Proudly Presents

Asleep at the Wheel Saturday July 7 2012 for an unforgettable outside performance at the historic courthouse square www.albanymo.net Tickets Available at $37 each 660-726-3396

featuring Now in it’s 40th year, Asleep aT the Wheel is the 9-time Grammy award winning band dubbed the “post modern kings of Western Swing.”

AlbanyEvent_0412.indd 1

albany, MO July 7 3/2/12 6:38:59 PM

Musings ON MISSOURI

WINDS OF CHANGE

ILLUSTRATION BY TOM SULLIVAN

BY RON MARR

THE WIND is blowing at approximately 35 miles per hour, snapping the sheets on the clothesline with the shotgun crack of a drover’s bullwhip. My dogs, Jack and Hugo, are fond of neither the sound nor the frenetic flapping. The former raises their blood pressure, causing them to jerk and twist their heads at each unwelcome detonation. The latter is simply unnerving, no doubt dredging up the doggie nightmare of giant birds with thrashing wings, avian miscreants bent on avenging the long-forgotten murder of a too-slow sparrow.

The pups keep their distance, throwing me a look that ranks somewhere between confusion and pity. They fail to understand why I’m compelled to occasionally clean canine hair from the linens, especially on days when the effort only adds to the turbulent and unsettling din. Jack and Hugo, being quite fond of Greek mythology, view such an effort as a Sisyphean task, an exercise in redundancy, or perhaps a sign of mild to moderate insanity.

I can’t truly say they are mistaken in this analysis, for I’m nearly as bothered by this perpetual prairie Sirocco as they are.

I’ve long since removed the chimes from the few remaining trees in my backyard (the rest of the old oaks and Kentucky coffees were sucked up by a twister some years back) as they stood not a chance against fearsome gusts and deranged tempests. It was an easy job, since only skeletal pieces of the chimes still hung sadly from the limbs.

Those musical tubes that once whispered calming tones and muted notes into a peaceful night sky had been stripped from their moorings, scattered about the grass, their pretty voices stilled.

It has been many years since I experienced

the banshee scream of wind on a regular basis, for I’ve most often hunkered down in those spots where the days are near silent and the soft breezes are but a half-heard whisper.

This was never really a conscious motive, but thinking back, I am certain my choice of locales almost always involved a distinct lack of noise. Both in life and in nature I

have steered clear of the boisterous or overbearing, the dull roar, the cacophony and babble of the madding crowd. I am one who prefers to talk softly and burn large sticks.

I’ve generally settled in those hidden mountain valleys and midnight forests where the solemn hush is broken only by the hoot of an owl or the rustle of squirrels leaping limb to limb. After many years spent in forgotten outbacks, the hair on the back of my neck goes code-red at so much as the crackle of dry leaves under a wild paw.

Thus, I’ve been a bit on edge of late. If all things are a lesson, and make no mistake that all things are, then my introduction to blustering chaos is a mandate for both adaptation and acceptance. It is pointless to fight

against that which cannot be altered, a futile effort to rail at the skies for doing that which comes naturally. It’s the way of the world.

Canute could not turn back the tides. Lassie could not prevent Timmy from falling in the well. I can’t stop the wind. End of story.

Acceptance of things that can’t be changed is really the easy part. Adaptation requires far greater effort, but I am trying. I’m rebuilding the wind chimes, replacing the strings and fishing line that held my pretty copper choir with flexible wire and strong hooks. I may construct a few Aeolian wind harps (musical gizmos quite pleasing to the ear) and mount them on my fence posts. I could purchase a few kites, as I’ve been told to go fly those more times than I can count.

I suppose I might outfit the dogs with tiny little sails and teach them to wear even tinier little roller skates.

It requires no effort or challenge to live with and among those things that are pleasant and pleasing. A person must reach a bit deeper to understand and possibly esteem that which disturbs, inflames, or causes affront. How we view and respond to the hands we are dealt is largely a matter of perception, attitude, and action.

Life and wind have much in common.

Both often blow. In the face of blunt-force gales we can retreat to shelter, pull high the blankets and curse fate.

Or we can face the cyclone, spread wings and learn to fly.

Want more Ron Marr? Read his blog at www.MissouriLife.com/ RON MARR ronmarr.

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SHOW-ME

COURTESY OF CITY MARKET

Showcase

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A CITY

Landmark

COURTESY OF CITY MARKET

The City Market in Kansas City offers food, fun, and community . BY JACKIE SMITH IT’S HARD to imagine today’s modern City Market as a Wild West scene, but that’s exactly what it started as in the 1850s. Most of the market’s buildings were built in the 1920s and ’30s, but before that, the location served as a major stop along the way for people heading westward.

By the late 1800s, famous names such as Wyatt Earp, Buffalo Bill Cody, and Jesse James had walked the market’s streets.

Today, the City Market sprawls across 11 acres on the Missouri riverfront. It’s a Kansas City landmark that on Saturdays draws 12,000 people to more than 140 local farmer vendors and 40 shops and restaurants.

David McFarland is 82 years old and is attending his 82nd year at the market this spring. He accompanied his parents as a child and carried on his family’s vending tradition into adulthood. He remembers how different the market was when he was a little boy. He recalls when the market ran 24 hours a day, and the streets were lined with horses and wagons and cars with solid rubber tires and wooden spoke wheels. “Bushel baskets used to be 75 cents per dozen, and now they run about six dollars per basket,” David says, remembering how produce used to be sold openly off of truck beds without packaging.

Today, David primarily sells tomatoes along with cabbage, cucumbers, squash, okra, and hot peppers that are all grown on his family farm of 70 years. “I’ve got a lot of good customers, some I’ve known 40 to 50 years,” he says. “I would just be lost if I didn’t go to the market.”

But a lot has changed. The City Market underwent its first round of construction in the 1930s, followed by more new buildings in the ’40s.

Throughout the years, major changes to the City Market have included larger buildings, restaurant and retail space, and entertainment venues, including one of the largest outdoor concert venues in the city. But the main attraction is still locally grown and produced food.

During the ’60s, produce sold by local farmers was the market’s main attraction, but in the ’70s, the City Market expanded to other businesses. In the ’80s, the City Market gained an additional 10,000 square feet of restaurants, food-related stores, retail, and museum space still in use today.

Christine Yanetelli and her husband have been coming to the market for the past 20 years. Breakfast at the market on Saturday mornings is a long-held tradition. Cascone’s, a 40-year-old restaurant that is a tenant of the City Market, is their go-to spot. Christine raves about the home-style cooked foods and community-oriented feel at Cascone’s. “Everybody knows about Cascone’s in the market.”

This sense of community can be felt throughout the market, and Christine feels the people truly make an effort to know each other. Another aspect of the market they love is that there is a little bit of everything.

