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Contents APRIL 2014
featured > [22] SHOW-ME BOOKS Panic strikes the Ozarks when two women go missing in the backwoods. Find out more about this page-turner and six more great reads.
[24] MUSIC As a relatively young band, you might expect that Scruffy and the Janitors are named after a cartoon, but their music is mature beyond their years.
[26] ARTIST Artist Ray Morgan has painted more than ninety pieces while looking for magic in the Ozarks.
[32] UNIQUE RETREATS See seven wacky, wild, and just plain unique getaways across the state. Stay in a grain bin, an old barn, a tree house, and more.
[67] MUSINGS ON MISSOURI Ron Marr is a Renaissance man: columnist, instrument maker, and now ... inventor?
[84] REMARKABLE MISSOURIANS
special features >
[36] OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH BIKING Just call Missouri the cycling state. See our round-up of some of the best routes to
Siblings Jake and Simone Bernstein were still children when they started VolunTEEN Nation. Find out how their organization revolutionized how young people can volunteer.
bike, from trails with gorgeous riverfront vistas to those with pie shop pit stops.
[44] MAYBE IT’S MORE THAN MAKEUP We went backstage and behind the scenes to unveil what Miss Missouri pageant contestants are really like. They aren’t who you think they are.
[52] THE SOUL OF CONCORDIA In Concordia, the past thrives in its people. Learn about its bloody history, it’s
COURTESY OF RIVER OF LIFE FARM
notable religious residents, and the relics and people who have stories to tell.
[56] ORDER NO. 11 More than 150 years ago, George Caleb Bingham painted what was once considered his capstone piece. Find out why and what the painting means today.
[76] SHOW-ME FLAVOR The Missouri Life editorial team, along with notable artist Paul Jackson, takes an excursion to Broadway Brewery for a culinary lesson in indulgence.
special sections > [29] ROUTE 66 Get your kicks with our guide to a few amazing places and events along this historic route.
[62] CIVIL WAR GUIDE The only battle here is deciding which Civil War site you’re going to visit next.
[68] FRESH SPRING BEEF Find out what some of the best restaurants across Missouri are cooking this spring, and win $200 to the restaurant you pick and $500 worth of beef.
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Contents
APRIL 2014
departments >
CONTENT BY LOCATION 41 24, 41 28 40 82 43, 82 76, 28 106 14, 60 43 40, 39 106 41 38 39 22 19, 38 106 82 38
[10] MEMO
43
43 44, 106
THE SPIR IT OF DISCOV ERY
19, 28 19, 43 38 43, 84 26 40 40 106 40
39
501 High Street, Ste. A, Boonville, MO 65233 660-882-9898 | Info@MissouriLife.com
16
40
Our publisher thinks that you’re the best, and our editor-in-chief remembers her time in 4-H.
[12] LETTERS Meet our award-winning bluegrass musician,
[82] DINING WORTH THE DRIVE
and find out if your “flowers” are really weeds.
Feast in a French bakery. Discover the new place to dine in Brookfield, and more.
[14] MO MIX Meet Drury’s professor of rock, find out where
[87] ALL AROUND MISSOURI
George Washington’s tree is planted, see where
From Easter egg hunts to Civil War reenact-
hundreds of Mustangs gather, and more.
ments, we have the state’s best events.
[28] MADE IN MO
[106] MISSOURIANA
Discover 3D printing, natural alchemy in the
Before you go cycling, find out what Mark
kitchen, and teapots that are works of art.
Twain thinks about bike riding.
– THIS ISSUE –
On the Web
Sign up for Missouri Lifelines, our free e-newsletter, and follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MissouriLife or on Twitter @MissouriLife.
Publisher Greg Wood Editor in Chief Danita Allen Wood EDITORIAL & ART Creative Director Andrew Barton Art Director Sarah Herrera Associate Editor David Cawthon Associate Editor Jonas Weir Special Projects Editor Evan Wood Associate Art Director Thomas Sullivan Graphic Designer Taylor Blair Calendar Editor Amy Stapleton Editorial Assistants Abby Holman, Jane Gonzalez-Meyer Contributing Writers Sarah Alban, Kristin Dudley, Martha Prine Edwards, Nina Furstenau, Lisa Waterman Gray, Edward Hart, W. Arthur Mehrhoff, Porsche Moran, Danny R. Phillips, Madeline Schroeder, Christine Smith, Ron Soodalter Columnist Ron W. Marr Contributing Photographers Katie Bell, Angela Bond, George Denniston, Kristin Dudley, Martha Prine Edwards, Harry Katz, Naveen Mahadevan, Christine Smith, Uno Yi MARKETING •800-492-2593 Sales Manager Mike Kellner, Central and Northeast Advertising & Marketing Consultant Kevin Miquelon, St. Louis Advertising & Marketing Consultant Brent Toellner, Kansas City and Western Sales Account Executive Paula Renfrow, Inside Sales Advertising Coordinator Jenny Johnson Circulation Manager Amy Stapleton
SHOW ME THE TIARA
BIKE MISSOURI!
Go online, hang out with two Miss Missouri
Find a few more breathtaking biking routes
contestants, and see more of the pageant.
and cycling events that you can’t miss.
on the cover> CYCLING ACROSS THE STATE Cyclists trek across this bridge over the Missouri on the Riverfront Hike and Bike Trail in St. Joseph. Photo courtesy of St. Joseph CVB.
TO SUBSCRIBE OR GIVE A GIFT AND MORE Use your credit card, and visit www.MissouriLife.com, call 800-492-2593, ext. 101, 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 www.MissouriLife.com
COURTESY OF STEVE GERARD; UNO YI
DIGITAL MEDIA MissouriLife.com, Missouri eLife, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Missouri Lifelines Newsletter MissouriLife.com: Jonas Weir and Sarah Herrera Missouri eLife: Taylor Blair Facebook: Staff Twitter: Staff Pinterest: Taylor Blair Missouri Lifelines Newsletter: Evan Wood
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MISSOURI
YOU PROBABLY don’t
RIBBONS AND ROBOTS
realize how important each and every one of you are to us. You are the reason we do what we do here at Missouri Life. You are our reason for being. You not only invite us into your home, but you also pay us for the privilege. Thank you! But the privilege and honor is all ours, and we try our best to deliver the magazine you want to read. In fact, we pay the Circulation Verification Council, a St. Louis company, to research what you like best. So we thank you, again, if you participated in a telephone survey with them—anonymously, of course, so that’s why we’re offering our blanket thanks. There are two parts to this annual study that also tell us what kind of job we are doing. One part is called the circulation audit. This verifies the actual number of copies of our GREG WOOD, PUBLISHER magazine that are circulated, where they are distributed, how many of you read each copy, and how much of each copy you read. The other part is our reader survey, which tells us about you. The CVC interviewed 435 of you, and here are some of the most interesting things that we know about you: • 95% of you keep an issue of Missouri Life one month or longer. This set a record for the longest “keep” time of the more than 5,000 publications that the CVC audits annually. Tim Bingaman, CVC president, says “You are without a doubt on par with National Geographic in this regard.” • 75% of you own a tablet device, but only 15% of you who own one would be likely to read Missouri Life on that device. We are not surprised you still prefer to read print. • 91% of you actively seek out food produced by local farmers. • 83% of you own a pet. • 83% of you like to travel in Missouri for vacations. • And the number I like to tell advertisers about the most: 77% of you frequently purchase products and services you see in Missouri Life. Quite frankly, this number inspires me personally as much as any other fact we know about you. It means we and our excellent advertising or marketing partners have connected with you in a real and meaningful way. Here’s another way to connect to our partners. Pull out your smartphone, (the 89% of you who own one), and scan this code. It will take you to a new way to connect to our advertisers. You can also see them listed on page 105 and at www.MissouriLife.com/reader-service. And, please always feel free to let us know what you think about Missouri Life. Just email me at gwood@missourilife.com—and thanks for reading.
I PLEDGE my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service, and my health to better living, for my club, my community, my country, and my world. I recited those words at every 4-H meeting I attended, although “my world” was added later, I think. I’ve often thought about how much I learned as a member. There was the feeling of accomplishment from sewing a dress. I learned about patience from leading my 4-H dairy calf, Bandit, around for hours and hours. There was the thrill of winning ribbons at the county fair. I gained public speaking experience making presentations in front of our club. Although I may have held other offices, the only one I truly remember was Game Leader. My mother allowed me to buy a book of games, and we played a lot DANITA ALLEN WOOD, EDITOR of them. Even that came in handy when my children were in school, and I was a “room mother” at class parties and still remembered some of the games. Today, 4-H is much different. It has evolved from a youth development organization for rural youth to one that reaches every part of our state. Now, about 13 percent of the almost 277,000 members are from urban and suburban areas with populations greater than 50,000. Members have options for shorter-term after-school programs, online programs, day camps, and more. Today, the Missouri 4-H Foundation reports that the top member projects are 1) Food, Health, and Fitness; 2) Science, Engineering, and Technology; and 3) Citizen, Leadership, Communications, and Character. In fact, 4-H may be one of the few youth development organizations with such a strong focus on technological advances. Just a few examples: • The Camdenton 4-H Robotics LASER 3284 team designs, builds, and markets robots during an after-school program. • 4-H volunteers at a summer camp program in Columbia used GPS (global positing systems) and GIS (geographic information systems) to record information about cross walks and sidewalks. Another group in Columbia designed and mapped their ideal park using GIS. • In Branson, aspiring young filmmakers learned from professionals at the national FilmFest 4-H. The organization that taught me so much is still vital—and achieving tremendous results. A decade-long study by researchers at Tufts University in Massachusetts showed that 4-H youth are four times more likely than nonmembers to contribute to their communities while they are students, two times more likely to make healthier choices, and two times more likely to participate in science, engineering, and computer technology programs. As summer begins and members’ summer projects gear up, I want to thank all the past and present 4-H volunteers who have and are helping to develop all those heads, hearts, hands, and healthy bodies.
ANASTASIA POTTINGER
ALL ABOUT YOU
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You write them. We print them.
As a native Missourian, these are my stomping grounds. When I was little, I have fond memories of the St. Louis Zoo, Grant’s Farm, the Arch, and apple picking at Eckert’s. A little later, I became an Eagle Scout in Troop 21, from Clayton. Missouri camping trips were a regular part of my life. From Taum Sauk to Elephant Rocks and Johnson’s ShutIns, I spent many a cold autumn night in the woods of Missouri. Summer camps at S bar F Scout Ranch near Farmington became an annual ritual for me in my mid-teens. As a young father, I now have the experience of raising a third-generation Missourian, and places like the Zoo or the Magic House take on a whole new meaning for me. —Matt Hanses, St. Louis
ONE OF OUR BLUEGRASS HEROES I enjoyed the article about the state’s homegrown bounty of musicians (August 2013), but I think you forgot someone. Bluegrass artist Rhonda Vincent was born and raised here in good ole northeast Missouri. She and her family not only have a great influence on bluegrass music internationally, but they seem like good folk to have in a community, though I don’t know them personally. Rhonda and her band played a free concert at our Kirksville Rotary Park Amphitheater as a benefit for a local charity a few years ago. They sang and played their hearts out. Just thought I would remind you of another Missouri musical treasure. —Kathy Atkinson, Kirksville A HORSE, OF COURSE Greg, your Missouri Memo (February 2014) about your horses, particularly your Missouri Fox Trotter, was great stuff. We raised and bred Fox Trotters and walking horses. It was a toss up on which breed we liked the best. We settled on the Walking Horse, but our big gelding “Reddy Go Redman” made the choice difficult because he was a pleasure to ride. We have been out of the horse business for many years but still enjoy reading about others’ enjoyment with horses. —Bob Sargent, Foristell A STORY IN THE MAKING My book you featured in your February 2014 issue evolved a lot during the three years that it took to get it ready: from a loose-leaf notebook, just for my grandkids and nieces and nephews, to a paperback to a hardback. The dust jacket was added about a week before it went to the publisher. I’m working on another one, and if I ever get it done, I’ll send you a copy. —Alan Easley, Columbia
This year, Rhonda Vincent was named Entertainer of the Year at the fortieth Society for the Preservation of Blue Grass Music of America awards. She will perform in Branson in early May.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME Danita, I’m struck by the fact that you and Greg decided to start a magazine to showcase Missouri. Having been born and raised here, I appreciate it. In my travels, I often find people on either coast rather unaware of how cool it is here. When I was younger, I wanted nothing but to get out and, in fact, was planning on leaving for Los Angeles as soon as I turned 18. However, due to twists of fate, I remained. I’m now happily married with a one-year-old daughter. When I visit the West Coast, I ask myself why people would live there—not to be snide about it, because there are beautiful things about LA, too. It’s just that every time I come home, I breathe deeply and—shocking though it would be to my younger self—am glad to be back in Missouri. I live adjacent to the LaFayette Square neighborhood in St. Louis’s core. In fact, I write this now while looking out through a cold rain at the historic wrought-iron surrounding the park.
A WEED, INDEED While the picture of the Smithville water tower on page 114 of the June 2013 issue is pretty, I was wondering if you were aware of what the “flowers” really are? After spending a lot of hours trying to eradicate Musk Thistle from a pasture, they certainly look like the thistle. According to information obtained from the Missouri.edu site, the Musk Thistle is listed as a “noxious weed.” —Barbara Peck, Ionia To see if those “flowers” are really pesky weeds, visit www.weedid.missouri.edu. —Editors
SEND US A LETTER Email: Fax: Facebook: Address:
COURTESY OF RHONDA VINCENT
APRIL
LETTERS from all over
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Mo MIX
Kansas City
Egypt Comes to the Paris of the Plains THIS YEAR is Union Station’s hundredth birth-
What might have the archaeologist seen during his ini-
glimpse of how the tomb was arranged when Carter
day, and to commemorate, they’re showcasing an exhibit
tial excavation? The Tut exhibit hopes to give patrons a
explored its depths. Patrons can learn about the tomb’s
fit for a king—King Tut, that is.
history and then embark into the dimly lit four chambers,
The Discovery of King Tut, a twenty-thousand-foot
where they’ll see the treasures arranged in precarious
Tut exhibit, is making its North American debut in Kansas
stacks. A narrator on headsets guides the tour.
City and is the largest that Union Station has ever shown.
The thousand artifacts displayed aren’t the real
Since 2008, more than five million Europeans have
thing (the Egyptian government no longer permits
seen these artifacts. Now, Americans can explore
the real Tut artifacts to tour), though the replica
the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun in the way it was
golden masks and coffins, jewelry, wall paintings,
thought to have appeared when it was first discovered.
shrines, and other trinkets were crafted by Egyptian
Becoming king at seven years old, Tut died mys-
artists. The artists referenced photos and other visuals to recreate the details.
Egyptian history. His presumed father, Akhenaten, was
Reproductions also permit patrons to get up close
criticized when he decreed that only one deity was to
and touch the artifacts: the golden coffins, shrines
be worshipped. Consequently, the kings that followed
that would have held the disemboweled remains of
Tutankhamun sought to erase the existence of the son
the dead, the walls of the burial chamber that were
of the despised king, removing all traces of Tut’s name
covered in murals, and King Tut’s gold throne and
and likeness.
iconic eleven-Karat-gold mask.
Tut and the treasures buried with him lay undisturbed
The Discovery of King Tut will be open from April 4
for more than 3,300 years, until they were uncovered by
to September 7. Visit www.unionstation.org/tut or call
British archaeologist Howard Carter in November 1922.
816-460-6888 for hours and ticket prices.
COURTESY OF UNION STATION
teriously in his late teens, during a strained time in
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Mo MIX Old Appleton
Salvaging Treasure
inside the 105-year-old Appleton Mercantile Building:
“From April to August, we were digging through the building,” Mike says. “It was a mess.”
pedestal sinks, window panes, claw-foot tubs, porce-
The couple’s main business specializes in residential
lain doorknobs, and hundreds of antique doors. Some
bathroom and kitchen restorations, so the items uncov-
items are saved from old homes, and others are do-
ered in the mercantile had potential for their projects in
nated or sold to the store.
new and historic homes.
In fact, the building itself is an antique, saved by its
profiled the mercantile and Old Appleton. “A lot of people will come through the old store just to look at stuff like it’s an old museum,” Mike says. In this museum of sorts, items sell quickly. The large round windows from Academic Hall on the Southeast Missouri State University campus sold in
current owners Mike and Carole Harvell. A few other
just a few days.
historic buildings in town haven’t been so lucky. The
Other items have a personal connection. Mike’s grand-
old Mule Beer Brewery, just out back, is reduced to a
father’s drill press and other effects also were for sale at
mere foundation. The Schnurbush Hardware Store is
the mercantile. Carole’s father, an antique collector, ran
vacant, and the Silver Dollar Tavern is standing but in
out of space for his items, and those pieces also made
rough shape. And a few years ago, the mercantile was
it to the store.
in a similar condition.
But Mike isn’t dwelling on the past. He says he sees
In 2012, the couple visited the mercantile building after
today’s youth as prime customers.
hearing that it was for sale. It had been closed and de-
“There’s a whole market for our twenty-year-
teriorating for almost three decades. As they explored
olds who are into that fifties and sixties stuff—
the old structure, they saw moldings, pieces from the
pistachio green ovens: that kind of stuff,” he says.
historic Hotel Marquette in Cape Girardeau, and in the basement covered in dirt, the old signage that was on the mercantile storefront long ago.
“That’s an up-and-coming trend. Young kids think Some of the more interesting items for sale that
this stuff is neat.”
have come through the mercantile aren’t used
The Appleton Mercantile Company is open Fri-
It was perfect.
strictly for refinishing homes: an arcade machine
days from noon to 5 PM and Saturdays from 10 AM
They purchased the building in April 2012 and decided
based on the 1988 classic movie Die Hard, iron railing
to 4 PM at 418 Appleton Main Street in Old Apple-
to operate it as a business later that year in August, sell-
from the mid-1800s, and even a July 1967 edition of
ton. Call 573-768-4292 for more information.
ing off the relics inside and others they would acquire.
the St. Louis Post Dispatch, which had an article that
—David Cawthon
COURTESY OF MIKE AND CAROLE HARVELL
YOU NEVER KNOW what you’ll find
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We’re Reeling ‘Em In We are Clinton, Missouri; where small town life is still alive and well. We invite you to cruise the shoreline of Truman Lake or pedal your way down the Katy Trail. This Golden Valley in which we live offers a multitude of opportunities to shop, bike, hunt, fish or just relax. We invite you to come share all the things we love: our events, our square, our nature, and our people. We are Clinton, and we are great people, by nature. For more information on Clinton, Missouri, go to www.clintonmo.com
Visit · Stay · Explore Salem, Missouri is just around the corner from rivers for all seasons and water for all reasons!
BETH WATSON
Enter to win a Salem prize package! ($500 value) www.missourilife.com/salem
There’s more to do here. Naturally. 573-729-6900 | www.salemmo.com
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Visit Historic Glasgow!
Historic past
exciting present
Glasgow, MO www.glasgowmo.com
BUSHWHACKER BEND WINERY
BECKETT’S
Truly a sip of Missouri splendor with a unique, local venue overlooking the Missouri River. Enjoy our handcrafted wines and the warmth of our winery and friendly staff. 515 First St. 660-338-2100 | www.bushwhackerbend.com
A beautiful place for good food, wonderful people, and lots of laughter! Where there is something for everyone. 510 First St. | 660-338-9978 www.beckettsrestaurant.com
4TH ANNUAL PICCADILLY GALA & AUCTION
CHARITON LODGE
THE ROLLING PIN BAKERY
3RD ANNUAL GLASGOW WINE WALK
Offering a breathtaking view and warm comfortable lodging, making for the perfect getaway. This unique, modern log home on 60 acres, offers a full country breakfast and a private 2,100 sq.ft. area with walkout porch and breathtaking view . 660-338-2408 | North of Glasgow on Hwy. 5
Serves a delicious selection of fresh baked cookies, pies, cheesecakes and croissants. Open 7AM to 3PM Tuesday to Saturday. Lunch served daily. “Life is Short, Eat Dessert FIRST.” 104 Market St. | 660-338-0800
Join us for an afternoon of shopping, live music, and great restaurants. Five area wineries offering samples at local businesses. This will be an event you won’t want to miss. $15 per person, must be 21 to participate. April 12, 5-8PM | www.bushwhackerbend.com.
Put on your favorite poodle skirt for a 1950’s sock hop and join us for a fun-filled girl’s night! May 8, 6PM social hour, 7PM dinner at Knight’s of Columbus. Tickets are $45 at Market Street Floral 660-338-2300 & Beckett’s 660-338-9978.
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Mo MIX St. Louis
Presidential Roots GEORGE WASHINGTON
might have chopped
down a cherry tree, but Washington University is known for doing quite the opposite. The St. Louis Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects recognized Washington University’s Campus Tree Master Plan with its highest award on February 22, George Washington’s birthday and the 161st anniversary of the university’s charter. Sharing a birthday and a name aren’t the only things these two Washingtons have in common. The university is also home to one of
Springfield
The Hair Metal Historian PICTURE A Van Halen fan. Thanks to popular culture and countless ’80s movies, you might imagine Bill and Ted or Spicoli but probably not a college professor. Greg Renoff, who teaches history at Drury University, is using his academic chops to write a book about Van Halen’s roots, from their early years to their big break. “There’s been some decent books on Van Halen, but there hasn’t been a book that has done any digging back before they were famous,” Greg says.
COURTESY OF GREG RENOFF AND WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY; GEORGE DENNISTON
About five years ago, Greg started researching the
twelve trees that are direct descendents from a poplar tree that our first president planted at Mount Vernon, Virginia, in 1785. The tulip poplar was planted just north of Ridgley Hall on Washington University’s campus in April 1991 after sixty seedlings were sent to different presidential sites and Washington namesakes, thanks to a project by the American Forestry Association, the National Arboretum, and the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association. Today, it’s the only tree standing of the five that were sent to universities across the country, so a horticulturist from Mount Vernon recently sent the university a plaque marking the tree’s significance. Also, with about four thousand trees on campus, the Arbor Day Foundation recognized the university for the fourth year in a row as a Tree Campus USA, a program that helps colleges grow and sustain trees. You can see the tree on the north side of Ridgley Hall, near the north entrance to Holmes Lounge. —Jonas Weir
Hermann
A Mustang Love Fest
book by interviewing classmates and others who knew
KYLE CARAWAY’S
The noncompetitive event, de-
not widely available at the time.
the band growing up. Now, he’s interviewed more than
first love on four wheels was a red
signed for any Mustang owner and
Those pictures of the new cars cir-
two hundred people, including Ted Templeman, who
1969 Mach I Mustang. As a teenager,
enthusiast, is the second-largest
culated on a Shelby forum. Inspired
produced Van Halen’s first album, and Michael Anthony,
Kyle could identify that car by its dis-
festival in Hermann. Kyle will tell you
by demand from the forum, the
the band’s original bassist.
tant rumbling, long before he saw it.
that awards, common at these types
first official Shelbyfest in 2007 drew
Sure, other cars caught his eye, but
of events, don’t matter; it’s about the
twenty-six cars, but in recent years,
the Mustang captivated his soul.
cars and the people.
more than three hundred cars have
Greg, a fan since he was fourteen, has more than enough information to finish the book—it’s only a mat-
His Mustang obsession eventu-
Shelby Fest’s humble beginnings
ally spawned a Mid-MO rally that he
started in November 2006 when
Aside from teaching and writing, Greg helps host and
dubbed Shelbyfest after Carroll Shel-
Kyle and seven friends photographed
This year is the fiftieth anniversary
curate New Books in Popular Music, a podcast that is part
by, who inspired the Shelby Mustang.
their Shelbys, some of which were
of the Mustang, and Shelbyfest will
ter of landing a book deal. But Greg has plenty to keep him busy in the meantime.
been at the event. One couple even shipped their Mustang from Hawaii.
of the New Books Network. Some of Greg’s favorite inter-
include a representative model from
views have been Richie Unterberger, a prolific rock writer
each year, in addition to hundreds
and author of Won’t Get Fooled Again, a book about The
of ’Stangs. With the help of vendors
Who, and Greg Kot, writer for the Chicago Tribune and
and other companies, attendees can
author of Ripped, a book on the rise of the mp3.
modify their rides and obsess over cars. Attractions, eateries, and per-
With topics ranging from the predatory nature of
formances are other highlights.
record labels to the meaning of stardom, it’s more intellectual than you might presume. After all, he is a college
Shelbyfest 2014 runs April 25 to
professor. To listen to Greg’s podcast and to read the blog,
26. Visit www.shelbyfest.net for
visit www.newbooksinpopularmusic.com. —Jonas Weir
more information. —David Cawthon
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AWAKEN to Fulton’s rich history with exciting sights and sounds all wrapped up in the warmth of small-town charm, with brick streets, elegant architecture, and 67 buildings on the historic register. UNWIND at a Missouri top 10 inn, the historic Loganberry Inn where Margaret Thatcher and other famous guests have stayed. CONNECT to our history at the newly renovated National Churchill Museum. This $4-million museum inside a priceless piece of architecture offers a look back at living history. IMMERSE yourself in the arts and music at Kemper Center for the Arts and Westminster Gallery. MARVEL at the impressive collection of 84 historic automobiles displayed in Hollywood-style sets for their era at the new Backer Auto World Museum. SAMPLE some distinctive Missouri wines at Canterbury Hill Winery, or bottle your own at Serenity Valley Winery. SAVOR scrumptious dining at one of our great restaurants, like Beks, for a unique blend of old and new where internet and espresso meet 1902 architecture. CAPTURE a sense of local history at the Historical Society Museum, or pay your respects at the Missouri Firefighters Memorial. The National Churchill Museum features interactive displays that engage and educate visitors of all ages.
