Just Relax!

Where do you like to spend your FREE time?

 On the beach with the sand in your toes and the salty wind in your hair??

Or, could it be with your head in the clouds in a wonderful castle in the sky?

I can doodle a card for any occasion, ..whimsical fun! These cards were part of a word challenge... and I love a good challenge.

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Help a small business will you?

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Cellar Doors

Here is another post about our trip 'out west' to Missouri. 

Advertising worked on us! 

When we drove out to drop Sissy off at college or when we went to visit her, we saw numerous billboards about Hermann, Missouri and the wine tours they had to offer.  Since we are new to discovering how wine enhances our food and is not just an alcohol to drink .... we decided to spend a few days in Hermann and learn about their wineries.

Actually, of the three wineries we visited, we were very lucky to start off with a great tour at Stone Hill Winery.  Second largest winery in the United States in 1847. Since we stopped during the middle of the week, we were actually the only ones on our tour.  I kind of felt bad for the college student Katie who gave us the tour, since she would just have to tell the two of us her rehearsed story.  But she said she didn't mind.  She liked the smaller groups because she could add more information.

 

These cellars took years for the original owner to carve out of the hill.  It's what you see in the movies, dark and dank, water trickling down the side on to the floor.  I love the wine barrels....some are made from a company that has the word Cooper (Traditionally, a cooper is someone who makes wooden, staved vessels, bound together with hoops and possessing flat ends or heads) {Or, the name of our cute Lab Mix}  in it.  The name is burned into the lids.

 

There are wonky steps through the arched halls that separate rooms, closed cellar doors, single light bulbs hanging and musky smells and a little bit of a different chill when you go from room to room.

 

During prohibition, this winery became a Mushroom farm.  I guess the fungi grew quite well in the cellar dug into the side of the hill.  The owners who took over the task of cleaning things up and restoring the winery had quite a task ahead of them.  The grounds are beautiful and very picturesque.

 

After we got done with our tour (which cost $2.50) we ended up in the tasting room.  Our host Ray was a very entertaining soul.  He gave us more than just a taste of about 10 different exclusive Stone Hill Wines.  We were fortunate to meet up with an eclectic couple in their Harley duds.  Not to be deceived, they later told us she was a commercial real estate agent and he a medical scientist.  But Ray had a good old time telling us his jokes.  On trip advisor, he is mentioned a few times for some of his 'off color' jokes.  But we didn't mind.  Even our host and hostess of the B & B we stayed in spoke 'fondly' of Ray and informed us he was a twin.  He must have quite the reputation amongst the locals.

 

In the end, we bought only one bottle of wine, despite the salesmanship of Ray.  One of the other customers checking out looked surprised with our one measly bottle.... but we knew there were a few more wineries to come on our visit to little ole Hermann, MO.

 

Just like some other bloggers.... I'm always looking for nature's hearts ♥.  I found one in this little grapevine leaf.... it was lighter and tinier than the rest.

 

Great find amongst the cellar doors!

What's Brewing?

Back to our road trip. 

I already wrote in a previous post that we were trying to do a lot of touristy things on our trip through Missouri. 

Of course you must stop at the St. Louis Arch.... the gateway to the west.  I like the picture below.  In the rear view mirror, I got one last picture of the arch as we were driving out of downtown.  It is such and impressive structure.

 

On to picking up the kids and finding the next thing to do. 

Because we didn't have any set plans, but we knew there was plenty of things to see.... once we got to Kansas city, we stopped to have lunch and then went to Kansas City Sea life Aquarium. 

It's like any major aquarium.... it's just a little different when you have 'adult' children with you.  Now they really want to see the fish and read about them.... not just run through the exhibits and see who can get done first!

 

Next, we wanted to try some real KC BBQ.  Our first choice was closed..... but no worries.... we found another excellent replacement restaurant!

