Missouri Life June/July 2014

[ TO M ' S TOP 1 0 STATE PA R K S

1 2 1 S UM M E R C E LE BR ATI O N S ]

the magic of the

THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY

Drive-IN DRIVE-IN Cruise into the last 10 picture shows

The Man Who Fell to Earth

\ Last County

Listed on the National Register

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Take me to THE LODGE

When life’s hectic pace calls for a little escape.

of FOUR SEASONS G O L F

R E S O R T

&

S PA

S H I K I

315 Four Seasons Dr. | Lake Ozark, MO 65049 At the Lake of the Ozarks 1.888.265.5500 | www.4SeasonsResort.com

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Contents JUNE 2014

featured >

[28] MISSOURI ARTIST Are you a fan of Mad Men? Then, you’ll love the work of Al Parker, a Golden Era magazine illustrator.

[35] MO MUSIC Dismal Niche releases music by Missouri bands for a niche market: people with cassette players.

[54] YOUR EMINENCE In this town, locals are the guides to art, food, adventure, and secrets.

[99] MUSINGS Ron Marr, our resident recluse, reveals what he built ... or didn’t ... this past winter.

special features >

[37] BLOCKBUSTERS, BUCKET SEATS Drive-ins everywhere are shutting down, but the culture is still alive at Missouri's ten remaining outdoor theaters.

[42] STATE PARK PICKS

[30] KANSAS CITY

what his favorites are, as well as some of their best-kept secrets.

There are many ways to visit KC. Check out eleven plans that ensure a good time and more things to do.

[50] LAST COUNTY LISTED

[60] WET & WILD

Clinton County was the only county in the state without a building on the National Register of Historic Places, but our writer set out to change that.

Get out and go swimming this summer. Discover the best places to get wet and wild.

[63] THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH

[73] BEER AND WINE GUIDE

In 1912, Albert Berry jumped from a plane flying over Jefferson Barracks and became the first parachutist to leap from an airplane.

Explore Missouri’s splendid wineries, breweries, and distilleries on our map, and find a new favorite.

[66] FRANKLY, THE BEST HOT DOGS

[75] PORK PAIRINGS

Bite into an American tradition, and find out where to get the most delicious gourmet hot dogs in the state, from food trucks to hole-in-the-wall diners.

Master Sommelier and Master of Wine Doug Frost pairs his favorite pork dishes with Missouri wines.

[94] LUCKY NO. 8

[84] BEEF AND BEER

In the Crossroads neighborhood of Kansas City, artist Kevin McGraw fixed up

Pair six of the Show-Me State’s best brews with six mouthwatering beef recipes, from steaks to brisket.

Travel writer Tom Uhlenbrock has been to every Missouri state park. Find out

COURTESY OF BOB LYNN

special sections >

one of the city’s oldest fire stations, Fire Station No. 8, and made it his home.

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Contents

CONTENT BY LOCATION

JUNE 2014

41 49 50 71, 24,46 39 24 69, 72, 41,39 9235 70 94, 39 92 28, 72, 16 69 20 46 20 63, 20, 48 71, 92 24 19 41 45 45 47 70 41 41 49 41 68 54 16 22

departments > [12] MEMO

[20] MADE IN MISSOURI

Our publisher discovers an arrowhead,

Discover organic candles that have

visits the Old Courthouse in St. Louis,

been improved with experimentation,

and ponders the connections of past

dog collars that benefit a good cause,

and present. Our editor-in-chief shares

and fly fishing rods that are crafted in a

the real reason to buy local.

St. Louis basement.

[14] LETTERS

[22] SHOW-ME BOOKS

[101] ALL AROUND MISSOURI

Readers pair beef and wine, give kudos

Vonda Wilson Sheets tells the tale of

Blast off with 121 events that spell out

to our February issue, recount growing

the Baldknobbers. Plus, check out six

summer fun, including 23 celebrations

up in St. Louis, visit the world’s smallest

more books about Missouri or from

for the Fourth of July.

headstone, and wax poetic.

Missouri authors.

[122] MISSOURIANA [16] MO MIX

–

Mark Bedell teaches Hollywood staged

[92] DINING WORTH T HTHE I SDRIVE ISSUE

Kansas City does dogs its own way.

–

A St. Louis icon gets his own stamp,

combat. Brothers Walker share their

Discover Rolla’s roadkill barbecue,

and one town’s spring could cover the

gift of rock with their small town. Barn

Boonville’s great gastropub, and a cozy

Statue of Liberty.

quilts bloom across the state, and more.

coffee house in Clayton.

On the Web

MISSOURI-MADE DOGS

EXPLORE IMAGES OF EMINENCE

DOWNLOAD FREE MUSIC

Find out where you can get one hundred

See more beautiful photography of the

Whatever music you like, Dismal Niche prob-

percent Missouri-made franks and toppings to

springs, falls, hardwood forests, and wildlife

ably has something for you. Sample and down-

kick up your cookout with Missouri pride.

that surround this town in the Ozarks.

load the label’s music for free on our website.

Too sunny to read?

Shield your eyes from the harsh summer sun with a Missouri Life baseball cap.

Order yours at www.MissouriLife.com.

on the cover> THE MOBERLY FIVE AND DRIVE We took some classic cars up to The Moberly Five and Drive for a double-feature. The cars are a ‘67 Mustang Fastback (left) and a ‘57 Chevy Bel Air (right); both cars were restored by Missouri residents Travis and Jack Carter. When the evening sky was perfect, Harry Katz caught this photo.

COURTESY OF CIRQUE D'ALEX AND PATTY WHEATLEY BISHOP; JONAS WEIR

Sign up for Missouri Lifelines, our free e-newsletter, and follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MissouriLife or on Twitter @MissouriLife.

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www.visitmarshallmo.com

P

Photo: Jill Murray

Slater is the place to be on June 28, 2014 for the 11th annual Bear Creek Blues Fest. This popular music extravaganza features several exciting live blues bands beginning at 3:00 p.m. and going strong until midnight.

Don’t miss one of the biggest events in the area for blues, brew and food. To learn more about ticket prices and event details, please visit us online at www.bearcreekblues.com or call 660-529-2271.

Photo: Saline County Democrat News

The Saline County Fair kicks off on July 12 at the Saline County Fairgrounds with a Demolition Derby. Then from July 16-20, the area’s youth will be demonstrating their skill and talent in livestock shows and project displays. There will be a variety of entertainment guaranteeing lots of fun for the whole family. Visit marshallmochamber.com or call 660-631-2862 for more information.

Photo: Marshall Bowhunters

Join other bow hunters at the 15th Annual Ozark Selfbow Jamboree July 17-19 for three days of fun sharing your interest in natural archery.

There will be seminars throughout the event, a 3-D archery range, novelty shoots, flintknapping, bow building and more. Free admission.

Donations are accepted for the benefit auction and prize table. For more information visit marshallbowhunters.org or call 660-886-2714.

Following a long-standing tradition, descendants and friends of Pennytown, the largest of Saline County’s historic Black settlements, will gather for a prayer service and reunion on August 4. Come learn more about the hamlet born in 1871 when Joe Penny purchased the first parcel of land 6 miles south of Marshall. The prayer service will be held on the site of Pennytown Freewill Baptist Church on Kittyhawk Road at 11:00 a.m. followed by the reunion and dinner at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Marshall at 12:30 p.m. Cost of the meal is $5.00. The entire event is open to the public. Come worship, hear stories from descendants and enjoy great food and fellowship. For more details, visit pennytownchurch.com or call 660-886-2234.

Photo: Tracy Lawrence

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There is much to see and do in our region. Plan to stay with us in Marshall while you travel in the area.

Photo: Boonslick Tourism Council

Take a picturesque drive on the Boonslick Trail in central Missouri and enjoy more than 40 unique quilt blocks that have been designed, painted and displayed on classic barns throughout the area. Each quilt block has its own story.

Come view these beautiful creations and the remarkable rural tradition they represent.

To learn more please visit us at www.missouribarnquilts.com or call 660-248-2011.

Comfort Inn – Marshall Station 1356 W. College Avenue, Marshall, 660-886-8080 www.comfortinn.com Super 8 of Marshall 1355 W. College Avenue, Marshall, 660-886-3359 www.super8.com Marshall Lodge 1333 W. Vest Street, Marshall 660-886-2326 www.marshall-lodge.com Kitty’s Corner Guest Houses 228 E. North Street, Marshall 660-886-8445 Courthouse Lofts 23 N. Lafayette Street, Marshall 660-229-5644

Photo: Arrow Rock, MO State Parks

Tucked away along the river bluffs in central Missouri is the small Village of Arrow Rock. This town is full of charm, tradition and things to see and do. Spend a few days shopping and dining.

Visit the Arrow Rock State Historic Site and enjoy professional productions at the Lyceum Theatre. For more information please visit us at www.arrowrock.org or call 660-837-3231.

The Old Trails Region covers more than 100 miles of family-owned businesses, farmland, events, attractions and entertainment through the center of the state along both sides of the Missouri River. Natural beauty is showcased in conservation areas and state parks and historic sites throughout the Region.

Orchards, wineries, unique shops, restaurants and bed and breakfasts make this area a destination for travelers looking for an authentic Missouri getaway.

For more details please visit www.oldtrails.net or call 660-259-2230.

Aviation enthusiasts will find a trip to the Nicholas Beazley Aviation Museum to be informative and entertaining. accessible at 1985 S. Be sure to visit the Marshall Welcome Center on the northwest corner ofEasily the Square!

Odell, the museum includes a Saturdays -- Marshall Market on the Square – June 1 – Saline County Barbecue – Courthouse children’s area, military glider, Downtown – 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Lawn, Marshall – Afternoonmodels, and Evening -flight simulator, and marshallmochamber.com ormuch call 660-886-3324 marshallfarmersmarket.org or call 660-886-3324 more. Individuals and groups are welcome and school July 4 -- Impromptu Paradefield – Main Arrow June 1 -- 3-D Bow Shoot – Indian Foothills Park, tripsStreet, are encouraged.

Marshall – 7:00 a.m. marshallbowhunters.org or Rock – 2:00 p.m. - arrowrock.org or call us at Hours are Tuesday-Saturday call 660-886-2714 660-837-3231 from 10:00-4:00 or by special appointment. Visit www.

July 4 -- Annual Fireworks nicholasbeazley.org – Indian Foothills Park, June 1 -- Pancake Breakfast and Fly-In – or call 660Marshall – Dusk Nicholas Beazley Aviation Museum, Marshall – 886-2630 for more information. www.marshallmoparks.net or 660-886-7128 7:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. - nicholasbeazley.org or call 660-886-2630

Upcoming Events

Scan this QR code to visit our website!

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THE SPIR IT OF DISCOV ERY 501 High Street, Ste. A, Boonville, MO 65233 660-882-9898 | Info@MissouriLife.com

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

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 Jane Gonzalez-Meyer, Abby Holman

Established 1979

Celebrating 35 years in the business of art!

Contributing Writers Sarah Alban, Doug Frost, Andrew H. Martin, Tom Uhlenbrock

31 High Trail Eureka, MO 63025 www.stonehollowstudio.com 636-938-9570

Columnist Ron W. Marr Contributing Photographers Angela Bond, Harry Katz, Mark Neuenschwander, Tom Uhlenbrock MARKETING •800-492-2593 Sales Manager Mike Kellner, Central and Northeast Advertising & Marketing Consultant Brent Toellner, Kansas City and Western Sales Account Executive Paula Renfrow, Inside Sales Advertising Coordinator Jenny Johnson Circulation Manager Amy Stapleton DIGITAL MEDIA MissouriLife.com, Missouri eLife, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest Director: Jonas Weir Editors: Taylor Blair, David Cawthon, Sarah Herrera, Evan Wood Missouri Lifelines: Evan Wood TO SUBSCRIBE OR GIVE A GIFT AND MORE Use your credit card and visit www.MissouriLife.com or 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 OTHER INFORMATION Custom Publishing: For your special publications, call 800-492-2593, ext. 106 or email Greg.Wood@MissouriLife.com.

Back Issues: Order from website, call, or send check for $7.50.

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emo

FOR OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS FOR THOSE

of us who are blessed to have both daughters and sons, there is no substitute for either. There is an old environmental saying: “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”

Yet, whenever I pick up an Indian artifact, I feel like someone from thousands of years ago has just handed me a real part of himself, not having simply marked the existence of his life on earth but transferred it forward to me personally. I sense that the last person to touch this stone is touching me.

Whether we borrow from the past or transfer our treasures into the future, the connection continues from generation to generation. I just turned sixty and have a granddaughter who will be two in August, so maybe that’s why I take this moment to reflect as Father’s Day approaches and we think about fathers and children.

When I bend down to pick up that long hidden treasure from the creek bed, I marvel at the generations that came between me and the man who created this weapon or tool out of rock. How many sons and daughters did he have? What was life like for his people, here on the same ground that I walk and roam? And when was his lineage lost forever ... or was it?

It’s surprising how the past reaches out and touches us in ways we don’t expect. I recently toured the Old Courthouse in St. Louis for the first time. I was so fascinated by the stories this building held that I returned the next day.

The last slave auction in St. Louis was held on these courthouse steps in 1861.

The pain and suffering this grand old edifice oversaw is hard to imagine. It was here that Dred Scott stood his ground and never quit his goal to be a free man. Even though he lost his court case, ten years later, he saw that day. But I don’t think he endured the years of lost hopes for himself. He did it for his children.

I can’t imagine walking in his shoes or the earlier man’s moccasins. But I do know that by bending down and touching history, we are able to reach something that we can’t reach any other way. Maybe we don’t inherit from our ancestors, GREG WOOD, PUBLISHER but I know that what we borrow can’t be bought.

SIMPLE DECISIONS GREG AND I have gone to dinner with friends the last three weekends in a row, and I’ll confess I’m feeling guilty. Contrary to traditional practice, we did not order Missouri wines.

Two times, we accepted our friends’ recommendations for different Côtes du Rhône labels.

The other time, there wasn’t a Missouri wine available, but I could have encouraged the owner to add them to his list.

We all know the “buy local” trend, and for us, that means “buy Missouri.” Greg and I’ve been doing that a long time. We buy meat from Swiss Meats at Swiss and Burgers’ Smokehouse in California, Missouri. My favorite jewelry is from various Best of Missouri Hands jewelry makers. Even the art hanging in our home is from favorite Missouri artists: Paul Jackson in Columbia, Brian Mahieu in Fulton, and Billyo O’Donnell in St. Charles. My whimsical back porch metal sculpture based on the Brothers Grimm folk tale, The Musicians of Bremen, is by Joey Los, who is at the McKittrick Farmers Mercantile.

The various “buy local” organizations can spew data all day long about the economic impact of buying local or how it saves transportation or energy costs, gives more of your dollar to the original producer, keeps the money in your community, and cuts out various middlemen. (Don’t they need jobs, too?)

That’s not why I do it.

I do it because of the people. It gives me so much pleasure to eat a ham from Burgers’ because I invariably think of the nice letters Morris Burger wrote when we started the magazine. I grin broadly every time I fasten the clasp on the necklace from the Two Twisted Divas (Shug Goodlow and Doris Lucy) in St. Louis. I love telling friends who ask where I got the distinctive jewelry, “From Two Twisted Divas.” Every morning as I walk downstairs to my kitchen, I smile at the morning beauty of Brian Mahieu’s Walking on Sunshine.