SMILE at the offbeat collection at Crane’s Museum in Williamsburg, and before you head out, stop by Marlene’s Restaurant. A pulled-pork sandwich and warm slice of pie will leave you grinning.
For knock-your-socks-off beautiful watercolors, check out the national exhibition in April and May.
REVISIT the 1930s by sharing a shake made with locally made premium ice cream at Sault’s authentic soda fountain.
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Wonderful breakfasts and romantic accommodations await you at Loganberry Inn B&B.
Calendar of Events 14th Annual Watercolor Missouri International Watercolor Competition and Show
March 24-May 25 National Winston Churchill Museum 501 Westminster, Fulton www.mowsart.com | 573-642-6410
Art House Grand Opening April 3, 5-8 531 Court Street, Fulton 573-592-7733 www.arthousefultonmo.org
Morels & Microbrew Festival
April 26, 1-5 500 Block of Court St., Fulton www.thebrickdistrict.com 573-642-8010
Opening Day of Brick District Farmers Market May 3, 9 to 12 100 Block of 5th Street, Fulton Saturdays, May-October
Crane’s 4,000-square-foot museum is a one-of-akind viewing experience featuring rural Missouri history dating back to the 1800s.
Girlfriend Get-A-Way
May 3 – July 31 Loganberry Inn B&B, Fulton Two nights stay, 2 breakfasts and spa services $239/person www.loganberyinn.com | 573-642-9229 Celebrate the joy of painting, pottery, and creativity with weekly events at the Art House in Fulton’s Brick District.
Come tour our seven historic Civil War sites on the Gray Ghosts Trail!
www.callawaycivilwar.org www.mocivilwar.org
Savor a Brown Cow at Sault’s authentic soda fountain. [21] April 2014 [13] December 2010
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For your next getaway or family vacation, visit Fulton and Callaway County. For more information and calendar of events, visit www.visitfulton.com or call 573-642-3055.
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SHOW-ME
Books
BLOOD ON THE LEAVES IN HER WRITING, Laura McHugh reveals the heart of a region and lets details of land and language pull you solidly inside the world she creates. That is an uncommon skill. And for an author revealing disturbing sides of human nature, it becomes a shadow dance of choices that, with a flick, turn dark. The novel, The Weight of Blood, is about the disappearance of two young women in the Ozark backwoods. The author’s deft skill slowly unveils family secrets and that things are not what they seem, yet, in gently surprising ways, family loyalties remain convincing even as events expose human darkness. The plot of The Weight of Blood is based on the true story of a 2010 case involving a sixteen-year-old girl in Lebanon, Missouri, where Laura attended high school for a time. That account also inspired the novel’s twist. In the book, a high school art teacher working in the fictional town, called Henbane, starts to add things up: “Mr. Girardi spent an entire class period comparing Henbane to paintings of Hell. The land was rocky and gummed with red clay, the thorny underbrush populated by all manner of biting, stinging beasts … ‘Even the name,’ he’d said … ‘Henbane. Another name for nightshade—the Devil’s weed. He’s everywhere. He’s all around you.’ ” Although not a part of the real Lebanon case, in one scene, a character discovers a dismembered female body stuffed into a tree
The Weight of Blood Laura McHugh, Spiegel and Grau, 320 pages, hardcover, fiction, $26 in the fictional town. Laura’s prose peels back what it is to be in a place and to be powerless as events unfold. The play of language shapes the story, as well. For example, the following exchange between a neighbor and main character, Lucy: “ ‘You behaving yourself while the gravedigger’s gone?’ “I held back a smile. Dad worked construction,
but Birdie, like a few older folks in town, still remembered the Danes as gravediggers and saw Dad as a continuation of the line. While he knew how to bury a body, he was rarely asked to do it. Still, Birdie called him ‘gravedigger’ the same as she’d call someone ‘doctor,’ implying pedigree and respect.” Even for those of us not from Missouri’s remote areas, recognition dawns in the patterns of speech and the nuances of place. Laura has always been imaginative, writing even as a child. Her family moved from Iowa to several small Missouri towns as she was growing up: Tecumseh in Ozark County when she was seven, Sleeper when she was twelve, and Lebanon when she was fourteen. It is that path, perhaps, that made observation second nature for her, and the rich environment of the Midwest permeates her work. “Everything I write is set in the Midwest,” Laura says. “I’ve traveled to other places, but I haven’t felt inspired to write about them.” That instinct was spot-on. After a stunning reception by agents and publishers alike, Laura’s debut novel has generated anticipation in ever-widening circles. She has book contracts in more than five countries, talks about movie rights with her agent, and is working on a second book, which has already sold in the Netherlands and United Kingdom. This, her premier novel, represents a huge first step for a Missouri author to watch.
COURTESY OF TAISA GORDON, SPIEGEL AND GRAU
An author’s first novel, inspired by true events, grapples with humanity's darkest side. BY NINA FURSTENAU
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MORE GOOD READS BY JANE GONZALEZ-MEYER AND ABBY HOLMAN
Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors, Volume 2
Graham and Jet Get Wet: The Wonders of Weather
Susan Swartwout, Southeast Missouri State University Press, 318 pages, softcover, personal essays, $15 Produced by the Missouri Humanities Council and Warriors Arts Alliance, a second volume of letters and essays gives readers an inside look at the lives of war veterans. Members of the nation’s armed forces from Missouri and other states recount stories of daily military life that give the ordinary citizen insight into experiences that might seem unimaginable for those who haven’t served.
Janis and Dave Murray, Reedy Press, 32 pages, hardcover, fiction, $16.95 After a spring hail storm, Graham and his new friend, an eagle named Jet, take flight to explore a storm system in this children’s story. Dave Murry, a St. Louis meteorologist, and Janis Murray, a former CNN correspondent, craft an informative and enjoyable tale that educates children on storm safety and the anatomy of a storm. The book describes types of clouds, the jet stream, gust fronts, water vapor, hail, thunder, and lightning outside of the narrative to provide more understanding of how Mother Nature works.
Tornado Warning
Images of America: Atchison County
Tamara Hart Heiner, Dancing Lemur Press, 252 pages, softcover, nonfiction, $15.95 The nation has watched Joplin recover after a mile-wide tornado ravaged the town in the early evening hours of May 22, 2011. Seven women who all lived in the path of destruction recount that day of the storm: the usual, routine mornings, the afternoon warnings, and the thirty-six minutes of sheer terror—and then piece everything back together in the months and years hence. The book’s author, Tamara Hart Heiner, provides a clear look at how the tornado evolved and the steps taken by the weather service to warn those in its path. The book comes out in May.
Kim A. Evans, Arcadia Publishing 128 pages, soft cover, nonfiction, $21.99 Located in the northwest corner of the state, Atchison County has a rich history of farming, ranching, and families who made this part of the state their home. Having once been a crossroads for westbound settlers, this county was a hub along the then-burgeoning rail lines that spread across the country. Take a look into the past of Atchison County through the photography and detailed captions of the author, and gain a better understanding of what it means to be a Missourian.
Some Kinds of Love: Stories Steve Yates, University of Massachusetts Press, 258 pages, soft cover, fiction, $19.95 Throughout the twelve stories of this book, Yates explores the complicated nature of love and what it does to the human spirit. A variety of characters are contained within the stories, as well as different settings, including the Missouri Ozarks. Find out what it really means to love and to overcome the obstacles that life throws at us.
Chas: Foreshadowing Destiny Mike Arthur, Westbow Press, 165 pages, soft cover, religious fiction, $13.99 After the United States is hit by an electromagnetic pulse, Chas Anders must find his way home from Colorado to Missouri without cars and modern technology. On his journey, he faces outlaws and other challenges that test his inner strength and faith. Drawing heavily on the events of Revelations in the Bible, the main character must overcome trying circumstances to reunite with his family.
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MISSOURI From left: Brothers Teriq Newton (guitar) and Trevin Newton (drums), plus bassist Steven Foster, make up Scruffy and the Janitors, a St. Joseph garage rock band.
CLEANING UP
THE BLUES
is a thing born of the darkness, often springing from the pain of loss, regret, longing, and suffering that seems to never subside. For Scruffy and the Janitors, a young trio hailing from the city where the Pony Express started and Jesse James ended, the blues is a thing of beauty—a glimpse into the side of the human condition that feeds power and creativity. The sounds of the blues gave the world one of its greatest and most lasting gifts: rock ’n’ roll. “What drew me to the blues, and delta blues in particular, was the raw emotion, storytelling, true feeling, and the undeniable skill of the guitar player,” says guitarist Teriq Newton. “Those players don’t shred like in metal, but they absolutely know how to play; they know their instrument. All of us [in the band] dig music history and how music genres and styles evolved. Delta blues is the precursor of rock ’n’ roll, and honestly, if you want to hear a man sing about real troubles, how can you not like the blues?” The trio, made up of Steven Foster and brothers Teriq and Trevin Newton, formed two years ago from a shared love of 1960s blues and garage rock bands. Although no one in the band is old enough to have a drink after the show, their grasp of these beloved genres is astonishing. Citing influences from early 1920s blues-men like Skip James, Son House, and Mississippi John Hurt to Led Zeppelin, The Kinks, Nirvana, The Hives, and The Arctic Monkeys, the trio’s
knowledge of the musical landscape and skill, coupled with Steven’s weathered and emotive voice, defy both their ages and explanation. Since playing their first show together on March 2, 2012, the band has released the garage-rock, no-budget, lo-fi debut album Pino, played countless dates, and played shows with up-and-comers, such as Black on Black and Gringo Star. In March, the group made the cross-country trip to Austin, Texas, to play as part of the Midcoast Takeover Showcase at South By Southwest, and their notice has secured them an invitation to play Middle of the Map Fest, April 3 through April 5 in Kansas City’s Westport neighborhood. This summer, the band will release Anglo on the St. Joseph-based This Tall Records, featuring the single “Shake It Off,” which is getting plenty of airtime on Kansas City’s most listened to alternative rock station, 96.5 The Buzz. “Shake It Off” is also being released as a seveninch vinyl single on April 19 for national Record Store Day. Scruffy and the Janitors may be quiet as church mice while the stage is still, but once the amps hum and the drums start pounding, the band comes to life like no other. Unlike their namesake, the seldom seen Scruffy the Janitor from Matt Groening’s cartoon show Futurama, it seems this trio will be in the spotlight often. To hear the band’s music and see the band’s tour dates, visit www .reverbnation.com/scruffyandthejanitors, or check them out on Facebook.
COURTESY OF SCRUFFY AND THE JANITORS
Scruffy and the Janitors are one of the most exciting young acts in the St. Joseph area. BY DANNY R. PHILLIPS
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Defining Excellence
www.columbiaorthogroup.com | 573-443-2402 1 South Keene Street | Columbia, MO
Garth S. Russell, MD William G. Quinn, MD Dennis L. Abernathie, MD Peter K. Buchert, MD Patrick A. Smith, MD Thomas R. Highland, MD James F. Eckenrode, MD Randal R. Trecha, MD Mark A. Adams, MD Jennifer L.K. Clark, MD Benjamin T. Holt, MD John D. Miles, MD Robert W. Gaines, MD B. Bus Tarbox, MD David E. Hockman, MD
Matt E. Thornburg, MD John Havey, MD Jeffrey W. Parker, MD Todd M. Oliver, MD S. Craig Meyer, MD B.J. Schultz, MD Christopher D. Farmer, MD Brian D. Kleiber, MD Kurt T. Bormann, MD Jason T. Koreckij, MD Alan G. Anz, MD Matt Jones, MD Tim Crislip, DPM J. Camp Newton, MD
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MISSOURI
MAGIC IN THE OZARKS Artist Ray Morgan cares for his paintings as if they were his children. BY MARTHA PRINE EDWARDS LIVING ON a farm a few miles southeast
Artist Ray Morgan showcased his body of work at Missouri University of Science and Technology in September 2013. “Things never quite live up to what your desire is, hence my show’s title was Damaged in Creation,” he says.
I changed over the years in an attempt to simplify and to shape relationships rather than form them. Several pieces were done by just setting up a French easel and painting plein-air.” Despite discovering his own style, Ray learned that the artist’s life can be a difficult one. “Other than self-gratification, it can be a very thankless avocation,” he says. “Most times it can hardly be used for supporting oneself.” Ray has worked as a land surveyor, engineer, and draftsman, and has done some farming over the years. Through all the jobs, however, his art has always been a staple in his life. “It’s like visiting old friends,” he says of his paintings. “I don’t have children, so in a way my works have always been my children.”
But the past few years, Ray has been held back in his painting pursuit. After contracting a tick-borne illness, he has suffered from some neurological issues and now finds it hard to hold a paint brush steadily. Nonetheless, Ray hopes to return to painting, knowing his work will have a different feeling and look due to his condition. “I’ve always liked the idea of the kid that comes next,” he says. “My desire with art has always been to create magic. I don’t know what talent is, exactly, but when it comes to art, when it works, it is something like that produced by a magician. There is a lot of magic here in the Ozarks.” To see more of Ray’s work from his Damaged in Creation show, visit www.MissouriLife.com.
MARTHA PRINE EDWARDS
of Rolla, artist Ray Morgan is a self-described hermit. And his art reflects that notion. “When it comes to models, no one is more patient than yourself,” he says. However, his paintings are more varied than self-portraits. His body of work, spanning several decades, includes approximately ninety pieces, with subjects ranging from cityscapes to scenes in nature. “I think I find most of my inspiration in nature,” Ray says. “Nature has always been my most cooperative subject.” Ray’s work is a balance of realism and abstraction. He admires the work of postimpressionist painters Cezanne, Matisse, and Vincent van Gogh. “Although I hate to admit it, Gauguin, too,” he says, referring to Paul Gauguin whose art and life have been largely criticized for his predilection for young girls. From a young age, Ray knew he wanted to be an artist, and he pursued that dream at the Kansas City Art Institute on a full-tuition scholarship. “The Art Institute really was a case of ‘unlearning’ for me,” he says. “I had to discard any preconceptions I had about drawing and working. In a way, it was very tough. I would equate it with going to a psychiatrist and being torn down emotionally to be built up again.” His schooling is not the only thing that helped Ray find his artistic voice. Although his later works are primarily oil paintings, he has experimented with many different styles. “For a long time, I worked only in black and white in the Japanese style of sumi-e,” he says. “When I was very young, I was a pure realist, but
[26] MissouriLife
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3/7/14 10:58 AM
Special Tour
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www.missourilife.com | www.travelerslane.com 314-223-1224 | travelerslane@hotmail.com
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Made IN MISSOURI St. Peters
Printing Creations Out of Thin Air A REPLICA of a doctoral
prints in his home and ships across
student’s own teeth and a mount
the country and the world.
the devices in Make magazine. After experimenting and piecing
that fastens a video camera to a
How? 3D printing is a process
together his own printers from You-
Canadian stuntman’s airplane are
that allows objects to be printed
tube videos and online forums, Bill
just a few things that Bill Plemmons
using a computer connected to
eventually formed his own business,
a device (pictured at left printing
Physical 3D, out of his bedroom.
a hand sculpture). The computer
Now, companies and individu-
sends commands to the printer,
als ask him to design everything
which layers a liquefied plastic from
from weapons for military robots
the bottom up. Each layer dries and
to a heel prototype for high-
hardens as the object materializes.
heeled shoes.
This process can take hours or days.
Bill says new designs typically
Bill creates sculptures, doll house
undergo a few drafts; it took at
furniture, logos for pendants, puzzle
least ten prototypes before a Mar-
Rocheport
toys, Shop-Vac parts, and just about
thasville company accepted his
anything else you can think of. The
weapons cartridge design. But it
plastic is as strong as some metals.
only took two before Bill’s mount
Home is Where the Art is
Bill started his business after he
enabled a Canadian stunt pilot to
lost his job at a printing press facto-
zoom around with a video camera
ry in October 2012. Wanting to work
attached to his plane.
SEVEN YEARS AGO,
Yukari Kashihara
for himself, Bill thought he would
Bill can print something for you,
and her husband, Thomas Scharenborg, converted their
try 3D printing after hearing about
or you can purchase one of his 3D
hundred-year-old house in Rocheport into the Shirahaze
the 3D printer that his son used
printers at www.physical3d.net.
Gallery, a live-in art studio featuring Yukari’s ceramics.
in high school and reading about
—David Cawthon
Yukari, a native of Osaka, Japan, describes her hand-painted artwork as contemporary with a Japanese twist. And though her pieces are decorative,
Trenton
they are also practical. She crafts mugs with tiny
All-Natural Alchemy
birds on the handle, so tea drinkers can wrap their
YOU MIGHT SMELL some interesting concoctions wafting from Jennifer Farmer’s kitchen in Trenton.
soms that are common in Japan. Some of her teapots
When commercial products failed to remedy her dry, sensitive skin, she experimented and created her own products in
are shaped like elephants.
ture plants and flowers, including pink cherry blos-
2007. Farmer’s Apothecary, her one-woman shop, is still headquartered in her kitchen. Jennifer creates artisan soaps, lotions, candles, salves, lip-care products, and body scrubs that she ships across the country and the world.
Yukari grew up around her father’s collection of traditional Japanese artwork. As an adult, she studied art at
“It is fun to find the art in science,” she says. “I kind of feel like a mad scientist when I’m in the kitchen making things.”
the University of Missouri-Columbia and graduated with a
Each product is hand-stirred by Jennifer and made from
Master of Fine Arts in ceramics. She and her husband set-
a variety of ingredients, which include oil and lye. She uses
tled in Rocheport because they loved the natural scenery.
olive, castor, safflower, coconut, and palm oils for different
Yukari’s artwork has appeared in competitions like
effects in her products, such as more moisture or more bub-
Columbia’s Art in the Park, and her pieces have been fea-
bles. Jennifer, also a graphic designer, creates her own
tured in Teapots: Contemporary Explorations of Timeless
packaging and marketing materials.
Designs. Her ceramics are also displayed in multiple gal-
She has also kept research and development in-house.
leries, including one in Key West, Florida.
Her family are the official test subjects for her new creations;
“My artwork evolves, and of course it should,” she says.
she says her daughters are the “scent feedback panel.”
“If your life is changing, your artwork should change also.”
Visit www.farmersapothecary.com for more informa-
Visit the gallery at 200 2nd Street, or call 573-356-
tion, or call 660-654-0399. —Abby Holman
7154 for more information. —Jane Gonzalez-Meyer
COURTESY OF JENNIFER FARMER, BILL PLEMMONS, AND THOMAS SCHARENBORG
tea string around them. Her teapot designs also fea-
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p u t i v Re ROUTE on
Inside the guide:
66
Joplin Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, p. 30 Lebanon Tourism, p. 31
St. Louis Sunset Hills
Jefferson City
Sullivan
St. Clair
St. James
Pulaski County, p. 31 Rolla, p. 31 Route 66 Museum, p. 30 Springfield Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, p. 29
Waynesville
Cuba Rolla
Lebanon Carthage
Springfield
Webb City Joplin
ROUTE 66 CURRENT-DAY I-44 ENLARGED AREA
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it up Rev ROUTE
66
on
Route 66 Museum & Kinderhook Treasures Gift Shop
Upcoming Events
Paranormal Investigations of the Talbot House April 5, 8 PM, Waynesville, www.facebook.com/ParanormalTalbotHouse Celebrating a Local Son and His Art: 125th Birthday of Thomas Hart Benton April 15 - May 11, 8 AM-5 PM, Joplin City Hall, 417-625-4789 6th Annual Rockin’ the Route Car Show April 26, 9 AM-4 PM, Kellogg Lake, Carthage www.facebook.com/RockinTheRouteCarShow Rodney Mack Philly Big Brass Concert May 8, 7 PM, Cowan Civic Center Theater, Lebanon, www.rmpbb.com Joplin Memorial Run • May 10, joplinmemorialrun.com Mid America Freedom Rally XXVI May 23-26, Fort Leonard Wood Shrine Park, Buckhorn www.midamericafreedomrally.com 4th Annual Wagons for Warriors May 24, Laclede County Fair Grounds, near Lebanon, 9 AM - 5 PM www.wagonsforwarriors.com
Located in the Lebanon-Laclede County Library 915 S. Jefferson, Lebanon, MO 417-532-2148 www.lebanon-laclede.lib.mo.us
4th Annual Birthplace of Route 66 Festival and Car Show August 9, Springfield, www.itsalldowntown.com
[30] MissouriLife
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! y a w a t e G r u o Y Pl a n n on! u ch to se e a n d d o in L e ba So m
4th Annual Wagons for Warriors
May 24 Laclede County Fairgrounds 417-588-3256
Lebanon is known by its motto,
“Frien dly people. Frien dly pla ce.” These events are only part of the fun we have to offer.
Kids’ Free Fishing Day
May 3 Bennett Spring State Park www.bennettspringstatepark.com 417-532-4307 | 417-532-4418
Summer Fun Car Show for Breast Cancer Wellness June14 Cowan Civic Center 417-532-9863
www.lebanonmo.org | 1-866-LEBANON
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Unique R ET R E ATS Get away to six distinctive destinations across the state. BY PORCSHE MORAN
CCOURTESY OF GRANNY’S COUNTRY COTTAGE
From a barn and a wagon, to a grain bin and a train caboose, Missouri's selection of out-of-theordinary lodging is anything but snooze-worthy. If you dare to trade your hotel room key card to slumber in a tree house or spend a weekend hibernating in a cave, these unique overnight stays are sure to add excitement to your trip.
The Round House at Granny’s Country Cottage was converted from a grain bin to a bed-and-breakfast. Read more about the Round House on page 35. [32] MissouriLife
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Yurts at Missouri State Parks Lake of the Ozarks State Park, Lake Ozark Pomme de Terre State Park, Pittsburg, Missouri
CAMPING can be a pain, literally, but the yurts at Lake of the Ozarks and Pomme de Terre State Parks give camping a more glamorous appeal. Since the fourth century BC, people in central Asia have used these circular domed tents for housing. However, yurts are now popular with vacationers who want an outdoorsy experience that doesn’t include pitching tents and sleeping on the ground. The state park’s take on the yurt is made from green and white fabric. The tents, built on railed, wooden decks, have lattice, wooden frames to make them weather tight. The shelter’s lockable doors keep the park’s wildlife out of any tempting picnic baskets. Plus, they have heating and air conditioning, microwaves, and mini refrigerators, but you’ll still have to rough it a bit; there is no running water. Even furry, four-legged campers can appreciate the yurts. For a small fee, the Cabins for Canines program allows two dogs in each yurt. And you’ll get plenty of time with the great outdoors. The yurts’ large windows and skylights open up to fresh air and forest and lake scenery. A grill and picnic table sit right outside. And campers who want to eat under a clear, starry sky can gather around the fire pit. For more information, visit www.mostateparks.com.
Adventures in Lodging at Crystal Creek Ranch | Eminence DON’T BE SURPRISED if you’re greeted by a curious gang of
COURTESY OF MISSOURI STATE PARKS AND CRYSTAL CREEK RANCH
ducks, chickens, and turkeys when you arrive at Crystal Creek Ranch. Sheep, cows, goats, rabbits, and even a llama are among the other animals that share this thousand-acre ranch hidden away in the Ozarks. Owners Bill and Bette Byrne have created an environment that allows guests to experience a deeper connection with nature. To that end, their property has more than four miles of walking and hiking trails, and a labyrinth path used for prayer and meditation. “We want people to have a chance to take a break from their busy lives,” Bette says. “Families often thank us for the opportunity to reconnect with each other without the distractions of cell phones, TV, and the internet.”
Beyond the natural amenities, the ranch has several unique accommodations the Byrnes call “adventures in lodging.” First, the Byrnes converted a red barn into housing. The two-bedroom shelter is accented with charming patchwork quilts and burlap curtains. The living room is decorated with glass bottles, tin buckets, and wooden crates that reflect the former dairy barn’s history. The ranch also has an open-air tree house overlooking a creek. The elevated abode is ideal for camping and taking a daytime nap in a hammock. Children will love the authentic sheepherder’s wagon, complete with a double bed, eating area, and a storage space. Right across the field, parents can keep an eye on the kids from the porch of the Russ Noah Cabin, a twelve-by-twelve-foot cabin built in the ’50s and donated to the ranch by Noah. The Byrnes added a new floor, foundation, and roof to the cabin. Plus, a microwave and a small refrigerator offer some creature comforts. The Russ Noah cabin isn’t the only pioneer-style lodging. The Lakeside Log Cabin, suitable for four people, is next to a spring-fed lake and surrounded by dogwoods and redbuds. Modern touches, such as air-conditioning and a refrigerator, don’t curtail the cabin’s historic feel. For a great view, two ranch houses look out over deep valleys and treepacked hills. The Overlook Ranch House has six bedrooms, sleeping up to twenty people. Its four levels of decks have made it a hot spot for weddings. The Cabin Ridge House sleeps twelve people in its three bedrooms. For more information on these adventures in lodging, visit www.crystalcreekranch.com, or call 573-226-2222.