 

Excellent!  Loved the side of pickles and love the Cheesy Corn Casserole.  Oh and of course.... the BBQ pork sandwich was delicious!!! Yum

 

Next.... Boulevard Brewery.  Small town specialty brew.  I tried once again to drink beer.  I mean I try it.... and I just haven't quite found the appeal for the taste.  It doesn't satisfy my thirst.  It doesn't taste good ... it's fun to see how it is made and how the small company started in someone's small warehouse and then grew bigger.... just don't like the taste!

 

Maybe she'll become a beer maid!

 

I enjoy the little tours.... especially when they are free.... and they give you a sample at the end!

 

Stay tuned to the next post and our next adventure in the Show Me State!

Show Me More Missouri

Ok, quick.... where will you be two years from today?????

Who really knows, right????

Two years ago I would never have thought both of my kids would be living/working in the state of Missouri.  Who would have thunk it!!!

 

Twenty five years ago, this man of mine and I went on a vacation a few months after we became a dating couple and guess where we went???

 

St. Louis, MO.  Can you believe it? 

 

So, now twenty five years later .... both kids are in the state of Missouri for the summer and we decided to be total road trip tourists and the first stop on the visit was the St. Louis Arch.... the gateway to the west!!!!

 

It really is quite beautiful. 

 

I think the day we were there was probably bout 20 degrees cooler than when we first visited in 1988.  I recall it was brutaly hot and un-godly humid.  Don't get me wrong, it was very hot this time too, but that was to be expected.  This time we had to wait for our tour time about 1-1/2 hours... and we were never informed why the wait was soooo long.  But this time, we took our time (because we had plenty) and really looked at the historical pictures and information how this awesome structure was really constructed.  Wow!!!

 

Holly is at the University of Missouri in Columbia.... which is located almost in the middle of the state.  And Kyle is entering his senior year at the University of Iowa, but he got a 12 week summer internship at Cigna Insurance in Kansas City, Missouri.... thus the reason for the road trip to the Show Me State.

 

After we picked Holly up of campus, we drove two hours further west to pick up the boy.  One of our stops was the Kansas City Aquarium..... you are never to old to look at the fishys!

 

 

And of course we had to stop and have some real Kansas City barbeque at Jack Stack Barbeque.  It was very good!  Kyle got some great left overs!!!  It is just so interesting where this summer has lead everybody.

 

Stay tuned for more posts about our road trip!!  All totally un-eventful.... but extremely calm, relaxing and pleasant!!!

One of These is Not Like the Other

We went on a little road trip last week to Missouri. 

Traveling in the middle of our country.

People asked us where we are from, and that story is a bit complicated, (I make it complicated) because we live in Illinois.... but I'm from Wisconsin and Jeff is from Indiana.  I'm not sure anymore what my kids say.  But currently, they are both living and working in Missouri.

For our summer vacation we went to see them and be total tourists.  I like that!

 

One of our first stops for a picnic lunch was in Lincoln, Illinois.  We got off the interstate and wanted to find a park to enjoy a quiet lunch.  This beautiful huge tree was our chaperone. 

 

I'm talking HUGE! 

 

It was well over 100 years old..... after lunch we went Geocaching at a nearby cemetery.  It is awe inspiring to read the gravestones and know that amazing lives ended 106 years ago in that very spot!

 

 

Once you leave the quiet country side and get moving onto your next destination, zooming by masses of engineered steel at 80 miles an hour.  It too is an amazing site to see!  How does one design and engineer a bridge that goes over water, stands up through severe mother nature, yet holds cars and still looks beautiful?

 

And then to end up at the peak of Missouri Wine Country and look out miles and miles and see beautiful blue skies and lush green foliage and a quaint little town. Hard to believe 80 some years ago, everything was topsy turvey with prohibition and this winery became a mushroom farm!

 

Finally, a beautiful HOT morning for a walk on the Katy Trail, just down the road from Maggie's B&B in Hermann, Missouri.  The Katy Trail runs largely along the northern bank of the Missouri River, it is the country's longest Rails-to-Trails trail.

 

Stay tuned to another post about our Road Trip through Missouri.