Throughout this issue, we introduce you to Missouri artists, give you ideas for pairing Missouri beer with beef and Missouri wine with pork, and, as always, we bring you great Missouri destinations to visit.

DANITA ALLEN WOOD, EDITOR Buy Missouri. It feels good.

ANASTASIA POTTINGER

MISSOURI

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MO

Our Town, Your Town Celebration!

Join us on June 21 at the Lebanon I-44 Speedway.

Lebanon Area Chamber of Commerce and I-44 Speedway present the 3rd Annual Our Town, Your Town Celebration!

This fun-filled family event will feature multiple vendors on the midway area, including food, games, and informational and product booths.

Lebanon is known by its motto, “Friendly people. Friendly place.�

These events are only part of the fun we have to offer.

Another hot feature is the NASCAR Whelen All American Series Racing. The night cap will be a music concert with upand-coming country artists Joel Crouse and Ben Bradford. ALL for only $10 per car-load to enter! Make plans NOW to attend the Our Town, Your Town Celebration, June 21 at Lebanon I-44 Speedway.

For more information call the Lebanon Area Chamber of Commerce (417) 588-3256 or visit lebanonmissouri.com.

www.lebanonmo.org | 1-866-LEBANON

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JUNE

LETTERS from all over You write them. We print them.

to pair a peach wine with beef. Our son’s and daughter’s love of Mongolian beef were easy motivators to try this pairing. Thanks to you, Mom and Dad have a new reason to enjoy this family dinner favorite.

We very much look forward to trying more of your recommended Missouri beef and wine pairings in the months and years to come, and we look forward to similar recommendations with other foods, from you, in upcoming issues.

God bless your efforts to help us readers learn more and more about Missouri wines!

—Ann Marie and Michael VanVooren, Ballwin

W. Arthur Mehrhoff writes The Art of Placemaking, a Missouri Life blog, and is the academic coordinator at MU’s Museum of Art and Archaeology. His anthology of essays about Missouri’s special places is titled, Coming Home Again: A Missouri Journal.

GATEWAY MEMORIES I was pleased to read your article on the semiquincentennial of St. Louis (February 2014), but it was the introduction by W. Arthur Mehrhoff that impressed me most.

My Dad told my brothers and me as children about growing up on Greer Avenue with his grandparents just as Mr. Mehrhoff did. My father was very proud to be from St. Louis, and your article shows us why!

—Missy Bayer Motz, Foristell THE WORLD’S SMALLEST HEADSTONE My sister-in-law and I did make the trip to see the smallest headstone (February 2013) near Butler … and more! I just have to figure out where to write and how to send pictures. And yes, my first issue came the other day! I have “looked” at it, but so far have not had time to sit down and look at it like I want to! I know one thing for sure— I’m glad I subscribed!

– Phyllis Moore, Marshall

BEEF AND WINE, OH, SO FINE It was great to see your beef-Missouri wine pairings in the December 2013 issue.

While we gave up wine for Lent (a sacrifice, to be sure, and still a small one compared to His whose we celebrated), your article helped us appreciate Missouri’s wines all-the-more; helped us appreciate the sacrifices we undertake during Lent (seeing those pairings seemed to make the forty days longer, and more valuable!); and helped us look more forward to the joy of the Resurrection on Easter.

So, with patience, we waited for Easter Sunday and have since had a chance to try a couple of your recommendations.

The French dip and Norton pairing made for a great dinner and confirmed that rerouting our return drive from our Easter trip to visit Crown Valley was worth it!

We are more Norton-Cabernet-Shiraz drinkers, and we do appreciate a Riesling and Vignioles. Still, we would never have thought

MISSOURI Where the snow falls in May, when the wildflowers bloom, And the coyote cries under the harvest moon, The rivers are wild, cascading with pride, In this land that I love, Mother Nature’s pride.

Wheat growing tall in a farmer’s field, Under the star-filled nights, beside the rolling hills, The bluebird sings its sweet tune high in the tree, Missouri’s beauty flows as far as the eye can see.

The Dogwood is mighty as is the honey-bee, In the state rich and hearty is my heart’s jubilee, I love catching white bass in the ‘crick’ outside my backdoor, While ‘lightnin’ bugs dazzle its muddy shore.

On a cool summer’s night beside the bon-fire, The whippoorwill delights me with its sweet, gentle song, With the bullfrogs croaking in the distance, I know I’m right where I belong.

In the sweet heart of Missouri, Mother Nature wraps me in her embrace, This land so abundant with her beauty, My heart knows no other place.

—Michelle Jenkins, Bolivar

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Mo MIX Bernie

Band of Brothers COTY AND CLINTON Walker had no

right to audition for season six in St. Louis. The Bernie

a one minute performance of their own music and post it

intention of auditioning for NBC’s The Voice. A friend

natives were selected by popular R&B artist Usher to vie

on Facebook. A panel of judges votes on the ten videos

signed them up for season five auditions in Chicago,

for music glory on the hit show, though they were not

with the most “likes.” The winner receives cash and the

but they couldn’t attend, so the brothers felt it was only

selected to advance and left The Voice on March 18. But

opportunity to record a song and music video at Top Shelf

that hasn’t phased their music ambitions.

Audio, the production studio the twins run in Bernie, a

The twins grew up playing gospel and worship music, but when they started writing and performing, their style came out a little bit country.

town with a population of fewer than two thousand.

Coty runs the day-to-day studio operations while Clinton teaches music at Bernie High School.

“Country is in us, period,” Coty says. “We just wrote a

“Whether we do things in other places or not, we

song, and it was a country song. Some people are just

love staying local, and we are always going to be

raised in that place, and that is definitely our case. Our

here,” Coty says.

love for it is authentic, and it means a lot to us.”

Active on their Facebook page, Coty and Clinton, also known as the Brothers Walker, interact with fans, who helped the duo choose their name to avoid confusion with a 1960s group, The Walker Brothers.

Brothers Walker also hold an annual contest called “Think You Can Sing?” where undiscovered artists create

Clinton agrees, saying that even with bigger successes, Bernie is the root of it all.

“We will never close the doors of this place no matter how much we grow,” Clinton says.

Top Shelf Audio is located at 117 W. Main Street in Bernie. Brothers Walker can be reached at 573-293-6035 and on Facebook. —Abby Holman

Pleasant Hill

Restoration Station JEFF WILSON has a knack for making old things look new. The thirdgeneration Pleasant Hill resident traces that passion back to his childhood fascination with old gas pumps.

Decades later when he was an auto repair technician, he restored relic pumps in his free time, though things changed when he took his custom car and one of his gas pump restoration projects to a Kansas City car show. People took notice. Soon, customers were lining up for his restoration work. he made space for his showroom and workshop. He even reassembled an old porcelain gas station inside.

Today, Jeff restores other items from across the country, like motor bikes, pedal cars, scooters, and soda machines.

When he receives a potential project, Jeff evaluates each piece. If it can be restored, he then begins the intricate process and does almost all of the work in Pleasant Hill.

Jeff’s restored items are featured in national museums, including one in Los Angeles, but you can also see others at his Missouri shop.

For more information about Jeff’s projects, email him at jeff@resto101.com, or call 816-540-3443. The restoration building is located on 101 N. Boardman Street and can be toured by appointment. —Jane Gonzalez-Meyer

COURTESY OF BROTHERS WALKER AND STEVE GIANGRECO

He bought a former GMC dealership in the historic district of Pleasant Hill where

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Upcoming Events June 4-7: Miss Missouri Pageant Missouri Military Academy 573-581-2765 | www.missmissouri.org June 6: Miss Missouri’s Outstanding Teen Missouri Military Academy 573-581-2765 | www.missmissouri.org June 7: Mid-Missouri Beer Festival Knights of Columbus 573-581-2765 | www.mexcio-chamber.org June 14: Mexico Young Farmers Truck & Tractor Pull Audrain 4-H Fairgrounds 573-581-2765 | www.mexico-chamber.org June 21: “Annie” Presser Performing Arts Center 573-581-5592 | www.presserpac.com June 21: Brick City Bad Boy Cruise Nights Hardin Park 573-581-2765 | www.mexico-chamber.org

Mexico is a perfect combination of small-town charm and urban style. Artsy boutiques, jewelry, quilt shops, scrapbooking, antiques, and cultural offerings give Mexico a sophisticated air with a family-friendly attitude. Come visit us today!

MEXICO AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE We work hard as a Chamber of Commerce to be the pulse of the community, assisting all to provide services that will nurture and encourage our businesses and strengthen our community.

573-581-2765 | www.mexico-chamber.org

July 13: “Bye Bye Birdie” Presser Performing Arts Center 573-581-5592 | www.presserpac.com July 19: Brick City Bad Boy Cruise Nights Hardin Park 573-581-2765 | www.mexico-chamber.org

MISS AMERICA The Miss America Organization is one of the nation's leading achievement programs and the world's largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women. Last year, the Miss America Organization provided more than $45 million in cash and scholarship assistance. This assistance is available to over 12,000 young women who compete in the local competitions. Mexico, Missouri and the Missouri Military Academy has been home to the Miss Missouri Pageant for forty-five years. www.missmissouri.org | 573-581-2765 [18] MissouriLife

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MIX

Lebanon

A Puzzling Preoccupation why can’t there be ‘Puzzles “R” Us?’ ” The ceiling at Nancy Ballhagen’s Puzzles is comprised of nearly 250 completed puzzles, many of which are rare or out-of-print. Visitors can’t miss the 7,500-piece New York skyline puzzle that is 8.5 feet long. Occasionally, Nancy even makes a few wooden puzzles.

The process of buying and making puzzles is tricky because Nancy must appeal to many tastes. Consequently, her collection ranges from small coffee table puzzles to twenty-four-thousand-piece monsters that she has purchased from about fifty differ-

INSIDE

Nancy Ballhagen’s Lebanon shop, the

shelves are lined with nearly three thousand jigsaw puzzles just waiting to be solved. When she and her husband moved near Interstate 44 in 1989, they knew they had the perfect opportunity for a store.

“We have always liked puzzles,” Nancy says. “We just thought, ‘You know; there are Toys “R” Us, so

ent countries.

Nancy’s family runs the shop, and her son aspires to manage his own puzzle venture.

Visit the shop at 25211 Garden Crest Road, just off of Interstate 44, between 11 am and 4 pm. Visit www.missouripuzzle.com, or call 417-286-3837 for more information. —Abby Holman

Hunting for Barn Quilts

Sunset Hills

IT TAKES

Lights. Camera. Punches.

the perfect quilt squares: stitching fabric together

YOU MIGHT call Mark Bedell a violence choreographer. Mark has worked for more than thirty years

slick Tourism Council, making a barn quilt is as easy as

performing stunts and directing fights for television, movies, and theater productions, and now teaches his stu-

painting by numbers.

dents the secrets of on-screen fight scenes at his Sunset Hills studio.

MIKE KELLNER; COURTESY OF ROBIN BALLHAGEN AND RING OF STEEL ACTION THEATRE

Boonslick Trail

skilled hands and eyes to make

in intricate patterns, cutting out shapes, laying down batting, and sewing it all together. But for the Boon-

The barn quilt concept was born in Ohio when a

“You will never see a fight the same way again,” Mark says.

woman honored her late mother by painting a quilt

Students, from beginners to the more experienced, learn skills that professional actors and stuntmen use to

square on her barn. That single act would lead to

create the illusion of contact fighting. However, Mark says staged combat is about more than just the brawl.

“I don’t just walk in and choreograph a fight randomly,” Mark says. “I need to know who the characters are, what the story is, why they are fighting, and what’s going on in their heads while they are fighting.”

organizations and volunteers establishing the first American Quilt Trail, which reached forty-five states.

Mark has choreographed fights and appeared on screen in Hollywood blockbusters, such as Transformers,

In 2007, the movement came to Missouri, and

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, and Evan Almighty. Jennifer Garner even “killed” Mark on an

Boonslick Tourism Council secretary treasurer Con-

episode of Alias, and he’s worked on other

nie Shay saw an opportunity to increase tourism. The

popular shows, such as Numb3rs, 24, and

council photographed area barns as potential sites

Medium. Mark also serves on the Board

for the quilts and asked 120 barn owners if they could

of Advisers for the Hollywood Stuntmen’s

paint a quilt on their barn. Most said yes.

Hall of Fame.

Barn owners choose the pattern and colors for

Mark offers basic lessons in stunt fighting,

their quilt square. Shay, the council’s only quilter,

specialized weapons training with knives,

sketches the patterns onto boards, and others

swords, and martial arts, as well as indi-

paint the design on two eight-by-two-foot boards.

vidual lessons.

The boards are then pieced together and mounted

For a complete price list and class sched-

on the barn.

ule, contact Mark at 818-800-1701, mark@

Learn where you can tour the Boonslick Trail and

fight-director.org, or visit his website,

see other barn quilts throughout Central Missouri at

www.fight-director.org. —Abby Holman

www.boonslicktourism.org. —Abby Holman

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5/1/14 10:38 AM

Made IN MISSOURI Jefferson City

Doggone Good Collars WHEN LUCI BRANYAN worked at an animal shelter years ago, she pondered how she could help more dogs find homes. A study she read had the answer.

It turns out that people are more likely to spend more time with shelter dogs that wear colorful collars, so Luci decided to make her own collars about five years ago, donating some to shelters and selling others.

To create the collars, Luci sources materials online and affixes ribbons, jacquard trim, or other intricate designs—like iguanas, sandals, and dragonflies, to name a few—on to heavy-duty webbing that comes in a variety of colors.

She makes two types: traditional side-release plastic buckle collars and martingale collars, which offer more control than traditional collars but do not harshly choke dogs. In addition to what she sells on her Etsy store, The Big Dog Design, Luci also crafts custom collars in various sizes, from ten to thirty inches.

Dogs at the privately operated Poverty Farms Animal Shelter pose for Luci when she needs a model for her work.

Peruse Luci’s online store at www.etsy.com/shop/TheBigDogDesign, and visit her at events for dogs, like Paws in the Park in Columbia and Dogtober in Blue Springs. See the dogs she helps at the shelter at www.facebook.com/povertyfarms. —David Cawthon

Imperial

Candle Science MAEGAN WIGGER

always loved the smell

of candles but noticed that most don’t burn properly; she

St. Louis

knew she could tackle the problem. With the help of her

Reeling in Craftsmanship

boyfriend, Louie Casciaro, she infused her favorite scent

CHRIS BARCLAY

uses cork imported from Portugal

his rods before they buy. For

Company out of their home in Imperial.

has fond childhood memories of

and forms a handle for the rod.

more information about his

Maegan and Louie test every candle they make, and they

fishing across the South with his

His friends make the reels.

fly rods, call 314-699-4359 or

have discovered that their products work more efficiently

visit www.cbarclayflyrods.com.

than the typical candle. For example, their candles burn all

—Jane Gonzalez-Meyer

the way through the wax and don’t leave black smudges

Chris says that customers

past fall, he combined his car-

who are in St. Louis can try

years ago, Maegan and Louie started Casciaro Candle

pentry skills and his passion for

on the jars once the wick is extinguished. Also, their tea

fishing to form his own business,

light candles burn for at least four hours, while similar can-

crafting fly fishing rods full time.

dles burn out before then, Maegan says.