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The Cave House at Stone Park Resort & Amphitheater Bonne Terre
| Dora
High in a canopy of trees on the edge of the North Fork River, log cabins sit atop towering wooden stilts at River of Life Farms. Inspired by the treetop dwellings in the Swiss Family Robinson, owners Myron and Ann McKee built the first tree house in 2000. “The tree house theme is very popular,” says Myron. “It’s been the attraction that has built our business.” The Swiss Family Robinson never had it this good, though. Designed to pamper their inhabitants, the tree houses feature double whirlpool tubs, king-sized log beds, stained-glass windows, and stone fireplaces. Their large decks have seating for alfresco dining or admiring the river. “People like the romance of staying in a tree house on the river,” Myron says. The private atmosphere and luxury spell romance and attract couples for honeymoons and anniversaries. The tree houses are great for any moment you decide to celebrate with that special someone. However, families and groups of friends also rent out the cabins for weekend getaways. In fact, people from all around the world have traveled to stay at the River of Life Farm. After all, you’re never too old, or too young, to stay in a tree house. In addition to the amenities, a restaurant on site cooks up homestyle dishes like biscuits and gravy, country-fried steak, ribs, and catfish daily. And the chef often treats guests to complimentary loaves of freshly baked breads. When you’re looking for something to do outside, River of Life Farm offers professional guides for fly-fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and rafting trips. The sprawling 350-acre property, which borders the Mark Twain National Forest, also has hiking and horse trails. Learn more at www.riveroflifefarm.com, or call 417-261-7777.
COURTESY OF STONE PARK RESORT AND RIVER OF LIFE FARM
Tree House Cabins at River of Life Farm
The Cave House at Stone Park Resort & Amphitheater has no problem standing out, despite the competitions from the resort’s other lodging options. Owner Royce Vessell, a ceramic engineer, and his late wife Flora, who purchased the house in 2010, made the house into the curious and luxurious lodging that it is today. As its name hints, the house is built around the entrance of a small cave. Royce prefers guests do not go into the cave, but they can enjoy an indoor pond with goldfish, a waterfall, and lush greenery in front of the cave entrance, a serene spot to quiet life’s stresses. Plus, the rest of the interior is just as luxurious and comforting. The front door opens to the top floor which has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a full, loft-style kitchen, complete with dining area. A curved, open-riser wooden staircase travels from the kitchen down to the grand living room where polished concrete floors complement the walls of massive rocks and limestone outcrops. Off to the side, a sliding glass door leads to an indoor pond that surrounds the cave’s entrance. The floor plan is well suited to the cave house’s blend of natural beauty and modern amenities, such as hardwood floors, stainless steel kitchen appliances, and a flat screen TV and fireplace in the living room. On the side of the home, there’s a patio made from stone and boulders. The rugged space invites guests to lounge in wooden chairs around the fire pit. Surrounded by woods, the Cave House is just steps away from a three-acre lake stocked with fish. When Flora died in August of 2012, Royce decided to keep the house open to preserve his wife’s vision. “She loved people, and she wanted to create a destination where people could come out and have fun,” Royce says. “There is so much turmoil and stress in life, and you can get away from that here.” For more information, visit www.stoneparkmo.com, or call 314-769-2283.
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The Round House at Granny’s Country Cottage Why would anyone want to sleep in a fourthousand-bushel grain bin? Maybe that grain bin has been converted into a perfectly habitable shelter with a plethora of vacation accommodations like Round House at Granny’s Country Cottage. It won’t take long to fall in love with this unconventional house located on the working farm of owners Donna and Jack Thieme. Jack and the couple’s two sons have professional construction experience and are responsible for all of the bin’s renovations with the help of other family members. An array of colorful flowers surrounds the bin and sets the tone for this homey bed-andbreakfast of sorts. And the welcoming porch makes for a place to sit on a sunny day. Inside, the first floor is a kitchen, living area, and dining area all in one. From the window over the kitchen sink, you’ll likely see a herd of cattle grazing in the field. Upstairs, you’ll find a loft-style bedroom with a queen-sized bed and a bathroom with
COURTESY OF GRANNY’S COUNTRY COTTAGE AND CRUCES’ CABOOSES BED & BREAKFAST
Cruces’ Cabooses Bed-and-Breakfast
| Humphreys
free-standing shower. Much like the bin itself, the owners repurposed everyday objects in unexpected ways for the furnishings and decor. The staircase railing and the bed’s headboard were both constructed out of willow tree branches. Guests can hang their hat and coat on a rack made from antlers. A birdhouse lamp sits next to the plaid couch, and an old cream separator now acts as a waste basket. The meals are another reason to book a stay. Donna delivers homemade breakfast and dinner to her guests. Everything is made from scratch and served family-style on an aluminum washtub-turned-rolling-table. And if you like to snack, the mini fridge in the room is stocked with milk, juice, bottled water, and eggs from the chicken coop right next door to the bin. As an added touch of hospitality, Donna has a pie or other baked pastry ready for guests when they check-in. Visit www.grannyscountrycottage.info, or call 660–286–3981 for more information.
| Windsor
With cabooses no longer required on freight trains and freighthopping going out of style with Beat culture, Cruces’ Cabooses Bed-and-Breakfast offers the rare opportunity to be able to spend the night in a real caboose. Located in a wooded, rural area with a large pond, guests have a choice of two real 1980s cabooses, one from Burlington Northern Railway and one from Sante Fe Railway. Owners Damon and Patti Cruce started the bed-and-breakfast in 2002 to cater to riders on the Katy Trail, but bicyclists aren’t the only people renting the cabooses for a unique experience. “I have the best customers,” says Damon. “I’ve had people from other countries come to stay. I have groups of friends and families that have made it a tradition to come back each year. People come here for an adventure.” Don’t worry, though; these trains aren’t moving any time soon. Damon, whose paternal grandfather and other family members worked on the railroads, had the wheels of the cabooses welded onto a section of railroad track to create a more authentic feel. He also purchased solid brass skeleton keys, which guests use to operate the cabooses locks. Available from March through November, the cabooses are a great place to enjoy the great outdoors. There’s also an open, grassy area between the cabooses and the pond with a fire pit, chairs, picnic table, and a rope hammock. And the cabooses’ upper level, called the cupola,
is accessible by a pair of stationary ladders, offering a different, higher view of the surrounding nature. Plus, the cabooses are air-conditioned and heated. They both have bunk beds, a kitchenette, a dining area, and toilet and shower facilities. And continental breakfast foods are provided in each. It sure beats riding the rails hobo-style. For more information, visit www.crucescabooses.com, or call 816229-8389.
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Blazing
TWO-WHEELED
TRAILS COURTESY OF STEVE GERARD
Sometimes, it’s the journey. Other times, it’s the destination. Explore both (and a few amazing detours) by bicycle on these seventeen off-the-beaten-path adventures.
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The Tour de Cape winds through Cape Girardeau and the surrounding countryside, but you can follow the race route any time, and make a few detours for food, drink, and relaxation.
WITH A MIX OF URBAN AND RURAL SCENERY, hilly and flat terrain, and some amazing sights and tastes, Missouri is home to a bounty of cycling routes that test and entertain. If you’re thinking about embarking on a two-wheeled excursion, we have a few unusual routes with some must-see destinations and detours, recommended by cyclists across the state. The diversified geography of each route offers varying scenic views and makes for a variety of cycling experiences, as some trails are more challenging than others. Take a leisurely loop around a historic landmark or pedal through a difficult climb to an amazing vista. Ride to a winery, or coast to an awesome eatery. No matter your speed, we’ve got you covered. Our collection of some of the state’s most unique biking routes has varying terrain types, distances, locations, and difficulties. Visit www.MissouriLife.com/bikeroutes for maps from www. MapMyRide.com and more routes that are available online only.
By David Cawthon, Jane Gonzalez-Meyer, Abby Holman, and Madeline Schroeder [37] April 2014
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SOUTHWEST Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park to Springfield Hot Glass Studio Rating: Easy Distance: 9-mile round trip Bike type: Road or mountain In a nutshell: Start at Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park, which has Japanese gardens, a butterfly house, a botanical center, and park recreational facilities. Then, cycle through the city to a cultural attraction. Trailhead: Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park, 2400 S. Scenic Avenue, Springfield, 417-891-1515 Detour: The Springfield Hot Glass Studio is a working glassmaking center that features glassblowing and torch-working demonstrations, as well as classes and a gallery of artwork for sale. If you swing by at the right time, you can bike around the park, stop by the hot glass studio, and catch a class. Call ahead and visit the website below for information regarding class dates and times. The Springfield Hot Glass Studio: 314 S. Campbell Avenue, 417-8688181, www.springfieldhotglass.com
Pie Ride, Miller to Golden City Rating: Moderate Distance: 55-mile round trip Bike type: Road (recommended) or mountain In a nutshell: Perhaps one of the more delicious cycling routes in the state, this round-trip ride from Miller to Golden City is for cyclists who love home cooking. Maggie Mae’s Tea Room in Miller serves up some sandwiches, soups, and salads, and Cooky’s Cafe in Golden City is a must-eat for dessert fiends, though limit yourself. A full stomach might complicate this leisurely ride. Trailhead: You can start at Maggie Mae’s or Cooky’s, but note that the ride is generally downhill from Miller to Golden City. Detour: When you arrive in Golden City, head to Cooky’s Cafe and order what some might call the best pie in the state. If you’re in Miller between 11 am and 2 pm, Monday through Saturday, head to Maggie Mae’s for a lunch pit-stop. Cooky’s opens at 6 am all week long, but closes at 2 pm on Mondays and is open into the evening throughout the rest of the week. Call ahead for times. Maggie Mae’s: 206 W. 4th Street, 417-452-3299 Cooky’s Cafe: 529 Main Street, 417-537-4741
Tour de Bass Rating: Moderate to difficult Distance: 102-mile round trip Bike type: Road (recommended) or mountain Trailhead: Peruse Bass Pro Shop before you embark on your journey through Springfield and the smattering of quaint towns that surround the city. In a nutshell: Though this is a race route, you don’t need to be in a hurry to enjoy it any time this spring, summer, or fall. After embarking from Bass Pro, you’ll see Turner’s Station, the oldest grocery store in Greene County, at about the 11-mile mark. Snag
some food because west of Springfield, just south of Route 266 at about 59 miles on the highway, you can unpack those goodies and have a picnic on the hillside. At about 78 miles in, you’ll hit the OOVVDA Winery, just north of Springfield. Snag a bottle or two to enjoy later. At the end, chow down at Hemingway’s Blue Water Cafe at Bass Pro. Bass Pro Shop: 2500 E. Kearney Street, Springfield, 417-873-5000 Turner’s Station: 6484 E. Farm Road 148, Turners, 417-881-8777 OOVVDA Winery: 5448 N. Berry Lane, Springfield, 417-833-4896 Hemingway’s Blue Water Cafe: 1935 S. Campbell Avenue, Springfield, 417-891-5100 Detour: Although the Commercial Street Historic District deviates from the official route, it’s worth the slight diversion. Explore the quirky shops, cafes, eateries, and historic sites before you continue on the route.
Five Ugly Sisters Rating: Extreme Distance: 79-mile round trip Bike type: Road (recommended) or mountain In a nutshell: What’s an ugly sister? You’ll know it when you see it. This route’s five hills, some with steep grades, make for a challenging ride. The route starts at Hollister High School and heads south across the Arkansas border before circling back north. Need a breather? Rest on the hilltop, and take in the rolling Ozark landscape before heading forth to conquer the next hill. Trailhead: Hollister High School, 2112 Route BB Detour: At about the 73-mile mark on this ride, you’ll have conquered the last of these five hills. Take a breather, and enjoy the view; you’ve earned it. For the most part, it’s all downhill back to the start. Branson Downhill Bikes has mapped this challenging course. Branson Downhill Bikes: 116 Flynn Road, Branson, 417-335-4455
SOUTHEAST St. Joe State Park Bike Path, Park Hills Rating: Moderate Distance: 14-mile round trip Bike type: Road or mountain In a nutshell: Nature and history merge on this paved trail that provides wooded views. Keep a lookout for wild turkey and deer, as well as a mining museum at the end. The trail has mostly rolling hills with some steep climbs. Trailhead: From Interstate 55, take Highway 67 south to Leadington/ Park Hills Exit. Turn right onto Route 32 west, and travel about 3.5 miles before turning left onto Primville Road. Parking is available at the two trailheads located off Primville Road. Detour: The Missouri Mines State Historic site is located on the north end of the park, right in the middle of Missouri’s “Lead Belt.” At one time, most of the nation’s lead was mined here. Miles of mineshafts run underground along the trail. The museum shows the history of St. Joe Lead Company that was operated in the park for many years. There are also wineries, fishing lakes, and equestrian trails in the area if you want to take a break from your bike seat. St. Joe State Park Office: 573-431-1069
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The Pie Ride is a round trip from Maggie Mae’s Tea Room in Miller to Cooky’s in Golden City.
MAP YOUR RIDE Visit www.MissouriLife.com/bikeroutes for a collection of maps in this issue and more from www.MapMyRide.com. Send the routes to your phone and track your progress, location, time, and other data along the way using MapMyRide’s mobile app for iPhone and Android devices. Do you have any photos or stories from your ride? Are there routes you would like to share? Send them to Associate Editor David Cawthon at dcawthon@missourilife.com.
Bike to Springfield’s oldest house, the Gray-Campbell Farmstead, in Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park.
The Tour de Bass starts here, but you can bike this route any time of the year.
COURTESY OF GARY LEDFORD, JOHN WHITE, AND SPRINGFIELD CVB
Five Ugly Sisters route’s fifth and final climb is steep, but the view of the Ozarks is worth it.
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The Tour de Cape route offers a mix of city and countryside.
Baylee Jo’s BBQ is an Ironton staple. Stop in for a bite before or after your excursion.
Shop at your leisure, and enjoy the views as you ride through the Plaza in Kansas City.
Rating: Moderate to difficult Distance: 30-mile round trip or 100-mile round trip Bike type: Road or mountain In a nutshell: If you can’t catch the race on September 27th, you can still follow the 30-mile trail which originates in downtown Cape, runs near Trail of Tears State Park, and dives back toward town. No matter if you decide to ride that course or the more ambitious 100-mile route that winds southward through the countryside, when you return, chow down and drink up at The Pilot House for hearty eats or Cafe & Me for a vegetarian meal. Trailhead: There is public parking along the river at the intersection of Main and Independence Streets in Cape Girardeau. Call the Cape Girardeau CVB for other possible parking locations. Detour: If you need to catch your breath on the route, stop at the murals on the shore of the Mississippi in downtown Cape, and enjoy the cool breeze and quaint sights before continuing on throughout the city and into the countryside. For another diversion, at about mile 15, go north on Route 177 and then right on Moccasin Springs Road to Trail of Tears State Park. Cafe and Me: 820 N. Sprigg Street, Cape Girardeau, 573-334-2777 Cape Girardeau CVB: 573-335-1631 The Pilot House: 3532 Perryville Road, Cape Girardeau, 573-334-7106 Trail of Tears State Park: 429 Moccasin Springs Road, Jackson, 573-290-5268
Barbecue and Boulders, Ironton Rating: Moderate to difficult Distance: 13-mile round trip Bike type: Road or mountain In a nutshell: Make a slow, steady climb up the hill that peaks midway from downtown Ironton to Elephant Rocks State Park. When you’re in Ironton, a stop at Baylee Jo’s BBQ is a must before or after your excursion.
Trailhead: Baylee Jo’s Barbecue, 1315 N. Highway 21, 573-546-2100 Detour: Park your bike, and take a walk through Elephant Rocks State Park. Climb on these historic elephant-sized boulders, and explore the area’s other natural wonders. Elephant Rocks State Park: 7406 Highway 21, Belleview, 573-546-3454
NORTHWEST Brews, Art, and Shoes, Kansas City Rating: Easy Distance: 9-mile round trip Bike type: Road or mountain In a nutshell: This ride is for those who want to explore a few hallmark locations in the heart of Kansas City. Start in Jacob L. Loose Park, then cycle north to shop or relax at the Plaza, head southeast to the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, and head south through city streets to the 75th Street Brewery. Trailhead: Jacob L. Loose Park, bordered by W. 55th Street to the south, Wornall Road to the east, W. 51st Street to the north, and Summit Street to the west. Detour: As Kansas City’s first brewpub, the 75th Street Brewery is moderately priced with good eats. Sip on a brew in the urban beer garden, called The Alley. The restaurant also hosts upscale private events. 75th Street Brewery: 520 W. 75th Street, 816-523-4677 Nelson Atkins Museum of Art: 4525 Oak Street, 816-751-1278
Weston Bluffs Trail, Beverly to Weston Rating: Easy Distance: 6.5-mile round trip Bike type: Mountain or road In a nutshell: This trail, connecting Beverley to Weston, runs along the Missouri River and Burlington Northern Railway. The northern half of the
COURTESY OF STEVE GERARD AND MISSOURI DIVISION OF TOURISM
Tour de Cape Route
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When you have finished cycling, explore one of the country’s most captivating mills.
Start at St. Joseph’s Krug Park and head to other cycling routes like this one along the Missouri.
The quaint town of Weston offers quite a few destinations for the curious.
COURTESY OF MISSOURI DIVISION OF TOURISM, MISSOURI STATE PARKS, AND ST. JOSEPH CVB
trail is paved while the southern half has fine gravel. Explore Weston’s dining, shopping, museums, and wineries. Trailhead: There are three entrances to the trail: the Weston Bluffs picnic area, Welt Street in Weston, and South Bluff Road in Beverly. To find the Beverly trail, take Route 92 West out of Platte City until you see Beverly Drive on the right. Take that road, and turn left on Route 45 soon after. Take the first right onto Beverly Drive and right again on S. Bluff Road. Park in the gravel lot next to the trail. Detour: Located on Main Street in Weston, The National Silk Art Museum houses the most extensive collection of silk tapestries in the world. Museum and Fiber Arts, Inc.: 20755 Lamar Road, 816-536-5955 Weston State Park: 816-640-5443
Krug Park and Riverfront Trails, St. Joseph Rating: Easy to moderate Distance: 5-mile round trip or more Bike type: Road or mountain In a nutshell: The Krug Park Trail has been re-routed and has beautiful cascading streams. Some parts have punishing hills, but there is always a quick escape if the riding gets too tough. If you leave the park, explore the city or take a ride near the Missouri River on the Riverfront Hike and Bike Trail. Trailhead: From St. Joseph, head west on Highway 59 (St. Joseph Avenue), and Krug Park is along Karnes Road. Detour: The entire park has large lagoons and fountains but the real highlight is the waterfall at the end of the large hill. The park also has an amphitheater, gardens, and a wild animal preserve. Krug Park: 816-271-5500
Watkins Mill State Park, Lawson Rating: Easy Distance: 3.75-mile round trip
Bike type: Mountain or road In a nutshell: This trail circles around Williams Creek Lake and crosses six wooden bridges and one metal truss bridge. Riders can relax on the benches along the trail and watch deer, songbirds, and turkeys. An overlook deck near a waterfall has a view of Williams Creek Lake. Visitors can fish and swim at the lake; campgrounds are nearby. Trailhead: From Excelsior Springs, take Highway 69 North. Go west at NE 174th Street and follow the road until you arrive at the state park. Cyclists can access the trail in four areas in the park: the boat ramp parking area, the beach parking area, at Williams Creek picnic area, and on either side of the dam. Detour: The Watkins Woolen Mill State Historic Site resides in this park. Take a tour of the Watkins home and the mill, the only American mill from the nineteenth century with its machinery intact. Watkins Mill State Park: 26600 Park Road N., Lawson, 816-580-3387
NORTHEAST Columbia Bottom Conservation Area Mountain Bike Trail, West Alton Rating: Easy Distance: 8-mile round trip Bike type: Road or mountain In a nutshell: This mostly flat multi-use trail cuts along farmland to the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Trailhead: Columbia Bottom Conservation Area: Take Interstate 270 to the Riverview Drive Exit. Go north three miles, and the gravel parking lot is straight ahead at the intersection with Strodman Road. Detour: The confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers are the main attractions. Herons and egrets are common along the shoreline and wetland areas. There are great bird-watching opportunities, so bring binoculars. Department of Conservation: 636-441-4554
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At Lover’s Leap, you can see the Mississippi River. The town of Hannibal will be behind you.
This pedestrian path enables cyclists to travel across the Missouri River from the Katy Trail to Jefferson City.
The Columbia Bottom Conservation Area route weaves through farmland and near two major rivers.
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Creve Coeur Park, St. Louis Rating: Easy Distance: 11-mile round trip Bike type: Mountain In a nutshell: This route encircles Creve Coeur Lake, Mallard Lake, and Creve Coeur Meadows. All trails are flat and paved except a short section of the Millard lake round trip which is gravel. Trailhead: Take Interstate 270 to the Dorsett Exit. Go west on Dorsett to Creve Coeur Mills Road, and turn right (north). Follow the hill down, and the parking lot is on the left. Detour: This trail wraps around Missouri’s largest natural lake, which is 300 acres, and by the waterfall that gave Creve Coeur its namesake. Legend says that a Native American girl fell in love with a French trapper but then jumped off the waterfall to her death when her admiration was not returned. It was said that the lake formed itself into the shape of a broken heart, which the town adopted as its symbol. Cycle on to the Katy Trail, and ride past Creve Coeur Airport where you can see biplanes take off and land. St. Louis Parks and Recreation: 314-615-4386
COURTESY OF JEFFERSON CITY CVB, MISSOURI DIVISION OF TOURISM, AND TERESA D. WELLS
St. Louis Riverfront Route, St. Louis Rating: Moderate Distance: 22-mile round trip Bike type: Road (be wary of unpaved trail crossings) or mountain (recommended) In a nutshell: The trail follows the Mississippi River on the Missouri side from the Arch to the north, heading toward the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge. It passes through industrial areas along the river and through short hills atop levees. Some trail crossings are not paved, and riders will have to be cautious of traffic in these areas. Trailhead: Do not park near the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge on the Missouri side of the river. To get to the Illinois trailhead from Interstate 270, take Exit 3 to Route 3 South/Lewis and Clark Boulevard. At the first stoplight, turn right on Chain of Rocks Road, and continue 2.2 miles. Park at the end of the road. Arrive at Biddle Street and North Leonor K Sullivan Boulevard. Detour: The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge is part of historic Route 66, connecting Missouri and Illinois. Riders will pass signs and memorabilia that reveal some of the history of Route 66. From the bridge you can enjoy scenic views of the St. Louis skyline and the Mississippi River. Great Rivers Greenway: 314-436-7009, www.greatriversgreenway.org
Route 79, Louisiana to Hannibal Rating: Medium to difficult Distance: 50-mile round trip or 65.7-mile round trip Bike type: Mountain or road In a nutshell: This “Great River Road” highway takes you through the countryside of Northeast Missouri and, at some points, runs parallel to the Mississippi River. If you want a break from the hills of Route 79, turn right to the much flatter Route E toward Saverton. This town is about 10 miles south of Hannibal, and it features the 1,224-foot-long Dam No. 22, which is included on the National Register of Historic Places. If you decide to continue to Hannibal, you’ll arrive at Mark Twain’s home, which is a perfect opportunity to learn more about the famous author. If you’re
tuckered out when you return but want to explore more of the area, stay overnight at the Eagle’s Nest in Louisiana. Trailhead: On Highway 54, drive into Louisiana, and turn on N. 3rd Street. Then turn left onto Georgia Street, and arrive at the Eagle’s Nest Winery, Inn & Bakery. Detour: Right before heading into Hannibal, a road to the right inclines toward a picnic area; that’s where you can experience a stunning view overlooking the town and river (pictured). The cliff is called Lover’s Leap. Eagle’s Nest Winery, Inn & Bakery: 221 Georgia Street, 573-754-9888 Hannibal Parks and Recreation: 573-221-0154
CENTRAL Blufftop Trail at Capen Park, Columbia Rating: Easy Distance: 3 to 6 miles Bike type: Mountain In a nutshell: Blufftop trail leads to the top of the bluff where it levels out. Most of the trail is dirt-packed. Take this trail all the way to its end at Stadium, continue down the hill to the intersection with Old Highway 63, and turn right to Grindstone Nature Area. The trailhead at the parking lot leads to a view of Capen Park Bluff across the Hinkson Creek. Following the loop back to Capen Bluff leads to more outdoor activities. Trailhead: From junction of Interstate 70 and Highway 63, take Highway 63 south and exit at Stadium. Turn right. At the second stoplight (Rock Quarry Road/College) turn left. At the bottom of the hill, turn left onto Capen Park Road. Park at the gravel lot at the end of the road at Capen Park. Detour: When you reach the blufftops, along with beautiful views, you will find points where you can rappel down the bluffs. Bring your climbing gear, or pack a picnic to enjoy. Columbia Parks and Recreation Office: 573-874-7460
Jefferson City to Hermann Rating: Moderate Distance: 47 miles one way or 94-mile round trip Bike type: Mountain or road In a nutshell: The beautiful Katy Trail takes you from Jefferson City to the outskirts of Hermann, as you trace the course of the Missouri River. Trailhead: Park at the Noren River Access parking lot on the north side of the river, and take the greenway pedestrian bridge that runs alongside Highway 54 into Jefferson City. You can also park your vehicle at the North Jefferson City Trailhead located at Katy Trail mile marker 143.2. The Katy Trail runs alongside this parking lot. Detour: You can’t say you’re a Missourian until you’ve seen the Capitol building in Jefferson City. Before starting your trek to wine country, schedule a tour of the building, and learn about the history of the Capitol and Missouri. When you complete the trail in Hermann, relax, and enjoy the scenery. This quaint community on the riverfront is famous for its wineries, and it’s a good opportunity to stay the night and enjoy the town’s amenities. Missouri State Capitol: 573-751-2854 Hermann Visitor Information: 800-932-8687
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> KATIE BELL
MORE THAN
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By Sarah Alban
MAKEUP Go backstage, and meet Missouri’s pageant contestants. They’re not who you think they are.