“I can do my grocery shopping, clothes shopping, trinket shopping, and even grab a bite to eat from a wide array of foods from around the world,” Christine says.

Over the years, entertainment at the market has changed. Today, you can find local musicians playing for change as well as well-known artists and bands. The City Market boasts one of Kansas City’s largest outdoor concert venues and can accommodate crowds of up to 10,000 people.

Along with being listed as Kansas City’s sixth top area attraction by Kansas City Business Journal, the City Market has received numerous awards over the years, including the Great Markets/Great Cities Award of Distinction from the Project for Public Spaces, the most prestigious award given to an individual market in North America. Most recently, the Convention and Visitors Association awarded the City Market with Visitors’ Choice Awards in 2010 and 2011 for being the “Favorite Free Thing to Do in Kansas City.” www.thecitymarket.org

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NOSTALGIC ∙ SCENIC ∙ TIMELESS

OLD

TRAILS REGION

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The Old Trails Region is home to many historic sites, fresh produce, culture, entertainment and so much more in the heart of Missouri.

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SHOW-ME

Showcase

Hackett’s

HOMECOMING

SEAN HACKETT is all about family. Much of what this 28-yearold filmmaker has become has its roots in family and friends. So, it’s appropriate that his first feature film, Homecoming, debuted in his beloved hometown of Kansas City at the Kansas City FilmFest in 2011.

However, his path hasn’t always been a direct one. He’ll be the first to tell you each detour and every job along the way has prepared him for where he is and where he is going.

THE CREATION OF A FILMMAKER Movies played an important role for Sean as a child growing up in Kansas City, Kansas. They provided an escape from real-life drama while Sean’s mother, Carole Hackett, underwent cancer treatments.

“My wife loved outdoor plays, movies,” Sean’s father, John Hackett, says. “When Sean was young, she would read to him all the time. She did a lot to encourage him.”

Their once-a-week movie excursions provided topics for discussion. During her illness, movies were both a way for her to connect with Sean and a distraction from her treatments and health.

Carole passed away in 1998. Sean was only 14 at the time, but Carole and Sean’s shared love for storytelling on the big screen led Sean to pursue filmmaking after graduating from Rockhurst High School in 2001. He went to Pennsylvania State University where he majored in creative writing and hoped to land a job that would use his talents.

But a chance meeting with producer Jerry Abrams, who was a guest lecturer there, led to more than hope.

Sean introduced himself to Jerry and gave him an elevator pitch, and in the summer of 2005, as Sean was packing up his car for an internship in Baltimore, he got a call for an internship on David Fincher’s film Zodiac. So he headed for Los Angeles instead.

Once in L.A., Sean began learning the business from the ground up.

He created his own film school by working jobs in all areas of the industry—agent training, distribution, and more—but he never worked at a place longer than a year.

He worked as a producer, an actor, and a casting director as well as various other positions on films such as Shakespeare with Fries and All the Kings Men, and the television series The Amazing Race.

Sean says one film that particularly made an impact on him was Cyrus, directed by brothers Jay and Mark Duplass. Their style of filmmaking, where everyone on set was treated like family, really sparked Sean’s love for filmmaking. It was a set where everyone loved being there so much that they’d almost do it for free, he says.

It was a template for the type of set that, as a director, Sean would soon foster.

“I wanted my first film to be small and personal,” Sean says, reflecting on his first feature film, Homecoming, Homecoming which won Best Narrative Feature at last year’s Kansas City FilmFest, which was held at AMC Mainstreet in downtown Kansas City. “I got to see the film on the big screen; that alone is worth every minute I packed into the film,” he says.

“Especially in an AMC theater—I’ve probably seen 400 movies in an AMC theater in the last 10 years but seeing it blown up and hearing the audience laugh to it and cry to it was monumental.

“If I’d had an inkling that I would win, I would have got a shirt and tie,” he adds, “but instead I was in a flannel shirt and sneakers.”

Since then, the film has been accepted into seven film festivals and taken home Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature at the Columbia Gorge International Film Festival in Vancouver, Washington.

The Kansas City FilmFest award was particularly poignant for Sean, says the film’s co-producer, Tim Larson, because it’s his hometown.

“You always harbor a little hope when you’re in a competition, but none of us expected it.”

Based loosely on a personal experience of Sean’s, the film is the story of Estelle, an Army medic in Afghanistan who comes home for two weeks on leave. Her mother proceeds to celebrate all of the holidays she’s missed, while her friends try to reconnect with her and understand what their close high school friendships have become.

COURTESY OF SEAN HACKETT

A Kansas City native brings his filmmaking home. BY REBECCA FRENCH SMITH

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Sean Hackett, left, directed and starred in Homecoming alongside Brea Grant, center, and Tom Davies, right. The film debuted at the Kansas City FilmFest in 2011.

“This is a story that hasn’t been told very often ... the sacrifices that people make—mind, body, spirit, family, and home,” Tim says. “They are just as poignant but very difficult to portray. We loved the insight.

It gave you a lot to think about, but you can come out of the theater feeling hopeful.”

In addition to his storytelling skills, Sean is also adept at bringing the cast together. “He is really great at making you feel like you’re going to be part of something big,” says Brea Grant, the actress who plays Estelle. Brea has also appeared on television shows such as Heroes and Dexter. “He has a way of talking about his projects with a lot of passion, which gets you excited about it too.”

Some of that passion comes from his midwestern roots—the hospitality, community, and influences with which he grew up. Two wellknown Missourians, in particular, gave Sean courage to step into the film industry: Mark Twain and Walt Disney. They had big-city mentalities but came from small towns, he says, and they made beautiful character pieces.

“If I was born in New York or California, I might not have wanted

LOVE LETTERS TO KANSAS CITY Coming back to Kansas City has long been a dream for Sean as a filmmaker. “I am good friends with many other Kansas Citians in L.A., and we meet and sit around and talk about what we love about our hometown,” he says. “We’ve been waiting for a director to come to K.C. and do a film.” And that director is Sean. His next feature begins filming in Kansas City this fall.

Sean calls it a “love letter” to the city in which he grew up. Farewell Tour will show off the iconic scenery and local secrets that together make Kansas City home for Sean and so many others.

In the film, a 16-year-old boy comes to terms with his mother’s illness by visiting all the places she loves with a few turns along the way.

“My pitches sound like the saddest movies in the world,” Sean says, “but they turn out with a feel-good twist.

“I love movies that showcase a city. For me and my mom, every time I go back to these places they give me that hair-raising memory of her.