On fishing trips, people were so

They purchase soy wax, mason jars, wicks, dye chips, and

impressed with his fly rods that

oil scents from vendors and choose wicks that work best

they offered to pay Chris to make

with certain types of candles and containers.

one for them. Now, his fly rods are

The couple sells candles with fifty fragrances, and

sold in stores across the nation and

candle sizes range from twenty-two-ounce mason jars

to international customers.

to petite tea lights. They also sell melt cubes that are

Chris crafts each fly rod in his

made with the same wax and fragrance options as their

basement. First, he uses raw

other candles.

blanks, which are long cylindrical

You can find Maegan and Louie’s candles online and

tubes made of fiberglass. Then,

in stores in Arnold, about five miles north of Imperial,

he combines the pieces together

including Harter Bakery, De Zsa Do Hair Salon, and Lou

to form the rod and fastens steel

and Sons Hardware.

guides to it. Next, Chris takes fine

For more information about Casciaro Candle Company,

Japanese silk thread and wraps

call 314-698-7193, or email casciarocandle@gmail.com.

it around the guides. Finally, he

—Jane Gonzalez-Meyer

COURTESY OF LUCI BRANYAN, CHRIS BARCLAY, AND MAEGAN WIGGER

family. When he left his job this

of stargazer lilies into her first soy wax candle. About two

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Salute to

! a c i r e m A

A CAPITOL CELEBRATION JULY 3-5, 2014

Featuring:

CONCERTS • LARGEST FIREWORK DISPLAY IN CENTRAL MO • CARNIVAL RIDES • PARADE • EXTREME SPORTS • FREE EVENT! R A TOU BOOK HE AT T ATE URI ST Y! O S S I R M ENTIA PENIT

021 ML0614.indd 21

Take advantage of special hotel rates when you ride Amtrak!

For details go to www.VisitJeffersonCity.com [21] June 2014

®

Missouri

riverrunner

SM

4/30/14 6:37 PM

SHOW-ME

Books

HISTORY Sticks TO YOUR FEET

Vonda Wilson Sheets brings the past to life in her debut novel. BY DANITA ALLEN WOOD with more details about the families to VONDA WILSON SHEETS is a help readers stay oriented. seventh-generation Taney County native of Vonda spent twenty years meticuCherokee, Celtic, and German descent. Her lously documenting the people, the connection to the land that she writes about in events, and times—and she succeeds Absolution is a matter of heritage. Vonda’s porin painting a fascinating portrait of her trayal of Bald Knobbers in southern Missouri characters and their lives. Granny Hagis as much an ethnography generations in the gard, widely known as a healer, is one making as it is a work of fiction. of these characters: In some ways, the tale is a standard story “Granny Haggard has suffered with about the corrupting influence of power. the heat more this year than any she Deep in the Ozarks, this county along the could remember. She spent most of her Arkansas-Missouri state line had been a days inside the cool dimness of her haven for outlaws during the Civil War cabin, coming out in the early mornand afterward. The federal Homestead Act of ings and evenings to work in her gar1862 encouraged new settlers, who were then den. Her needs were few; habit led her shocked to find no law or judicial system. to planting and harvesting medicinal The Bald Knobbers stepped in to fill the herbs and the vegetables in the garden. vacuum of law and order in the region, but … Andy kept her supplied with meat. then stepped over the line themselves.

Late evenings, after the darkness The book follows the Bald Knobber gang fell, she would rock in her chair on the and charts the growth of its influence from porch, smoking her pipe and visiting the perspective of many different families. with memories.”

We meet sisters who raise their families The passage illustrates both the care together, a romantically thwarted young and pains Vonda takes to identify and man, an orphan who survives by living in orient every character and provide a the woods, a widow determined to never glimpse of ordinary life. tie herself to another man, and the increasThe story includes only four fictioningly isolated but herself strong-willed wife al characters; the rest are historical figof the gang leader. There are many more, so Vonda Wilson Sheets ures. As for the plot, Vonda took some many as to make the storytelling complex; 516 pages, softcover, historical fiction, $24.99 literary license in order to answer the the reader may need to refer back to recall who “why” behind the Bald Knobbers’ actions. someone is and how his or her life intersects with the main characters.

The book excels in taking you back to a complicated, violent But that’s a quibble that can be forgiven, in that Vonda’s story actime, and it makes you appreciate that Bald Knobber history, like curately mirrors the genuine complexity of the time and the people. most history, is not as simple as we imagine it to be.

And she has provided a map, a cast of the people, and an epilogue

Absolution A Bald Knobber Saga

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SHOW-ME

Books

MORE GOOD READS

BY JANE GONZALEZ-MEYER AND ABBY HOLMAN

Cinders and Silence: A Chronicle of Missouri’s Burnt District (1854-1870)

The Architecture of Maritz & Young: Exceptional Historic Homes of St. Louis

Tom A. Rafiner, Burnt District Press, 326 pages, hard cover, nonfiction, $23.95 Within six weeks of Union Brigade General Thomas Ewing Jr.’s Order No. 11, 2,200 miles of western Missouri were forcibly emptied; more than 20,000 civilians became refugees, and more than 2,800 family farms were destroyed. But no one remembers. In his second book about the area, Rafiner explores the historical silence that shrouded the tragic event and examines what happened to “the burnt district” when the ashes settled.

Kevin Amsler and L. John Schoot, University of Chicago Press, 208 pages, nonfiction, hard cover Take a stroll through the streets of St. Louis and view the architecture of Raymond E. Martix and W. Ridgely Young, who many say shaped the style of the Gateway City. The book features more than two hundred photographs of architectural drawings and original floor plans of homes built in the twentieth century by the influential pair. Alongside the images, Amsler and Schoot provide descriptions of the residences and the owners who originally called them home.

Molly Brown from Hannibal, Missouri: Her Life in the Gilded Age Ken and Lisa Marks, The History Press, 144 pages, soft cover, historical nonfiction, $19.99 You may have heard about the famous “Unsinkable Molly Brown” who had a movie based on her life and also survived the sinking of the Titanic. However, many don’t know that, prior to her fame, she was a small-town girl from Hannibal. In this book, the authors explore the personal life of Margaret Tobin Brown and how, despite having visited so many towns and countries, she still had a special place in her heart for her hometown.

Healthy Mom, Healthy Me Gwen Ratermann, Balboa Press, 44 pages, soft cover, self-improvement, $17.99 Cancer is difficult to comprehend and cope with, so how do you help a child understand it? Gwen Ratermann’s husband, Martin, was diagnosed with cancer. In the wake of this experience, Gwen, a St. Louis native, decided to write a children’s book about how her family perservered. She incorporates activities that she did with her children and provides advice and encouragement to young readers. There are sections throughout the book where kids can write their thoughts and feelings about their parent’s illness, as well as draw pictures for their loved ones.

A Most Unsettled State: First-Person Accounts of St. Louis During the Civil War

Merchants of Independence

NiNi Harris, Reedy Press, 200 pages, soft cover, historical nonfiction, $19.95 Missouri was torn between the Union and Confederacy during the Civil War, and the unrest amongst the residents of the state was apparent. Cities like St. Louis were being ripped at the seams as the war raged on, and individuals wrote about their everyday struggles. This book provides a collection of letters, memoirs, and sermons from people around the St. Louis area. These firsthand accounts explore the daily struggles and experiences of living in a hostile community during this tragic time in our country’s history.

William Patrick O’Brien, Truman State University Press, 250 pages, nonfiction, soft cover, $34.95 Independence was a hub for development in the Western frontier, but it also served as a depot for international trade with Mexico from 1827 to 1860. Patrick O’Brien delves into the complexity of the trade system and the reliance of local entrepreneurs on Anglos, Hispanics, American Indians, and others from all backgrounds. The merger of cultures, conflicting strategies, and cooperation between diverse groups tell the story of this American trade center.

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BETH WATSON

Enter to win a Salem prize package! ($500 value) www.missourilife.com/salem

Visit · Stay · Explore Experience the Salem area when you visit our Riverways for camping, fishing and floating.

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy our abundant natural resources.

There’s more to do here.

Naturally.

573-729-6900 | www.salemmo.com

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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 in the Brick District with elegant architecture and 67 buildings on the historic register.

IMMERSE yourself in the arts at the new Art House in Fulton's Brick District where there are classes to take and fine art to admire and purchase.

CONNECT to our history at the state-of-the-art renovated National Churchill Museum. This $4-million museum inside a priceless piece of architecture offers a look back at living history.

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 for a down home or uptown experience.

CAPTURE a sense of local history at the Historical Society Museum, or pay your respects at the Missouri Firefighters Memorial.

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.

The National Churchill Museum features interactive displays that engage and educate visitors of all ages.

Fulton Street Fair thrills with a carnival, craft vendors, food and entertainment in the setting of the Fulton Brick District.

REVISIT the 1930s by sharing a shake made with locally made premium ice cream at Sault’s authentic soda fountain.

UNWIND at a Missouri top 10 inn, the historic Loganberry Inn, where Margaret Thatcher and other famous guests have stayed.

Backer Auto World Museum displays an impressive collection of 84 historic automobiles in Hollywood-style sets.

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Wonderful breakfasts and romantic accommodations await you at Loganberry Inn B&B.

Calendar of Events Plein Air Art Exhibit, Art House June 1 to June 20 531 Court Street, Fulton 573-592-7733 www.arthousefultonmo.com Girlfriend Summer Get-A-Way June 1 to August 30 Loganberry Inn B&B, Fulton Two nights stay, 2 breakfasts and spa services $239/person 573-642-9229 www.loganberyinn.com Fulton Street Fair June 20-21 Historic streets of downtown Fulton Brick District Carnival, craft vendors, and great entertainment 573-291-9042 fultonstreetfair.com

Crane’s 4,000-square-foot museum is a one-of-akind viewing experience featuring rural Missouri history dating back to the 1800s.

Celebrate the joy of painting, pottery, and creativity with weekly events at the Art House in Fulton’s Brick District.

www.visitfulton.com

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.

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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.

5/2/14 12:20 PM

MISSOURI

Al Parker defined magazine illustration in the forties and fifties. BY JONAS WEIR

“YOU HAVE brought more freshness, charm, and vitality to illustration than any other living illustrator.

Now at last I have said it and I feel much better because I have been believing this for a long, long time.”

Norman Rockwell wrote these words in a letter to graphic illustrator Al Parker in 1948. Known as the Dean of Illustrators, Parker was a modern master. His drawings graced the pages of all sorts of prominent publications that defined glamour in the golden age of magazines and advertising.

“I think he definitely exemplifies that golden era of illustration in the lateforties, fifties, and early-sixties,” says Skye Lacerte, curator of the Modern Graphic History Library at Washington University in St. Louis, a research library that houses much of Parker’s work and work from other graphic artists, such as Robert Andrew Parker, Robert Weaver, and Charles Craver.

Parker’s early life was immersed in art. Born in St. Louis on October 16, 1906, Parker began drawing at a very young age, and his parents, who owned

a furniture store, encouraged his creativity. His mother was also a musician, and his father was an aspiring painter.

In his teenage years, Parker took up the saxophone, and he eventually led his own band that would play on the Golden Eagle, a riverboat in Cape Girardeau, among other ships on the Mississippi. He performed for years and even played with jazz legend Louis Armstrong before the young artist attended Washington University to study fine arts.

Upon graduation, Parker started working in St. Louis. His first assignment was to design window displays for a local department store. Wallace Bassford, the head of a commercial art studio and a fellow Wash U alum, was taken with the design and contracted Parker to work for him. However, Parker set out to start his business with designer Russel Viehman soon after.

In 1930, Parker’s submission to a cover contest for House Beautiful garnered attention from the publishing industry. In the early 1930s, he began receiving a steady stream of work from magazines like Woman’s Home Com-

COURTESY OF WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, KIT PARKER, AND MEREDITH CORPORATION

THE GOLDEN ERA

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COURTESY OF WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, KIT PARKER, AND MEREDITH CORPORATION

Left: Al Parker illustrated the story “Women Are Awfully Important” by Elizabeth Dunn for the November 1943 issue of Ladies’ Home Journal. Top Right: This July 1934 cover exemplifies Parker’s early cover work for Ladies’ Home Journal. Bottom Right: Al Parker illustrated a fiction piece by William McCleary called “Wolf Story” for the May 1947 issue of Ladies’ Home Journal.

panion, Good Housekeeping, McCall’s, Collier’s, Cosmopolitan, American, and Pictorial Review during a time when jobs were scarce—the Great Depression.

In 1936, Parker and his family left the Show-Me State in favor of New York City, the center of American publishing. In the 1940s, he began one of the most famous cover series for Ladies’ Home Journal. He illustrated wholesome pictures of a mother and daughter in an era defined by World War II, and the July 1945 cover showed the two welcoming home their hero.

“What’s neat about that is that people not only started following what was going on inside the magazines, but there were fans of these covers,” Skye says. “They would write in fan mail and ask questions about what the family is doing.”

The mother and daughter series ended in 1952, but Parker adapted to the changing times. In 1954, Parker’s illustrations were the stars of the September issue of Cosmopolitan. He illustrated five fiction stories, each with a different style, showing his range.

During the sixties, magazine illustration began falling out of fashion, while photography saw its rise. Magazines that relied heavily on illustrations like the Saturday Evening Post and The Woman’s Home Companion ceased publishing by the end of the decade. Parker still found work at magazines such as Sports Illustrated and Fortune, again adapting his style to the times.

“When photography was starting to take over, he was able to continue illustrating because he was so adaptable,” Skye says.

Although the golden era of magazine illustrations saw its twilight, Parker continued to illustrate for both editorial and advertising purposes throughout the 1980s. He also painted and drew for purely artistic purposes. Although he may be best known for his classic magazine illustrations, Parker continually evolved during his expansive career, experimenting with styles that took cues from Japanese prints to ones that were more expressive and vibrant.

“I think he probably got bored doing the same thing, so it was probably a mixture of the industry changing and pushing himself,” Skye says.

After Al Parker died in 1985, much of his work sat in a garage. However, in 2007, the family donated the collection to Washington University. A year later, the Modern Graphic History Library was born.

“Really, Al Parker was the reason the Modern Graphic History Library came about,” Skye says. “Since he was an alum, it was basically based on him and other artists from that similar period.”

The collection gives great insight to how Parker and artists like him worked. He would have photos taken in his studio, and then, using a lucigraph, he would trace the photos and put his own spin on them.

“A lot of illustrators didn’t like people knowing that that’s the way they did it, but they were under such time constraints and deadlines that it was impossible to do without,” Skye says.

To see an online exhibit of Parker’s work that the Modern Graphic History Library put together, visit http://library.wustl.edu/units/spec/MGHL resources/overlays/doubleexposure.html.

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THE NELSON-ATKINS MUSEUM OF ART STEELHAWK AT WORLDS OF FUN COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA

From dinner to fireworks to fountains, Kansas City has your summer covered.

KAUFFMAN STADIUM

POWER & LIGHT DISTRICT AFFÄRE

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1. ENJOY ART AL FRESCO For anyone seeking some culture, a mild summer evening is the perfect backdrop to Kansas City’s eclectic arts scene. Join the thousands who flock to the Crossroads Arts District for one of the nation’s largest free art walks.

Or plan a visit to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, where you can explore the Hall Sculpture Park and have a picnic next to the gigantic shuttlecocks.

2. BURN THE MIDNIGHT OIL Who needs sleep when Kansas City has so much to of-

PROMOTION

SUMMER EVENTS & FESTIVALS Mark your calendar for these can’t-miss events.

For a complete list, go to VisitKC.com.

