November 2018 – THE TRAVELING SENIORS

November 26, 2018

FORT PICKENS: Santa Rosa ISLAND, FLORIDA

Fort Pickens National Park is at one end of the Florida National Scenic Trail on Santa Rosa Island in The Gulf Islands National Seashore. The Fort is an historic and scenic treasure! This part of Florida has the largest collection of 1800s forts and batteries open to the public of any national park. It doesn’t matter if you are looking for history, nature, hikes, sugar white sand beaches, fishing, biking or birdwatching-Fort Pickens has it all. Don’t forget to take your grandchildren! This is a great stop for seniors with their extended families! HISTORY A Military Strategy After the War of 1812, the United States decided…

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in Blog, Florida, Travel, Trip Planning

November 22, 2018

ST. GENEVIEVE, MISSOURI: THE BEST IN THE HEMISPHERE

Shhhh…we hesitate to blog about St. Genevieve, Missouri-what some call the best example of French Colonial architecture in the hemisphere! You see, the whole town is slated to become a National Historic Park and crowds haven’t discovered it yet! We debated about whether it is fair to keep this charmingly romantic and historic town to ourselves. An hour south of St. Louis, St. Genevieve is the oldest town in Missouri and was founded by French Canadian fur trappers between 1722 and 1749. Officially, St, Genevieve became a town in 1735 and was the first organized European settlement west of the Mississippi in Missouri. Jacques-Nicholas Bellin’s map of 1755 showed the Kaskaskia native…

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2018, Blog, Missouri

November 19, 2018

TAKE A BACKROADS TRIP: THE BURFORDVILLE COVERED BRIDGE IN MISSOURI

UStu had seen covered bridges before but, for me, the Burfordville Covered Bridge was only the second one I had ever seen! Take a backroads trip to the oldest remaining covered bridge in Missouri-the Burfordville Covered Bridge! With its location by an old mill, this covered bridge looks like a Currier & Ives print! There were 30 covered bridges in Missouri but only four covered bridges remain. Construction on the Burfordville Covered Bridge began prior to the Civil War. The bridge was completed in 1858 by Joseph Lansmon, a well-known builder from nearby Cape Girardeau. He used the Howe truss design, patented in 1840. In this method, the diagonal wooden members are…

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in Blog, Missouri

November 15, 2018

THE BOLLINGER MILL HISTORIC SITE IN MISSOURI

We enjoy finding out-of-the-way and rural surprises. There is so much American history down dirt roads and backroads! Take a backroads trip down Highway 55 to Bollinger Mill Historic Site in Missouri! This mill is four stories high and was the center of the settlements nearby. Early in our country’s history, towns grew up around water-powered mills. The Bollinger Mill dates back to the Civil War era in Missouri when corn and wheat were ground into flour and meal. In 1800, George Frederick Bollinger built both a log dam and the mill bearing his name on the Whitewater River in Missouri. By 1820, a road linked Bollinger Mill with…

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in Blog, Missouri, Travel

November 12, 2018

HOME OF THOSE “THROWED” ROLLS IN MISSOURI!

Come with us to the home of those “throwed” rolls! Stu and I were on backroads heading south of St. Louis and found Lambert’s Cafe in Sikeston, Missouri. What a restaurant! We had read about this place and wanted to see if what we read was true. So we paid Lambert’s a visit for lunch. Be ready for fun! Lambert’s Cafe in Sikeston is just one of several locations of this famous chain. If you like southern food, generous portions and catching hot rolls, this is the place for you! Order a great meal but don’t order too much because there are “pass arounds” at Lamberts. We tried the…

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in Blog, Missouri