That’s where her soul is to me.” www.homecoming-film.com

COURTESY OF HOMECOMING

Left: Sean Hackett’s mother Carole, who passed away in 1998, was a source of inspiration for his recently released movie, Homecoming. Below: Homecoming is a film about an Army medic who returns home on leave and the period of adjustment that follows.

to be this,” Sean says. “I see a lot of films that aren’t made in ‘real’ America,” he adds, “and I see the breadbasket of America to really be a great place to tell stories.”

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THEN CONSIDER LEADERSHIP MISSOURI, a program for emerging leaders provided by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Leadership Missouri was created on the belief that the community, just as any business or organization, requires strong leadership to improve and grow. The program identifies current and emerging leaders throughout the state who wish to enhance their leadership skills and deepen their knowledge of the state’s opportunities and challenges. In April of each year, the selected participants begin a series of seven monthly, two-day sessions in communities across Missouri. Leadership Missouri provides a thought-provoking experience focusing on the attributes of the state and what it means to be a leader. Segments can qualify for CPE credits.

ALUMNI TESTIMONIALS “Leadership Missouri was time well spent. Broadening my horizons outside the normal scope of business was a wonderful way of becoming educated in Missouri’s businesses, government and education systems. I highly recommend this program to leaders within any industry. The relationships will last my entire career.”

TAIRA GREEN – Children’s Mercy Hospital and Clinics, Kansas City

“The Leadership Missouri program will help you become a better leader by teaching you to listen, think, analyze, motivate and share feedback with others ... all of which are the elements necessary for becoming a better leader. This program truly is a life experience!”

MORE INFORMATION – To learn more about Leadership Missouri, or to apply, go to www. mochamber.com and click on the Education tab.

Then click on Leadership Missouri. Or, contact Ann Kleffner, Missouri Chamber Director of Leadership Missouri, at 573-634-3511.

BRADLEY BROWN – Manager, Government Affairs, Missouri American Water

TUITION FEE –

The Leadership Missouri tuition fee is $1,600 for Missouri Chamber members; $1,800 for non-members.

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ADVERTISEMENT

Caroline’s Columbia

EXPLORING MY CITY!

A Day with Beer Get ready for beer! The second Missouri Beer Festival will be April 7 from 1-5 PM. Mark and I attended the festival last year and had a great time. There were so many microbreweries and brew pubs sharing their craft brews, like Tin Mill Brewing from Hermann and 1839 Taphouse from Columbia. Plus, there were delicious appetizers like smoked chicken wings from D. Rowe’s Restaurant and Bar. This year proves to be just as good with many vendors from last year returning, plus some new ones. It’s definitely a great afternoon for friends to get together, listen to live music, and enjoy beer and food. Check out info on this year’s festival at www.missouribeerfestival.com.

1 COMMENT: Bruce K. said: I remember the lamb sliders from 44 Stone. All I can say is AWESOME!

Gourmet Food and Wine I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am to attend the 2012 Wine & Food Festival held May 14 through 19. It’s an entire week of amazing wine and gourmet food prepared by some of Columbia’s greatest chefs. It’s our first time attending, and I’m most excited to go to a wine dinner. Festival goers choose from six different chefs, all from outstanding Columbia restaurants. Mark and I will be attending the wine dinner prepared by Chef Ben Parks at Bleu. I can’t wait to try his carrot cannelloni with lemon mascarpone filling and blood orange and basil sorbet. Mark’s coworkers are attending the wine dinner hosted

by Chef Mike Odette at Sycamore. Then on Friday, May 19, we’re heading to the Grand Tasting for 220 wineries and 400 different varieties of wine.

Check it out at www.columbiawinefest.com.

UPCOMING EVENTS Be sure to catch these cool events around Columbia.

University Concert Series presents David Sedaris April 21, 7 PM, Jesse Hall Annual Spring Choral Concert April 22, 7:30 PM, Senior Recital Hall Stephens College Wedding Expo and Bridal Show April 29, 12-4 PM, Hilton Garden Inn

Art in the Park June 2-3, Stephens Lake Park An Air Show for the Kids Because we can’t take Ben, Olivia, and Meredith to the Missouri Beer Festival or the Columbia Wine & Food Festival, we promised them a special day at the air show. The 24th Annual Salute to Veterans Airshow (www.salute.org) is a great free family outing. It’s held the weekend of Memorial Day, on May 26 and 27. We’ll start by boarding the shuttles from the MU Hearnes Center parking lot. This is a great service (offered for a very small fee) when you have kids, because you don’t have to deal with parking. The shuttles then take us to the Columbia Regional Airport, where we’ll find a good spot and break out the lawn chairs to watch a whole slew of planes and jets fly overhead performing for the crowd. If you go, don’t forget the sunscreen and water bottles! The tarmac can be hot on a sunny day. And, don’t miss the Salute to Veterans Parade in downtown Columbia on Memorial Day.

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COURTESY OF SALUTE TO VETERANS CORPORATION AND COLUMBIA ART LEAGUE

1 COMMENT: Jessica C. said: I bet Sycamore’s beef short ribs braised in red wine with sweet spring peas, baby carrots, and fava beans will be heavenly.

3/2/12 2:33:50 PM

ALL AROUND

Missouri A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 2

featured event >

SOUTHEAST

CIVIL WAR DAYS

r encampment, field artiltory event with a Civil Wa his ing dulLiv > n ha nip Do , ft demonstrations; hear April 20-21 log cabin. See vintage cra ra ed aft r-e dcr Wa il han Civ h a wit and rs it, do lery un sic; and browse ven mu l pe gos e the -tim in old d rie cimer, bluegrass, and Confederate soldiers bu d a memorial service for -7 PM Fri.; AM 9 . use ho urt Co ty items. On Saturday, atten un south of the Ripley Co ck blo e On rg ry. ri.o ete sou mis cem area’s first w.doniphan epted. 573-996-5298, ww acc ns tio na Do .

Sat PM 9 AM-5

SPRING NATURE HIKE April 7, Campbell > Hike Beech Tree Trail and look for birds, mushrooms, and wildlife. Morris State Park. 9-10 AM. Free. 573-649-3149, www. mostateparks.com/park/morris-state-park

EASTER EGG HUNT April 7, New Madrid > Children hunt for more than 1,400 candy-filled eggs. Bring your own basket. Hunter-Dawson State Historic Site.

11 AM. Free. 573-748-5340, www.mostateparks. com/park/hunter-dawson-state-historic-site

STORYTELLING FESTIVAL April 13-15, Cape Girardeau > Outstanding regional storytellers spin yarns and Kid’s Swapping Ground. Main Street and River Campus. 9 AM9 PM Fri.; 10 AM-9 PM Sat.; 10 AM-noon Sun. $10$35 (3-day family passes for $110-$115). 800777-0068, www.capestorytelling.com

WILDFLOWER HIKE April 14 and 21, Salem > Take a naturalist guided hands-on hike to search for native woodland wildflowers. Montauk State Park. 9-11:30 AM. Free. 573-548-2201, www.mostateparks.com/ park/montauk-state-park

KELLY MILLER CIRCUS

COURTESY OF RON KELLEY

April 18, New Madrid > Watch elephants raise the big top, see trapeze artists and clowns, and tour the circus. Lot behind Dollar General Store.