FRIDAYS ALL YEAR •First Fridays kccrossroads.org

fer after the sun goes down? Check out Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway— home to two thousand slot machines and forty table games, all with a spectacular view of Turn Two of the racetrack.

NOW-SEPTEMBER 7•The Discovery of King Tut unionstation.org

3. SHOP IN STYLE ON THE PLAZA No trip to KC is complete without a visit to the

MAY 30-JUNE 1•Festa Italiana zonarosa.com

Country Club Plaza, where shopping is an art form. This fifteen-block outdoor shopping and entertainment district is filled with romantic Spanish architecture, European art, and dazzling fountains. Stop by BALDWIN KC, a hometown original whose creator has been hailed by GQ as one of America’s best new designers.

JUNE-JULY•KC Live! World Cup Watch Parties powerandlightdistrict.com

4. SOAR TO NEW HEIGHTS Opening this summer at Worlds of Fun, the SteelHawk

JUNE 2-AUGUST 30•Family Art Sessions hallmarkkaleidoscope.com

will spread its majestic steel wings at a 45-degree angle and travel at a speed of eight rotations a minute for a sensational 60-second flight at 301 feet in the air.

5. TOUR THE BIG THREE Jazz, barbecue, and fountains—summer breathes new life into these age-old Kansas City traditions. First, sample KC’s signature sound at the 18th & Vine Historic Jazz District. Then, belly up to the bar for some barbecue.

No matter how you spell it, Kansas City boasts more barbecue restaurants per capita than anywhere else in the country. Finally, tour the city’s beautiful fountains; there are more than 200 sprinkled throughout the metro area, and it’s easy to see why these works of art are a Kansas City institution.

6. BRACE YOURSELF FOR THRILLS Verrückt—German for insane—debuts in May as both the tallest and fastest waterslide in the world. Verrückt is a four-person raft ride roughly matching the height of a 17-story building at Schlitterbahn Kansas City Waterpark.

7. TAKE CENTER STAGE Make a date with one of the many blockbuster shows in town this summer. Catch the Kansas City Ballet’s unique take on Cinderella, board South Pacific at Off Center Theatre or “go big” with We Will Rock You and The Blue Man Group at Starlight Theatre. If it’s live music you love, the Sprint Center is set to host Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake, Cher, and more acts this summer.

8. LIVE IT UP IN P&L See the new Kansas City for yourself inside the Power & Light District, an eight-block entertainment hub with more than fifty bars, restaurants, and shops. KC Live!—the district’s covered outdoor courtyard—hosts more than 130 free events each year. On tap this summer: weekly concerts, World Cup watch parties, and Family Fun Days.

9. GET YOUR GAME FACE ON Treat the family to a day at Kauffman Stadium, home to the Kansas City Royals. Afterward stand among giants at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, or step behind the anchor desk and call the shots at The College Basketball Experience.

10. COUPLE UP Take your pick from the city’s selection of cozy bed and breakfasts, such as Southmoreland on the Plaza, where every room is inspired by a prominent KC native. For quiet conversation, try nightlife newcomers like The Jacobson and Voltaire, where corner booths and old-fashioned cocktails are plentiful.

11. JOURNEY OFF-THE-BEATEN PLATE Toast an anniversary or spoil your special someone with the help of Kansas City’s award-winning chefs. Reserve a table at chic restaurants like Extra Virgin, Rye, or Affäre, all of which have earned high marks from the folks at James Beard.

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JUNE 5-8•Old Shawnee Days oldshawneedays.org JUNE 8 •World Oceans Day visitsealife.com/kansas-city JUNE 13-15•Boulevardia boulevardia.com JUNE 17-JULY 6•Heart of America Shakespeare Festival kcshakes.org JUNE 20-22•Fiesta Kansas City crowncenter.com JUNE 28-29•Maker Faire makerfairekc.com JULY 4•KC RiverFest kcriverfest.com JULY 11-AUGUST 8 FRIDAYS•WeekEnder crowncenter.com JULY 17-27•KC Fringe Festival kcfringe.org AUGUST 1-3 & 8-10•Festival of Butterflies at Powell Gardens powellgardens.org AUGUST 15-17•Ethnic Enrichment Festival eeckc.net AUGUST 23•Bacon Fest baconfestkc.com AUGUST 29-31•Kansas City Irish Fest kcirishfest.com AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 1•Santa-Cali-Gon Days santacaligon.com

FOR EVEN MORE IDEAS FOR YOUR SUMMER GETAWAY, GO TO VISITKC.COM.

5/2/14 1:01 PM

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MISSOURI

CASSETTE CULTURE RISING Dismal Niche releases tapes by Missouri artists. BY JONAS WEIR

JONAS WEIR

COLUMBIA musicians Ben Chlapek and Matt Crook don’t care that cassettes are out of style. Tapes are the basis for their record label.

Their label, Dismal Niche, creates and distributes small batches of tapes—usually fifty to one hundred per release—and puts out music digitally. Although tapes haven’t been widely popular since the rise of the CD, tape labels have been making a comeback, as evidenced by 2013’s first National Cassette Store Day event celebrated at record stores worldwide this past September.

Dismal Niche’s tapes have even been distributed by a Chicago record distributor, Carrot Top Records, and have received college radio play across the country. But it all started a year and a half ago when Ben wanted to release his own solo recordings under the name Neatly Knotted.

When Ben geared up to release his album, Mountain of Youth, the idea to start a tape label, which he and Matt had casually talked about, resurfaced. This time the two took it seriously,

and Mountain of Youth became the first Dismal Niche release in February 2013—fifty years after the invention of the compact cassette.

Since then, Dismal Niche has released music from artists that hail from almost every genre. For gentle folk music, check out Vulvette. For chaotic punk rock, listen to Grand Mal. And for everything in between, try the Dismal Niche sampler.

The bands help with releases, but the founders take on a lot of work. Ben designs the art. Matt, among other things, thought of the label’s name.

While driving near the Washington-Oregon border, Matt saw a sign for the “Dismal Nitch,” a cove off the Columbia River where Lewis and Clark were mired for six days. The explorers were running low on supplies, and the situation looked bleak. Clark called the cove a “dismal little nitch” in one of his journals, which inspired Matt.

“We think of it as our own pathetic, little way to make meaning in our lives, so we call it our dismal niche,” Matt says, half-jokingly.

Cassettes are very niche, and sometimes making it in the music industry does seem dismal; that’s why this label is purely a labor of love. At least, the medium keeps overhead low. Ben also points out cassettes are more tangible than MP3s, more resilient than CDs, and cheaper than vinyl records.

“It’s kind of nice to have production and artwork with a warmer analog sound,” Ben says.

“It’s also sort of a nostalgic thing. We all grew up listening to tapes.”

On top of keeping the budget low and nostalgia high, Ben and Matt keep all of the production in Missouri. They do all the art, tape dubbing, and packaging, but the tapes are manufactured in Springfield by National Audio Company, the world’s largest audio cassette manufacturer.

All Dismal Niche releases are available both digitally and as cassettes. Visit www.dismalniche.com for a full list of releases. And go to www.MissouriLife .com to listen to and download the sampler.

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Starlit CiNeMa This is the most fun you'll ever have in a parking lot.

STORY BY EVAN WOOD

PHOTOS BY HARRY KATZ

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XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

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SINCE THE

HEIGHT OF their popularity, Drive-Ins have endured rising land prices, daylight savings time, and most recently, the end of 35mm projection—all of which have contributed to their decline. While there are fewer drive-ins today, the ones that survive do so by employing creative business strategies. Many of them host special events, such as flea markets, on their lots during daytime hours, and almost all screen double features, making the ever-costly movie ticket twice as valuable.

Missouri’s drive-ins are adjusting to the times.

Three theaters have closed in the past year.

Meanwhile, B&B Theatres has taken over management of two other theaters, perhaps saving them from permanent closure. While trends suggest drive-ins are in a continual decline, new patrons turn out every season to experience the all-but-lost art of watching a movie outdoors.

The thrill of taking in a summer blockbuster beneath an open sky is a time-honored tradition, and it’s lost none of its wonder through the years.

Lucky for us, Missouri still maintains ten of the nation’s remaining drive-ins, which number just over three hundred. If you prefer an open lot to an indoor theater, we know which direction to point your car this summer.

DRIVE-IN TYCOONS

The Five and Drive in Moberly can fit up to 295 cars in its lot for a screening. Others in Missouri, like The 21 located near Van Buren in rural Carter County, can fit up to 500 cars.

In this era, it’s natural to view a big company taking over a smaller one with skepticism, but B&B’s acquisition of The I-70 Drive-In and The Twin may spell salvation for both theaters. When the owner of the I-70 and The Twin—coupled under the Globe Cinemas company—couldn’t afford to switch to digital projection, he was looking to sell the theaters.

B&B, eager to reach out to a new market and equipped with the means to buy digital projectors, stepped in to take over.

“We closed the deal on March first,” says Brock Bagby, Director of Programming and Business Development at B&B. He’s referring to March 1, 2014, and though the change in ownership is very fresh, both The Twin and the I-70 began screening films for the season in April.

B&B is a Missouri business through and through. It represents a partnership between two Missouri families, Bagby and Bills, which both operated cinema businesses as early as 1924.

With seven screens among its three theaters, B&B is the nation’s third largest drive-in operator as of this year. But the company’s history with drive-ins goes back a long way. According to Brock, the company once owned and operated nearly fifteen drive-ins—more than currently operate in Missouri. In addition, Brock’s greatgrandfather was the original owner of Moberly’s drive-in. The Moberly Five and Drive’s outdoor theater opened in the fifties, and though it hasn’t operated continuously, B&B has been running it successfully since 1997.

Brock notes that last year was one of the strongest years in a long time at the Moberly drive-in. B&B has a reputation for both success and innovation.

“We were one of the first drive-ins in the nation to put in digital,” Brock says, referring to the theater’s new projection system.

The secret to success at Moberly is in the theater’s name. The five in “Five and Drive” refers to the theater’s five traditional theaters, housed adjacent to the drive-in lot. With a combination of outdoor and indoor theaters, the Five and Drive is open year-round, sells concessions for all its theaters in one spot, and is able to house its sensitive projector in a climate-controlled building. According to Brock, the Five and Drive is one of only three indooroutdoor theaters in North America.

Traditional drive-ins like the I-70 and The Twin have housing built specifically for projectors and concessions, and when it gets too cold for outdoor screenings, they close for the season. That factor has been a major element in the economics of drive-ins, as the large expanses of property they’re situated on become more valuable and especially as drive-ins, like all theaters, have had to transition to digital projection in order to continue screening new films.

Brock says that B&B didn’t spend any time deliberating whether to make the switch at Moberly, citing the theater’s built-in resources and his grandfather’s ties to it. As for acquiring two new drive-ins, Brock says the previous owner approached B&B first with the offer, and they wasted no time making a deal.

He points out that drive-ins typically offer a uniquely good deal to patrons: two newly released films for the price of one ticket—often priced cheaper than a typical cineplex admission. On top of that, all three B&B driveins offer free admission for children under

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Today, most drive-ins stream audio through FM transmitters, but the first drive-in theater had speakers mounted in the front, so the front row was the best seat in the house for sound.

eleven, as do many other drive-ins throughout the state.

The Moberly drive-in screens films seven days a week, as do The Twin and the I-70. All three theaters offer double features, usually of newly released films.

CINEMA IN THE STICKS

Many theaters are given names for the number of screens they operate, but the 21 Drive-In is named for the highway it sits along. The 21 has a Van Buren address but is actually ten miles northeast. Diane Price, who owns the theater with her husband, Cecil, says it attracts moviegoers from all over. The theater opened in 1950 after it was built by a man named Claude Davis.

Diane says that his attitude was “build it, and they will come.” And, indeed, they came.

After closing in the seventies, Diane’s brother-in-law took over ownership. But sixteen years ago, he wanted out and offered to sell the theater to Diane and Cecil. Cecil operates the gate and the projector, while Diane runs concessions with the help of family members and local kids.

“We have good crowds,” Diane says. And that may come as a surprise to some, given the theater’s remote location. Look it up on a map,

and you’ll see that the theater is situated off a winding road, in between several towns with names you may not recognize. But Diane says the theater draws from as far away as West Plains (eighty-two miles southwest).

The theater is independently operated and has one lot with one screen. It screens films on Friday and Saturday nights from Memorial Day weekend until the warm summer days start to wane, with special Sunday screenings on holiday weekends.

Despite this Spartan business model, the 21 made the costly transition to digital with help from a bank loan. Diane expressed excitement about screening films with the projector’s markedly higher quality picture.

Although the projection system is now stateof-the-art, the 21 nods to its history.

“It’s definitely a blast from the past,” she says.

It’s not hard to understand what she’s talking about. The 21 is one of the few drive-ins in the state that still offer car window speakers, which were the standard audio at original drive-ins.

Most have made the switch to the less costly and easier to maintain FM radio transmitters.

The 21 offers this system, too, but Diane says all of their car window speakers work, and it’s hard to imagine wanting to pass up experiencing the drive-in in classic style.

In their sixteen year stint as owners, Diane

and Cecil have overseen the renovation of the concession stand, added bathrooms, and even built a playground.

The theater also gets regular visits from a specialty car club, whose vintage autos take the nostalgia factor even higher. The theater elevates their offerings with an expanded concession stand menu, featuring usual theaterfare, as well as less common items like egg rolls, pulled pork, and pizza.

The 21 is a gem, no doubt, and of all the theaters under the stars in Missouri, it’s hard to imagine one with less light pollution. If you plan a big weekend in southern Missouri or if you just get lost on a back road, see a movie at the 21 if you have a chance.

TO THE LOST

Movie theaters across the nation had until this year to switch their projection systems to digital. Since movies aren’t distributed on 35mm rolls anymore, failure to switch means no new movies. With price tags in the seventy to eighty thousand dollar range, it’s no surprise that the transition has spelled doom for more than a few drive-ins.

Many theaters launched fundraising efforts, and auto manufacturer Honda even stepped in

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to save nine theaters with its “Project DriveIn” campaign. While the majority of Missouri’s remaining drive-ins were able to make the switch, three are showing no signs of life.

The Pinehill Drive-In Theater near Piedmont pinned its hopes to Honda’s Project Drive-In, through which voters could support their favorite theaters. Unfortunately, the Pinehill did not receive the necessary votes to receive a projector from Honda. The theater couldn’t be reached for comment; the phone number listed rang but wasn’t picked up or transferred to voicemail. Its Facebook page was last updated in October 2013.

Meanwhile the Owen Drive-In in Seymour announced on Facebook early this year that it would not open for the 2014 season. The update cited health issues as the reason for closure and thanked fans for their years of support. Harold Owen, the theater’s longtime owner, passed away last spring. In the Webster County Citizen, his daughter, Betty Graf—who helped operate the theater—indicated that the theater would stay open through the end of 2013 but did not mention long-term plans.

The phone number for the Owen Drive-In has been disconnected.

The Cooke Brothers Drive-In in St. Joseph also seems to have folded. Its Facebook page lists the theater as permanently closed and the phone number for the theater is disconnected.

While the Pinehill didn’t manage to secure enough votes, another Missouri theater—The Starlite Drive-In in Cadet—was among the nine theaters to which Honda was able to donate digital projectors.

“We would be closed without it,” says Doug Mercille, the Starlite’s owner. The drive-in has been in his family since 1968. Before Doug took over in 2009, the theater was operated by his father, Terry. The Starlite ranked seventh in Honda’s Project Drive-In campaign, out of 149 theaters nationwide. Thanks to its fans, the theater’s legacy lives on.