PAGEANT CONTESTANTS are known for being beautiful. They are beach bods in skimpy swimsuits. They are smiles, glitter, and world peace. And this is how most will remember and judge them: big hair, white teeth, flat stomachs, tall heels. The bigger, whiter, flatter, and taller, the better. But the best kept secret of a pageant girl, including Miss Missouri, who will go on to compete in Miss America, is that she is far more than a visual superlative. Anyone who wants to be crowned Miss Missouri, who wants the coveted shot at the Miss America pageant (and maybe world peace, too), must become a television diva, an entertainer with celebrity looks and charm, whose true depth and ambition remain hidden behind the 2D nature of a two-hour television program. The cameras do not show the churches, schools, and nursing homes each contestant visits year-round to raise awareness for her charitable campaign, called a platform, which is a requisite for becoming Miss Missouri. They don’t show the non-televised interview where five stonefaced judges grill each young lady about current events, politics, her platform, and hypothetical moral dilemmas. The cameras don’t show how many miles her running shoes have endured. They don’t show the mock interviews that built up her confidence, her enunciation, and the ability to think on her feet, to find the honest answer of the budding, strong woman inside the skin.
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Miss Heartland, Amanda Sasek, walks the ramp in the evening gown round during the Top 10 stage of the pageant.
motes her platform to Missourians, one small group at a time. And they prep wherever they can, truck stops included. “I get ready in a car, in a bathroom,” Miss Missouri 2012 Tippe Emmott says. “You usually don’t have a nice hotel. You are not staying in this glorified thing. You walk in [to a speaking event] with your crown and sash. Forty-five minutes later, and they say, ‘Can you sign autographs?’ and, ‘Thank you so much for coming.’ And that’s what you do. Drive back home.” The cameras tell you Miss America stands for four virtues, symbolized by a four-point crown: style, scholarship, service, and success. But when the lights turn off, it’s Miss Missouri—and all the other misses of the states—spreading the word about what it takes to be a confident young adult today to the next generation of leaders. “It’s not a beauty pageant; it’s a scholarship program,” Tippe says. What began as a pretty-faced ploy featuring beautiful women as an attempt to keep travelers in Atlantic City for a long weekend in 1921 has grown into the nation’s largest scholarship program for young women.
In January 2014, Miss America doled out $363,000 in scholarships. Miss Missouri gave an additional $30,000 last year at the state level. You can probably find the 2013 Miss Missouri crowning, which was filmed by ABC, somewhere online or on television. But if you want to see behind the scenes, turn off the TV, and grab some high heels.
STYLE She brought the seven-inch heels. In a T-shirt and shorts at the 2013 pageant rehearsal, Miss Truman Lake Emily Haines tries to convince a group of peers that her seven-inchers are easier to walk in than shorter ones. “Their platforms are bigger,” she says. Gorgeous, skeptical faces eye her spear-like heels. Miss Missouri has by no means lost its beauty-pageant roots. Even at rehearsal, you can see the mascara strokes, rainbow eyelids, and glittered cheeks. But the unexpected part is that you can also see the painted lips fleetingly paused while deciding whether or not to smile: she allows a glimpse of the wheels
NAVEEN MAHADEVAN
“People don’t see that,” 2013 Miss Missouri contestant Jeni Dixon says. “They think that it’s totally all about us and getting up on stage and strutting our stuff, which is fine. But that’s not why we’re here.” Miss Missouri contestants are not here to become trophy wives or reality TV stars. They are here to open professional doors, to gain confidence, to face fears. Sure, a few of them ride off Daddy’s open checkbook, buying gowns, and gussying up in the mirror. But many of them don donated evening gowns and bargain heels in hopes of accessing a professional tier above that of their parents. They compete in Miss Missouri for thousands of dollars in scholarships and for the chance to compete in Miss America. They compete to write their own Miss Missouri Cinderella story. Many of them compete as parents root for them in the audience, some of whom look more nervous than the young women in the lights, their breath held the way only parents can—a hint of just how much is at stake. Once she wins the crown, Miss Missouri becomes a state ambassador for Children’s Miracle Network. She travels the state and pro-
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KATIE BELL, NAVEEN MAHADEVAN, AND UNO YI
Contestants are judged for their physical fitness during the swimsuit competition portion of the pageant.
turning behind the diva mask. And in the pause, you have no choice but to realize: there are wheels turning. During the four-night competition, the ladies of Miss Missouri transform the Missouri Military Academy gym in Mexico, Missouri, into a runway-centered light show and stage. Under the gym, a basement transforms into a dressing room for thirty women. Gowns fly on and off; swimsuits, too. Modesty gets put on pause as contestants and “host moms” sift through 180 dresses hanging in pink-zebrastriped bags. Volunteers, called “host moms,” mostly from Mexico, are assigned two contestants apiece. In the basement, real moms aren’t allowed. The host moms unleash their inner maternal instincts. They mend snapped zippers as fast as magic during production. They spray bronzer on their two girls or other contestants in a pinch. They locate misplaced hair volumizers and manage other small, potentially costly crown crises. Host moms walk their two contestants back to the military dorms each night after the competitions conclude. Sometimes you can catch a real mom hovering at the top of the basement staircase.
Top Left: Miss Missouri 2012 Tippe Emmott performs on the last day of the pageant. Bottom Left: Miss Missouri Pageant Producer Erin Engelmeyer watches over the proceedings at the 2013 pageant; 2014 will mark her fifteenth year as producer. Right: A 2013 Miss Missouri contestant ascends the stairs before before making her way to the stage for the night’s final number.
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Top: Miss Missouri 2013 contestants take a break backstage during rehearsals for the competition. Bottom: Miss Audrain Morgan Lockowitz listens to advice from her mother before the evening gown rehearsal begins.
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NAVEEN MAHADEVAN AND UNO YI
The phrase “helicopter mom” draws laughs from contestants. All week, the ladies’ days are loaded with morning workouts, social lunches and dinners, media interviews, hours of rehearsal, fifty handwritten thank-you cards to sponsors, evening workouts, and impromptu dance practices. The dorms are usually quiet by midnight, but by 6 am, those early-bird gym shoes are laced up again. There’s no rest for the wicked, but there’s not much for the good-hearted either. One 2013 contestant, Miss Heartland Amanda Sasek, lost a little weight during Miss Missouri’s week of activities and competition, leaving host mom Carey Knipfel the hero of a last-minute alteration. “We lose a little, just with being up early, working out an hour a day, but really, it’s eight hours a day because we’re rehearsing,” Amanda says. Crash diets aren’t exotic concepts at pageants either, but 2012 Miss Missouri Tippe Emmott will tell you they don’t work. “The girls who do win and do succeed have actually done the work behind it,” she says. At dinner, grilled chicken goes faster than barbecue, but directly off stage-right in the gymnasium there’s also no shortage of Twizzlers, Starbursts, and Red Hots. They are girls with the eyes of the state on them. But they are still girls. Television might have you believe the group of catty contestants dreams of each other’s heel trip off the runway and, thus, off the judges’ radar. In reality, the pageant is more a competition of woman against herself. It is a competition of willpower. It takes willpower to duct tape your torso to emphasize your womanhood, especially over skin that only you and Mom know is sensitive; skin that will turn red and raw when the tape is ripped off. It takes willpower to wear the only onepiece in a sea of two-pieces on stage, or to smile and continue singing when your mic breaks during your talent competition. It takes willpower to smile with confidence when someone else’s name is called and crowned Miss Missouri. “I could never do what she does,” says Fay Richardson, mom of 2013 Miss Metro St. Louis
Miss Missouri 2011 Sydney Friar, (left) listens to Faith Jordan’s answer during interview portion of the Miss Missouri Outstanding Teen pageant, a division for those who are too young to compete in the main pageant.
Jillian Richardson, who took second runner-up last year. “She stands on a stage and lets people judge her, and she does it with a smile on her face,” she says. It takes willpower to wake up in the military barracks and run your two miles in twenty-one minutes and two seconds, and then to tell people how long it took you. “I’m proud to tell everyone; I’m not ashamed of it,” says 2013 Miss Mark Twain Maggie Rowland. “I have asthma.” The girls nod. “I can’t lose my hips,” Miss Truman Lake Emily Haines adds. “It’s called lifestyle and fitness for a reason,” says Miss Columbia Jenny Zweifel, regarding what pageant lore would have you believe is called a swimsuit competition. To win Miss Missouri, you have to know the difference. You have to be smart.
SCHOLARSHIP “The vast majority are just good kids trying to earn school money,” former Miss Missouri Chairman and longtime organizer Lou Leonatti says. One 2013 contestant, Miss Metro St. Louis Jillian Richardson, paid for eighty-five percent of her college and grad school with pageant scholarships. She was seventeen, on the brink of moving to St. Louis for her bachelor’s degree
when a hurt knee took her off her dad’s softball team in Louisiana, Missouri. “I didn’t know what I was going to do for scholarship money,” Jillian says. “My uncle talked my mom into putting me in the local pageant. I did the pageant, I won, and went to Miss Missouri.” Miss Missouri 1989 Debbye Turner, the only Missourian ever to win Miss America, used the fifty thousand dollars she won at Miss America in 1990 to pay for vet school. The pageant remedies potential career liabilities, too: stuttering problems, stage fright, confidence complexes, fear of public speaking—all detriments on the job and at the pageant. That’s not a coincidence. Skills learned at the pageant prep these ladies for their careers as much as school work does. Finding time to do everything well challenges contestants. The ladies divide their school-year hours between studying and serving, speaking and entertaining, mock-interviewing and exercising. Some contestants have boyfriends, but plenty agree: “Who has the time?” “I haven’t really had time to date because I’m so busy all the time,” Jillian says in the dorm common room. A dozen heads bob up and down. “I’m as single as it gets.” Someone high-fives Jillian, just as dorm mom Pat Gruber walks in with a long box labeled “ProFlowers.”
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is working toward her graduate degree at the University of Kansas. “These women are amazing,” 2013 Miss Northwest Jessica Mejia says. “I can go to them if I need antibiotics or political advice.” Although they pursue ambitious careers, sometimes careers far from home, you can find about a dozen former Miss Missouri contestants any given year in Mexico in June. They, along with about two hundred locals, volunteer their time and money to polish the runway for the next generation of women. “This is something the Miss America organization and Miss Missouri really stress,” dorm mom Jackie Barnett says. “Service.”
SERVICE To compete in a local pageant, each woman must raise a hundred dollars for Children’s Miracle Network (CMN). She who wins her local Miss title can progress to the Miss Missouri pageant if she raises another $250 for CMN.
Last year, Miss Missouri runner-up Mary Bauer raised twelve thousand dollars, an increase from the eight thousand dollars she raised in 2012 and four thousand dollars in 2011. “I knew I could do better,” Mary says. And you can see those wheels turning. Mary partnered with CMN even before Miss America officially did, when she was babysitting a girl with Ewing’s sarcoma, a bone cancer. Mary organized a concert in southeastern Missouri to raise funds for CMN. Amanda Sasek speaks in elementary schools about suicide awareness, her platform, with an emphasis on surviving relatives. She wishes her dad, who committed suicide when she was seventeen, could see her in the classrooms, talking to kids who can relate to her. “There was one little boy that I met in that class,” Amanda says. “This little boy was telling me that he had been separated from his mom because she was threatening to cut her own fingers and hands off. I looked at his picture every
NAVEEN MAHADEVAN
“I might not be as single as I thought!” Jillian says, as Pat puts the box in her arms. “I’m going to have to take that high-five back.” For nearly a minute, cheers of glee fill the room. Those flowers are from a man Jillian says she barely has time for, but who knows any woman in this room is a catch. Upon “aging out” at twenty-five, as the story goes, most ladies are engaged to be married. Many have job offers. They climb the corporate ladders fast. Miss Missouri 2005 Stacie Cooley is a direct sales manager at Alcon Laboraties, an eye care company. Miss Missouri 2006 Sarah French is a two-time Emmy award-winning Fox News anchor in Boston. Miss Missouri 2011 Sydney Friar is a public relations manager for Big Cedar Lodge in Branson. Tippe said she wanted to open a dance studio in southwestern Missouri. Miss Hannibal 2013 Hanna Runyon wanted to practice medicine. Miss Heartland 2013 Amanda Sasek wanted to be a political science professor and
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KATIE BELL
Left: Former Miss Missouri Tippe Emmott, crowns the 2013 Miss Missouri winner, Shelby Ringdahl. Right: Jocelyn Weyer answers a question during the formal wear portion of the first evening. Far Right: Amanda Sasek meets with family and friends after the 2013 competition’s first night.
single day when I was at Miss Missouri.” It’s these women who will lead the next generation, and it’s these women who wish you could see them when the television clicks off when it’s no longer about them. “When you walk into a class with a crown, that’s not a full-of-yourself thing. When you walk in with a crown on your head, they look up to you,” Jessica says. “You’re a role model.” When Amanda worked a Special Olympics event, she says that she noticed a little girl staring at her. Amanda asked her if she wanted to wear the crown. Teary-eyed, the girl accepted the crown and wore it the remainder of the evening. “It’s that kind of stuff that really changes lives,” Amanda says. And it’s that kind of woman who changes lives. Dozens of Missouri girls aged five to twelve sign up to be Little Sisters, who are mentored by older Miss contestants and who can walk on stage during the pageant in Mexico. Some Little Sisters, like Tippe’s, build bedroom shrines to their Big Sisters. They run up and give big hugs and big smiles to their Big Sisters during rehearsals. They are embraced by the women who not only say they care about the next generation, but who walk the walk when the cameras turn off. “I have a whole new respect,” says Lara Ryan, whose daughter, Abigail, was a Little Sister for the first time last year. Hundreds of Mexico residents like Lara catch the pageant bug once they learn firsthand the work each contestant puts into being that person you see on TV. Mexico has hosted the pageant since 1970, when it moved from the Springfield area. There
had been talk of moving to a bigger city, but “they couldn’t find two hundred people to help out anywhere else,” says Pat Gruber, who’s been volunteering as a dorm mom for more than a decade. “It takes a village,” says Alice Leonatti, Vice Chair of Pageant Prep and wife of former Miss Missouri Chairman Lou Leonatti. The pageant runs on about $150,000 in donations, which cover the facility, liabilities, advising, and licensing fees from the Miss America franchise. “We need to get to the point where Miss Missouri can break even,” Lou says. Lucky for Lou, wherever Miss Missouri goes, success goes, too.
SUCCESS This year, Miss Missouri celebrates seventyfive years of pageantry. That’s seventy-five years of empowering women to do more than apply glitter. “After Miss America, I have not put a gown on once,” Tippe says. “I have not gotten into a swimsuit. I have danced my talent once. But every day, I’m on the road speaking.” What the B-roll on this year’s Miss America can’t show is the woman behind the diva face. The woman asking her parents to drive her to McDonald’s the night she takes second runner-up. The woman who visits a nursing home and hands out flowers to veterans who fought in a war that happened before she was born. The woman who gives a pageant sister a ride when her car breaks down. The two women sharing a military dorm room with a pair of gray army cots pressed up against
each other because the nerves before coronation night are too much to bear, because sleep won’t come, and because they understand what each has done to merit the crown only one can wear. “These are beautiful girls,” dorm mom Pat Gruber says. “But they’re beautiful inside and out.” In 1968, Miss America host Bert Parks stood on a stage in Atlantic City and asked the nation if Miss America was still relevant: “Well, is personal achievement relevant?” he asked. “Is scholarship, is good citizenship relevant? We think it is. And we think it will be for a long time to come.” The women of Miss Missouri, and of Miss America, are not only relevant. They are the future to come, just as they were in 1968. And when the cameras turn off, they will wash off the glitter, rip off the tape, change into flats, and find another way to change the world, even if all that amounts to is remembering the hug of a Little Sister, looking at the picture of the little boy with the familiar story, or writing a thank-you note. Miss Missouri is how role models—not models—are born. “When I finally won Miss Missouri,” says Tippe Emmott, “I was genuine. I was exactly who I was. I was exactly where I wanted to be.”
Visit www.MissouriLife.com, and follow the journeys of two Miss Missouri contestants. Plus, see more amazing pageant images from on stage and behind the scenes.
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The spirit of Concordia’s turbulent and benevolent past courses through the veins of the town’s relics and its proud people.
IN THEIR BY EDWARD HART
PHOTOS BY UNO YI
THE CARS CAME STREAMING DOWN Missouri 23.
BUSHWHACKERS AND BLOODLINES
Martha Wyssmann and Coty Schreiman had just been married in a small town ten minutes north of the reception, and now, the attendees were making a beeline for Concordia. On the way into town, the cars would pass by St. Paul’s Lutheran Cemetery, where gravestones mark the resting places of the town’s first settlers, including the reverend who served as its first postmaster and gave Concordia its name. Then they’d drive straight by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, the tallest building in town, and, a little ways after, Concordia’s Central Park, where signs mark where Concordia’s men were massacred by bushwhackers at the height of the Civil War. Finally, the cars would come to a standstill right outside the Concordia Community Center, where the reception would take place and where Coty and Martha would share their first dance as a married couple. It’s the same building where many of the town’s older residents attended school and which today houses the Concordia Area Heritage Society. That’s the type of place Concordia is, where the past intersects and comingles with the present, where the reminders of the town’s GermanLutheran agrarian heritage sit side-by-side with the new life that’s sprung up around old monuments. It’s the kind of place where a wedding reception can take place right downstairs from where members of the heritage society show schoolchildren the town’s artifacts.
Concordia is a pacific, slow-paced Missouri community. But its darker history is sealed in blood. The town’s historical markers are reminders of the toll the Civil War took on it, of bloodshed, and of the German immigrants’ desire for peace after the war. The first settlers in the area arrived sometime shortly after 1815, and the first Germans landed in Lafayette County in 1838. Most were from the country’s Hanover region and would become hemp farmers in the new world. Although Lafayette County had the highest number of slaves in Missouri by 1860, the German immigrants, in Concordia and nationwide, eschewed slavery for the most part, according to Donald Dittmer, a member of the Concordia Area Heritage Society. “The people who came wanted to work the land themselves,” Donald says. In his history of Hanoverian Germans in Missouri, Independent Immigrants, Robert W. Frizzell wrote that these immigrants “wanted a society of independent farmers, not a society of wealthy white owners and black slaves. Thus the Germans took an antislavery position that was considered radical in America.” As the Civil War broke out, these immigrants’ aversion to slavery made them the target of unprovoked guerilla raids. In late 1862, three men were murdered by drunk bushwhackers in what is now Concordia’s Central Park. A sign in the park marks the site of the massacre. The following summer, four German farmers were
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Left: Marissa, 9, is one of Jeffrey and Sarah Heins’s three children who live on their farm near Concordia. Although many young professionals leave for bigger cities, many return, like Jeffrey did, and start their own families. Below: Married in October 2013, Martha Wyssmann and Coty Schreiman are another local young couple who call Concordia home.
HEARTS & SOULS GRAIN BINS AND STEEPLES
killed in another raid near town. Now weathered and moss-covered, the tombstones of antislavery locals who were killed more than 150 years ago stand in the oldest part of the Lutheran Cemetery. Some people in Concordia, Donald among them, can trace the lineage of their ancestors, some of whom were killed in the attacks. In 1865, after the war ended, Franz Julius Blitz, the pastor of St. Paul’s, became the postmaster and named the town “Concordia.” In the wake of the bloodshed, Concordia more than doubled in population between 1870 and 1880, according to Frizzell. But despite the rapid growth, Concordia’s distinctly German heritage endured, and the institutions Pastor Blitz left behind still play a prominent role in Concordia’s civic life.
Today, Interstate 70 bisects Concordia, and Missouri Route 23 draws it into quarters. Go north of the interstate, and you’ll find construction on the Flanagan South pipeline that will eventually course with crude oil from Canada, as well as newer subdivisions, ample farmland, and a production facility for Old World Spices & Seasonings. North of town on Route 23, grain bins dot the landscape—reminders of the town’s agricultural heritage. Many of the farms in the surrounding area are owned by the same families who have passed them down from generation to generation, according to Robert Frerking, a former city administrator who has lived in Concordia all but two years of his life. Concordia’s monuments, its gathering places, and its downtown are all to the south, just beyond the gas stations that ring the Interstate 70 exit. St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, which was dedicated in 1905, will celebrate its 175th anniversary this year. “I was baptized here, confirmed here, married here, and when I die, I’m going to be buried here,” Robert says. This church has had a discernible impact on the town, especially on education in Concordia. The elementary school, operated by the church, dates back to 1921. Robert attended elementary school there, and the school is still open today. Education and religion have gone hand-in-hand in some places in Concordia. In 1883, Pastor Blitz founded St. Paul’s College to train young Lutheran men to become members of the clergy. In 1954, the school admitted its first women, and students from around the country who no longer had Lutheran
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Above: Robert Frerking stands in the tower of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church; he was baptized, confirmed, and married in the church. Below: In St. Paul’s Lutheran Cemetery, you can see the gravestone of pastor and postmaster Franz Julius Blitz, who named the town and founded St. Paul’s College where young men trained for the clergy.
high schools nearby attended St. Paul’s during the 1970s. The former college is now St. Paul Lutheran High School, an independent Lutheran boarding school that draws boys and girls from all over the world. International students make up almost half its student body, and on a Saturday afternoon in the lounge of the school’s dormitory, students from Norway, Taiwan, Warrensburg, and Kansas City mingle. Robert says that the strength of the school’s Lutheran education is what attracts students from around the world. The center of Concordia’s downtown is punctuated by Central Park, the site of that massacre that transpired more than 150 years ago. Along with that marker is a Union Pacific caboose, a gift from the Union Pacific Railway Company and a reminder of the railroad that ran through Concordia from Lexington to Sedalia. The six-foot-tall American Doughboy
Monument of a World War I soldier also pays tribute to soldiers who served in the Spanish-American War and the Civil War. And a miniature replica of the Statue of Liberty has stood in the park since 1951, a gift from the Boy Scouts of America. Last year, the statue was rededicated after a restoration effort led by the Concordia Lions Club. A few blocks away, you’ll find the Concordia Area Heritage Society inside the community center where Coty and Martha’s wedding reception was held. The building was erected as a public elementary school, and Donald now shows visitors and schoolchildren relics and artifacts of Concordia’s history in the room that was his sixth-grade classroom in 1950. Visitors can see the original German immigrants’ possessions, including trunks from Germany and belongings of Kathryn Kuhlman, the famous evangelist preacher and faith healer. Kuhlman was born in Concordia in 1907, and although her childhood home has since been torn down, the place where her ministry began is only a few blocks away from the historical society. At age fourteen, Kuhlman was born again in Concordia United Methodist. She began preaching when she was sixteen and traveled throughout the United States holding faith healing sessions. Her preaching was broadcast on more than sixty television stations and fifty radio stations nationally. When she died in 1976, The New York Times called her “one of America’s most popular evangelists and faith healers.”
