Page 15 – THE TRAVELING SENIORS

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

October 29, 2018

THE HISTORIC CITY MARKET IN Kansas City

The historic City Market in downtown Kansas City really bustles when farmers come to town to sell produce! The City Market (sometimes called the River Market) dates to 1857. Today, it is one of the region’s largest City Markets with more than 140 farmer stalls. Shops surround the stalls with meats, fresh produce, specialty goods, flowers, and baked goods from America, Africa, Europe, the Middle and the Far East. The City Market is located at the site on which Kansas City was first founded. A group of settlers created the “Town of Kansas” in 1850 which became the “City of Kansas” in 1853. In fact, the southern…

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

October 25, 2018

A TRIP TO HISTORIC ARROW ROCK, MISSOURI

Take a trip to historic Arrow Rock, Missouri! This entire town has been designated a National Historic Landmark with the town’s history inter-twined with Westward Expansion, artist George Caleb Bingham and the Santa Fe Trail! HISTORY OF ARROW ROCK, MISSOURI According to writer David Wolfe Eaton in 1918, Arrow Rock was named because of a flint-bearing bluff on the Missouri River. This name appears on a French map from 1732 as “Pierre a Flèche” meaning “Rock of Arrows.” Eaton wrote that the bluff was a landmark and Lewis and Clark passed by on June 9, 1804. In 1808, William Clark passed through the area again and called…

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

October 22, 2018

Kansas City’s COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA

I couldn’t wait to show Stu the Country Club Plaza! Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza was the first shopping center in the world designed for shoppers coming by automobile in 1922. The “Plaza” was also one of the first shopping centers in the country to be designed with a unifying theme and architecture. The Country Club Plaza was named for the nearby Kansas City Country Club (now Loose Park). Developer J.C. Nichols began purchasing the land for the “Plaza” in 1907. The development project was the butt of local jokes since no development of its kind had ever been undertaken. The site was marshy and was next to a…

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

October 18, 2018

TAKE A BACKROADS TRIP TO BLACKWATER, MISSOURI

Take a backroads trip to Blackwater, Missouri which had a population of 162 in the year 2000! This charming village is only three miles off Interstate 70 and is full of 1800s buildings on The National Register of Historic Places. The entire downtown is one-block long and is a tiny town adventure. HISTORY OF BLACKWATER Blackwater was founded in 1887 after the Missouri Pacific Railroad developed a coal refilling station between St. Joseph, Missouri and Kansas City. Travelers who stopped in Blackwater kept the town bustling in the late 1800s.The post office has been in operation since 1873. BLACKWATER TODAY The Iron Horse Hotel & Restaurant was once…

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

October 15, 2018

TAKE A TOUR: Kansas City, MISSOURI

Take a tour of Kansas City, Missouri and you’ll discover that the city is more than you might think! Stu and I spent a fascinating few days exploring the city where I grew up. THE LIBERTY MEMORIAL Our first stop was the Liberty Memorial and newly-designated National World War I Memorial and Museum. The Liberty Memorial is America’s official memorial for the men and women who served and died in World War I. Momentum to build the Memorial ballooned shortly after the Armistice in November 1918. Soon after the end of the war, a group of 40 Kansas Citians raised more than $2.5 million for construction in…

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

October 11, 2018

TAKE A BACKROADS TRIP: WESTON, MISSOURI

Take a backroads trip to Weston, Missouri and you will find history, charm and small town hospitality! Walking the streets of Weston is a treat! The 22-block historic district was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The Lewis and Clark Expedition stopped at what is now the site of the City Hall of Weston, Missouri. Weston was the oldest settlement in the Platte Purchase of 1836 and was the farthest western settlement that year (that is one theory of how the town got its name-“West Town”). 1836 was the year the U.S. government increased the size of Missouri by purchasing the northwest corner of the state from…

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