If it were up to us, there’d be a drive-in in every corner of the state, but in the mean time, we’re happy that The Starlite still counts itself among Missouri’s drive-in theaters. For those who want to catch a screening en plein air, we put everything we know about the state’s ten remaining theaters in a box to the right.

MO DRIVE-INS 21 DRIVE-IN $8 Gate Opens: 7 PM 573-945-2121 73434 N. Route 21, Van Buren

STARLITE DRIVE-IN THEATRE $9 Movie begins at dusk.

573-438-4974 15605 N. Route 21, Cadet

SUNSET DRIVE-IN THEATRE $7 Gate Opens: 7 PM 417-678-6609 1601 E. Church Street, Aurora

66 DRIVE-IN THEATRE $7 Gate Opens: 7:45 PM 417-359-5959 17231 Old 66 Boulevard, Carthage

19 DRIVE-IN $8 Gate Opens: 7 PM 5853 Route 19, Cuba

I-70 DRIVE-IN $10 Movie begins at dusk.

816-256-4118 8701 E. Highway 40, Kansas City

PHOENIX THEATER $8 Movie begins at dusk.

417-967-3010 16657 Route B, Houston THE TWIN $10 Movie begins at dusk.

816-256-4118 1320 N. 291 & Kentucky Road, Independence

MOBERLY FIVE AND DRIVE $9.50/$7.50 Movie begins at dusk.

660-263-2000 3000 N. Morely Street, Moberly BARCO DRIVE-IN $7 Gate Opens: 7:45 PM 417-682-2434 57 SE 25th Lane, Lamar

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10

to Visit

Tom Uhlenbrock—veteran travel writer and park explorer—shares ten of his favorite state parks.

By Tom Uhlenbrock

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TOM UHLENBROCK

Prairie State Park now owes its ever-changing display of wildflowers in part to the prescribed grass burns carried out by park managers, but grass fires have occurred there naturally for many years.

MUDLICK HOLLOW. Pickle Creek. Dillard Mill. Path of the Sky People Trail. The fried chicken at J. Hutson Tavern. A hummingbird playing possum, feet up, in the palm of my hand. During several years of writing about Missouri’s state parks and historic sites, I’ve discovered some secret spots and sweet moments.

After a decade of globe-trotting and plane hopping as a writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, I got a call from Gov. Jay Nixon in February 2010 with an offer too good to refuse.

Following in the footsteps of his father, Nixon and his wife, Georganne, raised their sons with a healthy dose of the outdoors. They fished and floated the state’s rivers and hiked and camped in its hills and forests; they still do.

The governor is passionate about Missouri’s bounty of parks and historic sites; he visited all eighty-seven in one year. He believes too many kids spend their time staring at electronic screens, when they should be out catching fish or frogs or walking in the woods. Sociologists call the widespread epi-

demic “nature deficit disorder.”

Under Governor Nixon’s administration, Missouri State Parks have won national awards for best camping and best trails system, and we were a finalist for best state parks overall. Parks are established in special places, and Missouri has a diverse landscape of prairie remnants, rolling hills, wide river valleys, and an Ozark landscape of caves, springs, and sparkling streams.

The parks are free; they belong to the people. The governor’s pitch to me was to use the same skills I developed as a newspaper reporter and photographer to travel the state and write articles that show Missourians what they have.

State Parks Stories was born. I was given a computer, an office in St. Louis, and a 2004 Ford Taurus station wagon that had traveled as many miles as I have. My mission was to produce two feature packages a month that are distributed free to newspapers and other publications and then posted online at www.mostateparks.com.

Other than that, I was on my own.

One of my first destinations was Prairie

State Park in the far southwest corner of Missouri near the Kansas border. Arriving in early evening, I booked a motel room in the town of Liberal and headed out to the park.

Prairie State Park is different; a lot of people don’t get it until they leave their car and look around at the flowers, the grasses, and the wildlife. The park is home to a herd of about one hundred bison, but you may not see them.

They roam the undulating grasslands, just as they did when the first settlers saw them.

The setting sun created a spectacle on the western horizon—an exuberant light show of crimson and gold. The sunflowers glowed, and then the night grew dark. A full moon rose behind me on the east, casting shadows across the prairie. The buzz of bees and beetles turned to the chirps of crickets and cicadas.

The next morning, dew soaked my hiking boots and turned spider webs into strings of glistening jewels as I walked on the Path of the Sky People Trail to a soundtrack of meadowlarks.

Prairie State Park holds a special place in my memory, but these ten are my favorite:

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KATY TRAIL: Off the beaten path The charm of Katy Trail State Park is that it offers a leisurely backdoor look into the rustic Missouri countryside, far away from the buzz and billboards of the interstates. This hiking and biking trail is a slice of Americana, leading you through forgotten railroad towns, restored trestles over muddy creeks, fields of corn and soybeans, pastures dotted with black cattle, and to home-cooked food in friendly restaurants and bed-and-breakfasts.

Stretching 264 miles from Machens in the east to Clinton in the west, the Katy is the nation’s longest rails-to-trails conversion, and it draws riders from all over. I’ve encountered a family from Sweden and rode along with a young man from Los Angeles, who said he subsisted mainly on Little Debbie snack cakes.

Everybody has a favorite section of the trail. Defiance to Augusta is seven miles that has a little of everything—wineries, restaurants, and whistle stops. The 16.1 miles from Treloar to McKittrick squeezes be-

tween the base of white limestone bluffs and the muddy Missouri River.

And Rocheport is the quintessential Katy town, boasting river views and the only tunnel on the trail.

You can camp, sleep in a caboose, rent a room in a renovated schoolhouse, or stay in two historic hotels, which have been lovingly restored and cater to trail users. Both have excellent restaurants.

The Bothwell Hotel opened in 1927 in Sedalia and has hosted Harry Truman and Clint Eastwood, among others. The Hotel Frederick in Boonville was built in 1905, and the most infamous celebrity is said to be the ghost of a little old lady who lived there when the hotel was a retirement center.

Sherry Hopkins, the hotel’s former front office manager, says the lady is playful rather than frightful.

“One guest said she stood beside her bed and moved back and forth, making the wood floor creak,” Sherry says.

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The Katy Trail hugs the Missouri River closely as it stretches east from Rocheport, offering some of the most photogenic scenery along the trail.

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JOHNSON’S SHUT-INS: Clear water revival

Anyone who saw Johnson’s ShutIns State Park after the collapse of a mountain-top utility reservoir in December 2005 knew the park was washed up, literally. A billion years of erosion that sculpted the beautiful shut-ins from the purplish volcanic rock was altered in minutes.

Four years and a prodigious amount of labor later, the park reopened in the spring of 2010, and a lot of the new facilities were better than ever. The handsome stone-and-timber Black River Center tells the ancient and recent history of the park. The campground was relocated and rebuilt with the latest in amenities.

The famous shut-ins were buried in debris, but the pinnacles, pools, and other formations had withstood the pummeling. Basketball-sized rocks were removed by hand; others were blasted down to size. To remove boulders, divers bolted cables to the rocks and used a helicopter to fly them out.

The state’s most popular swimming hole was back in business and in the best shape of its life.

One of the six camper cabins added to the park makes for a great base camp to explore the surrounding Arcadia Valley. You can float the Black River, visit a Civil War battlefield, climb through the Elephant Rocks, or hike to the state’s tallest waterfall from the state’s highest spot.

Johnson’s Shut-Ins has more than 45 miles of trails, most through the rugged Ozark landscape. The newest trail is a 1.5mile loop called the Scour Trail.

It follows the scour carved down to bedrock when 1.3 billion gallons of water rushed down Proffit Mountain into the park.

The park will never be exactly the same. But amazingly, even the scour mark is recovering as young cottonwoods and other vegetation return, as if to hide the man-made catastrophe.

COURTESY OF MISSOURI STATE PARKS DIVISION AND MISSOURI DIVISION OF TOURISM

Johnson's Shut-Ins, which is undisputedly the most popular swimming hole in Missouri, was once a part of the largest Spanish land grant in the state.

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The sandstone bluffs at Hawn State Park—products of glacial retreat in the last Ice Age—help provide a cool, damp habitat, which can support flora and fauna typically found in northern climates.

HAWN: The most beautiful park Hawn State Park, in Ste. Genevieve County in Southeast Missouri, is described as the state’s prettiest by many visitors. It gets my vote.

My favorite long hike is the 9.75-mile Whispering Pines Trail, which shows off the park’s sandstone bluffs and stands of shortleaf pine. The trail’s south loop follows the lovely River Aux Vases through a shaded valley of rock walls decorated with lichen, mosses, and ferns.

The beautiful Pickle Creek Trail is a short hike along a sand-bottom creek that winds between granite boulders. The trail is rocky in parts, but hey, who’s in a hurry?

Hawn is truly a park for all seasons. In spring, you may find the wild azaleas or the yellow lady-slipper orchids in bloom. In summer, you can soak in the pools of the shut-ins along the creek. In fall, the mixed forest of hardwoods and pine is in its autumn glory.

The last time I visited was the morning after a six-inch snowfall.

The roads were not yet opened, so my hike into the valley started at the park office near the entrance. Mine were the only footprints in the snow, other than deer living in the park.

The rocks along Pickle Creek were decorated with ice formations, some as delicate as a doily. Snow piled up on the rocks and boulders in the creek as the dark, clear water swirled round.

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ARROW ROCK: Where sleeping dogs lie For a change of pace, try a visit to Arrow Rock, northwest of Boonville in mid-Missouri.

Actually, the pace is so slow in this quaint, sun-dappled village that the local dogs have been known to nap in the middle of Main Street without fear of bodily harm.

The youngsters might prefer Six Flags, but some theme parks spend millions trying to reproduce the charming ambience of Arrow Rock, which is four blocks wide by eight blocks long, all of it designated a National Historic Landmark.

The visitor center at the Arrow Rock State Historic Site explains its importance as part of Westward Expansion, a start for the Santa Fe Trail and the home of artist George Caleb Bingham.

The town also hosts the Lyceum Theatre, which is known for its Broadway-caliber plays, and J. Huston Tavern, which was built in 1834 and still serves the best fried chicken in the state, according to one magazine’s poll of readers.

Arrow Rock has fifty or so permanent residents, six bed-and-breakfasts, a two-block boardwalk of shops offering antiques and handmade gifts, and a collection of architectural heirlooms scattered in a park-like setting.

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Arrow Rock was once called New Philadelphia, and it is home to the most authentic living history anywhere in the state.

“It puts you into a totally different atmosphere,” says Kathy Borgman of the Friends of Arrow Rock. “It makes you want to stop and poke around. You have to be willing to back off a bit from your mile-a-minute pace.”

Missouri is the Cave State with more than 6,600 recorded. If you can visit only one, pick Onondaga Cave State Park on the Meramec River near Leasburg.

Onondaga has 1.5 miles of passages decorated with fantastical deposits like the Twins, the King’s Canopy, and the Rock of Ages. A visit to the delicate Lily Pad Room is an exotic, unforgettable experience.

Onondaga also is one of the most accessible caves. Tours follow paved walkways with a stainless steel railing, and electric lights are switched off and on to illuminate the way.

Onondaga has sixty-eight known species,

from tiny invertebrates and grotto salamanders to the bats that flit around inside. But the most amazing animal I saw on a visit to the park was above ground.

Lanny Chambers is a federally licensed bird bander with permits to catch hummingbirds.

He and his wife, Linda, set up shop at several Missouri parks, including Onondaga, and trap the tiny ruby-throated hummingbirds as they flock and fight at the feeders.

He secures the tiny birds, then weighs, measures, and bands them. All the while, he gives amazing facts to the audience about these curious little creatures.

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Stop by Onondaga Cave on July 5 for this summer’s hummingbird banding presentation, and get a chance to hold one in your hands.

They weigh about the same as a penny. Their nests are the size of walnuts, made of flower parts—like the fluff of dandelions—bound together with spider web, and camouflaged with bits of lichens. They lay two eggs that look like white Tic Tacs.

When he finishes with each bird, Lanny asks his audience if anyone would like to hold a hummingbird. Stick out your hand, and he places an upside down hummer, feet up, on your palm.

The tiny bird remains motionless. You can feel its heart beating twenty times a second and see its black eyes looking at you as if it’s in a trance. But it doesn’t move. “Okay, turn it over with your finger,” Lanny says.

You do, and the bird is gone in a whirr, like a magic act.

Lanny isn’t sure why the birds don’t fly off immediately. They may be disoriented, or they may be playing possum, waiting for the chance to make a break from a would-be predator. I smiled when mine flew off, and Larry recognized the reaction.

“All kids have the same grin, even if they’re ninety years old,” he says. “You think we do this just for science?”

TOM UHLENBROCK

ONONDAGA: Bats and hummingbirds, too

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Montauk was once a busy village, but the Montauk Mill is all that remains of it. The mill is open to the public, and much of its original machinery is intact.

COURTESY OF MISSOURI DIVISION OF TOURISM

MONTAUK: Headwaters of the state’s crown jewel If there were a competition for best fishing parks, Missouri would take it, fins down.

Attendance wise, the most popular parks are those located on the big lakes formed by man-made dams. Table Rock, Stockton, Lake of the Ozarks, Truman, Mark Twain, Pomme de Terre, Long Branch, and Wappapello all have campgrounds and other amenities aimed at water sports.

Three other parks—Bennett Spring, Roaring River, and Montauk—offer trout fishing and have drawn generations of families to the annual spring rite of opening day.

The trout parks are located in some of the state’s most scenic spots. All are in steep, wooded Ozark valleys with springs the color of a summer sky pumping out millions of gallons of cold, crystalline water daily.

Montauk is known as the headwaters of the Current River, the crown jewel of Ozark float streams. When America decided to preserve its wild and scenic rivers in the mid1960s, the Current and its sister stream, the Jacks Fork, were the first to be protected as a national park.

The top three stretches of the Current—

from Baptist Camp to Cedargrove, Cedargrove to Akers, and Akers to Pulltite—are the best day floats Missouri has to offer. The bluff-lined Prongs and the top stretch of the Jacks Fork may be the most wild and scenic.

If fishing is your game, you can combine the two. The Missouri Department of Conservation, which teams with the Department of Natural Resources to run the trout parks, stocks fish from Montauk all the way down to Akers.

Throw your line in at a riffle and see if you can fool a trout.

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DILLARD MILL: Rocking along Rivers mean running water, and running water means mills. A map of Missouri grist mills in 1902 showed more than nine hundred stretching to every corner of the state.

Missouri State Parks preserves two mills: Bollinger Mill near Cape Girardeau and Dillard Mill south of Steelville. You can’t go wrong with either.

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In 1904 Dillard Mill was built by a German-Polish immigrant, who eventually sold the property to move to California with his mail-order bride, an L.A. native.

Bollinger Mill State Historic Site actually is a twofer: the bucolic park and picnic area along the Whitewater River includes the stately four-story brick and stone mill building, plus the Bufordville Covered Bridge. Completed in 1868, the bridge is the oldest of the four remaining covered bridges in Missouri.

Dillard Mill State Historic Site sits in a picture-postcard setting on Huzzah Creek. The metal sides of the barn-red mill reflect in the stillness of a fishing pond, while the creek cascades over a rock dam, forming a waterfall.