OUR LITTLE WORLD Although the town has grown with each census, a little more than 2,500 people live in Concordia today. One afternoon, Robert drove away from
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Above: Students relax on Saturdays in the lounge at one of the school’s dorms. The high school, which was once a college and has an expansive campus reminiscent of a university, attracts a large number of international students. Below: Gwang Ju Woo plays a game on the phone in his room at the dorms at St. Paul Lutheran High School. Woo is an international student from China.
the 245-acre Pape Lake, a water supply lake and popular fishing spot south of town where eagles nest every winter. At an intersection, he raised his hand to wave at a car, unsure who was inside. That’s just what you do in Concordia, he explains. Robert’s family has been here for generations. It’s the kind of town where Robert can call his cousin, Vernon Stuenkel, the St. Paul’s custodian, at home to ask him to open up the church on a Saturday for visitors. But what Concordia’s residents gain from the intimacy of small-town life might also cause young people to move away. The largest employers are Tyson Foods, Milbank Manufacturing Co., and Old World Spices & Seasonings, which all operate plants in the city. But there’s not a lot of industry in Concordia, says resident Deanna Rehmsmeyer. “Naturally, the kids need to find work.” Young job seekers tend to gravitate toward Kansas City, which Deanna says people in Concordia refer to as just “the city.” For college, most attend the University of Missouri or the University of Central Missouri. Despite the apparent lack of employment opportunities, Donald says there’s still something that pulls many people back to Concordia. He describes Concordia as a bedroom community, and although many will go to the city to find work, many young men and women choose to live in the community and commute, rather than leave their hometown. Main Street has been particularly affected by the lack of commerce.“Retail business downtown is kind of in decline, like a lot of small town downtowns,” Robert says. But Topsy’s Restaurant has survived in downtown Concordia, and in 2012, it celebrated its hundredth anniversary. Founded by E.H. “Topsy” Oetting, the restaurant is known for its meatloaf and fried chicken. The current owner, Jackie Crawford, remembers how the restaurant was a hangout for kids in Concordia when she was growing up. “Mr. Oetting would be sure that the restaurant was open after the boys got out of basketball games,” she says. Few businesses in Concordia can trace their history back that far, but economic declines in downtown haven’t prevented newer businesses from flourishing. The Simple Life, a restaurant and antique store, occupies a building that was built in the late 1800s as a Baptist Church. It’s been popular with many in Concordia, Robert says. Coty and Martha Schreiman registered for their wedding there. “Since he’s lived in Concordia, Coty has been going there to eat all the time; it’s just kind of more unique food,” Martha says. “And we both really like antiques, and we both kind of wanted to do the local thing rather than a big store.” Karen Heins moved here after marrying her husband, and her son Jeffrey Heins is a young Concordian who returned home after college. He met his wife, Sarah, when he was in school at a small Lutheran college in Nebraska. They live in rural Concordia with their three children near the Aullville exit on Interstate 70, and Jeffrey farms about 1,500 acres of soybeans, corn, and wheat. Although Sarah is a Concordia transplant, she says she loves the open space and the tranquility. But there’s always something to do to keep them busy—the kids’ 4-H meetings, soccer games, and birthday parties. “So even though you’re out in the country, you’re not bored,” Sarah says.
One of the traditions that Sarah loves is the Concordia Fall Festival that’s held every year the week after Labor Day. The festival spans more than a century, and today, it’s certainly the largest annual event in town and draws thousands of people from around the area to downtown. The city more or less shuts down on the weekend of the festival, and it, like so many other things in town, holds reminders of the area’s heritage, including the Concorida Lions Heidelberg Gardens, an outdoor beer garden with German-style food and beers. After the festival, though, the town returns to its ways. It’s generally quiet once you get away from the interstate and the nearby Lutheran cemetery, where history and traditions, schools and festivals, have remained mostly intact. The past is always present in a place like Concordia where, in a building that once was a schoolhouse, a daughter can share a dance with her father to Tim McGraw’s “My Little Girl” and where, for the first time, a husband can dance with his new wife to a recording of a song on violin that his grandparents wrote. As Deanna puts it: “Here in Concordia, it’s a little world, but it’s always been our little world.”
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GENERAL O
The dramatic tone of George Caleb Bingham's painting Order No. 11 has been a lasting influence on the way this chapter in Missouri history is remembered today.
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11
L ORDER
NO.
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A BORDER
blunder
How General Order No. 11 and the sack of western Missouri shaped our state’s Civil War legacy. BY RON SOODALTER
that topped the list was that of Union Senator Jim Lane. With cries of “Remember Osceola!” the Rebels proceeded to outdo and forth across the Kansas-Missouri border for years before the firing their foes in murder and mayhem. The squad of Union soldiers that had on Fort Sumter, South Carolina, which marked the official beginning of previously been stationed at Lawrence had recently returned to Fort the Civil War. There had never been any love lost, but the ill-conceived Leavenworth, and the raiders faced virtually no resistance. They went Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 put the match to the powder keg. The profrom house to house, ordering the men and boys into the street and or anti-slavery status of the soon-to-be state of Kansas was now left up to unceremoniously shooting them down. The town’s freed black populaits citizens, abolitionists, and free-staters who moved in from the North tion received especially harsh treatment at the hands of the guerrillas. and East, while pro-slavery partisans came across the line from Missouri. When the Rebels rode out of Lawrence later that day, 125 homes Violence became the order of the day, and both sides, Union “Jayhawkand several businesses had been reduced to ashes, and some 150 men ers” from Kansas and Rebel “Bushwhackers” from Missouri, carried out and boys, most of Lawrence’s male population, atrocities. Although one state had earned the lay dead in the street. Remarkably, Jim Lane epithet “Bleeding Kansas,” the moniker more “All routing and shouting was not among them. Allowing discretion to than adequately described Missouri as well. and giving the yell, play the greater part of valor, he had run into a By the beginning of the Civil War, the KanLike so many demons just cornfield, reportedly in his nightshirt, and hid sas-Missouri border was a festering sore. On raised up from Hell, there until the Rebel raiders left. September 22, 1861, Union Senator James H. The boys they were drunken At the time, Union Brigadier General Thom“Jim” Lane, a Mexican War veteran, free-stater, with powder and wine, as Ewing Jr. was the newly minted commander and leading citizen of the staunchly Unionist And came to burn Lawrence of the recently created District of the Border, town of Lawrence, Kansas, led a six-hundredjust over the line.” which encompassed a section of the troubled man band of cutthroats known as Lane’s BriFROM “QUANTRILL,” line between Kansas and Missouri. His first orgade on a raid across the border into southAMERICAN BALLADS AND FOLK SONGS der of business was to put an end to the Rebel western Missouri. There, they attacked the raids into Kansas. On August 3, Ewing had town of Osceola, a quiet river community that written to Lieutenant Colonel C.W. Marsh, Assistant Adjutant General, had become a Confederate supply depot. As one of Lane’s party later Department of the Missouri: “About two-thirds of the families on the recalled, they “loaded the wagons with valuebles [sic] from the numeroccupied farms of that region are of kin to the guerrillas and are actively ous well supplied stores, and then set fire to the infernal town.” They and heartily engaged in feeding, clothing, and sustaining them.” also summarily executed nine unarmed citizens. He resolved to permanently remove this source of support. One of Nearly two years later, in the pre-dawn hours of August 21, 1863, his first acts was to arrest hundreds of the Rebel Bushwhackers’ wives, Confederate guerrilla leader William Clarke Quantrill descended on sisters, and sweethearts, and to confine them—virtually as hostages— Lawrence in retaliation for the Sack of Osceola. He rode with more in a single building in Kansas City. Unfortunately, the structure was than four hundred men at his back and a death list in hand. The name unsound, and it collapsed on August 13, killing four of the women, reportedly including Captain William T. “Bloody Bill” Anderson’s teenage sister, which provided yet another provocation for the Lawrence raid. No longer discouraged, Ewing formulated another, more radical plan and submitted it to his superior, commander of the Army of the Frontier Major General John M. Schofield. Schofield approved the plan, writing to President Lincoln: “I directed General Ewing to adopt and carry out the policy he had indicated.” On August 25, just four days after the raid on Lawrence, Ewing issued General Order No. 11, and it struck the entire region like a thunderbolt. The order mandated that the entire population of Missouri’s Jackson, Cass, Bates, and parts of Vernon counties along the Kansas William Quantrill Thomas Ewing Jr.
KANSAS CITY LIBRARY; KANSAS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Undeclared guerrilla warfare had been raging back
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STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI
This illustration, titled The Destruction of the City of Lawrence, Kansas and the Massacre of its Inhabitants by the Rebel Guerrillas, August 21, 1863, ran in Harper’s Weekly on September 5, 1863.
border “are hereby ordered to remove from their present places of residence within fifteen days from the date hereof.” Those citizens who could demonstrate their loyalty to the Union “to the satisfaction of the commanding officer of the military station near their present place of residence [would] receive from [the commanding officer] a certificate stating the fact of their loyalty.” They would also be permitted to relocate to the nearest military station or to any part of Kansas, “except the counties of the eastern border of the state.” All others were to permanently “remove from the district.” The army officers serving in the above-named four counties were to ensure that the order was obeyed. Immediately after the Lawrence raid, President Lincoln had instructed Schofield, “Please do your utmost … to punish [the] invaders.” He now gave Ewing’s order of evacuation his full support, writing to Schofield: “With the matter of removing the inhabitants of certain counties en masse; and of removing certain individuals from time to time, who are supposed to be mischievous, I am not now interfering, but am leaving to your own discretion. ... So far as practicable you will, by means of your military force, expel guerrillas, marauders, and murderers, and all who are known to harbor, aid, or abet them.” Lincoln instructed Schofield to “exercise … great caution, calmness, and forbearance” in the execution of the order, and warned that a tight rein be maintained: “[You] will repress assumptions of unauthorized individuals to perform the same service; because under pretence [sic] of doing this, they become marauders and murderers themselves. … To now restore peace, let the military obey orders; and those not of the military, leave one another … alone; thus not breaking the peace themselves.” By exhorting Ewing to keep the order a strictly military operation,
Lincoln was acknowledging that one side of the border conflict was as lawless as the other and warned that the Kansas Jayhawkers should be kept well out of it. As for Ewing’s troops showing forbearance and calmness, events would prove that Lincoln’s instructions would go completely unheeded. The implementation of General Order No. 11 was nothing short of disastrous. Ewing could not maintain control over his troops. The fighting that had been going on between Kansans and Missourians was, in large part, removed from the rest of the war, and in fact constituted a conflict all its own, born of long-standing bitterness and hate. Victories and defeats elsewhere had little bearing on their border war. Unfortunately, many of the soldiers sent to implement the eviction order were Kansas men, who made little effort to distinguish between loyal and disloyal Missourians and who interpreted the order as an open invitation to visit their long-standing wrath upon Missourians in general, without fear of military sanction. Houses, barns, and outbuildings were indiscriminately looted and put to the torch. Fields and crops were destroyed. Livestock were driven off or senselessly slaughtered. Thousands of citizens were abused, and a number of them were killed. One Union post commander, Colonel Bazel Lazear, wrote: “It is heart sickening to see what I have seen since I have been back here. A desolated country and men and women and children, some of them allmost [sic] naked. ... Oh God.” Missourians who fell under Ewing’s domain watched as their entire lives were destroyed. They had built their homes from the ground up, generally with the help of neighbors. They had put in and harvested their crops, and raised and nurtured their livestock. And now, with the stroke of a pen, they saw it all go up in flames, their families destroyed or turned out upon the road. It was with ample justification that the entire area came to be referred to as the “Burnt District,” and the memory lingered long after
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echoes of
ORDER No. 11
This 1862 engraving by Fritz Meyer was meant to depict wrongdoings committed by secessionist forces in Missouri, though ironically the imagery bears striking similarity to George Caleb Bingham's famous painting Order No. 11.
One of George Caleb Bingham’s most famous paintings is still searching for its place in history.
the guns of war were stilled. Many years later, the wife of a Jackson County physician recalled: “I thought I had witnessed and felt the hardships and privations of civil war and martial law before, but it was reserved for this, the last week in August and the first ones in September, 1863, to teach me and others how much the human body and mind can bear up under and still survive.” Noted Regionalist artist, Missouri state treasurer, and staunch Union supporter George Caleb Bingham observed the enforcement of the order, and he was shocked. In a letter written to the Missouri Republican several years after the war, he described how “bare-footed and bare-headed women and children, stripped of every article of clothing except a scant covering for their bodies, were exposed to the heat of an August sun and compelled to struggle through the dust on foot. ... Dense columns of smoke arising in every direction marked the conflagrations of dwellings, many of the evidences of which are yet to be seen in the remains of seared and blackened chimneys, standing as melancholy monuments of a ruthless military despotism which spared neither age, sex, character, nor condition.” Bingham had supposedly written to Ewing: “If you execute this order, I shall make you infamous with pen and brush as far as I am able.” In 1868, he made good on his promise, committing his outrage to canvas and creating what became one of the most famous and powerful paintings of the war. It portrays Ewing dispassionately overseeing the carnage and is commonly—and appropriately—known as, Order No. 11. Ironically, the most damaging result of General Order No. 11 was its failure to eliminate support for Missouri Rebel guerrillas. Such native Missouri partisans as Frank and Jesse James continued to raid with impunity, confident of a welcome at the doors of farmers who, for their part, chose to overlook Rebel atrocities. In late November 1863, a thoroughly frustrated Ewing issued a new order, permitting loyal Unionists to return to their property and attempt to rebuild their lives. He was replaced as commander of the District of the Border shortly after, but the legacy of General Order No. 11 would haunt him for years and would remain a source of bitterness among Missourians for generations to come.
BY W. ARTHUR MEHRHOFF
was George Caleb Bingham’s monumental painting of the same name, also known as Martial Law. In many ways this painting, which Bingham considered the capstone of his artistic career, can hardly be untangled from the military and political events on which it was based. The massive oil painting—fifty-six by seventy-eight inches—depicts Union soldiers evicting a slaveholding Missouri family from their plantation, killing one man in the process, while other families flee their burning homesteads in the background. Order No. 11 reveals a negative counterpoint to Bingham’s earlier paintings, like The County Election—reversing the course of westward expansion to show the unraveling of rural life during the Civil War. Many nineteenth century viewers believed the painting was pro-slavery and pro-Confederate propaganda because it depicted a freedman and young boy weeping as they flee the burning plantation. “This is a painting that speaks,” Missouri guerilla and outlaw Frank James allegedly proclaimed. But how does a history painting like Order No. 11 speak? As American historian Michael Kammen noted, history often reveals more about our present than about our past. In the case of Order No. 11, its constantly shifting image mirrors how we have reconstructed the meaning of our past to suit the needs of contemporary culture. For decades, the sheer size and scope of Order No. 11 overshadowed his early works, such as Fur Traders Descending the Missouri. However, a 1934 Saint Louis Art Museum retrospective exhibition of Bingham’s work, also shown in 1935 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, began to alter Order No. 11’s iconic status. Twentieth-century art historians now celebrated the “freshness” of Bingham’s early works but dismissed Order No. 11 as an inferior work rather than as a career capstone. Art historian and Bingham biographer Michael Shapiro wrote: “At the time of his death, [Bingham] was remembered for his political accomplishments and for the late, melodramatic painting Martial Law rather than for the paintings we revere today.” In half a century, the poles of meaning had been reversed. Since the Renaissance, history paintings and public monuments like Order No. 11 had been considered the most prestigious forms of commemoration by ambitious artists like Bingham and their audiences. In the twentieth century, however, many thinkers began to consider public monuments obsolete for the modern age. Urban historian Lewis
STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI
The first and perhaps loudest echo of Order No. 11
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COURTESY OF THE NELSON-ATKINS MUSEUM
Mumford wrote in The Culture of Cities that “the notion of a modern monument is a veritable contradiction in terms,” while the 1960s counter-culture challenged respect for age and the wisdom of the ages altogether. In the late twentieth century, however, the poles of meaning for public monuments like Bingham’s Order No. 11 began to reverse once again. The enormous public response to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial—dedicated in 1982—almost immediately revived interest in public monuments. Not long after the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, an entire nation watched Ken Burns’s epic The Civil War challenge public memory and collective identity about our nation’s pivotal moment. Art historians of the new millennium also began to construct new meanings in our history and monuments by decoding rather than deriding nineteenth-century metaphors and messages. In August 2013, the State Histori“Societies in fact reconstruct cal Society of Missouri opened a special exhitheir pasts rather than faithbition, titled Remembering General Order No. fully record them, and … 11, to commemorate its 150th anniversary. they do so with the needs State Historical Society art curator Dr. Joan of contemporary culture Stack, who curated the exhibition, published clearly in mind.” an important essay that illustrates this new critical approach. In her words, “Some histoMICHAEL KAMMEN, rians fault the painting’s accuracy [Bingham The Mystic Chords of Memory included General Ewing in the picture], but such criticism ignores nineteenth-century arGeorge Caleb Bingham tistic conventions and audience expectations.” While some viewers like Frank James perceived Order No.11 as a deAs Ron Soodalter’s article reveals, the Civil War in Missouri set the scene fense of The Lost Cause, Dr. Stack challenged that long-standing Gone for a brutal play within a play, or opera within an opera if you will. Like with the Wind interpretation. much of nineteenth-century American culture, Order No. 11 speaks in the By combining formal analysis with new critical perspectives, Dr. language of opera. Appropriately, Dr. Stefan Freund of the University of Stack shows how Bingham’s stylized characters, cultural allusions, Missouri will debut his newest work, The Civil War Oratorio, on April 24 and strong diagonal line from upper left to lower right lead the viewer at Jesse Hall. The piece brings our country’s shifting feelings about public through an American allegory: “The events pictured on the left lead to monuments full circle. His composition explores how this escalating spiral exile and desolation on the right.” of reprisal devastated Missourians on both sides of the conflict. Dr. Freund The left portion of the painting shows us the fall of the old plantation set the Order itself as a chorus, with Bingham’s written reaction sung by the order, a pillaged clock symbolizing lost time. The bearded patriarch, posed tenor soloist, using similar musical material in both numbers to connect as the antique Apollo Belvedere, stiffly offers his eloquent but futile resisthe order’s commands and its results. He reflected, “I was struck not only tance. Several women, like the slave posed as a Renaissance Pieta holding by the immediate effects of the Order, but also the way its memory lingered her swooning mistress, offer different types of support, which had enabled past the war, perhaps even to the current day.” resistance efforts to continue and succeed. Finally, Bingham directs our As we commemorate the Civil War sesquicentennial, we, too, sense eyes down the diagonal line to the lower right foreground where a freedan old order passing away. We still grapple for equality, argue the limman and young boy approach a crossroads to an uncertain future. Bingham its of federal authority, and cope with unrest and violence in hostile adapted this image from Renaissance master Masaccio’s fifteenth-century territories—a house divided at a crossroads. Through the resounding painting Expulsion from Eden, thereby linking slavery with original sin. echoes of 150 years, Order No. 11 still speaks to us and about us. In Dr. Stack’s emancipationist interpretation, the freedman symbolizes Perhaps we, too, are still involved in Reconstruction. a new Adam while the young boy, the last figure in the painting, repreOrder No. 11 is on display through this summer at the State Historical sents the new birth of freedom proclaimed in The Gettysburg Address. Society on the University of Missouri’s campus in Columbia. For more inDr. Stack concludes: “In the twenty-first century, many viewers may see formation, call 573-882-1187, or visit www.shs.umsystem.edu. For more the boy as the hero of Order No. 11, an embodiment of the struggle for information on The Civil War Oratorio, visit www.mizzoulife.missouri.edu. emancipation that increasingly structures Civil War memory.”
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Civil War Guide
Upcoming Events > 150th Anniversary of 1864 Battle of Plattsburg, MO • April 26-27
Local Civil War history will be brought to life at Perkins Park in historic Plattsburg. Watch as authentically dressed reenactors and living historians take up arms and recreate the 1864 Battle of Plattsburg. This event is free to the public and commemorates the 150th anniversary of the battle. Cape Girardeau Living History Events May 24-26, July 4, Sept. 1
History comes to life at Cape Girardeau with reenactments, rifle and cannon fire, and Dutch-oven cooking. Take the self-guided tour by way of descriptive markers to discover more of the city’s rich Civil War history. www.fortdhistoricsite.com/fortd/Events.htm Thrailkill/Taylor Raid 150th Anniversary Kingston • June 6-8
See authentic representations of the past in Civil War battles and pageantry. Enhance your experience with a new smartphone app. www.caldwellcountymissouri.com/civilwar Civil War Days at Current River Heritage Museum • April 11-12
Visit the pioneer heritage homestead at Doniphan to see field artillery, blacksmith demonstrations, a paddlewheel johnboat, and more. Listen to a professional storyteller.
This is the 150th anniversary of the Burning of Doniphan. A replica courthouse will burn amidst the battle for this special event. Free admission. www.doniphanmissouri.org, 573-996-5298 27th Annual Civil War Reenactment at Keokuk, Iowa • April 26-26
Inside the guide:
Civil War life comes alive with reenactments of Battles of Atlanta and Ezra Church, competitions, contests, presentations, military ball, a memorial and church service at Rand Park, and musical performances. Experience the military camps, period food, and ladies’ brush and style show. www .keokukIowaTourism.org 319-524-5599
Battle of Albany, p. 65
Historic Lecompton Territorial Day June 27-28
Current River Heritage Museum, p. 66
Visit Constitution Hall, Territorial Capital Museum, and national landmarks. Discover the Territorial Capital of Kansas (18551861) the Civil War birthplace where slavery began to die. www.lecomptonkansas .com, Lecompton Turnpike Exit, 10 miles East of Topeka on US 40 and 24 Mark Twain’s Retreat “Recollections of the Civli War” • May through October
Join acclaimed performer Jim Waddell as he shares Mark Twain’s Civil War experiences at the museum gallery, Thursday through Sunday at 4 pm. 120 N Main Street, Hannibal 573-221-9010
Battle of Glasgow Reenactment Committee, p. 64 Battle of Plattsburg Civil War Event, p. 64 Bushwhacher Museum, p. 64 Caldwell County Civil War Days, p. 66 Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, p. 63 James Country, p. 64 Jefferson Barracks, p. 66 Keokuk Area Convention and Tourism Bureau, p. 65 LeCompton Historical Society, p. 63 Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum, p. 63 Missouri Civil War Heritage Foundation, p. 65 Newton County Tourism, p. 65 Tom Rafiner, p. 66
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150th Commemoration of the Battle of Glasgow One battle each day, homes tour, Saturday evening period Ball, Sunday church tours, craft/flea market, food, period demonstrations, parade, and kids activities.
The largest sutlery in the Midwest!
October 11 & 12 For more info visit www.glasgowmo.com Highway 87 Spur South of Stump Island Park, Glasgow
150th Commemoration of the Battle of Plattsburg & Living Histories
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. Custom orders at no additional cost!
Our clothing is American made! April 25-27, 2014. For details visit www.plattsburg150.webstarts.com or call 816-370-2532
111 N. Main, Liberty, MO • 816-781-9473 www.jamescountry.com • jamescntry@aol.com
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Check it out!
Cinders and Silence
by Tom A. Rafiner
Between 1854 and 1870, Missouri’s western border plunged from prosperity to devastation and then to oblivion. The violence and destruction were unparalleled in American history. Cinders and Silence chronicles the burnt district’s history while exploring the reason for its rapid disappearance from Missouri’s consciousness. To learn more and order, visit: www.casscountyorderno11.com
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Musings ON MISSOURI
OF MOUSETRAPS AND MEN BY RON MARR
ANDREW BARTON
I’VE NEVER been particularly adept at making money. I have a plethora of earth-shattering ideas, but for reasons that leave me perpetually baffled, the world at large has no interest. The masses never shared my passion for a nationwide chain of gizzard-on-a-stick franchises. They lacked the vision to live the dream that could have been the North American Fantasy Curling League. My attempts to combine ping-pong and skeet shooting fell upon deaf ears riddled with No. 8 shot. My last great flash of commercial insight, targeted toward the wholly untapped market of laptops, tablets, smart phones, and flat-screen TVs owned by the Amish, was treated with nothing less than wholesale derision. I sincerely believed that Grand Theft Buggy would be the video-game phenomenon of the century. The producers of ABC’s Shark Tank refused to take my calls. Thus I remain on the edge of the poverty abyss, an aging Missouri hermit whose flashes of marketable brilliance are appreciated only by three dogs, two of which might be faking the accolades in order to better satisfy their insatiable desire for Kibbles and Bits and Oinkies. As an aside, I’m really jealous of the guy who invented Oinkies. First-hand observation tells me these tubular chunks of smoked pig’s ear may well be the canine version of OxyContin. The realization that, somewhere in America, a smoked pig’s ear magnate resides in the lap of luxury causes me no small degree of consternation. That’s largely because I, failing to find an investor to fund my line of Shroud of Turin beach towels, remain so poor that even Obamacare doesn’t want me. RON MARR Luckily, and much like my combination eye
dropper/fly swatter (“kill flying pests while giving your corneas a relaxing ocular bath!”) an epiphany struck me smack between the peepers. While it may be true that building a better mousetrap will cause the world to beat a path to your door, such a level of success is not without its own set of nightmarish headaches. For starters, the thought of strangers prowling around my yard and endlessly ringing the bell is a torture Dante forgot to mention when describing the fourth circle of hell. I’m not exactly what you’d call a people person, and though I didn’t invent privacy, I’m pretty sure I perfected it. Second, I’ve come to understand that I’ve been looking at everything from the wrong angle. We live in an era when reality truly is virtual, spin is everything, and Twitter trends carry far more weight than a product’s quality or effectiveness. I honestly can’t remember the last time I bought a gizmo that worked as well as advertised. I think it may have been back in 1991 when Presto introduced the Tater Twister (“make curly fries at home!”). Sadly, the Twister was not well received by consumers. It was soon yanked from production and consigned to the culinary graveyard reserved for countertop appliances that perfectly carve and shape delicious tubers. This was when I should have realized the Apocalypse was nigh. There’s just something twisted about a world that doesn’t get all giddy at the notion of making curly fries at home. Thus, I have relaxed to the inevitable and accepted that I will likely remain poorer than twice-chewed dirt. I will soldier on and stick with my strengths, which largely consist of sitting down, lying around, catching catfish, petting dogs, engaging in generalized idiocy, and endeavoring to not worry about things I can’t control. The epiphany? It was blatantly obvious. The wise man does not waste his time building a better mousetrap. He simply waits for stupider mice.
