Remembering 2018. What a year it was traveling the country. And what fun it was. From Gulf Breeze, Florida to the Grand Canyon and many places in between. So check out this video and share our experiences. Be sure to watch for all of our adventures coming in 2019. Happy New Years to all. Be safe. Cheers!
As the sun sets on 2018, we want to thank each of you for coming with us on our first year as The Traveling Seniors. We’ve met so many giving and welcoming people, seen history come alive and marveled at the majesty of America. We’ve been to the Grand Canyon, Slot Canyons, Zion National Park, the bluebonnet fields of Texas, San Antonio, the Victorian town of Eureka Springs, Pensacola, Kansas City, the tiniest of towns ever (Blackwater and Arrow Rock, Mo), Route 66, New Mexico (where my phone went flying out the window!), Tucson, Mobile, New Orleans, unmatched gardens (Bellingrath), Vicksburg, and many more along the way! …
I wasn’t sure what to expect at the Vicksburg National Military Park in Mississippi. I have always wanted to visit but haven’t been quite sure why. I am no Civil War scholar. I only have an average knowledge of the various battles of the Civil War. But, for some reason, I felt like I needed to pay homage to this particular battlefield. I spent a fascinating and moving afternoon at the Military Park. Confederate President Jefferson Davis called Vicksburg the “nailhead that holds the south’s two halves together.” President Abraham Lincoln said, “Vicksburg is the key” to victory, and could be the north’s lifeline into the south. With the…
Flora-bama! Is it a state, a tv show or a town? It is none of the above! Flora-Bama is a one-building lounge located in Perdido Key, Florida on the state line of Alabama and Florida! Known as a honky-tonk and roadhouse, Flora-Bama is on Alabama State Route 182 and was built in 1964. When it was established in Escambia County, Florida, the county was “wet” while across the state line, Baldwin County, Alabama, was “dry”. When you go, ask for the “Bushwacker” drink. Before Hurricane Ivan, Flora-Bama had in the range of 20 bars on site and up to 4 live bands playing at once. Right on the Gulf…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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