Visitors have been known to set up an easel and start painting just beyond the split-rail fence at Dillard Mill. Spring and fall are gorgeous, and winter is a Kodachrome moment, if anybody still uses film.

Dillard Mill has the added advantage of having most of the original equipment in working order; it’s the only mill in Missouri that can make that claim, despite the state once being home to so many. When the wheel is turned to allow the water to rush in, gears grind, leather belts slap, and wood grain trays clatter along.

The entire building sways in a pleasant motion, like a mother rocking her child.

HA HA TONKA: A castle in ruins the Ozarks. The sixty-room mansion was built

by Robert M. Snyder, a wealthy Kansas City businessman. But Snyder died in 1906 before the castle was completed, and the interior was gutted by a fire in 1942.

Fire also has played a role in another attraction at Ha Ha Tonka. A regimen of controlled burns has returned the wildflowers and grass-

es, preserving the native natural landscape and creating a gorgeous color show, spring through autumn.

A species of yellow coneflower known as Echinacea paradoxa is found only in the open glades of the Ozarks. At Ha Ha Tonka, you can walk through a knee-high carpet of yellow flowers, or picnic among them on a warm day.

The story of Ha Ha Tonka’s stone castle began in 1903, when its builder, Robert M. Snyder, visited the area on a hunting trip and fell in love with the landscape.

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COURTESY OF MISSOURI DIVISION OF TOURISM

The Ozarks are not on solid ground. The bedrock, known as karst topography, has been eroded over eons by mildly acidic groundwater seeping into the cracks and fissures of the soluble limestone.

The result is an underground maze of caves and streams, which sometime burst forth into springs. Occasionally, a cave roof partially collapses, leaving behind a sinkhole or natural bridge.

Three state parks give dramatic looks into the karst landscape: Ha Ha Tonka near Camdenton at the Lake of the Ozarks, Rock Bridge near Columbia, and Grand Gulf on the Arkansas border near Thayer. Grand Gulf is known as the “Little Grand Canyon of the Ozarks” for the chasm left behind by the collapse of an underground cave some ten thousand years ago.

Ha Ha Tonka State Park has an amazing array of geologic wonders, including a spring gurgling from the base of a bluff, a natural bridge that is 100 feet high, and a 150-foot deep sinkhole.

Some of its man-made attractions are wonderful, too.

The ruins of a rock castle sit high on a bluff overlooking the Niangua Arm of the Lake of

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SAM A. BAKER: Cabin in the woods

People line up each November 1 to stay at Sam A. Baker State Park in Southeast Missouri.

That’s when the park store begins renting out cabins for the coming year.

“We had 178 people in line at 9 am—that’s in person, and then the phone starts ringing,” says Mike Fleming, the park concessionaire.

“We gave out eight dozen donuts and gallons of coffee. It’s mostly families that have been coming down for years.”

Sam A. Baker edges out Meramec State Park for the most family friendly park. Each has campgrounds spread out in groves of tall trees by the water, a variety of other lodging, and trails through the wooded hills.

But Baker also has Big Creek, a wading and fishing stream that winds through the park, and the St. Francois Mountains, one of the oldest mountain ranges in North America.

The Shut-Ins Trail follows Big Creek on a short walk through lush bottomland forest to a gravel bar with the perfect Ozark swimming hole. Mudlick Trail, on the other hand, is eleven miles up and down some of the most rugged country in the state.

The trail climbs from the Big Creek valley to the top of Mudlick Mountain. Most of the trail is in the Mudlick Mountain Wild Area, an undisturbed landscape of old growth trees, rare plants, and deep ravines that drop to boulderstrewn streams.

I purposely chose a rainy day for a five-mile hike into Mudlick Hollow. The hike follows a ridge and then descends into a deep valley cut by Mudlick Creek, which tumbles through blue granite boulders covered with mosses and lichen.

The wet weather had the creek flowing briskly, with all the little waterfalls turned into frothy whitewater. Quite the spectacle.

The first 4,000 acres of Sam A. Baker State Park only cost the state $23,000 in 1926 when the park was initially acquired.

9

The Battle of Lexington is also known as the Battle of the Hemp Bales, referring to thick bales the pro-Southerners used to deflect bullets as they advanced on Union forces.

10

LEXINGTON STATE HISTORIC SITE: Bullet holes in the walls

Only two states, Virginia and Tennessee, have more Civil War battle sites than Missouri. One of the most interesting—and best preserved—is at Lexington, scene of the Battle of the Hemp Bales.

Lexington, in Northwest Missouri, wears its battle scars proudly. The stately Lafayette County Courthouse on the town square has an inscription pointing out a cannonball buried in a column, and the Oliver Anderson house is still riddled with bullet holes.

The house is the centerpiece of the Battle of Lexington State Historic Site. The visitor center tells the story of how, in 1861, pro-Southern forces led by Sterling Price took the house, which Union forces were using as a field hospital. A three-day fight ensued, ending with defeat for the the Union soldiers. The battle served as the high water mark for Southern forces in Missouri.

Tilton Davis, a lawyer, bought the Oliver Anderson house after the war and preserved the home for fifty years, bullet holes and all. Visitors, especially children, marvel at the holes in the walls and woodwork where the house was struck by musket shots and cannon fire.

John Maki, who works at the site and participates in battle re-enactments, says Civil War buffs are fortunate that Davis didn’t believe in home repairs.

“Mr. Davis never repaired any of the battle damages because he thought the old soldiers would be back to reminisce,” John says. “To this day, we’re thankful he didn’t.”

For more information, visit www.mostateparks.com.

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r OUT s w Odd

County

How our writer nominated a property in the only Missouri county not listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

BY SA R A H A L BA N

Maybe you’ve peered at the Federal Reserve Bank in Kansas City or traversed the battleground at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield. Certainly you’ve ascended the Gateway Arch and toured the Governor’s Mansion in Jefferson City.

Properties like these tempt us to explore the past. But how do these properties become preserved and part of the National Register of Historic Places?

Often, professionals are trained by their job or their degree to nominate properties for the register.

They can earn up to eight thousand dollars for one listing, or for multiple properties or a historic district, up to thirty thousand dollars. But occasionally, a novice visits the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) website inquiring how to nominate a property.

We all have buildings we could nominate. Our predecessors realized that several decades ago.

“The spirit and direction of the Nation are founded upon and reflected in its historic heritage,” wrote legislators in the 1966 National Historic Preservation Act. They believed preserving our past orients our future, just as a compass orients our present.

Nearly fifty years since the act was passed, people like me are still nominating properties. I Googled “How to put a property on the national register,” with a mind to go through with the process. Thanks to the auspices of Missouri Life, I embarked to learn how any Jane Doe—armed with a computer, a library membership, and a general interest in history—could put a property on the register.

Which property? The choice was obvious: I would select any property within the only county in Missouri that was not on the register: Clinton County. In 2013, it was Missouri’s sole county—out of 114—without a property on the register.

Clinton County lies forty miles northeast of Kansas City. Its seat is Plattsburg, where historic archi-

tecture flourishes: American Foursquare, American Movement, Colonial Revival, Craftsman bungalow, Queen Anne, Eastlake, National Folk, Tudor Revival, and others.

When my mission began, none of these beauties were on the register. To select one, I phoned the SHPO staff in Jefferson City and asked, “If I’m a writer with zero experience in historic preservation, what would be a good property to nominate in Plattsburg?”

Tiffany Patterson, the SHPO national register coordinator at the time, suggested four houses. I tracked down the owners’ phone numbers from city hall, and the Brown family said they would let me nominate their property, a Second Empire, late Victorian-style home that had been built in 1892.

Filling the Void How Clinton County became Missouri’s only county without a register listing is an enigma. A century ago, Clinton County was known as the “Mule Capital of the World,” supplying more than 350,000

horses to the government during World War I. A century before that, it was home to David Rice Atchison, known for serving as “President for a Day.” (Whether or not he actually served is debated.)

Plattsburg began as a few log cabins, susceptible to bad storms and weathered by time. In the 1890s, the Rock Island Railroad brought a depot to the town, which spurred agricultural growth on the rich soil. Soon, the wealthy of

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KAREN TROTTER

Our writer got the Stoutimore Home in Plattsburg onto the National Register of Historic Places. Read the nomination form, and learn more at www.missourilife.com/nationalregister.

Plattsburg invested in a variety of architectural styles, building their dream homes that led to the town’s architectural diversity.

Somehow, even with that wealth of history, Clinton County had nothing on the register. “That’s our big gap on the map,” Patterson said during my exploration process.

In the late 1800s, David and Sallie Stoutimore had a dream home in mind. The young couple had worked family farmland for ten

years. As reward, Sallie’s father paid for them to have any home they liked. They chose a Second Empire design and had the home built at 501 S. Birch Avenue.

I had found my home, but I had my work cut out for me.

Step 1: Drink from the Hose Some jobs feel like drinking from a fire hose. Nominating a property

can feel like drowning in one and going back for more. Here’s how you can survive the first step: The nomination form lives in a Microsoft Word file that you’ll find on the SHPO website, www .dnr.mo.gov/shpo/index.html. To find it, click on the Assessing NR Eligibility tab on the right, and scroll to the bottom of the page.

The link to the PDF is called “National Register nomination form (including continuation sheets)

DOC.” Knowing the name is useful when selecting among the files listed on that webpage. The form is ten pages long and takes seconds to download. In theory, you could download it today, fill out the blanks, and turn around a nomination form tomorrow.

I won’t walk you through all ten pages, but here’s what you have to know about digging into documents so detailed that they might just be from Lucifer’s desk.

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The first page is a breeze. You fill out simple stuff: address, property name, and so on. The hardest part might be a geographic “code.” You can find this by Googling “National Parks Service Bulletin 16A code.”

Bulletin 16A is a webpage on the National Parks Service website that gives examples of how to fill out the national register nomination form.

Bookmark Bulletin 16A. Print it.

The first difficult parts of the nomination form revolve around two essays: a narrative description and a statement of significance.

These essays are written on something called “Continuation pages,” which are extra blank pages at the end of your nomination. The form is programmed to expand and contract as you type, so don’t worry about the formatting.

The section 7 “Narrative Description” essay captures the physical and historic essence of your property: where it is, what it looks like, how it was built, etc. Additionally, “The Statement of Significance” essay in section 8 involves when it was built and how it has changed over the years. In a way, writing this is like creating a thorough Facebook

profile; you want to give your reader a good idea about how the property looked over time.

Channel your elevator-pitch mojo, and get ready to persuade.

In addition to providing a history of your building that includes who used it and how it was used, you will want to explain why the property is important. I wrote that the Stoutimore home is the only Second-Empire style home in Plattsburg; that style is also rare in the region.

The best way to get this essay right the first time is to consult the State Historic Preservation Office. If you’re nominating your late-Victorian home, for instance, they can direct you to examples of other strong nominations, such as late-Victorian domestic-dwelling nominations that impressed them.

Bulletin 16A also suggests ways to structure the paragraphs to meet NHR standards.

My essay spanned six pages.

To start, I consulted assessor records to find owners, interviewed living owners, poked through some online historic census records, and gleaned pertinent facts from a survey the SHPO had done on my property’s town, Plattsburg. And it’s

worth noting the SHPO could know something about the property that you don’t.

Make a case for why your property belongs on the register. Missouri receives a relatively high volume of nominations, about twelve to fifteen per quarter. You’ll want yours to stand out.

Step 3: Point and Shoot It’s smooth sailing once your essays are in tip-top shape. At this point, you’ve done the heavylifting: the research, the writing, and the sourcing. You’ve waded through architectural jargon.

What’s left is listing a bibliography for your essay sources and creating a map record of your property.

SHPO limits your map resources, but I found Bing Maps most useful, though you may use Google Maps, and a few others specified by the SHPO. You’ll also need to provide floor plans (try an online service such as Google Free Floor Plan Creator or Autodesk Homestyler).

I also provided names and contact information of the home’s owner.

Next, grab a digital camera or consult a photo-savvy friend.

Shoot in high-resolution (300 dig-

ital pixels per inch or the highest resolution possible). Capture the exterior and, if applicable, the interior. Capture some sky and grass in the outside shots to show the property in context with the environment. You can see good photo samples in current nominations on the site. The goal is total property documentation, not artwork, so no Instagram filters.

The nomination requires both digital and printed photos. Digital photos must be in TIFF file format, which I achieved by converting my camera’s photos through PhotoShop, though some cameras can shoot natively in TIFF or RAW. Burn the files to a compact disc.

Printed photos must be in black and white on archive-quality paper and ink. Neither Kinko’s nor Office Depot knew what “archive quality” meant when I inquired, so I opted for a college campus print shop’s top-quality glossy card stock and ink for eleven cents a print. You’ll need two printed copies of each photo, plus the images on CD. With the nomination form, essays, floor plans, maps, bibliography, and prints packaged and mailed, you can breathe easy … until you receive revisions.

COURTESY OF STUART JENKINS

Step 2: Get Descriptive

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w

have a PROPERTY in mind?

The SHPO offers a preliminary review process for any property in Missouri, called the “Eligibility Assessment” or EA, for those who want a brief version of the full nomination process. This online evaluation is a terrific way for any first-time nominator to contact the SHPO and learn if the staff considers the property eligible. The form will provide comments, examples, and advice for moving forward with a nomination, and you’ll receive their insights and resources, which might include information about your property or previous locations on the register in the area.

Visit www.dnr.mo.gov/shop/eligassess.htm.

From left: The Stoutimores had their Second-Empire-style home built in the late 1800s, and these photographs were taken during the 1920s, 1970s, and present, respectively.

Other famous buildings built in the same style are the Governor’s Mansion (1871) in Jefferson City and the Old Post Office (1872) in St. Louis.

KAREN TROTTER

Step 4: Revisit and Revise A few weeks after you submit the nomination form, you’ll receive a package from the SHPO. By this point, you should be old friends with the staff because little information in your nomination should be new to them, and their comments should be easy to address.

“Sometimes, we will get a complex nomination at deadline, and it’s the first time we’ve seen or heard about it,” says SHPO Historic Survey and Registration Coordinator Michelle Diedriech. “Those don’t always make it to the agenda.”

The SHPO and I went through three sets of revisions, including two before the quarterly meeting and one after the meeting (my formatting was incorrect initially).

Luckily, their patience springs from a fountain of youth, and deadlines are rolling, though you’ll want to hit one of the four annual deadlines listed on the SHPO’s website.

Each deadline lands about three months before the quarterly Missouri Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (MOACHP) meeting in the Lewis and Clark Building

in Jefferson City. If your building is in a region with a Certified Local Government (CLG), the deadline arrives a couple weeks earlier.

(CLGs are local governments that are certified to carry out some of the purposes of the National Historic Preservation Act. The SHPO lists CLGs on its site.) Single site nonCLG properties have a later deadline. With your deadline identified and met, you’re ready to roll.

Step 5: Party Time With a successful nomination listed, you’re invited to the MOACHP quarterly meeting in the capital city.

In fact, you’re given coffee, donuts, and soda while a group of people devoted to preserving Missouri’s history discuss updates on historic preservation throughout their regions. The session is live-streamed on the SHPO site while passionate people discuss the disrepair, pending demolition, or salvation of registered properties as you wait to make the case for your property to be born again on the register.

The MOACHP board have read your nomination and formed

their opinions on your property, so your presentation should be concise; a short PowerPoint will do. This is a time to remind them of your property’s story, show additional photos, and chat over breakfast about the significance of your property.