Tour 9 AM; Shows 4:30 and 7:30 PM. $6-$15. 877748-5300, www.kellymillercircus.com

DOGWOOD-AZALEA FESTIVAL

Visit MissouriLife.com for more events!

April 19-22, Charleston > Tour the six-mile Dogwood-Azalea Trail, plus home tours and an arts and crafts bazaar, ice cream social, art show, piano concerts, and carriage rides. Throughout town. 10 AM-8 PM Fri.; 10 AM-9 PM Sat.; 10 AM4 PM Sun. Free (except special events). 573-6836509, www.charlestonmo.org/festival These listings are chosen by our editors and are not paid for by sponsors.

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A TALE OF TWO CITIES April 19-21, 24, and 26-28, Rolla > The classic

by Charles Dickens performed as a musical. Cedar Street Playhouse. Show times and ticket costs vary. 573-699-4676, www.finelinendrama.com

OZARK MOUNTAIN DAREDEVILS April 21, West Plains > Performing with special guest Big Smith. Civic Center. 6:30-10:30 PM. $10-$34. 417-256-8087, www.civiccenter.net

WALK AND WADE HIKE April 28 and May 26, Park Hills > Hike a wooded horse trail, ride a paved bicycle path, and wade a stretch of Harris Branch Creek. St. Joe State Park. 9 AM-3 PM. Free. 573-431-6226, www.mostateparks.com/park/st-joe-state-park

MOUNTAIN HOME SYMPHONY April 28, West Plains > Performance by a 45-member volunteer orchestra. Civic Center.

7 PM. $8. 417-255-7966, wp.missouristate.edu

BOARDWALK MOONLIGHT May 5, East Prairie > Stroll the elevated boardwalk, and learn about nocturnal animals. Big Oak Tree State Park. 8-9:30 PM. Free. 573-649-3149, www.mostateparks.com/park/big-oak-treestate-park

superb stitches!

FIBER ARTS AT THE LAKE April 28, Osage Beach > Vendors offer handmade items, spinning wheels, paper art, and fiber-oriented jewelry, demonstrations, and a fashion show. Thompson Hall at Harper Chapel United Methodist Church. 9 AM-4 PM. Free. 573-836-3806, www.lakefiberarts.com

HUMMINGBIRD BANDING

BRONZE EXHIBIT May 5-27, Poplar Bluff > Bronze sculptures by Joy Kroeger Beckner. Margaret Harwell Art Museum. Noon-4 PM Tues.-Fri.; 1-4 PM Sat.-Sun. Free. 573-686-8002, www.mham.org

OLD DILLARD DAYS PICNIC May 12, Dillard > 1900s picnic with period crafters demonstrating their skills, live music, and a tour of the operating mill. Dillard Mill State Historic Site. 10 AM-4 PM. Free. 573-2443120, www.mostateparks.com/park/dillardmill-state-historic-site

MOUNTAIN MUSIC FESTIVAL

May 9-12, Perryville > Craft fair with more than 150 vendors, carnival, games, car show, dog parade, and live music. Downtown. 5:30-9 PM Wed.; 8 AM-9 PM Thurs.-Fri.; 9 AM-midnight Sat. Free. 573-547-6062, www.perryvillemo.com

May 18-20, Ironton > Bring your instrument and join in Pickin’ and Grinnin’ on the Square on Friday, a 5K run, vintage tractor show and parade, bluegrass music, crafts, demonstrations, and gospel music. Court House Square. 6-8 PM Fri.; 9 AM-7 PM Sat.; noon-4 PM Sun. Free. 573-5463546, www.mountainmusicfestival.net

SPRING FEVER DAYS

MALDEN IN MAY

MAYFEST

May 11-12, Ellington > Parade, old-time demonstrations, crafts, BBQ contest, bluegrass music, and rides. Main Street. 5-9 PM Fri.; 7 AM-9 PM Sat. Free. 573-663-7997, www.ellingtonmo.com

MONTAUK MILL CELEBRATION May 11-12, Salem > Demonstrations of lost arts, skills, and crafts of the Ozarks. Montauk State Park. 9 AM-4 PM. Free. 573-548-2225, www.mostateparks.com/park/montauk-state-park

May 19, Malden > Art, crafts, antique cars, trucks, and dedication to hometown celebrity Narvel Felts. Downtown. 9 AM-4 PM. Free. 573276-4519, www.maldenchamber.org

BIG CAT QUEST May 19, New Madrid > Fishing teams hit the waters of the Mississippi River in search of the biggest catfish, arts and crafts booths, military vehicles, and the dedication of the new Vietnam

Memorial Statue. Main Street and Veterans Park.

9 AM-4 PM. Free ($200 per team to compete).

877-748-5300, www.new-madrid.mo.us

GARDEN WALK May 19-20, Ste. Genevieve > Garden and walking tours and plant sale. Historic District. 10 AM4 PM Sat.; 11 AM-4 PM Sun. Free (walking tour $7).

800-373-7007, www.visitstegen.com

CENTRAL THE 1940s RADIO HOUR April 12-15 and 19-22, Jefferson City > Dinner theater with big band music, swing dancing, and a live radio broadcast from Dec. 21, 1942. Shikles Auditorium. 6 PM Thurs.-Sat.; noon Sun. $30.

573-681-9012, www.capitalcityplayers.com

OLD DRUM DAY April 14, Warrensburg > Dog show, dog-themed crafts for kids, reenactments, classic car show, and the unveiling of the BurgDogs Unleashed art project sculptures. Historic Johnson County Courthouse grounds. 10 AM-6 PM. Free. 660-7477455, www.warrensburg-mo.com

COURTESY OF MARY MCGOWAN

May 5, Leasburg > Watch a researcher capture, band, and study the ruby-throated hummingbird. Onondaga Cave State Park.

11 AM-3 PM. Free. 573-245-6576, www.mostateparks. com/park/onondaga-cave-state-park

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Southland Park Gaming and Racing, West Memphis

Johnny Cash Music Festival, Jonesboro

Lakeport Plantation, Lake Village

The art of the LAND that gave birth to the MUSIC .

Ramble on down the Great River Road and across the Rock ’N’ Roll Highway to experience the places that nurtured legends of country, rock and blues. Enjoy authentic down-home foods, historic plantations and exciting gaming along the way.

Visit our website or call 1-800-NATURAL to order your free Vacation Planning Kit.