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800 E. Broadway, Columbia 573-874-8090 • www.sycamorerestaurant.com
When Sycamore in Downtown Columbia opened in 2005, the restaurant wasn’t trying to piggyback on the national “locavore.” The word was actually coined that same year. Yet, Sycamore does embody farm-to-table, tail-to-snout dining with a focus in sustainability, responsibly raised meats, and locally sourced food. With connections to a myriad of Mid-Missouri farmers, foragers, and producers, the restaurant incorporates local ingredients into almost every menu item, whether that means incorporating ice cream from Sparky’s, another downtown Columbia staple, on the dessert menu; always using trout from Troutdale Farm, a rainbow trout farm in Gravois Mills; or trusting in Missouri Legacy beef, a free-range, grass-fed, and organic beef ranch in Salisbury. Since the beginning, Chef Mike Odette has been carefully curating and crafting Sycamore’s simple, rustic menu. Mike, who co-owns the restaurant with Amy Barrett and Sanford and Jill Speake, worked his way up through the Columbia culinary ranks, starting out at the now defunct Café Europa, moving on to Trattoria Strada Nova, which also closed, and finally landing at Columbia’s legendary burger joint Booches before opening Sycamore. The restaurant quickly gained traction as a gourmet Missouri bistro, and in 2009, Mike was recognized as a semifinalist for the James Beard Best Midwest Chef award. All of this was done through no small feat, though. The kitchen staff works hard to create a fresh, seasonal menu each day for lunch, dinner, and fantastic weekday happy hour specials from 5 to 7 pm. Although Sycamore has some mainstays, like its filet or its flash-fried oysters, the menu changes daily, so you can always expect to find something new, vibrant, and delicious. •
SARAH HERRERA
Beef doesn’t just mean your standard steak seasoned with salt and pepper or a plain old hamburger. Today, Missouri’s best restaurants are presenting beef in new and exciting ways, whether that means putting a fresh spin on an old dish or creating a culinary fusion for something completely new. With the spring season here, the best, garden-fresh ingredients are back, so there’s no better time to dine out for a nice meal or prepare a stand-out steak dish at home.
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PROMOTION
Thai Beef Kabob 2-ounce beef tenderloin, one for each diner Âź cup fish sauce 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon ground white pepper 2 tablespoons minced shallots 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 tablespoon canola oil 2 cans coconut milk 1 cup red curry 1 cup peanut butter 1. Marinate beef in fish sauce, brown sugar, coriander, and white pepper. 2. In a medium saucepan, sweat the shallots and garlic in canola oil until translucent. 3. Add coconut milk and red curry, whisking until smooth. 4. Bring to a boil, and remove from heat. 5. Whisk in peanut butter until smooth, and set aside. 6. Grill beef to perfection. Serve with sauce on the side.
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THE NEW N AMERICA CUISINE
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Providence PROMOTION
Kansas City Strip with Tank 7 Vinaigrette 16-ounce dry-aged, bone-in strip steak Maldon salt, to taste Fresh ground pepper, to taste 2 ounces baby arugula 1 ounce watercress 2 ounces ricotta 1 ounce toasted pistachio 1 ounce Boulevard Brewery Tank 7 vinaigrette
ANGELA BOND
1329 Baltimore Ave., Kansas City • 816-303-1686 • www.providence-kc.com
Classic elegance and modern luxury meet at The Hilton President Hotel in Kansas City’s Power and Light District. The hotel was built at the height of the Roaring Twenties and was completed in 1926. From then on, the hotel was nationally known, even hosting the Republican National Convention in 1928. During its heyday, the hotel’s Drum Room attracted the big players of its day, including Frank Sinatra, the Marx Brothers, and the Great Houdini. Today, after renovating in 2012, the Drum Room Lounge and Providence New American Kitchen are under the direction of Executive Chef Eric Carter, who has been with the hotel since 2010. The menu, which both the restaurant and the lounge share, is great thanks to Eric, but Providence is where the food is in the spotlight, whereas martinis take center stage in the Drum Room Lounge. Despite being located inside of the AAA Four Diamond Hotel, Providence is more casual than you might think. And so is the menu. Eric gathers as many ingredients as possible from local sources, so the food tastes gourmet. But its classic American style is more laid back. You don’t need a three-piece suit to enjoy Providence’s Kobe-style burger, beer-braised short ribs, or apple wood-smoked meatloaf. However, if you are looking for an upscale meal, you can find it at Providence, as well. The menu will always be home to the classic dry-aged Kansas City Strip. If you’re looking for something more decadent, though, go for the surf and turf—lobster tail, filet mignon, braised greens, and sour cream mashed potatoes. Don’t let the hotel’s prestigious awards and history intimidate you. With red-blooded American ingredients, reasonable prices, and a flair for flavor, Providence is for anyone who enjoys good food. •
1. Allow steak to come to room temperature. Season steak liberally with maldon salt and fresh ground pepper. 2. Grill steak to preferred temperature, and allow to rest 8 minutes. 3. While the steak is resting, combine the remaining ingredients and toss lightly with the vinaigrette. Serve alongside the steak, and enjoy with a Boulevard Tank 7. Serves 1.
Boulevard Brewery Tank 7 Vinaigrette 12 ounces Tank 7 beer ½ cup minced shallot ½ cup local honey 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard ¼ cup passion fruit puree ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 1 ½ cup canola oil Salt, to taste Pepper, to taste 1. Combine all ingredients except for the oil, salt, pepper, and blend for 10 seconds. 2. Slowly drizzle oil into the running blender to emulsify. 3. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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106 W. 12th St., Kansas City • 816-221-7000 • www.hotelphillips.com/kansas-city-dining/
Black ’N’ Blue 2 pounds of tenderloin tips, cut into 1-inch by 1-inch cubes. 2 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon Cajun or Creole seasoning ½ cup roasted red peppers, chopped ¼ cup kalamata olives, pitted ¼ cup red onion, diced ¼ cup cooked bacon, chopped ¼ cup spring peas ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles 4 pitas 1. Rub meat with seasoning. Pour olive oil into skillet, and heat for 1-2 minutes or until slightly smoking. Add tenderloin to the pan, and brown for 3-4 minutes, stirring the meat constantly. 2. Once the majority of the meat’s outer layer is browned, add all other ingredients to the pan, except the blue cheese and pitas. Continue cooking for 3-4 minutes again, stirring the meat mixture every 30 seconds. 3. When the meat and other ingredients are cooked to perfection, add the blue cheese. Stir for only about 30 seconds or just enough for the cheese to melt into the mixture. 4. Divide the meat mixture between the four pitas, and fold together like a taco. Serves 4.
ANGELA BOND
The stunning art deco lobby, which made its debut in 1931, is the first sign you’re in for a treat when you enter Hotel Phillips in Downtown Kansas City. Although staying at the Hotel Phillips is a delight, the real pleasure might be dining at the hotel’s delicious and elegant restaurant: 12 Baltimore. And you don’t have to be a guest to enjoy it. Since the fall of 2011, Executive Chef Justin Voldan has been crafting dishes on the menu from scratch. From breakfast through dinner, the menus feature fresh, hearty American cuisine with a gourmet attitude. For breakfast, try the corned beef hash or steak and eggs, and don’t miss the breakfast buffet every Saturday and Sunday from 8 am to noon. If you’re a late sleeper, go for lunch. After all, lunch at 12 Baltimore might be one of the best deals in town with more than twelve choices, served with a beverage, for just $8.95 on weekdays from 11 am to noon. However, the dinner menu is the real gem. Start out with a fresh appetizer, such as the Steak Cargo or the Black ’N’ Blue plate. If you’re ready for a real meat and potatoes meal, get a steak with asparagus or the tenderloin medallions with green beans and red wine demi; both are served with garlic mashed potatoes. If you’re in the mood for a more casual meal, try the burger The Pitch has called Kansas City’s best or the scrumptious Reuben, with house-made corned beef. And for those who want something that tastes fresh this spring, the Cajun Steak Salad will more than satisfy. Even if you’re not hungry for dinner, 12 Baltimore is great spot to grab a drink or a light snack, with specials every weekday from 3 to 7 pm. If you love beer, the restaurant has a partnership with Boulevard Brewery, so expect to see some of Kansas City’s best brews on tap. •
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PROMOTION
CLASSIC N AMERICA E ELEGANC [73] April 2014
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PROMOTION
315 Four Seasons Dr., Lake Ozark • 800-843-5253 • www.4seasonsresort.com/dining_hks.php
HARRY KATZ
After fifty years, The Lodge of Four Seasons has become a tradition at the Lake of the Ozarks, partly because the resort has a highly regarded reputation for excellent food and dining. HK’s Restaurant, located just off the lobby, embodies The Lodge of the Four Seasons’ quest for perfection. Named after the resort’s beloved founder, Harold Koplar, HK’s is now under the command of Executive Chef Jon Quint. Jon, Chef de Cuisine Colin McGill, and an expert culinary team have put together one of the best dinner menus in the state. From superb starters, such as pancetta-wrapped scallops, to possibly the best steak menu within miles of the Lake, which includes an amazing twenty-ounce dry-aged, bone-in ribeye, HK’s has a plate for anyone’s desires—even if you just want a tasty burger or brisket sandwich. But the food isn’t the only memorable part of dining at HK’s. The restaurant offers complimentary valet parking, and that’s just where the luxury begins. The view of HK’s is also incredible. Find a table overlooking the Lake or the fantastic Japanese Gardens to experience HK’s at its best. By the end of the night, it’ll be hard to choose what was best: the view, the service, or the dry-aged Kansas City Strip served with Yukon Gold mashed potatoes and petit green beans. Dining at HK’s is always a good decision, but don’t miss out on the deals either, like Monday’s twelve-dollar burger and beer special or the cocktail happy hour every night from 5 to 7 pm. More importantly, though, don’t miss out on this gem of a restaurant in one of Missouri’s most celebrated vacation spots. •
Bone-in Ribeye Rub 6 ounces kosher salt 12 ounces sugar ¼ ounce black pepper 1 ounce paprika 1 ounce ground cumin 1 ounce chili powder ½ garlic powder ¾ onion powder 1. Combine all ingredients; mix thoroughly. 2. Season your favorite steak; a prime-grade, bone-in ribeye is recommended. 3. Grill to perfection.
Simply visit www.MissouriLife.com/winbeef, or scan the code, tell us which of these four restaurants you’d like to visit, and you’ll be entered into a drawing to win. You will also be entered to win $500 worth of beef. Sponsored by the Missouri Beef Industry Council.
Visit www.mobeef.org for more information on Missouri beef, restaurants, recipes, and nutrition. [75] April 2014
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Flavor
For this off-the-menu meal, Broadway Brewery in Columbia served the Wagyu Beef Sampler, which featured beef tongue chili, a tenderloin atop parsnip puree, and beef heart.
THE CHEF’S TABLE Broadway Brewery in Columbia paints a portrait of indulgence. STORY BY EVAN WOOD | PHOTOS BY HARRY KATZ
AN OFF-THE-MENU FEAST Imagine going into your favorite restaurant and saying: “Surprise me. Bring me something that isn’t on the menu. Better yet, have the chef cook up her favorite food.” If you’re going to order that way, why not have a whole feast? Throw in wine, beer, or cocktail pairings, invite friends, and make it a night. If you enjoy eating, have an open mind, and have a restaurant you love, ask the chef if he or she would create an off-the-menu feast for you and some friends. Sometimes known as a chef’s table, these meals can typically be arranged for six to eight people to indulge in five to seven courses—each with drink pairings—at one to two hundred dollars per person. This experience is more than just a meal; you’re attending a full-fledged event, a dinner party of sorts.
But why arrange a dinner like this? Consider this: If you go out to an average steakhouse and order an entirely forgettable dinner for two, you’re probably going to wind up with a sixty-dollar check and a dinner that lasts forty-five minutes. You’ll order drinks, your food will arrive, and after your main dishes are taken from the table, you’ll peruse the dessert menu and decide to order nothing. You’ve probably had a hundred such dinners in your lifetime. Meanwhile, you could be dining on creative, enjoyable, and entirely original food at a restaurant that you love. Granted, not every restaurant is ready and willing to prepare such a feast. But for the same reason patrons commission their favorite artists to create original pieces, you should feel inclined to see what your favorite kitchen is capable of.
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Left: Missouri trout was served three ways: fried, grilled, and bacon style. Right: Dessert was a berry-apple cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream.
A chef’s table is a throwing down of the gauntlet. It’s going in to a restaurant and saying: “I’ve enjoyed this place every time. I’ve been impressed every time, and now, for a little extra cash, I want to be blown away.” If you have an open mind, you probably will be.
USING THE WHOLE COW Choosing the right place is a complicated science. If you’re going to indulge in extravagance, find a restaurant that can handle it. However, even the most ostentatious restaurants—if they’re willing—are going to charge a handsome price, so find a middle ground. For me, the right restaurant for this experience was Broadway Brewery, an unpretentious brewpub in Columbia. What I like about Broadway Brewery is that I’ve never been disappointed there. The simple yet creative menu, which features standards like pulled pork sandwiches and cheeseburgers and less common fare, such as rabbit with dumplings, is a plus. And omitting the fact that Broadway brews its own very good beer, the restaurant’s focus on local and readily available ingredients is another big appeal. “In the last ten years, I’ve pretty much based my reputation on doing that,” says Chef Rob Uyemura, speaking of sourcing locally. In his previous position as a chef at YaYa’s Euro Bistro in Chesterfield,
Rob turned a kitchen that was using very few local ingredients into one that did most of its sourcing locally. “We started moving the local products in and getting to know the farmers,” he says. “It was an educational process for everyone that worked there—learning where stuff came from.” Rob’s farm-to-table methodology also keeps menus seasonal and ingredients fresh; it brings a sense of place to every meal. As the executive chef at Broadway Brewery, Rob fits right in; his philosophy meshes well with Broadway’s stated mission of celebrating local farmers and foods. In fact, Rob met Co-owner Walker Claridge at a farmers’ market. Today, much of the protein comes from area farms, and a chunk of produce is right from Walker’s farm. And that regional food focus is great for a dinner like this because quality is of the utmost importance, and there is no substitute for fresh ingredients. It also facilitates creativity. Broadway Brewery’s deep reserve of distinct ingredients is a result of the way the restaurant sources and uses ingredients. “We buy whole animals,” Rob says. “We get a whole Wagyu steer every three weeks.” The meat from the Wagyu steer—a breed of cattle known for high quality meat—is used for burgers and steaks, but the menu uses as many cuts as possible, making it cost-effective to buy the entire animal.
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Broadway Brewery Co-owner Walker Caldridge picks mixed greens inside a greenhouse outside of Sturgeon.
right in the center of its own culinary landscape—the Midwest. I knew that “If we were to buy individual cuts instead, it would be too expensive Broadway had the chops, enthusiasm, and ingredients to prepare a creative, for us to use here,” Rob says. And the same goes for the pork. scrumptious meal, so a table for eight was reserved, and a date was set. Some patrons might only be interested in the standard cuts, and for those folks, there will always be a sirloin, a strip, or just a classic burger. But Broadway’s use of whole animals has found a home with curious and EATING BEEF HEART WITH A DRONE PILOT creative connoisseurs. When Paul Jackson mentions that he’s been flying drones during the “We’ve done shredded tongue tacos,” says Walker. “People cannot past few months, an ominous picture starts to form in my mind. believe how good the flavor of the tongue is.” What he’s really talking about is more akin to flying a toy helicopter—if a toy helicopter could travel at around fifty feet a If you’re intrigued by unfamiliar and unexpected foods, a chef’s table dinner provides the perfect second and take gorgeous photos with a built-in opportunity to test your limits. fourteen megapixel camera. Columbia artist and public figure Paul, along Broadway Brewery’s sourcing methods also provide a basis for a trusting relationship between the with his wife, Marla, and members of the Missouri kitchen and the patrons, and that’s the type of resLife editorial staff, are guests at this chef’s table dintaurant that you want. You wouldn’t want to try an ner, and I feel lucky to have him there. If you don’t unusual cut of meat for the first time at a restauknow Paul, Google “Paul Jackson State Quarter” or rant you don’t trust. Here, you know that the meat “Paul Jackson Tiger Spot.” is fresh and high quality. You can drive out to the Aside from Paul’s notability, his engaging personfarm and see for yourself. ality makes for excellent company. Before the first Even in the dead of winter, Broadway Brewery Co-owner As a restaurant, Broadway Brewery exists Walker Caldridge finds farmers in the surrounding area to course begins, Paul is the center of attention, while squarely between the humble cafés and burger provide him with ingredients that he needs. the rest of us are eating fresh heirloom popcorn joints, which simply wouldn’t have the culinary from Rob’s garden topped with smoked sea salt and know-how to plan an extravagant menu, and the highest of high-end resdrinking Broadway’s Blonde on Blonde ales. taurants, which might be reluctant to deviate from their fixed menus, and Paul is telling us about crashing his DJI Phantom Vision into a chain-
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link fence when the first course arrives: Missouri trout three ways. That’s fried trout, grilled trout, and trout bacon, plus some local spicy greens and goat cheese. The grilled trout is the standout, but surely the trout bacon is the most inventive. Walker explains the “bacon” is made with trout bellies, which are often discarded. Broadway Brewery’s creativity is on display already, and it’s a savory treat. Paul and Marla even comment that the trout bacon is better than some real bacon that they just bought at the grocery store. The next course is grilled rabbit loin on a skewer, which is succulent and juicy, served on top of cheddar grits with barbecue sauce and pickled squash. The creaminess of the grits blankets the tang of the squash. The beer pairing, Broadway’s APA, compliments and cuts through the dish with its clean citrus hops. We’re all trading reactions to the food, the beer, and the service. It’s never a bad idea to invite an eccentric artist to dinner, but even if you do a chef’s table with a few family members, the mood tends to be conversational; it comes with the territory. You feel compelled to think about what’s on the table and to really engage with it. To provide the greater context of the meal, Walker comes to the table to talk about each course and the sources of ingredients. The exactness with which he names the farms and farmers from which the food came is impressive and the sign of a good chef’s table. The third course is my personal favorite: a bison potato dumpling in an Ozark mushroom broth, topped with a long strip of curvy pretzel toast. A pinch of the tangy mustard and some bison summer sausage sits on top of the toast. As presentation goes, this dish struts without going over the top, and the crisp taste and texture of the pretzel adds flair to the hearty dumpling. A black IPA—dark as night but somewhat refreshing and light—makes for a quality pairing. The main course is a Wagyu beef sampler. Wagyu is extremely marbled, and you might recognize it as the type of cow used for Kobe beef. Like genuine Champagne must be produced in France, genuine Kobe must be produced in the Kobe region of Japan, so your chances of eating authentic Japanese Kobe in America are slim to none. However, Wagyu is also the breed used for the not-to-be-scoffed-at American Kobe. This sampler puts the absurdly high quality on display. In the center, a piece of seared loin, rare in the middle and chocolate brown on the outside, sits atop of parsnip purée. To the left, braised beef tongue chili stands alone, and to the right, rare beef heart is paired with baby beet greens. As the dishes are ushered out and set down, it becomes clear that the bar has been raised. The loin is soft and tender but cannot compare to the melt-in-your mouth texture of the tongue in the rich, flavorful chili. The heart, I admit, I’m afraid to try. Despite many good experiences here, I’m nervously coaxing my fork along. I swallow some of the porter paired with this course; its richness compliments the dish, and its chocolate notes dance lightly on an intense medley of flavors. I move along to the heart and take a bite. The flavor is irony but subtle, and it’s the most tender texture you can imagine. Before I know it, there’s nothing left on my plate, or in my glass. Dessert, a light apple-blueberry cobbler, topped with ice cream and
Top: Chef Rob Uyemura greets his guests. Left: Dollops of Broadway Brewery’s house mustard sit on pieces of pretzel toast. Right: Although an uncommon dish, beef heart is delicious and high in iron. Bottom: Each dish had a beer pairing, from the porter to a blonde ale to black IPA.
paired with barley wine, is an all around sweet cap to the evening. As we depart, the restaurant is still humming with other patrons. We walk across the street to Columbia City Hall for a short demo of Paul’s flying abilities. It’s windy, so he has to land his drone all too soon. As chef’s tables go, this one ended perfectly. I feel as though I’ve just spent a long evening at an old friend’s house. For more information on Broadway Brewery in Columbia, check out www.broadwaybrewery.com, or call 573-397-5154.
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Try some of Broadway Brewery’s best culinary concoctions.
BISON POTATO DUMPLING Ingredients >
24 russet potatoes, medium-sized, 2 per dumpling ½ pound spicy bison sausage or fresh chorizo sausage 2 cups mushrooms, crimini, oyster, and shiitake, trimmed and sliced 4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper Salt to taste ¼ cup green onion, sliced 12 eggs, 1 per dumpling 12 prepared Asian dumpling wrappers, 1 per dumpling Water, as needed
Directions >
HARRY KATZ
1. Place potatoes in 350 degree oven and bake until soft. After the potatoes are cooked, cut in half while still warm and crumble into a bowl without the skins. 2. While potatoes are cooking, brown the sausage in a sauce pot. Once cooked, place the sausage in a bowl to cool. Reserve the pan. 3. In the same pan that the sausage was cooked in, sauté the mushrooms until wilted. 4. Add the chicken broth to the mushrooms, and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 5. Once potatoes and sausage have cooled, combine together. Add the green onion and egg, and mix to combine evenly. 6. To assemble dumplings, place a small amount of the sausage filling in the center of the dumpling wrapper. Wet edges of wrapper with water, fold over, and seal. 7. Using a non-stick pan, brown dumplings over medium heat on both sides, and add a small amount of water to the pan to steam dumplings. 8. Serve with mushrooms and chicken broth. Serves 12.
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—MissouriLife —
—MissouriLife —
CHEDDAR SQUASH GRITS
SEARED RABBIT
Ingredients:
1 quart water 1 teaspoon garlic, minced 2 tablespoon unsalted butter 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Salt to taste
HARRY KATZ
Directions:
Ingredients >
1/4 cup cornmeal 1/4 cup stone-ground yellow grits 1/3 cup sour cream 1/3 cup aged cheddar cheese, grated 1/3 cup squash puree
2 rabbits, skinned, heads off 4-8 wood skewers Barbecue rub, to taste 4 ounces baby spinach, washed
2 tablespoons olive oil 4 ounces barbecue sauce Salt Pepper
Directions: >
1. Bring water, garlic, butter, pepper, and salt together in a pot and bring to a boil. 2. Add all the cornmeal and grits, whisking in until smooth. Lower heat, and simmer 20 minutes until thick and grits are softened. 3. Remove from heat and add sour cream, aged cheddar cheese, and squash puree. Stir in and blend with immersion blender. Adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed. 4. Serve with sautéed spinach, seared meats, and a drizzle of your favorite barbecue sauce. Serves 8.
1. Debone rabbit, and cut into uniform pieces. Divide rabbit meat evenly onto the skewers. 2. Season rabbit with a basic barbecue rub of your choice. Sear or grill the rabbit skewers until just firm to the touch. Reserve to a plate, and keep warm. Save any juices from the rabbit. 3. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat with the olive oil. Add the spinach, and cook until just wilted, seasoning with salt and pepper. If rabbit was seared, use the same pan you cooked the rabbit in to cook the spinach. This will give added flavor to the spinach. 4. To plate the rabbit, first add any juices to the prepared grits and combine. 5. Place 1/2 cup of grits in the center of a plate, place spinach on top of grits or on the side. Lean the rabbit skewer onto the grits and spinach. Finish the dish with a drizzle of your favorite barbecue sauce. Serves 2.
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Missouri Life tastes menus worth the drive.
Parkville
To Bee French INSIDE A GRAY stucco building
Tracy Torres opened this spot with her chil-
on the east side of Parkville, a display case
dren in March 2013. The family pays tribute to
at The French Bee Bakery is a wonderland of
its namesake by baking Rosemary Sablés, a
handmade pastries. From luscious lemon and
French shortbread biscuit. The French influ-
pumpkin bars to chocolate frosted donuts,
ence is also in the décor, with a clock set to
large cookies and tall slabs of berry pie, a world
Paris time and another set to Missouri time.
of sweet flavors springs forth. Rich, flaky crois-
But there are more than baked goods.
sants, cinnamon or lavender-orange biscotti,
The French Bee is also a great place for a
and freshly baked scones entice your return.
tasty lunch. Pair one of the bakery’s hefty
Plus, the shop bakes beautiful birthday cakes.
sandwiches, such as the pork and apple sandwich served on bread made from scratch inhouse, with a flavorful soup, such as the savory smoked sausage chili or the sherried tomato basil. Or make a meal out of the legume salad—a beautiful mix of edamame, white beans, grilled corn, basil, and cherry tomatoes. But if you want to taste the restaurant’s theme, the Torres’s signature quiche Lorraine tastes truly of France.—Lisa Waterman Gray www.frenchbeebakery.com • 404 East Street 816-673-0117
Joplin
Farm to Belly
Brookfield
She’s A Brick House
BRIGHT ORANGE paint and exposed wood on the ex-
JUST OFF Highway 36 in the small town of Brookfield, The BrickHouse Grill is sur-
found inside Mohaska Farmhouse, where a brick oven fills the room with
prisingly sizable. The restaurant offers a menu full of options, ranging from Rhode Island
scrumptious scents.