“Most of the nominations that make it to this point—the quarterly meeting—get voted to go on to the National Park Service,” Michelle says.

She told me not to worry too much during a break in the meeting, after which point I walked to the podium. I presented my case for the David L. and Sallie Ann Stoutimore House.

Then, I waited.

Step 6: Missouri’s Compass “It was always a goal of Dr. [Bill] Foley when he was the chairman of this committee to make sure that every county in Missouri had a property listed,” SHPO Director Mark Miles said on May 10, 2013. “It’s taken a long time to do that. But this Plattsburg nomination is an excellent example.”

That day, the Stoutimore House became Clinton County’s first property on the register. Although the Brown family does not live there now, the SHPO alerted them to the home’s listing, and the mayor was also informed. As of early May, the home was for sale.

Today, the Stoutimore Home is one of 2,150 Missouri nominations successfully logged on the register, and though the distinction is primarily honorary, property owners can apply for tax credits to offset the tremendous expense of historic rehabilitation. Commercial-property owners can get more incentives than residential property owners.

“On the bright side,” Michelle says, “a National Register listing does have the tendency to instill pride in communities and property owners.”

And that’s just it: the authors of the 1966 Historic Preservation Act never intended to shower gold coins on owners of historic properties. They intended to instill pride, remind others of the past, and create a future for the next generation by preserving what came before.

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hidden

in the

HILLS

Locals are your guides to the wild horses and rivers, sweet treats and tunes, and backpacking and back roads in Eminence.

More than 15,000 visitors have explored Eminence by treetop at the Eagle Falls Ranch Zipline.

Shawn Nye, a former home builder, opened the business after the housing market crashed.

BY DAVID CAWTHON [54] MissouriLife

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COURTESY OF MISSOURI DIVISION OF TOURISM

IN EMINENCE, the Southeast Missouri town

in a hollow in the hills, the locals are your road map.

They can tell you where to find the famed wild horses, where the fish are biting, who plays some mean bluegrass, where to hitch a ride on the river, and where you can find the best view in Shannon County, among other secrets.

Legend has it that more than a century ago, Jesse James asked a local, too.

“If someone is traveling and they need a place to stay, you let them stay the night, even if it’s in your barn,” says John Mark Brewer, resident Shannon County historian and community volunteer.

According to legend, there was a woman who let Mr. James and his outlaws sleep and eat in her barn.

When she cleaned up the next morning, she discovered a gold coin under each of the outlaws’ plates.

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The Big Lock Welcoming out-of-towners is in locals’ DNA. Past and present, people flock to Eminence, population six hundred, to explore its natural beauty or to escape. The tradition of inviting strangers into homes stems back to the earliest settlers, and many residents can trace their lineages to the far reaches of their ancestry. Consequently, the stories from the earliest people who lived in the county have prevailed.

The first town of Eminence wasn’t located on the Jacks Fork River but on nearby Round Spring along the Current River, a place where the first outsiders were French and Spanish who traded with the Delaware and Shawnee Indians. Irish, Scotch-Irish, German, and more French explorers

Jim Price teaches classes on Ozarks culture at Shannon County events. Here, he plays the saw.

would follow to help settle pockets of communities in the untamed West.

Some families in town are descendents of those settlers.

However, the first town of Eminence succumbed to flames during the Civil War, and no one is really sure who to blame. Jim Price, archeologist and anthropologist for the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, excavated the settlement of Old Eminence and the foundation of what was a twostory log jail, though his field crew inquired how he knew that foundation was the jail’s. He told them, “We’ll know when we find the big lock.”

He was joking, but they did find the big lock.

Adding to the Civil War turmoil, county officials were murdered by Union bushwhackers on North Sinking Creek, but a man bearing the last name of Deatherage escaped, grabbed the county money, and hid it in a cave on the Current River (there are hundreds of caves in the area).

After the county was reestablished, he retrieved the money from the cave, which enabled the area to operate again.

A member of the Chilton family, a name that has a storied connection to the town, donated land for the second location where the town sits today.

Eminence, though not Shannon County’s largest town, is the county seat because of its central location, which was advantageous for commerce and travel in the late 1860s when more families moved to the area. Alley Mill was built by George McCaskill in 1894 and became a central point of business. The mill is preserved to this day and is one of the most photographed sites in the state.

In the early part of the nineteenth century, the Missouri Lumber and Mining Company moved its headquarters to nearby West Eminence,

COURTESY OF PATTY WHEATLEY BISHOP AND JIM PRICE

More than 81 million gallons of water flow from Alley Spring daily, making it easy to imagine Alley Mill as a historic community hub.

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The wild horses near Eminence know how to forage for food and fend off coyotes. Often, domesticated horses that are dumped in their fields are excluded from their ranks and must be rounded up by the Missouri Wild Horse League.

The Cross Country Trail Ride has been an Eminence staple for decades. Its June event draws more than 1,500 people, and this year marks the fiftieth anniversary.

pumping money and jobs into the area, and locals hoped the town would become a thriving city. At this time, more than twelve thousand people lived in the area, and a new railroad came through town. But when the company left a few decades later, they took the tracks—and the jobs—with them. Other companies, like the Alton Box Company that made boxes or the Angelica clothing factory, would come and go, leaving the town in an economic limbo and making tourism an important economic driver.

COURTESY OF BOB LYNN

Love and Revenge Tourism in Eminence has been addled by droughts and flooding the past two years. Census data will tell you that the county is one of the poorest in the nation, but you can’t always listen to the numbers. Take a look around, and you’ll see that it’s one of the richest towns in generosity, history, culture, and natural beauty. And its people are deeply passionate about their roots and their community.

Dan Chilton and his wife Suzanne, both descendents of the town’s early residents, documented the harrowing journey of the Chilton ancestors, who owned many properties in town and had many political connections. In their book, Blue and Gray Cross Current: A Memoir of Love and Revenge, Confederate bushwhacker Alexander Chilton seeks retribution for the death of his family but falls in love with Elizabeth Davis. The historical accounts are imbued with bits of fiction, but the drama was real and the historical research daunting; the couple scoured memoirs and historical records to uncover the story of their ancestors.

“I majored in math, and Dan majored in engineering,” Suzanne says.

“We had to take writing classes and learn to interview because we knew how important it was to save the stories and the oral history.”

The couple grew up in Eminence. Suzanne would watch Dan dive off of Button Rock and accompany his trumpet playing on piano. Although they would eventually leave and live in other cities, some as far away as Newcastle, Delaware, they decided to return and build their Federal-style home on the land overlooking where their ancestors once lived.

“The hills of home called us,” Suzanne says.

Dan and Suzanne are donating profits from book sales to benefit the Shannon County Museum. So far, they’ve sold a few hundred copies and have donated about eight hundred dollars.

Some of Dan’s relatives are buried at the Chilton Cemetery, just outside the Cross Country Trail Ride office, where you might meet Carolyn Dyer. She helps manage the nation’s largest trail ride. Her parents, Jim and Jane Smith, are only the third owners of the trail ride since it was established in 1955. A love for horses and nature runs in the family.

“I used to go out and ride every single day for an hour or so, crossing the river, stopping to swim, and then riding through the hills,” she says.

On these rides, she remembers coming upon deer standing on the trail, or a turkey flying through the brush, or eagles tracing the rivers’ paths. And then, she saw the wild horses. During the winter, she drove across county roads with her friends and came upon the herds at Broadfoot fields.

The original herd is thought to have formed during the Depression when area farmers freed their horses because they couldn’t afford to feed them. But these wild horses weren’t always protected. A little over a decade ago, the National Parks Service wanted to remove the herd, so locals formed the Missouri Wild Horse League to stymie those efforts. The Supreme Court gave the park service the right to remove the horses in 1993, but the fight wasn’t over.

“We had over a hundred trucks and horse trailers that made a caravan down to Van Buren to the National Park headquarters and staged a demonstration,” Carolyn says. “We filled the streets with horses and people.”

In 1994, Congressman Bill Emerson and Senators Kit Bond and John Ashcroft pushed a bill that federally protected the horses.

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From left: Roy Bond and Bruce, Corrie, and Sarah Bressler perform as the Bressler Cousins.

On October 3, 1996, President Bill Clinton signed it into law.

Today, visitors are most likely to see the horses in the Broadfoot fields north of town or the Shawnee fields due east. For those wondering how to get there, just ask anyone in town.

Another family, the Bressler family, is preserving an endangered form of art: bluegrass. Alvin Bressler has played bluegrass bass fiddle for decades and remembers playing at the storied Current River Opry that was once downtown. In recent years, Alvin and his family have snagged a few prestigious bluegrass awards, including the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass in America 2014 Midwest Traditional Bluegrass Band of the Year.

Two of Alvin’s children, Bruce and Corrie, who are now grown with children of their own, remember listening to bluegrass legends in their bedroom or in the truck on the way to school. And if you meet a Bressler, he or she might perform a few numbers for you on the spot. The family, by instinct, synchronizes when they sing together, even around the dinner table.

“It’s just awesome to sing with your family,” Bruce says. “There’s a tie there that you can hardly explain. I wouldn’t say that we’re the best singers in the world, but I could sure tell by listening to us, that we’re a family.”

Another lifetime resident, Tom Akers, literally took the Bressler’s tunes to space. Although Tom didn’t venture outside Missouri until he was twentyone, he went on to leave the planet on a few occasions. As a child, he says he remembers watching Neil Armstrong land on the moon, but he didn’t acquire an interest in flying until he rode along in the backseat of an F-5.

“I fell in love after one flight,” he says.

The Eminence High School valedictorian credits his chemistry and math teachers for preparing him for his career. After working as a park ranger at Alley Mill, he ventured into space four times, working on the Hubble Telescope on one mission. Tom even snapped a few photos from his shuttle, one of which is of Eminence, the Jacks Fork and Current Rivers, and the surrounding hills and valleys.

When Tom was in space, his friend Jim Price was excavating Alley Mill where he discovered artifacts that date back thousands of years.

“It fascinates me that I’m working in a place like Alley Spring, and I’m the next man to hold something that someone put down ten thousand years ago,” he says. “It’s a good feeling.”

Jim’s reverence of past and present also manifests on his walls in a peculiar collection of photos. One image is of Jim’s great grandfather sitting in an Ozark chair near the lower Current River with his shotgun in hand. And around that image on the wall, he has three other photos of Tom and his astronaut crew.

“People would ask me, ‘What is that?’ ” Jim says. “The year the man in the chair died was the year the man in space was born. That shows us what technology is doing. The man in the chair would never have dreamed of another Ozarkian walking in space.”

Jim, also a Missouri Master Naturalist of eighteenth-century folk art technology, runs a Facebook page called the Institute for Traditional Ozark Crafts where he showcases the people who are crafting items from Ozark history, including splint baskets, wooden chains, boat oars, and canes made out of Ozark iron wood. If you’re wondering where you can catch a class from him or his colleagues, query a local.

The Ted Drewes of Eminence Ask around, and you’ll discover that people are creating some amazing things in town. Inspired by Scott Bressler of the Bressler Brothers, Eminence native Mike Holmes built his first mandolin out of scrap Western Ridge Cedar. Nowadays, he sources intricate flame maple tops and coveted tone woods from Fulton.

He makes each Shawnee Creek mandolin at his shop at home, and it takes a few months to finish just one. He writes the verse Psalm 89:1 inside each: “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.”

For other locals like Judy and Kenny Bland, creating soft-serve ice cream has become their fulltime endeavor; the Dairy Shack is a bit of a religious pilgrimage for ice cream fanatics.

“We’re the Ted Drewes of Eminence,” Judy says.

In the evenings in the summertime, the lines can extend across Main Street and past several buildings, and on holiday weekends, they serve more than 1,500 people. The largest machine they have to make ice cream often breaks because it works as hard as the owners, who often put in eighty hours a week.

COURTESY OF THE EMINENCE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE; DAVID CAWTHON

Alvin Bressler of The Bressler Brothers has been playing bluegrass for decades.

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Pop Pop’s Trains

“I guess, essentially, I’m a corporate dropout,” he says.

He and his wife wanted to return to Missouri and ended up in EmiWhile locals have made their mark in town, a few residents have taken the nence when he learned that Shady Lanes Cabcounty saying, “stay a day or a lifetime,” to heart. ins and Motel was for sale. Fast forward eleven Farmington native and former homebuilder Shawn years, and Jim now owns those cabins, where Nye felt the brunt of the housing market crash and musicians Rhonda Vincent, The Osborne Brothdecided to relocate to Eminence and open Missouri’s ers, Connie Smith, Dan Seals, Matt Kennon, and first zipline tour, Eagle Falls Ranch Zipline. Today, a few others have stayed. Their signed photoover fifteen thousand people have traversed the treegraphs hang in the lobby. tops on more than four thousand feet of zipline.

“Trace Atkins was here when he was up-andAnd another couple, James Otten and his partcoming,” Jim says. “Just about as quick as he left ner Raeann Ferrara, were looking to escape big here, his song ‘One Hot Mama’ came out. My city life in New Jersey and stumbled upon Emiwife, of course, said that was about her.” nence. Both were retired and looking for someBut his six years in Denver weren’t for naught. thing to keep them occupied, so they created Pop Top: Mike Holmes hand crafts each of his Jim went to Rocky Mountain National Park every Pop’s Trains, Hobbies, and More—a miniatures mandolins. Bottom: The owners of Pop fall and watched the elk bugle and fight. and models business they operate out of their gaPop’s Trains build and sell tiny models.

“It’s quite a show,” he says. rage. They don’t make money on the shop, but So it’s no surprise that Jim is deeply involved that isn’t their mission. in the Missouri Department of Conservation’s “The hobby shops are dying,” Raeann says. effort to bring elk back to Missouri, just south “Nobody does this anymore. It’s a lost art.” of town on Peck Ranch. Missouri hasn’t seen a “The big thing is, we’re trying to keep the stable population of wild elk for a century and a hobbies alive,” James adds. half, but groups of new elk are introduced there They teach local kids about making models and each year, priming them for a comeback. miniatures, paint and assemble models for cusSo just ask. Take that advice to heart. tomers nationwide, and even troubleshoot malFollow in the footsteps of outsiders long ago, functioning trains over the phone on Christmas and leave the map at home when you visit Eminence. Let the people be Eve. It’s a labor of love. your guides. After a day, you begin to understand why the locals, who have And the love of the outdoors enticed Mayor Jim Anderson, originally shaped this community for the best with their food, music, knowledge, from Piedmont, to town. He spent seventeen years in the corporate envitime, love, and immense generosity, have stayed a lifetime. ronment, the last six of those years in Denver. After that, he’d had enough.

EXPLORE EMINENCE

For those of you who are too shy to ask a local, visit www.eminencemo.com or call 573-226-3318 for a complete list of attractions and events in Eminence this summer and beyond. Below are just a few places to explore.