.com SCAN FOR VIDEO TOUR

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TAXES DONE! HAVE FUN! April 15, Linn Creek > Dance to the sounds of the Lake Jazz Band and enjoy refreshments.

Camden County Museum. 2-5 PM. $6. 573-3467191, www.camdencountymuseum.com

DOGWOOD FESTIVAL April 16-21, Camdenton > Art show, artist demonstrations, free Dogwood saplings, carnival, craft show, shoebox float contest, parade, 5K run/walk, stage entertainment, and quilt show.

Throughout town. 9 AM-10 PM. Free. 800-7691004, www.camdentonchamber.com

SPRING QUILT SHOW April 20-21, Sedalia > Display of quilts and vendors. Multipurpose Building on SFCC campus.

3-8 PM Fri.; 9 AM-3 PM Sat. Free. 660-530-7445, www.visitsedaliamo.com

SPRING INTO ROCHEPORT April 20-22, Rocheport > Shops have open houses with special sales and a bedding plant sale. Throughout town. 10 AM-5 PM. Free. 573253-0411, www.rocheport-mo.com

CELEBRATION OF EARTH DAY April 21-22, Knob Noster > Litter Scavenger Hunt, Trail Trekkin’, and nature programs. Pre-registra-

tion required. Knob Noster State Park. 9 AM-noon.

Free. 660-563-2463, www.mostateparks.com/ park/knob-noster-state-park

SPRING CRAFT SHOW April 28, Linn Creek > Variety of items. Camden County Museum. 9 AM-4 PM. Free. 573-346-7191, www.camdencountymuseum.com

BARGE INTO HISTORY May 10-11, Jefferson City > Ride a barge on the Missouri River to see unique views of the Capitol and downtown landmarks. Appetizers, drinks, and dessert served. Board at the Noreen River Access. 5:30-8:30 PM. $100. Reservations required.

573-632-2820, www.discoverjeffersoncity.com

FAIRY HOUSES AND FORTS

RHONDA VINCENT May 4, Dixon > Country bluegrass singer and her band perform a concert. The Barn. 6-9 PM. $30.

573-433-9370, www.thebakerband.com

May 19-Oct. 7, Kingsville > Regional designers create display of large-scale fairy houses and fanciful forts. Powell Gardens. 9 AM-6 PM. $4$10. 816-697-2600, www.powellgardens.org

KIDS FREE FISHING

FREEDOM RALLY

May 5, Lebanon > Exhibits, hands-on activities, demonstrations, and lunch. Free fishing for kids. Bennett Spring State Park. 6:30 AM-8:15 PM. Free. 417-532-4418, www.mostateparks. com/park/bennett-spring-state-park

WILD WEST FEST May 5-6, Kingdom City > Family-friendly event goes back to the Old West with chili contest, saloon-style food and drinks, Texas Hold’em tournament, costumed characters, musicians, dancers, comedy shows, arts, and crafts. Boster Castle. 10 AM-6 PM Sat.; 10 AM-4 PM Sun. $8. 573356-6558, www.thewildwestfest.com

Discover the man behind the furry red monster.

May 25-28, Buckhorn > Six bands, motorcycle show, camping. Shrine Road. Call for times. $25$30. 877-858-8687, www.local28forr.com

SUMMER JAM May 26, Waynesville > Live music on the square. Downtown. Noon-10 PM. Free. 417-7184224, www.visitpulaskicounty.org

HERB DAYS IN MAY May 26-27, Osceola > Woodworking demonstrations, art, and folk music. Evening Shade Farms. 10 AM-5 PM Sat.; 10 AM-4 PM Sun. Free.

417-282-6985, www.eveningshadefarms.com

Dav i d Cl e w e l l Missouri’s Second

Po e t L a u r e at e

April 9 8 p.m.

April 17 at 7 p.m.

Meet the poet and hear his words from the 2011 Montserrat Poetry Festival.

Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey Meet Kevin Clash, the Baltimore teenager who made his dreams of being a puppeteer come true.

Combining archival footage with material from the present day, this film explores Clash’s story and chronicles the rise of Jim Henson.

Clewell’s prize-winning work has appeared in several anthologies and periodicals including Harper’s and Ontario Review.

He has published seven collections including The Low End of Higher Things, The Conspiracy Quartet and Jack Ruby's America.

KMOS-TV broadcasts in HD on channel 6.1, and is carried in many communities on channel 6. You can also see broadcasts of lifestyle/how-to shows on 6.2 and international programs on 6.3.

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CIVIL WAR & LEWIS AND CLARK

Bring history home

111 N. Main, Liberty, MO • 816-781-9473 www.jamescountry.com • jamescntry@aol.com

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Carrying a complete line of Civil War Living History needs for Ladies, Gentlemen, Civilian, Military – featuring patterns, weapons, accessories, research. Our specialty: the Border Wars.

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May 15 - May 25, 2012

Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse

Ferry to Mackinac Island Niagara Falls Tour of Mackinac Island Historic Menno-Hof Shops RV Hall of Fame Museum Casa Loma Castle Great Shipwreck Museum Whitefish Point Lighthouse Only $1830 Per Person... Maximum 16 People Indianapolis Speedway Museum Price Includes: Custom Motorcoach - Airfare - Airport Shuttle - Lodging Casa Loma Castle Tour Hotel Breakfasts - Home Cooked Lunches - Snacks - All Venues Shown Toronto Waterfront Boat Cruise Pick up in most cities in Missouri then return directly to your home.

Full Day at Niagara Falls Fly to Boston and travel via custom motorcoach back to Missouri.

Ride the Maid of the Mist Come join us on our custom-built luxury motorcoach, fully equipped with reclining Floral Gardens of Niagara seats, kitchen, bathroom, card tables, video systems and a lounge area with couches.

Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse Enjoy delicious picnic lunches as you take in some of the most beautiful scenery in this country. Trips are designed exclusively for 16 people for the ultimate vacation.

Albacore Submarine Tour Tall Ships of Boston

USA Tours, Inc.

Rolla, MO

This is not an ordinary bus trip

1-800-492-2601

www.usatoursmo.com

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and Hofgarten. 9 AM-4 PM. $5. 573-676-3014, www.hermannantiqueshow.com

NORTHEAST ST. LOUIS

FROM THE GARDEN

see you at the ball!

ARTRAGEOUS BAUBLES BALL April 13, St. Louis > Bedeck yourself with baubles for the gala, which features a cocktail reception, dinner, silent auction, musical entertainment, fashion show of wearable art, and live auction of one-of-a-kind hand-crafted art works. Proceeds benefit Craft Alliance programs. The Palladium in the Lafayette Neighborhood. 6-11 PM. $250-$750.