Calamari with a zest of garlic and lemon to Frickles (fried pickles)—and that’s just to start.
Located on a busy spot on Joplin’s Main Street, this farm-to-table res-
Having opened in the summer of 2013, The BrickHouse has become a hot spot for lunch
taurant offers simple, fresh food that satisfies both vegetarians and carni-
and dinner. Plus, Executive Chef Shawn Moore and his team make everything from scratch.
vores. The menu is rife with local ingredients, and the names of the sup-
The menu is always full of ribs, brisket, turkey, pulled pork, and chicken that will satisfy hun-
pliers are listed on a large chalkboard. All of the bread, including the pizza
gry customers, not to mention steak, fish, salads, and other steakhouse fare.
crust, is hand-crafted with organic flour, sea salt, and water.
With a full bar of wine and craft
To satisfy your inner vegetarian, try the falafel appetizer—two hand-
beers, the industrial atmosphere is
made chickpea patties served on a bed of fresh mixed greens, tomatoes,
comfortable, modern, and relaxing.
and cucumbers and topped with tzatziki sauce. If you’re more of a carni-
It’s also a local favorite for people to
vore, try the Cignetti pizza—a whole wheat crust topped with provolone
pop in and watch sports. Seating more
cheese, Italian sausage, caramelized onions, olives, and cilantro. For a
than two hundred people, it is a great
drink, try any of the organic or local wines and beers the restaurant serves.
place to dine in an otherwise small
Whatever you choose, it will probably satisfy, and with a changing
town. —Kristin Dudley
menu, something new is always on the table. —Christine Smith
Facebook: BrickHouse Brookfield
Facebook: Mohaska Farmhouse
620B W. Locking • 660-258-7300
1821 S. Main Street • 417-206-3473
COURTESY OF THE FRENCH BEE BAKERY; KRISTIN DUDLEY AND CHRISTINE SMITH
terior of this unassuming building offer a hint of the warm, earthy feeling
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John Knox Village East S I N C E 19 3 0
People love living here.
Visit the Historic Westphalia Inn Serving our famous pan-fried chicken, country ham and German pot roast family-style since 1930 106 East Main Street Westphalia, Missouri
Reservations Accepted Walk-Ins Welcome
573-455-2000
Sample our wines in the
Norton Room
on the top floor of the Westphalia Inn www.westphaliavineyards.com
Ask us about this surprisingly affordable retirement option. 660-584-4416 • www.johnknoxvillageeast.com • Higginsville, MO
AMERICA’S PREMIER SULFITE-FREE WINERY
Open Fri. at 5pm, Sat. at 4:30pm, and Sunday at 11:30am
Love living here.indd 1
5/30/13 1:31 PM
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Remarkable MISSOURIANS
Jake Bernstein spent the summer of 2013 in Ecuador creating a community garden for those in need. The organization that he co-founded, VolunTEEN Nation, enabled him to help others abroad.
IT ONLY TOOK TWO
How a St. Louis brother-sister duo revolutionized the way teens can connect to volunteer opportunities. WHEN SIMONE AND JAKE Bernstein’s father deployed for duty in the Navy, friends and neighbors stepped up to cook meals, provide rides for Simone and her younger brother, Jake, and support the Bernsteins. Inspired by her father’s service and the outpouring from others, Simone, a preteen at the time, decided that she too wanted to give back to her community. As she searched for volunteer opportunities, to her surprise, nine different organizations turned her down; they told her she was too young. The Magic House, an organization that provides educational opportunities for children, was the first to accept her offer.
Simone spent the summer volunteering there, but something nagged at her: why was this the only place that would let her volunteer? Due to safety, security, and liability concerns, many organizations cannot accept volunteers who are under the age of eighteen. “It really annoyed me,” Simone says. Jake began to share her frustrations. Then, the young Bernsteins found another opportunity at the Crisis Nursery, a center that provides a safe haven from abuse and neglect for infants and children up to twelve years old. “Working in the Crisis Nursery at such a young age really impacted me,” Jake says. “We just wanted to do more.”
So, they reached out to more than a hundred organizations they knew and other nonprofits to see at what age these places would accept volunteers. Forty responded. Then, in the summer of 2009, they launched their first website, STLouisVolunteen.org, and those forty organizations were listed by volunteer opportunity and age requirement. During the first year, with a budget of only forty-eight dollars, the Bernsteins helped connect a thousand teens with volunteer opportunities in the St. Louis area. “Our goal is to get teens their first great volunteer opportunity so that they continue to serve for the rest of their life,” Jake says. “We wanted
COURTESY OF JAKE BERNSTEIN
BY ABBY HOLMAN
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For her volunteer efforts, Simone Bernstein was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list, a Glamour Top 10 College Women of 2013, and one of L’Oréal’s 2010 Women of Worth.
COURTESY OF SIMONE BERNSTEIN
to get people to volunteer who wouldn’t have otherwise.” Jake and Simone experienced an outpouring of support from the community to continue the project. Jake says that others were inspired that teenagers had created the organization. The project would expand nationally during March 2012 when the organization won a contest, and web designers helped them design their current website, www.VolunTEENnation.org. After the retooled site launched in 2012, organizations throughout the nation discovered Jake’s and Simone’s project. By that winter, Simone and Jake had landed on the Forbes 30 under 30 list for 2012. In nine months, they connected more than 7,500 teenagers with more than 3,000 volunteer opportunities across America. Grants from the Diller Foundation and donations from L’Oréal Paris and NASCAR helped the organization grow. Funds like these are donated to service projects across the country. The allocation is usually no more than twenty or twenty-five dollars, but the teens have shown that they can make a difference, even with small amounts of money. Expanding on his past volunteer efforts, in the summer of 2013, Jake was given a grant and traveled to Ecuador. There, he worked with the JUCONI Child Labor Eradication Program and helped the Dale Foundation build a garden through a grant funded by VolunTEEN Nation.
Jake Bernstein and Andrea Stiffelman help a child at the 2011 “Aces for All” project, a program created by VolunTEEN organizers that focuses on involving autistic children in sports.
Today, Simone attends St. Bonaventure University in upstate New York, while Jake attends the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, both of which are more than eleven hours away from St. Louis. However, Jake, Simone, and their team have been creating guidebooks and a sustainable structure for the organization so that it can operate while they are away. VolunTEEN Ambassadors help fill the leadership gap and keep the day-to-day operations going. These teens keep in contact with the organizations. They also lead service projects, share their experiences with others to encourage more involvement, and reach out to nonprofits to look for new volunteer opportunities. Simone is the primary contact for the 240 VolunTEEN Ambassadors across the country, many of whom are based in St. Louis. Sometimes, she spends up to six hours a day on the website and consults the ambassadors, helping them plan service projects in their communities. Sophia Rotman, a St. Louis family friend of the Bernsteins and VolunTEEN Ambassador, first connected with the organization at VolunTEEN events in the Gateway City. Today, Sophia plans local sports camps for children with autism. She says that her experience with VolunTEEN Nation helped her realize that when young people work together, collectively, their impact is greater.
And the organization isn’t only for teenagers. In Olean, New York, Alex Gu, twenty, volunteers as an Emergency Medical Technician and helps care for the sick and injured before they are taken to the hospital. And Tara Harmon, eleven, in Indianapolis organizes service projects. At one event, the community made more than 250 cards for those in the military and at another event, volunteers collected donated clothing, which was sent to students at public schools across the city. In Chapel Hill this past holiday season, Jake and two of his peers created a website called Communigift. It’s an online platform that allows visitors to adopt and sponsor families in need while also purchasing gifts for their own family and friends. The idea for the site combines charitable giving and holiday shopping and streamlines the adopta-family process by allowing donors to purchase items and have them delivered directly to the beneficiary’s door. Although Simone and Jake are no longer teenagers, they say they will continue their efforts with VolunTEEN Nation. Their conviction that everyone, especially young people, have the power to make a difference is what keeps Simone and Jake involved in their growing nonprofit that started as a small idea, but now helps thousands across the country.
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The Missouri Humanities Council
presents
The 2014 Missouri Humanities Awards
Edward Jones Headquarters Saturday, May 17, 2014 12 noon – 3 pm (lunch will be served) 12555 Manchester Road St. Louis, MO 63131
The Missouri Humanities Awards The Missouri Humanities Awards celebrate the accomplishments of people and organizations who have made exceptional contributions to our understanding of Missouri, its people, and its stories. Each year we confer these awards on individuals and organizations whose achievements set an example worthy of statewide attention. We recognize outstanding teaching in Missouri schools, outstanding community outreach, and distinguished literary achievements. Featured Speaker: This year’s speaker is Patrick Lee, performing as Thomas Jefferson. Lee is a professional speaker, actor, and writer. Since 1990, he has delivered authentic keynote presentations as Thomas Jefferson, Daniel Boone, and William Clark.
The Missouri Humanities Council is a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to build a more thoughtful, informed, and civil society by supporting and presenting humanities-based programs throughout the state of Missouri. For more information or to purchase tickets to the 2014 Missouri Humanities Awards, visit www.mohumanities.org.
Awardees: • Christy Connor for Excellence in Education in her teaching at Saint Raphael the Archangel School in St. Louis, Missouri • Kathy Borgman for Exemplary Community Achievement through her leadership in the Friends of Arrow Rock in Arrow Rock, Missouri • Dennis Stroughmatt for Exemplary Community Achievement in preserving and sharing the traditional French culture and music of the Old Mines/Ste. Genevieve region of Missouri • Naomi Williamson for Exemplary Community Achievement for her leadership with the annual Children’s Literature Festival in Warrensburg, Missouri • Cheryl Harness for Distinguished Literary Achievement through writing and illustrating her series of historical non-fiction books for children
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ALL AROUND
Missouri A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 4
reunited and it feels so good!
KANSAS CITY
THE URICH REUNION
THE DISCOVERY OF KING TUT
May 28-31, Urich > See this 120-year-old event, started in 1894 with a Civil War encampment for both the Union and the Confederate soldiers. Today it features music, carnival, car show, parade, and contests. City Park. 6-10 pm Wed.-Fri.; 8 am9 pm Sat. Free except carnival. 660-638-4728
April 4-Sept. 7, Kansas City > Learn about the 1922 discovery of the ancient Egyptian archeological site and see more than 1,000 objects. Union Station Kansas City. 10 am-5 pm (last ticket at 3:30 pm) Mon.Thurs.; 10 am-7 pm (last ticket 5:30 pm) Fri.-Sat.; 11 am-6 pm (last ticket 4:30 pm) Sun. $12.50-$19.95. 816-460-2000, www.unionstation.org/tut/
SECOND FRIDAYS April 11, Excelsior Springs > Entertainment with The Bohemian Painters and music by the Copper Creek Band. Willow Springs Mercantile. 5-8:30 pm. Free. 816-630-7467, www.shopthemercantile.com
OLD DRUM DAY FESTIVAL April 12, Warrensburg > Reenactment of the Old Drum story, classic car show, vendors, gift basket raffle, Doggone Fun games for kids, live music, 5K run, and book signing. Old Courthouse Square. 9 am-4 pm. Free (except special events). 660-7476480, www.warrensburg.org
FLIGHT OF FANCY April 19, Lee’s Summit > Giant kites, stunt kites, kite making, candy drop, and a three story high windsock. MCC-Longview campus. 10 am-5 pm. Free. 816-604-2030, www.mccflightsoffancy.org
ROARIN’ TWENTIES April 25-26, Excelsior Springs > Gangster murder mystery, Roarin’ Twenties scavenger hunt, Charleston contest, best costume contest, midnight raid by prohibition agent, cocktails from the era, and picture booth. The Montgomery Venue. 8 pm-1 am. $10. 816-719-5665, www.visitesprings.com COURTESY OF KIM ERWIN
CRUISE NIGHTS April 25 and May 23, Butler > Come out and see a display of antique, classic, drag, and souped up cars and trucks. Sonic Drive-In. 5-9 pm. Free. 660-6793380, www.butlermochamber.org These listings are chosen by our editors and are not paid for by sponsors.
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NORTHWEST A MIGHTY FORTRESS IN OUR BASEMENT April 2, St. Joseph > Newest installment of the Church Basement Ladies series of musical comedies. Missouri Theatre. 2-4 PM. $17-$35. 816-2791225, www.saintjosephperformingarts.org
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK April 10-13, St. Joseph > One of the most significant human stories ever captured on stage. Robidoux Landing Playhouse. 7:30 PM Thurs.-Sat.; 2 PM Sun. $15-$25. 816-232-1778, www.rrtstjoe.org
AREA GARAGE SALES
I love a parade!
April 12, Carrollton > Pick up your informational packet at the License Bureau, and follow the map to the sales. Throughout town. Free (packet $2). 8 AM-noon. 660-542-2934, www.carrolltonmo.org
APPLE BLOSSOM PARADE AND BBQ May 2-3, St. Joseph > Grand parade, Kansas City Barbecue Society sanctioned barbecue contest, live music, and children’s activities. Civic Center Park. Free. 5-10 PM Fri.; 10 AM10 PM Sat. (parade starts at 9:30 AM). 816-233-6688, www.stjomo.com
VETERANS BENEFIT RIDE
CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE
April 26, Lexington > Motorcycle ride from Blue Spring to the VFW in Lexington, horse riding events, army vehicles, fire trucks, police cars, and vendors. Big River Ranch. 8 AM-7 PM. Donations accepted. 816-500-7526, www.bigriverranchtrailriding.com
May 17, Kansas City > Jaguar, Austin Healey, and MGA owners display their cars and compete for awards. Crown Center Square. 9 AM-3:30 PM. Free. 816-274-8444, www.crowncenter.com
CHALK WALK April 26-27, Kansas City > Amateur and professional artists create masterpieces with chalk on the sidewalk. Grounds of the Kansas City Museum. 9 AM-5 PM. Free. 816-483-6964, www.chalkwalk.org
TRUMAN BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
COURTESY OF ST. JOSEPH VISITORS BUREAU
May 8, Independence > Wreath laying ceremony, birthday cake, museum tour, and performance by President Truman reenactor. Truman Library and Museum. 8:30 AM-3:30 PM $3-$8. 816-268-8200, www.trumanlibrary.org
HOT CLUB OF SAN FRANCISCO April 16, Maryville > An evening of silent films accompanied by live gypsy swing music. Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts. 7:30 PM. $13-$25. 660-562-1212, www.nwmissouri.edu
EASTER EGG HUNT April 19, Cameron > View nature displays, register for prize drawing, and hunt for Easter eggs. Wallace State Park. 1-3 PM. Free. 816-632-3745, www .mostateparks.com/park/wallace-state-park
WINGS OVER WESTON May 10, Weston > Festival celebrates birds and butterflies featuring arts, crafts, guided bird hikes, bald eagle and falconry programs, children’s art fair, performance by the Bluegrass Tornadoes, and rescued birds from Operation Wildlife. Weston Bend State Park. 9 AM-3 PM. Free. 816-640-5443, www .mostateparks.com/park/weston-bend-state-park
MUSIC IN THE PARK May 23 and 30, Lee’s Summit > Enjoy a different concert each week. Howard Station Park. 6:30-10 PM. Free. 816-246-6598, www.downtownls.org
CIRQUE DE SOLEIL
JIGGLE JAM FAMILY FEST
May 14-18, Kansas City > Tribute to the nomadic soul of the gypsy and the spirit and art of the circus. Sprint Center. 7:30 PM Wed.-Fri.; 4 and 7:30 PM Sat.; 1:30 and 5 PM Sun. $16-$55. 816-949-7140, www.sprintcenter.com
May 24-25, Kansas City > Bubble tent, arts, crafts, train rides, workshops, Bouncy Land, and more than 25 national and local entertainers. Crown Center Square. 9 AM-7 PM Sat.; 10 AM-5 PM Sun. $10$18. 816-997-8511, www.kcjigglejam.com
RENDEZVOUS AT THE MUSEUM
FIESTA ITALIANO
May 17, Independence > Fur traders, Native American Indians, trail scouts, explorers, games, activities, and cultural experiences. National Frontier Trails Museum campus. 10 AM-6:30 PM. Free. 816325-7575, www.visitindependence.com
May 30-June 1, Kansas City > Celebrate Italian traditions with food, beer garden, live music, dancers, and children’s play area. Zona Rosa. 5-10 PM Fri.; 10 AM-10 PM Sat.; 11 AM-6 PM Sun. Free. 816-587-8180, www.zonarosa.com
BASEBALL, BBQ, & BIG BOY TOYS April 19, Maryville > Check out vendors with electronics, barbecue, and tools. Meet the St. Joseph Mustangs baseball team, and enter a drawing for a man cave. Community Center. 11 AM-2 PM. Free. 800-748-1496, www.nodawaybroadcasting.com
GARAGE SALES April 26, Trenton > Check out more than fifty garage sales. Throughout town. 8 AM-dark. Free. 660359-4324, www.trentonchamber.com
BATTLE OF PLATTSBURG April 26-27, Plattsburg > Civil War event with battles, living history, military camps, quilt show, and children’s activities. Perkins Park. 8 AM-6:30 PM Sat.; 8 AM-2 PM Sun. Free. 816-370-2532, www.battleofplattsburg150.com
BALLROOM WITH A TWIST May 1, St. Joseph > Performance pushes the boundaries of ballroom dance with stunning costumes and catchy music by performers from American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. Missouri Theatre. 7:30-9:30 PM. $35-$55. 816-279-1225, www. saintjosephperformingarts.org
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NATIONAL KIDS TO PARKS DAY
SAFETY DAY
May 17, Trenton > Family fun run/walk, outdoor games, hot dog lunch, and kayak and canoe lessons. Crowder State Park. 8 am-noon. Free. 660-359-6473, www.mostateparks.com/park/ crowder-state-park
May 3, Florida > Learn how local agencies protect the park and its users with equipment and vehicles on display. Mark Twain State Park at Huck Hall Shelter. 10 am-2 pm. Free. 573-565-3440, www .mostateparks.com/park/mark-twain-state-park
COUNTRY MUSIC CONCERT
ROUND BARN BLUES
May 24, Maryville > Mitch Gallagher and guests. Mozingo Lake Recreation Park. 6-11 pm. Free. 800748-1496, www.nodawaybroadcasting.com
May 3, Kirksville > Performances by a variety of blues bands. Round Barn. 3 pm. $20. 660-665-2760, www.roundbarnblues.com
NORTHEND FESTIVAL
CHESS TOURNAMENT
May 30-June 1, St. Joseph > Live music, vendors, crafts, fireworks, children’s activities, parade, Duck Race, Bikers for Babies, and dance performances. Krug Park. 5-10 pm Fri.; 9 am-10 pm Sat.; noon-5 pm Sun. Free. 816-261-5430, www.stjomo.com
May 10, Hannibal > Players of all levels of expertise are welcome to compete for trophies. Hannibal Free Public Library. 2 pm (registration 1:30 pm). Free. 573-221-0222, www.hannibal.lib.mo.us
BASS AND KIDS FISHING CLASSIC
NORTHEAST DIVA DAY April 26, Clarksville > Drawings for door prizes, Diva shopping bag filled with coupons and free offers, and join area artists for a chocolate and martini event. Throughout town. 10 am-5 pm. Free. 314315-6736, www.clarksville-mo.com
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN SPIRIT April 1-Aug. 17, St. Louis > Exhibition explores the rise and fall of Prohibition from early 1800s to the repeal during the 1930s with more than 100 artifacts and interactive elements. Missouri History Museum. 10 am-8 pm Tues.-Thurs.; 10 am-5 pm Fri.Mon. $5-$10. 314-746-4599, www.mohistory.org
SPRING INTO ART April 5, St. Louis > Family fun, refreshments, and art displayed by 55 local Missouri artists. Artistic Meanderings. 10 am-4 pm. Free. 314-781-5185, www.artisticmeanderings.biz
May 17, Kirksville > Compete for cash prizes, and attend free kids fishing seminar and clinic. Forrest Lake at Thousand Hills State Park. 7 am-3 pm. $80 per boat. 660-626-7471, www.visitkirksville.com
EASTER EGG HUNT
TWAIN ON MAIN FESTIVAL
VERTICAL VISTAS
May 24-25, Hannibal > Outdoor arts and crafts festival with vendors, live entertainment, and a flash mob. Main Street. 10 am-5 pm Sat.; 10 am-4 pm Sun. Free. 573-470-3492, www.twainonmain.com
April 12, St. Louis > View the park from a treetop canopy using ropes and harnesses provided by an instructor. Queeny Park. 9 am-noon. $30. Registration. 314-615-4386, www.stlouisco.com/parks
April 12, St. Louis > Hunt for hundreds of prizefilled eggs. St. Vincent Park Community Center. 1-3 pm. $3. 314-615-8788, www.stlouisco.com/parks
Over 1500 Varieties
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ANTIQUE SHOW April 19, Hermann > Antiques and dealers, live music, lunch, and beer and wine. Hermannhof Festhalle, Herman Mill, and Hofgarten. 10 AM-4 PM. $6. 314-602-9830, www.hermannantiqueshow.com
PLEIN-AIR EVENT April 24-May 4, Augusta > Tour the area, and witness artists painting scenery en plein air. Throughout area. Times vary Free. 636-228-4005, www.augustapleinair.com
ALL MISSOURI SPIN IN
COURTESY OF MISSOURI TARTAN DAY FESTIVITIES
April 26, Bourbon > Display booths by fiber spinning organizations, door prizes, games, demonstrations, and pot luck lunch. Community Center. 10 AM-4 PM. Free. 573-245-6851
WORLD WAR II CANTEEN DANCE April 26, St. Louis > Dance to the big band sounds of Michael Lacy and his New Orleans Swing Band. Building 24 at Jefferson Barracks. 5-10:30 PM. $25. 314-544-5714, www.stlouisco.com/parks
MAGIC AND CIRCUS WORKSHOP May 4, St. Louis > Learn magic tricks and circus skills, and enjoy comedy skits. Affton White-Rodgers Community Center. 9 AM-noon. $35. 314-6158822, www.stlouisco.com/parks
calling the clans! MISSOURI TARTAN DAY April 4-6, St. Charles > Scottish-American cultural event with traditional music, dancing, food, athletics, storytelling, and interactive activities. Frontier Park. 5-10 PM Fri.; 9:30 AM-10 PM Sat.; 10 AM-5 PM Sun. Free. 314-709-7980, www.motartanday.com
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Available routes in your area: St. Louis to Kansas City, from $29 Kansas City to Chicago, from $56 St. Louis to Chicago, from $27 Visit www.amtrak.com or call 1-800-USA-RAIL to book your trip today! Amtrak and Enjoy the Journey are registered service marks of the National Passenger Railroad Corporation.
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Missouri’s #1 Inn & Spa for wine country celebrations. Voted Best B & B in the midwest-AAA readers poll!
46 flavors of award-winning wursts Convenient access to the Katy Trail Great German food 234 East First Street, Hermann, MO 573-486-2266 | www.hermannwursthaus.com
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ART FAIR AT LAUMEIER
ST. LOUIS RENAISSANCE FAIRE
May 9-11, St. Louis > Fine arts and crafts fair with 150 artists from across the country, music, handson art activities for children, and performing and visual art demonstrations. Laumeier Sculpture Park. 6-10 pm Fri.; 10 am-8 pm Sat.; 10 am-5 pm Sun. $5-$10. 314-615-5278, www.laumeier.org
May 17-June 8, Wentzville > Enter a 16th century village for this living history event featuring music, costumed characters, dancing, jousting knights on horseback, strolling minstrels, and period skill demonstrations and foods. Rotary Park. 10 am6 pm Sat.-Sun. and Memorial Day. $8.95-$49.95. 636-928-4141, www.renstl.org
RASCAL FLATTS CONCERT May 16, Maryland Heights > Country music concert with special guest Sheryl Crow and Gloriana. Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. 7-11 pm. $19.75-$76. 314-298-9944, www.livenation.com
MAIFEST
SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL May 17-June 15, St. Louis > Performances of Henry IV and Henry V. Shakespeare Glen in Forest Park. 8 pm (no performances on Tues.). Free. 314-5319800, www.sfstl.com
MISSOURI RIVER IRISHFEST
May 16-18, Hermann > German music, dancing, and food, parades, crafters, Maypole dancers, children’s games, beer gardens, and carnival. Throughout town. 5 pm-midnight Fri.; 9 am-midnight Sat.; 9 am-4 pm Sun. Free (except special events). 800932-8687, www.visithermann.com
May 24-25. St. Charles > Celebrate Irish culture with music, dancing, food, and a children’s area featuring crafts, games, tea party, and bingo. Frontier Park. 10 am-9 pm Sat.; 9 am-8:30 pm Sun. Free. 800-366-2427, www.moriveririshfest.com
LEWIS AND CLARK DAYS
GYPSY CARAVAN
May 17-18, St. Charles > 1804 encampment, demonstrations, fife and drum parades, period music, crafts and food of the day, candlelight camp tour, and Colonial ball. Frontier Park. 9:30 am-8 pm Sat.; 10 am-4 pm Sun. Free. 800-366-2427, www.lewisandclarkheritagedays.com
May 26, St. Charles > More than 300 vendors, Children’s Corner, and the Symphony’s Instrument Playground with proceeds benefitting the St. Louis Symphony’s programs. The Family Arena. 9 am-5 pm. $10 ($20 early bird 7-9 am). 314-286-4433. www.stlsymphony.org/gypsycaravan
SOUTHEAST KELLY MILLER CIRCUS April 8, New Madrid > Tigers, elephants, aerialists, clowns, music, and a fire eater. Hunter-Dawson Park. 4:30 and 7:30 pm. $6-$15. 877-748-5300, www.new-madrid.mo.us
DOGWOOD-AZALEA FESTIVAL April 10-13, Charleston > Crafts, arts, home tours, dog show, ice cream social, horse-drawn carriage rides, carnival, 5K run, and parade. Throughout town. Times vary. Free (except special events). 573683-6509, www.charlestonmo.org
JOUR DE LA TERRE April 12-13, Ste. Genevieve > Tour six local wineries each offering fresh herb dishes paired with their wines. Ste. Genevieve’s Route du Vin. 11 am-5 pm. $25. 800-373-7007, www.rdvwinetrail.com
EASTER EGG HUNT April 19, New Madrid > More than 1,500 candyfilled eggs. Hunter-Dawson State Historic Site. 11 am. Free. 573-748-5340, www.mostateparks .com/park/hunter-dawson-state-historic-site
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ART WALK
ARCADIA VALLEY MUSIC
April 25 and May 23, Ste. Genevieve > See art collections at the Welcome Center, and pick up a map to local galleries. Historic Downtown. 6-9 PM. Free. 800-373-7007, www.artstegen.org
May 17-18, Ironton > Mountain music festival features bluegrass and gospel music, cloggers, square dancers, vendors, and crafts. Iron County Courthouse Square. 9 AM-6 PM. Free. 573-546-7117, www.mountainmusicfestival.net
April 26-27, Ste. Genevieve > Living history event. Jour de Fete Grounds and Creole House properties. 9 AM-5 PM Sat.; 9 AM-noon Sun. Free. 800-3737007, www.visitstegen.com
SPRING FEVER DAYS May 9-10, Ellington > Street festival with carnival rides, craft vendors, barbecue competition, entertainment, and parade, plus car, motorcycle, and boat shows. Main Street. 3-10 PM Fri.; 10 AM-9 PM Sat. Free. 573-663-7997, www.ellingtonmo.com
cool your Jets!
MAYFEST
WEST SIDE STORY April 15, Cape Girardeau > One of the most memorable musicals and a great love story. Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall. 7:30 PM. $43-$49. 573-651-2265, www.rivercampusevents.com
May 9-10, Perryville > Parade, live music, craft fair, carnival, and car show. Downtown Square. 5 PMmidnight Fri.; 9 AM-11 PM Sat. Free. 573-547-6062, www.perryvillemo.com
TUNES AT TWILIGHT May 16, 23, and 30, Cape Girardeau > Outdoor concert series. Courthouse Gazebo Lawn. 7-8 PM. Free. 573-334-8085, www.oldtowncape.org
GARDEN WALK May 17-18, Ste. Genevieve > View private gardens, and learn secret gardening tips from members of the Master Gardeners Club. Historic Downtown. 10 AM-4 PM Sat.; 11 AM-4 PM Sun. $7. 800-373-7007, www.visitstegen.com
WILDHEART May 24, Lesterville > Award-winning educators and entertainers Jan and George Syrigos give a performance with a strong science message that explores wildlife, habitats, and natural history. Johnson’s Shut-ins State Park. 7-8 PM. Free. 573-546-2450, www.mostateparks.com/ park/johnsons-shut-ins-state-park
MEMORIAL DAY AT FORT D May 24-26, Cape Girardeau > Celebrate the meaning of Memorial Day as local reenactors salute the memory of fallen soldiers with rifles and cannon fire. Fort D Historic Site. 9 AM-4 PM. Free. 573-335-1631, www.historicfortdsite.com
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The Best of Missouri Hands is dedicated to the development and recognition of Missouri’s Artists and Artisans.
Welcome to the peaceful side of the Ozarks, where you’ll find Missouri’s best swimming holes and the outdoor recreation capital of Missouri!
We are a statewide resource for connecting, educating, and inspiring Missouri Artists and Artisans.
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By Air, Rail, Land or Ship.... We’re here to plan your trip!
KCPT IS MORE THAN JUST TELEVISION… WE OFFER VIEWERS OF ALL AGES A TERRIFIC JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE.
Mission Trips · Faith Centered Land Tours or Cruises · Steps of Paul Tours Branson Packages · River Cruises All your travel needs
Almost a million viewers like you rely on KCPT each week for quality national and local PBS programming that enhances their lives and strengthens our community.
Specializing in mission & faith based travel travel. www.mttcllc.com | 660-537-2577 | 573-544-6977
Located in the heart of Missouri wine country. Experience smalltown charm and hospitality at our historic inn while enjoying amenities you expect to find in a fine hotel. 1017 Maupin Ave. | 573-237-8540 innkeeper@centralhotelnh.com | www.centralhotelnh.com
kcpt.org
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Explore the Old Trails Region Food · drinks · Fun
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HARLEM AMBASSADORS
SOUTH CENTRAL PIPPIN April 3-12, Rolla > This musical is filled with soaring ballads and energetic dance numbers. Ozark Actors Theatre. Show times vary. $4-$12. 800-806-1915, www.finelinendrama.com
BUSINESS EXPO April 5, Salem > Trade show and prize drawings. Upper Elementary School Gym. 9 AM-noon. Free. 573-729-6900, www.salemmo.com
COURTESY OF OZARKS OLDER IRON CLUB
CIVIL WAR DAYS April 11-12, Doniphan > Living history event with a replica of the courthouse burning, reenactors, field artillery drilling and skirmishes, paddlewheel johnboat, and craft demonstrations. Pioneer Heritage Homestead. 9 AM-8 PM Fri.; 9 AM-5 PM Sat. Free. 573-996-5298, www.doniphanmissouri.org
BROADWAY BY JERI April 17, Rolla > Best known for her performance in Cats, Jeri Sager performs an array of hit songs in her one woman show. Leach Theatre. 7:30 PM. $25$35. 573-341-4219, www.leachtheatre.mst.edu
April 25, Salem > Salem Hometown Heroes take on the Harlem Ambassadors in a basketball show filled with ball-handling tricks, high-flying slam dunks, and hilarious family fun. Senior High School. 7 PM. $7-$9. 573-729-6900, www.salemmo.com
MILL CELEBRATION May 9-10, Salem > Step back in time and experience lost skills, arts, crafts, mill tours, old-time music, a whiskey still, an Ozark quilting bee, and crosscut sawing. Montauk State Park. 9 AM4 PM. Free. 573-548-2434, www.mostateparks .com/park/montauk-state-park
YOUNG SPROUTS IN THE PARK May 17, Waynesville > Interactive and educational activities for kids based on horticulture, nature, the environment, and outdoor recreation. City Park. 10 AM-2 PM. Free. 573-774-6177, www.extension .missouri.edu/pulaski/mg.aspx
ROUTE 66 SUMMERFEST May 30-31, Rolla > Downhill derby, bicycle and tricycle races, arts, crafts, music, street dance, face painting, Rolling Thunder parade, classic car show, burnout contest, and motorcycle show. Pine Street. 4-10 PM Fri.; 8 AM-10 PM. Sat. Free. 573-364-1024, www.route66summerfest.com
old time fun! OLDER IRON CLUB SHOW May 9-10, Cabool > Exhibits and demonstrations featuring antique tractors, farm equipment, horse-drawn equipment, a pedal tractor pull, corn grinding, wool spinning, quilt display, swap meet, and antique and classic cars and trucks. Ozarks Older Iron Club Grounds. 9 AM-9 PM Free. 417948-2631, www.ozarksolderironclub.com
Family
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As a MEMBER of the Missouri Chamber YOU WILL RECEIVE:
Regular legislative and regulatory updates The Missouri Chamber is a critical, behind-the-scenes power in Jefferson City, helping draft bills to be introduced by legislators, testifying at hearings, and watch-dogging regulations. Updates and alerts are published on all major issues and sent to our members. Members can participate in issue webinars and conference calls.
MEMBER PROGRAMS: Cutting edge seminars and conferences Competitive employee health insurance programs
Member Help-line
Missouri Drug Card savings program
Access to our lobbyists and legal experts is an automatic membership benefit. Members can contact us with legislative questions concerning: • Local and state tax issues
Shipping and office supply discounts Competitive employee 401K programs
• Worker’s Compensation • Employment Law
• Environmental Regulations • And much, much more
Missouri Business Magazine The full color magazine, Missouri Business, highlights our members and gives readers a more in-depth look at the issues facing the business community.
WANT TO LEARN MORE? Contact Linda Gipson at lgipson@mochamber.com, or by phone at 573-634-3511.
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private plantation home, and tour African-American historical sites. Arrow Rock State Historic Site Visitor Center. 10 AM-5 PM. $25. Reservations. 660837-3231, www.friendsofarrowrock.org
COURTESY OF LAKE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
CENTRAL
varoom varoom!
MAGIC DRAGON STREET MEET May 2-4, Lake Ozark > Street meet nationals with thousands of classic cars on display and music. Historic Bagnell Dam Strip. Noon-8 PM Fri.; 8 AM-8 PM Sat.; 8 AM-1 PM Sun. Free. 573-964-1008, www.magicdragoncarshow.com
WATERCOLOR MISSOURI SHOW
COLOR DASH 5K
April 1-May 14, Fulton > One of the nation’s top watercolor shows with paintings from all over the globe. National Churchill Museum, Anson Cutts Gallery. 10 AM-4:30 PM. $4.50-$7.50. 573-592-5369, www.nationalchurchillmuseum.org
April 12, Columbia > Non-competitive paint run in which participants are splashed with different colors of corn starch powder at each kilometer. Stephens Lake Park. 10:30 AM. $20-$50 (free to spectators). 573-234-4642, www.thecolordash5K.com
LET THEM EAT ART!
EASTER PARADE AND EGG HUNT
April 3, Columbia > Ten chefs choose artwork from the Appetite show and create tapas-style dishes inspired by the art. Columbia Art League. 6-9 PM. $35. 573-443-8838, www.columbiaartleague.org
April 20, Arrow Rock > Join the parade, with prizes for prettiest, funniest, and most unique hats, and an Easter egg hunt. Boardwalk area. 2 PM. Free. 660-837-3231, www.arrowrock.org
FAUX REAL
DOGWOOD FESTIVAL
April 3-May 10, Columbia > Exhibit explores natural and synthetic fur, leather, and animal motifs Historic Costume Gallery at Stephens College. 5:308:30 PM Thurs.; noon-3 PM Sat.-Sun. Free. 573-8767220, www.stephens.edu
April 24-26, Camdenton > Parade, fish fry, craft show, Young Eagles Flights, dinner theater, carnival, and live entertainment. Middle School campus. Times vary. Free (except special events). 573-3462227, www.camdentonchamber.com
AFRICAN-AMERICAN SYMPOSIUM
WILDFLOWER WALKS
April 5, Arrow Rock > Speakers explore history from slavery to the building of a post-Civil War community. You can try a traditional meal, tour a
April 27, Mexico > Guided walks to see flowers. Scattering Fork Outdoor Center. 2-4 PM. Donations accepted. 573-781-3003, www.scatteringfork.org
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WILD EDIBLES
May 2-4 and 7-9, Columbia > Musical tells the story of women through Top-40 hits of the past century. Macklanburg Playhouse. 7:30 PM Wed.-Sat.; 2 PM Sun. $8-$16. 573-876-7199, www.stephens.edu
May 18, Mexico > Identify, gather, taste, and take home recipes using roots, shoots, leaves, and blooms. Scattering Fork Outdoor Center. 2-9 PM. $2. 573-581-3003, www.scatteringfork.org
GARDEN MARKET
PEDALER’S JAMBOREE
May 10, Arrow Rock > Spring plants, garden decor, Missouri products, and vintage merchandise. Schoolhouse Community Center. 10 AM-4 PM. Free. 660-837-3231, www.arrowrock.org
May 24-25, Columbia to Boonville > Bicycle tour and music festival on the Katy Trail with six stages on the way and main stage and camping at the end. Along the Katy Trail and Kemper Park in Boonville. 10 AM Sat. to Sun. afternoon. $15-$45. 573-2344642, www.pedalersjamboree.com
MAY FEST
art abounds! ARTS FESTIVAL May 17, Pierce City > Fine arts festival with artists, authors, wine tasting with souvenir glass, art workshops, and a free root beer float. City Park. 9 AM-5 PM. Free (except wine tasting). 417-489-3041, www.piercecityartsfestival.webs.com
May 10, Blackwater > Crafts, antiques, plants, food booths, and tour of the Telephone and Bucksnort Saloon museums. Downtown Main St. 9 AM-5 PM. Free. 660-846-2224, www.blackwater-mo.com
SOUTHWEST
OLD WEST SHOOT-OUT
CITY WIDE GARAGE SALE
May 10, Blackwater > Period-dressed reenactors have a shoot out. Downtown. Noon, 1:30 and 3 PM. Free. 660-846-2224, www.blackwater-mo.com
April 4-5, Neosho > More than 300 sales with bargains galore. Throughout area. 7 AM until dark. Free. 417-451-1925, www.neoshocc.com
BOB JAMES JAZZ FESTIVAL
CHERRY BLOSSOM KITE FESTIVAL
May 16-17, Marshall > Jazz concerts and clinics. Ecklinson-Mabee Theatre and Bueker Middle School. 6:30 PM Fri.; 5:30 PM Sat. (call for clinic information). $20-$25. 660-815-3664, www.bobjamesjazzfest.org
April 5, Springfield > Kite making and flying from the roof, plaza, and lawn and tour of the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden. Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park. 11 AM-3 PM. Free (except kite kit). 417-891-1515, www.parkboard.org
COURTESY OF SPRINGFIELD CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU
A MUSICAL JOURNEY OF WOMEN
Amish-Made
Storage Sheds and Gazebos • Made in Central Missouri • Built to order and shipped to your location or built on-site • Kits available
• Siding choices: metal, wood, or vinyl • Any color!
Finished buildings start at just $1,200. Quality construction by Amish craftsmen 800-492-2593 ext. 101 | amishmade@missourilife.com [100] MissouriLife
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Socket. Saving objects from being thrown in frustration since 1994.*
There is another option. And it’s a better one. * If you get Phone and/or Internet from the “big guys” you know what we’re talking about. But we think you deserve to do business with a company who doesn’t make you want to throw things, with local people who can explain your services and your bill in plain English. We’re committed to making your life easier, not harder.
1-800-SOCKET-3
www.socket.net [101] April 2014
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BISON HIKE
ARTSFEST ON WALNUT STREET
April 5 and May 3, Mindenmines > Two-hour hike to see bison in their natural habitat. Prairie State Park. 10 am-noon. Free. 417-843-6711, www.mostateparks.com/park/prairie-state-park
May 3-4, Springfield > Visual and performing arts on five stages, more than 140 artists, and children’s area. Walnut Street Historic District. 10 am-6 pm Sat.; 10 am-5 pm Sun. $5. 417-862-2787, www.springfieldartsfest.org
HOME AND BUSINESS SHOW April 11-12, Shell Knob > Exhibits and displays of businesses and services, food, live radio broadcast, and floral arrangements given away every hour. Elementary School. 5-8:30 pm Fri.; 9 am-4 pm Sat. Free. 417-858-3300, www.shellknob.com
85TH ANNIVERSARY GALA April 26, Springfield > Celebrate 85 years of the Springfield Art Museum with a Roaring Twentiesthemed dinner and dance. White River Conference Center. 6-10:30 pm. $130. 417-837-5700, www.artmuseumassociates.org
TASTE OF THE LAKE May 3, Kimberling City > Culinary festival features samples from area restaurants, beverage garden, The Market (cooking accessories and specialty foods), chef meet and greet, children’s culinary activity center, and houseboat excursions. Port of Kimberling Marina. 10:30 am-6 pm. Free (fee for samples and $20 for houseboat excursion). 417-739-2564, www.visittablerocklake.com
ART IN BLOOM May 10, Lebanon > Art prints, pottery, quilts, and woodworking. Art Guild and Gallery. 9 am-6 pm. Free. 417-531-1832, www.lebanonmissouri.com
CAJUN DAYS May 17, Reeds Spring > Crawfish races, crazy legs contest, live music, crazy Cajun costume contest, 5K COLORme Cajun race, and Cajun food. Historic Downtown. 8 am-9 pm. Free (except food). 417-2723309, www.reedsspringcajundays.com
WAGONS FOR WARRIORS May 24, Lebanon > Authentic Chuckwagons and their crews cook up a meal with proceeds benefitting the Wounded Warriors fund. Laclede County Fairgrounds. 9 am-5 pm. $10. 417-588-3256, www.lebanonmissouri.com
ART GANG FINE ART SHOW May 29-June 1, Branson West > Six artists show works ranging from original paintings to fused
glass. Claybough Plaza Mall. 10 am-5 pm. Free. 417-239-7190, www.theartgang.com
GLADE DAY May 31, Cassville > Discover what it takes to make a glade, and visit discovery stations featuring glade animals, plants, and glade management techniques. Roaring River State Park. 9 am-3 pm. Free. 417-847-3742, www .mostateparks.com/park/roaring-river-state-park
FREE LISTING & MORE EVENTS At www.MissouriLife.com PLEASE NOTE: Call or visit website before traveling as event plans sometimes change. TO SUBMIT AN EVENT: All events go onto our web calendar at www.MissouriLife. com. Submit events well in advance and include a contact phone number. Visit www. MissouriLife.com to fill out a form, email info@MissouriLife.com, fax 660-882-9899, or send to Missouri Life, 501 High Street, Ste. A, Boonville, MO 65233.
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Bradford’s Antiques Home of the Midwest’s Finest American Antique Collection!
www.thebenttree.com www.stacyleigh.etsy.com
Now offering rustic chair classes. Call for information: 573-242-3200
Bent Tree Gallery The
HISTORIC CLARKSVILLE MISSOURI The perfect place to find one-of-a-kind gifts for the special people in your life.
Rustic Furniture, Handcrafted Handbags, Fiber Art & Baskets 573-242-3200
1317 E. County Rd. H, Suite D, Liberty, MO 816-781-4022 • bradsantiques@hotmail.com www.BradsAntiques.com
Fine Restoration Services Available! Call 816-781-9468 for a quote.
Made in beautiful Lake of the Ozarks. Hangers hold up to 25 pounds & swing in for easy refilling. Holds plants & feeders 34” from mounting surface.
Established 1979
Celebrating 35 years in the business of art!
Get your plants & feeders out in the sun with SwingArm USA!
31 High Trail Eureka, MO 63025 www.stonehollowstudio.com 636-938-9570
SwingArmUSA.com 573-552-8321
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Directory of our Advertisers Amish Made, p. 100 Amtrak, p. 91 Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, p. 15 Arrow Rock, p. 96 Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre, p. 13 Bent Tree Gallery, p. 104 Benton County Tourism Commission, p. 107 Best of Missouri Hands, p. 94 Bradford’s Antiques, p. 104 Branson Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, p. 4 Callaway County Tourism, pgs. 20-21 Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, p. 89 Central Hotel, p. 95 Greater Chillicothe Visitor’s Region, p. 92 Clay County, p. 11 Clinton, p. 17 Columbia Art League, p. 83 Columbia Orthopaedic Group, p. 25 Eagle’s Nest Winery, p. 91 Fayetteville, AR, p. 27 Family Shoe Store, p. 97 Gladstone, p. 97 Glasgow, p. 18 Gunflint Wood Shop, p. 104 Helena, AR, p. 27 Hermann Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, p. 92 Hermann Hill, p. 91 Hermann Wurst Haus, p. 91 Isle of Capri Casino Hotel, p. 3 John Knox Village East, p. 83 Katy Bike Rental, p. 96 KCPT, pgs. 95 & 103 KMOS, pgs. 93 & 104 KT Diamond Jewelers, p. 105 Lexington Tourism, p. 96 Lodge of Four Seasons, p. 2 Louisiana Visitors and Convention Bureau, p. 92 Madison Street Lounge, p. 96
Connect with our partners by going to www.MissouriLife.com/reader-service Marshall Cultural Council, p. 89 Marshall Tourism, pgs. 6-7 Maryland Heights Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, p. 25 Mission Travel Tours and Cruises, p. 95 Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, p. 98 Missouri Humanities Council, p. 86 Missouri Life travel, p. 27 Missouri Pork Association, p. 108 Old Trails Region, p. 96 The Pitch, p. 102 The Railyard Steakhouse, p. 96 River Valley Region Association, p. 94 Rost Landscaping, p. 99 Salem Area Chamber of Commerce, p. 17 St. Joseph Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, p. 100 Sand Creek Post and Beam, p. 95 Socket, p. 101 Spiva Center for the Arts, p. 92 Stone Hill Winery, p. 18 Stone Hollow Studio, p. 104 Sydenstricker Implement Co, p. 90 Traveler’s Lane Travel Agency, p. 89 Union Station, p. 9 University Concert Series, p. 103 Vintage Hill Farm, p. 90 Westphalia Inn, p. 83 CIVIL WAR GUIDE Battle of Albany, p. 65 Battle of Glasgow Reenactment Committee, p. 64 Battle of Plattsburg Civil War Event, p. 64 Bushwhacker Museum, p. 64 Caldwell County Civil War Days, p. 66 Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, p. 63 Current River Heritage Museum, p. 66 James Country, p. 64 Jefferson Barracks, p. 66
Keokuk Area Convention and Tourism Bureau, p. 65 LeCompton Historical Society, p. 63 Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum, p. 63 Missouri Civil War Heritage Foundation, p. 65 Newton County Tourism, p. 65 Tom Rafiner, p. 66 FRESH FEAST FOR SPRING 12 Baltimore, p. 72 HK’s, p. 75 Missouri Beef Council, pgs. 68-75 Providence New American Kitchen, p. 71 Sycamore, p. 68 ROUTE 66 GUIDE Joplin Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, p. 30 Lebanon Tourism, p. 31 Pulaski County, p. 31 Rolla, p. 31 Route 66 Museum, p. 30 Springfield Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, p. 29 MISSOURI LIFE OUTDOORS (INSERT) American Honda Motor Company, p. 13 Boonville Tourism, p. 15 Bucksnort Trading Company, p. 10 Central Missouri Speedway, p. 12 Ellington Chamber of Commerce, p. 12 Mark Twain Cave Complex, p. 12 Meramec Caverns, p. 10 Mexico Tourism, p. 11 Missouri Department of Conservation, p. 16 Missouri Division of Tourism, pgs. 4-7 Missouri Life books, p. 14 Moberly Area Chamber of Commerce, p. 10 Pedaler’s Jamboree, p. 14 Sedalia Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, p. 12 Steelville, pgs. 8 & 9
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Missouriana If you know these trivialities, crown yourself master of little-known facts.
Did you know this? Of Missouri’s six CROSS-COUNTRY bicycle routes, the TRANSAMERICA Trail is the oldest and the longest. Thousands of cyclists TRAVERSE its course that stretches from St. Mary to Mindenmines.
William Quantrill’s sister was among the
WOMEN KILLED in Kansas City in
...and have you ever heard this?
“Get a bicycle. You will not regret it. If you live.”
—Mark Twain
ILLUSTRATIONS BY ANDREW BARTON
1990'S DEBBYE TURNER BELL WAS THE ONLY MISS MISSOURI TO WIN MISS AMERICA. SHE RECEIVED HER DOCTORATE IN VETERINARY MEDICINE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI IN 1991 AND WENT ON TO SERVE AS A VETERINARY EXPERT ON ANIMAL PLANET AND CBS NEWS, AMONG OTHERS.
1863 when the shoddy building in which they were being held as Civil War PRISONERS collapsed. Ironically, this building also played host to George Caleb Bingham’s ART STUDIO.
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Benton County FUN YOUR WAY! UPCOMING EVENTS: April 26 Third Annual Warsaw Wine Stroll April 26 Kids Fishing Free Day at the Lost Valley Fish Hatchery, Warsaw May 3 Cole Camp Cinco de Mayo Pub Crawl May 17 Cole Camp BBQ Contest/ Motorcycle Show
www.visitbentoncomo.com
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