314-725-1177, www.craftalliance.org

April 4-Nov. 10, St. Louis > Exhibit features battle artifacts, mounted infantry, a Civil War camp, and a field hospital. Jefferson Barracks Historic Park. Noon-4 PM Wed.-Sun. Donations accepted.

314-544-6224, www.stlouisco.com

FILM SERIES April 7, Hannibal > Screening of the story of Mark Twain’s Civil War involvement. Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum. 2 PM. $10. 573-2219010, www.marktwainmuseum.org

80TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY April 15, Miami > View the exhibits at Indian Cultural Center and enjoy cake. Van Meter State Park.

1-5 PM. Free. 660-886-7537, www.mostateparks. com/park/van-meter-state-park

ANTIQUE SHOW April 21, Hermann > Fine collectible pieces on display and for sale. Meet folk artist and author Barbara Rice. Old Mill and Ice House, Festhalle,

SPRING WILDFLOWER HIKES May 5, 12, 19, and 26, Wildwood > Take a hike and learn about Missouri’s forest wildflowers.

Babler Memorial State Park. 10-11:30 AM. Free.

636-458-3813, www.mostateparks.com/park/ dr-edmund-babler-memorial-state-park

CHESS TOURNAMENT May 12, Hannibal > Competitive chess games with awards. Public Library. 2 PM. Free. 573-2210222, www.hannibal.lib.mo.us

PHOTO COURTESY OF MOLLY DOUGLASS

CIVIL WAR IN THE WEST

April 21-Aug. 18, Ballwin > Hands-on program for children ages 4-14 to experience the plant life cycle from planting to harvest. Queeny Park.

9-11 AM (held on the third Sat. of each month) $55. 314-615-8482, www.stlouisco.com/parks

CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL May 19, St. Charles > Children’s activities from the 1820s including cow milking, hearth cooking, and quill pen writing. First Missouri State Capitol State Historic Site. 10 AM-4 PM. Free. 636-940-3322, www.mostateparks.com/park/first-missouristate-capitol-state-historic-site

The Southern Hotel 146 S. 3rd St., Ste. Genevieve 800-275-1412 • www.southernhotelbb.com

Here the past is carefully blended with modern comforts to make your stay a very romantic experience.

• A Historic Bed & Breakfast Check for future specials.

Fish for rainbow trout at Bennett Spring State Park, cruise Historic Route 66 and float the tranquil Niangua River. For more information, visit www.LebanonMo.org

®

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anytime!

An unforgettable getaway awaits you along the banks of the mighty Mississippi in Cape Girardeau.

Whether letting d imaginations run wilgh while learning throu y play at the Discover back Playhouse, stepping River in time at the Cape d Heritage Museum, Reseum House and Crisp Muin or exploring nature an all-new way at the Conservation Nature Center, you’ll love ilydiscovering the fam t friendly activities thaced can only be experien in Cape Girardeau.

TORY HAVE WE GOYTOUA!S FOR

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useum

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Family Fun, By Nature.

It’s not just a place; it’s an experience.

Take a boat out on 56,000-acre Truman Lake, or bring your bicycles for a relaxing ride on the Katy Trail. Join us this spring for classic cars, music shows, fishing tournaments and more!

City Wide Garage Sale April 21

Golden Valley Bluegrass Jamboree May 3-6

Cruise Night May 12

Ag Appreciation Golf Tournment

Coming Home Again, by W. Arthur Mehrhoff ($19.99), Reflections of Missouri, Drawings and Watercolors from Artist John Stoeckley ($39.95), Seasons of the MKT Trail: A Pictorial Journey by Gary J. Dietrich ($35)

May 19

Find these and more at www.MissouriLife.com/store or call 800-492-2593 ext. 101.

For more information, call 660-885-2123

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FINE ART AND FOLK FESTIVAL May 19-20, Chesterfield > Artists and crafters display their works with demonstrations and children’s activities. Tour several historic homes.

Historic Village at Faust Park. 10 AM-5 PM. $2.

314-615-8482, www.stlouisco.com/parks

NIGHT ICE-GRASS SLEDDING May 26, St. Louis > Lanterns light the hill for adult-only grass sledding on a huge block of ice. Bring an old towel or piece of carpet to sled on. Snacks provided, bring your own beverages.

Sioux Passage Park. 5-8:30 PM. $10. 314-6158841, www.stlouisco.com/parks

TWAIN ON MAIN May 26-27, Hannibal > Roving family-friendly entertainment, arts, hand-crafted items, and food vendors. Historic North Main Street.

10 AM-5 PM Sat.; 10 AM-4 PM Sun. Free. 573-4703492, www.twainonmain.org

GYPSY CARAVAN May 28, St. Louis > Antique, craft, and flea markets with more than 300 vendors from more than 20 states. Proceeds benefit the St. Louis Symphony. University of Missouri-St. Louis campus. 7 AM-5 PM. $10-$20. 314-727-5850, www. stlsymphony.org/gypsycaravan

County railroads during guerrilla fighting. National Frontier Trails Museum. 2 PM. $3-$6. 816-3257575, www.frontiertrailsmuseum.org

NORTHWEST KANSAS CITY

EARTH DAY EVENT

SHEEP SHEARING April 5, Lee’s Summit > Artisans demonstrate making wool from shearing to weaving. Missouri Town 1855. 9 AM-4:30 PM. $3-$5. 816-503-4860, www.jacksongov.org

COYOTE SINGS April 21, Independence > Puppeteers share this Native American story. Puppetry Arts Institute. 11 AM and 2 PM. $5. 816-833-9777, www.hazelle.org

April 22, Trenton > Nature walks, displays, and recycled crafts. Crowder State Park. 1-4 PM. Free. 660-359-6473, www.mostateparks.com/ park/crowder-state-park

ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES April 27-28, Weston > More than 50 vendors.

Historic Tobacco Warehouse No. 1. 10 AM-6 PM Fri.; 8 AM-5 PM Sat. Donations accepted. 816386-4013, www.westonmo.com

SPRING BIKE RIDE

April 21, Lawson > Watch 1870s-style sheep shearing, see display of rare and endangered livestock, and stroll through the heirloom kitchen. Watkins Woolen Mill State Park. 11 AM-4 PM. Free. 816-580-3387, www.mostateparks.com/ park/watkins-mill-state-park

April 28, Lee’s Summit > A 25-mile ride through Legacy, Lowenstein, Summit, Hartman, and Lea McKeighan Parks, or a 50-mile ride including the new Osage Trails, Williams Grant, and Harris Park. Starts at Legacy Park Softball Complex.

8 AM. $25 (free to spectators). 816-969-1500, www.cityofls.net

CIVIL WAR RAILROADS

CITYWIDE GARAGE SALE

SPRING ON THE FARM

April 22, Independence > Hear about Missouri’s railroads during the Civil War including the massacre at Centralia and the building of the Jackson

Stay & Play...

The Grand Way

Over 1500 Varieties

Join us for

Annuals & Tropicals

selection of

Perennials

here on the

Antique & Shrub Roses Vegetables Hanging Baskets

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April 28, Smithville > Hundreds of sales.

Throughout town. 8 AM. Free (small fee for map).

816-343-2003, www.smithvillechamber.org

Pottery Open Daily 9-5 Display Gardens

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farm just for you. Plant a little paradise in your world today!

Gift Certificates MC/Visa/Discover

800 850-6646 417 336-6646

excePTiOnAl PlAnTS fOR HOme And gARden

located six miles nW of the Boonville Bridge on Hwy 87 free Brochure www.vintagehill.com [108] MissouriLife

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APPLE BLOSSOM FESTIVAL May 4-5, St. Joseph > BBQ contest, Sound of Speed Air Show, concerts, and parade. Downtown, Airport, and Civic Center Park. 5-10 PM Fri.; 9:30 AM-5 PM Sat. Free (except special events).

816-233-6688, www.appleblossomparade.com

AN EVENING WITH ALFIE BOE May 7, Kansas City > Performance by acclaimed tenor. Kauffman Center. 7 PM. $35-$125. 800673-7252, www.irishcenterkc.org

GARDEN SHOW/TASTE OF MO

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARK MCCABE

May 12, Arrow Rock > Plants, potted containers, garden decor, and Missouri foods and crafts.

Old School House Community Center. 9 AM-4 PM. Free. 660-837-3469, www.arrowrock.org

WINGS OVER WESTON

penguins and polar bears, oh my!

May 12, Weston > Live bird presentations and guided bird hikes. Weston Bend State Park. 9 AM4 PM. Free. 816-640-5443, www.mostateparks. com/park/weston-bend-state-park

ANIMAL TALES AND TRAILS April 5-April 29, Kansas City > Interactive habitat for children to learn about unusual animals by sliding down a penguin iceberg slide, joining a polar bear in his cave and helping him ice fish, and jumping on a trampoline with a kangaroo. Crown Center. 10 AM-6 PM Mon., Wed., and Sat.; 10 AM9 PM Thurs.-Fri.; noon-5 PM Sun. Free. 816-274-8444, www.crowncenter.com/events

ENGLEWOOD ART WALK May 18, Independence > Artist demonstrations, live music, and refreshments. Englewood Station Shopping District. 5-9 PM. Free. 816-2523372, www.englewoodstation.com

Rolla Enjoy the beauty of the Ozarks.

As spring approaches the landscape of the Rolla area awakens with vibrant spring colors. Join us for a variety of spring activities:

Concert Series 2011 Guy Clark - September 15 Leo Kottke - September 22 Mark Farner - September 29 Marshall Tucker Band - October 5-6 Brewer and Shipley - October 6 Little River Band - October 12-13 Dave Mason - October 19-20 Poco - October 26-27 Ozark Mountain Daredevils - November 2-3

A Tale of Two Cities The Musical April 19-28 Mid Missouri Women’s Expo April 20 & 21 The All-American Boys Chorus April 23 Rolla Downtown Days May 11 & 12

www.wildwoodspringslodge.com 1311 Kingshighway, Rolla 888-809-3817

For more information on these and other events visit www.VisitRolla.com

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ML

Missouri

ALL AROUND

SOUTHWEST ART WALK April 13-14, Carthage > Featuring graphic and comic book art, live music, and children’s activities. Downtown. 6-8:30 PM Fri.; 10 AM-3 PM Sat. Free. 417-359-8181, www.carthageartwalk.org

CITYWIDE GARAGE SALE April 14, Ozark > Map shows locations. Throughout town. 7 AM-5 PM Free. 417-581-6139, www. ozarkmissouri.com

ROCK’N RIBS BBQ FESTIVAL

our protectors!

ORDINARY HEROES April 3-May 14, Springfield > Exhibit showcases 100 years of those who protected and served Springfield and Greene County including firemen. History Museum. 10:30 AM-4:30 PM Tues.-Sat. $1-$3. 417-864-1976, www.springfieldhistorymuseum.org

COURTESY OF DAVID J. ESLICK

April 20-21, Springfield > BBQ sampling, motorcycle show, pie and doughnut eating contests, children’s area, and BBQ teams compete. Community Blood Center of the Ozarks parking lot.

5-11 PM Fri. (ages 21 and over) and 10 AM-11 PM Sat. $7-$10. 417-840-7463, www.rocknribs.com

EARTH DAY April 21, Cassville > Smokey the Bear, foresters, and children’s activities. Roaring River State Park.

9 AM-4 PM. Free. 417-847-3742, www.mostateparks.com/park/roaring-river-state-park

! WARNING Visiting Pulaski County will likely result in fun times, splashing, giggling, and memories being made.

VISIT AT YOUR OWN RISK

EVENT SCHEDULE:

April 14: Sportsman’s trade show

May 4: Rhonda Vincent & the Rage in concert May 5: Season opening for the Pulaski County Courthouse & Old Stagecoach Stop museums along Route 66 (open Saturdays 10am - 4pm through September)

Rose Bed Inn

May25: Opening weekend: PFAA’s performance of The Hobbit, in theaters through June 3.

Luxurious Bed and Breakfast • Fine Dining We invite you to escape the worries of everyday life and get lost in the luxuries of our beautiful 1908 Victorian-styled home. The Rose Bed Inn features elegant dining facilities to host your event and also offers catering at your location.

The Aartful Rose, our convention center built in 2009, provides elegant seating for 150 people or a spacious cocktail setting for up to 300. Perfect for weddings, parties, and retreats.

Come visit the Rose Bed Inn, your oasis is waiting.

May 25-28: Mid America Freedom Rally (outdoor rock concert) Visit our website for details May 26: Summer Jam (outdoor music concert on the square in Waynesville) about all of our events:

VisitPulaskiCounty.org/RM

3XODVNL &RXQW\ 7RXULVP %XUHDX ‡ 6W 5REHUW 02

877.858.8687

Call today for your FREE visitor’s guide

866-ROSEBED and 573-332-ROSE (7673) • www.rosebedinn.com 611 S. Sprigg St., Cape Girardeau, MO 63703 [110] MissouriLife

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STORIES FROM LAKE WOBEGON April 26, Springfield > Public radio personality Garrison Keillor tells stories of the fictional town.

Juanita K. Hammons Hall. 7:30 PM. $35-$65. 888476-7849, www.hammonshall.com

crafts vendors, live music, fishing tournament, canoe race, water slides, and children’s activities. Caplinger Mills. 11 AM-11 PM. Free. 417-2765409, www.caplingermills.net

PLUMB NELLIE DAYS

RHYTHM ON THE RAILS April 28, Springfield > Traditional music, dance, and festivities celebrate the coming of the railroad in 1870. Commercial Street Historic District. Noon-11 PM. $10-$15. 417-864-7015, www.itsalldowntown.com/cstreet

May 17-19, Branson > Street dance, more than 150 heritage artisans and crafters, live entertainment, and an Outrageous Dog Show. Historic Downtown. 9 AM-6 PM. Free. 866-523-1190, www.downtownbranson.org

FRONTIER FESTIVAL

PLANT AND RUMMAGE SALE May 5, Carthage > Local Master Gardeners sell plants, shrubs, and trees and share advice. Powers Museum. 8 AM-2 PM. Free. 417-237-0456, www.powersmuseum.com

ARTSFEST ON WALNUT STREET May 5-6, Springfield > Visual and performing arts festival with 140 artists exhibits and five performance stages.

Historic Walnut Street. 10 AM-6 PM Sat.; 10 AM5 PM Sun. $5. 417-862-2787, www.springfieldartsfest.org

May 19, Ash Grove > Old-fashioned children’s games and activities including a 19th-century baseball game. Nathan Boone Homestead State Historical Site. 10 AM-4 PM. Free. 417-751-3266, www.mostateparks.com/park/nathan-boonehomestead-state-historic-site

Ozark Empire Fairgrounds. 8:30 AM-5 PM Fri.; 8 AM-5 PM Sat.; 8:30 AM-2 PM. Sun. 417-8332660, www.ozarkempirefair.com

BISON HIKE May 26, Mindenmines > Naturalist-guided hike to see and learn about bison. Prairie State Park. 10 AM-noon. Free. 417-843-6711, www.mostateparks. com/park/prairie-state-park

FREE LISTING & MORE EVENTS At www.MissouriLife.com PLEASE NOTE:

CAR AND TRUCK SHOW May 19, Clever > Antique, custom, and restored cars, trucks, and motorcycles, silent auction, swap meet, and vendors. High School. 8 AM-3:30 PM. Free. 417-221-7811, www.clevercarshow.com

STREET ROD NATIONALS

RIVER RAT DAYS May 12, Stocktom > More than 40 arts and

May 25-27, Springfield > More than 2,200 street rods, games, arts, crafts, and swap meet.

VISITBEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL, CRYSTAL-CLEAR, CRYSTAL-CLEAR, VISIT SPRING-FEDCURRENT CURRENT RIVER! SPRING-FED RIVER!

Current River at Doniphan, Missouri

Nestled in the foothills the Ozarks in Ripley County Current River atofDoniphan, Missouri

RON MARR Editorial Services Writer, Editor, and Missouri Life Columnist

Nestled in the foothills ofEnjoy theboating, Ozarksfishing, in Ripley County floating, tubing,

To US Hwy. 60

CIVIL WAR DAYS April 20-21, 2012

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To US Hwy. 67

canoeing, & swimming!

To US Hwy. 67

To US Hwy. 60

Camping,Pioneer RV facilities, & restaurants!

Heritagemotels Homestead

Personal Writing Coach for Adults & Students, Consultation & Editing for Self-Published Authors and College Admission Essays

Visit Current River Heritage Museum & For more information, call 573-996-5298 Pioneer Heritage Homestead Or visit our website:

Contact Ron at WWW.RONMARR.COM

Enjoy boating, fishing, floating, tubing, Camping, RV facilities, motels & restaurants! canoeing, & swimming!

Visit Current River Heritage Museum &

www.doniphanmissouri.org For more information, call 573-996-5298 Or visit our website: www.doniphanmissouri.org [111] April 2012

3/2/12 5:05 PM

Global travels & music to local attic treasures...

Celtic Woman: Believe April 11

Human Nature in Concert April 23

National Geographic Live!

Mattias Klum April 21

KCPT Appraisal Fair May 21

National Geographic Live!

Mireya Mayor Celtic Woman

Local Flavor

April 4

Concerts & Events

in Kansas City this spring with KCPT.

NEW EPISODES Host Doug Frost joins regular Kansas Citians as they dine and dish on their favorite local eateries!

Production funding provided by:

Watch online & find restaurants:

More information & tickets:

kcpt.org/checkplease

kcpt.org/events

KC P T- H D KCPT 2 KC PTCreate kc p t . o rg

KC P T- H D KC P T 2 KC P TCreate kcpt.o rg

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A ME RICA REVEALED Wednesdays at 9 p.m. beginning April 11

Technology expert Yul Kwon reveals a nation of interdependent and intricately interwoven networks that feed and power the nation, produce millions of goods, and transport people over great distances.

KMOS-TV broadcasts in HD on channel 6.1, and is carried in many communities on channel 6. You can also see broadcasts of lifestyle/how-to shows on 6.2 and international programs on 6.3.

www.kmos.org

UNIVERSITY CONCERT SERIES & DWIGHT GLENN PRODUCTIONS PRESENT

THE OZARK MOUNTAIN DAREDEVILS with

Friday, May 4, 2012, 7 p.m.

Missouri Theatre | Columbia, MO

BIG SMITH

TICKETS AT: www.concertseries.org

MISSOURI THEATRE BOX OFFICE (573) 882-3781

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Missouriana Trivia JUST FOR FUN

We've saved the best bits for last!

BY LAUREN YOUNG

Bet you didn’t know this!

The house of HANNAH COLE, one of Boonville’s first settlers, was used as a fort during the WAR OF 1812.

Kansas City has hosted the KANSAS CITY FILMFEST every April since 1997. The festival, which will be held APRIL 11 TO 15 at the AMC Mainstreet 6 in downtown Kansas City, showcases shorts and feature-length films.

We couldn’t have said it better!

“PART OF THE JOY OF DANCING IS CONVERSATION. TROUBLE IS, SOME MEN CAN’T TALK AND DANCE AT THE SAME TIME.” –Ginger Rogers, dancer and actress from Kansas City

ILLUSTRATIONS BY TOM SULLIVAN

The world’s largest rocking chair was erected on April Fool’s Day, 2008, in Fanning, outside the U.S. 66 Outpost and General Store.

The wood from the ELDER plant has often been used to make instruments such as WHISTLES and flutes because of its soft core and a hard exterior.

The music from these instruments is said to be BELOVED by fairies.

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Grilled Pork Chops with Basil-Garlic Rub

With pork chops, it’s easy to go beyond the expected. These Grilled Pork Chops with Basil-Garlic Rub are tender, juicy, and deliciously different. Learn more about the versatile chop at PorkBeInspired.com

©2012 National Pork Board, Des Moines, IA USA. This message funded by America’s Pork Producers and the Pork Checkoff.

PorkBeInspired.com [116] MissouriLife

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