OUR ROAD MAP

Eagle Falls Ranch Zipline

Shady Lanes Cabins and

UPCOMING EVENTS

Ozark Rivers Bluegrass

Alley Mill and Alley Spring

Off of Route 19, turn west on

Motel

Civil War Talk and

Festival

Six miles west of Eminence on

Tom Akers Road

509 N. Main Avenue

Concert Series on Main Street

Ozark Rivers Music Park, four

Route 106

573-226-5025

573-226-3893

June 7, 14, 21, 28

miles west of Eminence on

573-323-4236

www.flyeaglefalls.com

www.shadylanescabins.com

July 5, 12, 19, 26

Route 106

August 2, 9

970-222-9439

COURTESY OF BOB LYNN; DAVID CAWTHON

Open 9 am to 4 pm Pop Pop’s Trains,

Shawnee Creek Mandolins

Circle B Campground

Hobbies & More

870-577-4021

Cross Country Trail Ride

105 Circle B Road

807 S. Main Street

www.shawneecreekwood

Off of Route 19, turn east on

573-226-3618

573-226-3066

works.sharepoint.com

Tom Akers Road

Round Spring

Windy’s Canoe Rental

www.crosscountrytrailrides.com

Dairy Shack

Located thirteen miles north

513 N. Main Street

June 8-14

211 N. Main Street

of Eminence on Route 19

573-226-3404

July 2-5

www.circlebcampground.com

www.ozarkriversbluegrass.com June 20-22

573-226-3492

573-226-3727

August 3-9

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Wet AND Wild

An Elk and MotorcycleFriendly Establishment

EXPLORE EMINENCE Saddle up the horses or rev up the Harley and come on down.

Ride, hike, float the river, explore historical sites, caves, springs and falls, play golf on our nearby 9-hole course and fly through the treetops on the zip line. You won’t run out of inexpensive fun things to do in Shannon County.

And because you’ll need a nice, clean, safe place to rest between your daytime adventures, why not give Shady Lane Cabins & Motel a try? You’ll find us nestled in a beautiful park-like setting just a stone’s throw from the Jacks Fork River on scenic Highway 19 in Eminence, Missouri.

ShadyLaneCabins.com | 573-226-3893

Jump On in Experience

ellington

clearwater lake black river current river

we have it all!

www.ellingtonmo.com [61] June 2014

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Wet AND Wild

The Jacks Fork and Current River Recreation Destination Public Concerts Saturday Nights June through August!

Eminence Area Chamber of Commerce 573-226-3318 | www.eminencemo.com | Check us out on Facebook

EXPERIENCE SULLIVAN, MO CAMPING • CANOEING • FISHING • HIKING • SPORTS

573-468-3314 • WWW.SULLIVANMOCHAMBER.COM

YOUR ADVENTURE STARTS HERE! STANTON, MO • 573-468-3166 • WWW. AMERICASCAVE.COM [62] MissouriLife

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Tony Jannus (left) piloted the airplane while Albert Berry (right) made history by becoming the first man to parachute from an airplane.

the

fell EARTH

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to

COURTESY OF LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

After fighting for his freedom, Albert Berry made history by jumping out of an airplane.

From military endeavors to recreation, parachuting from airplanes has played a large role in American life over the past century. However, few realize the first parachute jump from an airplane was from the skies over Missouri in 1912 by the mysterious and controversial Albert Berry, who was on trial for a heinous crime just months before his historic jump. – By Andrew H. Martin – [63]June 2014

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During the early twentieth century, aviation was literally just getting off the ground. Adventurers worked feverishly to see how far they could push the boundaries of flight.

Berry, whose background was primarily in parachuting from balloons, managed to get his name in the record books.

Berry’s father, John, was a hot air balloonist who included his son in his flights. The youngster made his first parachute jump from a balloon when he was just nine years old. Unfortunately, John drifted out of Albert’s life by the time he was a teenager.

As an adult, Berry followed in his father’s footsteps, making a living from ballooning and performing stunts like parachute jumps.

In the winter of 1912, at Jefferson Barracks, aircraft manufacturer Thomas Benoist assembled a team intent on completing the world’s first parachute jump from an airplane. In addition to his top pilot, Tony Jannus, he recruited the thirtythree-year-old Albert Berry to jump.

The team first had to do some testing. It was thought that a sud-

den weight loss from a plane might make the craft unstable. Jannus disproved that notion by throwing several anvils overboard during a solo flight to mimic the scenario.

On March 1, 1912, Berry and Jannus, determined to make history, climbed into a Benoist Pusher biplane at Kinloch Field, where Lambert Field now stands.

It was so cold that Berry wore a rubber coat, driving goggles, boots, and a stocking cap.

As the duo flew to the deter-

mined jump site, they supposedly passed over an insane asylum, which prompted Berry to tell Jannus, “That’s where we both belong.”

Most people, including the soldiers on the ground, had no idea what was happening. The New York Times wrote, “The first indication that the soldiers had that anything unusual was to take place was when they heard the buzzing of the propeller and saw the airship flying high and swiftly.”

Berry sat behind Jannus, and when they reached an altitude of approximately 1,500 feet and were traveling at 55 miles per hour, he climbed down to a specially designed trapeze hanging beneath the parachute canister. His parachute was made out of material from an old balloon and was attached with large rubber bands to the inside of a metallic canister that was fastened

COURTESY OF MISSOURI HISTORY MUSEUM

From left: Albert Berry, Tony Jannus, and Thomas Benoist were all needed to make the jump possible. Berry jumped, Jannus piloted, and Benoist built the plane.

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COURTESY OF MISSOURI HISTORY MUSEUM

to the underside of the plane. After attaching himself to the parachute, he pulled a knife from his coat, cut the cord, and fell from his perch.

Berry estimated he fell for five hundred feet before his parachute opened. He landed without incident at Jefferson Barracks. He exclaimed to reporters: “I believe I turned five somersaults on my way down. I was not prepared for the violent sensation that I felt when I broke away from the aeroplane.”

The press loved Berry’s stoicism.

He boasted: “I didn’t feel a bit nervous. I have made many parachute leaps from balloons, and I felt certain this experiment would succeed. I think I was more concerned for Jannus in the aeroplane.”

Few knew that Berry was just a few months removed from his fight for freedom in a Pennsylvania court room where he was accused of participating in one of the most infamous lynchings in US history.

In the summer of 1911, Berry arrived in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, to perform balloon jumps at a local festival. The steel town was experiencing rising racial tensions because of an influx of African Americans and immigrants, who were all competing for the same jobs.

Black worker Zachariah Walker was walking home on August 12 after a night of drinking at a tavern.

When he ran into several Polish immigrants, an argument ensued.

Edgar Rice, a white security guard, approached the scene and attempted to subdue Walker. When he resisted, the pair struggled, and Walker shot Rice to death and then fled into the nearby woods.

The following day, a large posse, including Berry, searched the woods and found Walker hiding in a tree.

The frightened fugitive shot himself in the face in an act of desperation but suffered only a minor wound.

Walker was arrested and taken to the hospital but would never see his day in court. Before the day was over, a mob seized him from his bed and burned him alive in a nearby field with a crowd estimated as large as two to three thousand people looking on.

The story became a national sensation. Former President Theodore Roosevelt wrote a scathing antilynching editorial for the popular magazine The Outlook. The NAACP investigated and demanded action.

“I believe I turned five somersaults on my way down. I was not prepared for the violent sensation that I felt when I broke away from the aeroplane.”

–ALBERT BERRY

Under political pressure, fifteen men and teenage boys were indicted and prosecuted in a succession of trials for their alleged roles in the murder. One of them was Berry.

The prosecution claimed Berry egged on the angry crowd and visited Walker in the hospital to get the security information needed to kidnap the doomed man. He was never implicated in the actual killing.

Berry admitted visiting Walker but denied acting as a spy. Instead, he claimed he prevented the posse from killing Walker when he was first captured. He also said he warned the town’s police chief, Charles Umstead, of the impending violence. He insisted the chief, who

was also indicted for the murder, refused to listen and warned him, “No one asked you to butt in.”

During the trial, 204 witness subpoenas were issued. The prosecutor, sure of his evidence, told the press that if he couldn’t get a conviction, “God alone could secure it.” However, the unpopular trials contributed to a blanket of silence among the white community, stonewalling the prosecution.

Berry and the other defendants were acquitted of all charges. Presiding judge William Butler chided the Coatesville community for their complicity in allowing Walker’s death to go unpunished. It was the last lynching in Pennsylvania.

Berry’s trial reconnected him with his father, who hurried to Pennsylvania after seeing his son’s name in a newspaper account. He sent his son, who needed a job, to Benoist, who was just starting to plan the parachute jump.

Tony Jannus (left) also made history while piloting the first commercial airline flight.

Albert Berry (right), the parachutist, repeated the famous jump days later.

The primary players in the historic parachute jump all met sudden or murky endings.

Jannus died in a plane crash over Russia in 1916.

Benoist passed away a year later in a streetcar accident.

Nothing is known about Albert Berry after 1916. He made at least one other parachute jump from a plane, ten days after his original feat. He nearly died that day when his chute became entangled and barely opened in time. He said it would be his final jump, and as far as is known, it was.

Learn more about St. Louis’s aviation history at the Greater Saint Louis Air and Space Museum. www.airandspacemuseum.org • 2300 Vector Drive, Cahokia, Illinois • 618332-3664

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SHOW-ME

Flavor

Dog DAYS Discover the best franks in the Show-Me State.

ADD A STEAMED bun and a link of cured meat together, and you’ll have delicious bliss and the simplest form of an American icon: the hot dog.

Retracing the steps of this classic culinary piece of Americana reveals that its origins are just as mysterious as the meat that once made up hot dogs.

No one person invented the hot dog, but its roots are deeply intertwined with the story of American immigrants. Some credit the sausage to Vienna, hence the name wiener. Others credit it to Frankfurt, hence the name frankfurter. Its lineage is complex, but it is clear that the hot dog, much like Missouri, has strong ties to Germany but is essentially American.

Undoubtedly, 1904 was a big year for the hot dog. Its most famous topping, French’s yellow mustard, and the hot dog itself were both exposed to the masses at the World’s Fair in St. Louis. New York can claim French’s as its own, but the biggest hot dog purveyor at the fair was a Missourian.

Anton Feuchtwanger, a Bavarian immigrant living in St. Louis, was in charge of selling sausages for two St. Louis sausage makers, John Boepple and William Tamme. The legend says that because the sausages were so hot and greasy, he would lend gloves to his customers. When they didn’t return the gloves, Anton asked his brother, a St. Louis baker, for help. He started serving the sausages between freshly baked buns, topped with mustard, and it was a huge success. Most likely, the glove story is more myth than fact, but it is well documented that the hot dog did receive substantial national and international attention for the first time at the fair.

Missouri is home to another hot dog pioneer outside of the fair. Chris Von der Ahe, also a German immigrant, was not a sausage maker or a chef but a baseball team owner—specifically of the St. Louis Browns. Although it’s disputed, Chris is widely credited for introducing the hot dog as ballpark fare in 1893, a tradition that still holds today.

Nobody knows where or when the hot dog was truly born, and there are many theories, myths, and legends outside of these, but one thing is true: hot dogs are delicious; we’ve done the research to prove it. You can see the evidence for yourself by visiting hot dog stands, carts, trucks, and diners across the state that are serving up gourmet dogs with interesting spins. Whatever toppings you like—traditional mustard or sacrilegious ketchup—there’s a place to get a fantastic frankfurter nearby.

COURTESY OF CIRQUE D'ALEX

BY JONAS WEIR

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A Chicago-style hot dog consists of an all-beef frank, mustard, onions, a dill pickle spear, tomatoes, sport peppers, relish, celery salt, and a poppy seed bun. You can find this one at Cirque D’Alex.

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Flavor

INSTANT KARMA GOURMET HOT DOGS, Joplin

When you’re talking about hot dogs in Missouri, you must include Instant Karma. The restaurant is well-deserving of the reputation it has earned, thanks in no small part to Jason Miller, who owns the restaurant with his wife Suzanne.

Since 2010, Jason has been pouring his passion into crafting the restaurant’s unique menu. But he may have never opened the restaurant if it weren’t for a house fire.

In 1999, Jason had just earned a degree in business from Missouri Southern University, and he was living in his hometown, Joplin. When a fire burned his house down one night, he seized the moment, moved in with a friend in New York City, and started attending art school at the Art Students League of New York, where Thomas Hart Benton taught from 1926 to 1935.

“It’s a direction my life took without me even planning it,” Jason says.

In the East Village, Jason found an inspiring restaurant called Crif Dogs. When you compare Instant Karma to Crif Dogs, the influence is obvious. But that inspiration lay dormant for years.

After moving back to Joplin in 2005, Jason married his high school sweetheart, and later, he and Suzanne opened Instant Karma. The couple also owns the Eagle Drive-In in Joplin. Since then, Jason has been hard at work, constantly updating and perfecting the menu and crafting delicious daily specials.

“Our daily specials aren’t like your typical restaurant, where it’s something that they’re trying to get rid of,” Jason says. “We actually bring in special ingredients to do these.”

The specials have ranged from a Duck a l’Orange dog to a breakfast hot dog, with eggs, bacon, and cheese. And the regular menu is outlandish enough on its own, from the Teuben, a hot dog with all the traditional reuben toppings, to the Wiener Cristo, a batter-dipped, golden-fried hot dog topped with powdered sugar and served with strawberry dipping sauce.

“There’s almost nothing we don’t do with hot dogs,” Jason says.

Jason’s passion and creativity stem from his art background that brought him into the world of hot dogs in the first place.

“All of our time is dedicated to our children and our restaurants, so I don’t have time to paint or sculpt anymore,” he says. “I can translate all of those things into hot dogs. I feel like a creative person, and I have to have an outlet. To be honest, a lot of the specials we do probably cost my business money, but I don’t care because that’s what drives me.”

Must order: The Kitchen Sink. It’s really everything but the kitchen sink, featuring jalapenos, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, mayo, mustard, ketchup, and sautéed onions and peppers. Plus, you can wrap any dog in bacon for two bucks, and we recommend you do.

Facebook: Instant Karma Gourmet Hot Dogs • 527 S. Main Street • 417-206-3647

9ART PHOTOGRAPHY

The customers at Instant Karma can now enjoy a full bar, thanks to a recent renovation.

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CRAZY DOG, Warrensburg

Crazy Dog owners Casey LeBlanc and Brandon Godwin became hooked on running restaurants when they opened a Quiznos in 2010.

Quiznos isn’t quite gourmet, so when the couple had an idea to open a gourmet hot dog restaurant, they had to experiment.

“We started using different toppings on hot dogs,” Brandon says.

“We even ran them through our Quiznos oven. We got so excited about hot dogs.”

Brandon and Casey rushed to open Crazy Dog. They hadn’t even tested out all the menu items.

“The original menu was just winging it really,” Brandon says.

Since then, the menu has been refined and expanded, and it now offers everything from burgers to wings to fish tacos. The hot dog menu is just as diverse and polished. Each item is unique and scrumptious, from the King Corn Dog to the Pulled Pork Dog, topped with coleslaw, tomatoes, barbecue sauce, mustard, smoked pork, and a pickle spear.

Crazy Dog’s signature bun, a New England-style bun like a lobster roll, is worth the trip alone. Don’t let that stop you from trying the dogs that don’t feature the signature bun, though. All the franks are delicious, from the craziest of Crazy Dogs to the Plain Dog. Must order: Kansas City Dog. This might be the most ordered hot dog at Crazy Dog, and for good reason. It’s topped with smoky barbecue sauce, bacon, cheddar, and onion straws.

Cirque d’Alex is all about options. Choose from a plain bun, a poppy seed bun, and pita bread.

You can also choose from a variety of toppings, including coleslaw, baked beans, cheddar cheese, barbecue sauce, steamed onions, spicy brown mustard, vegetarian chili, and more.

www.eatcrazydog.com • 101 Maguire Suite D • 660-362-0364

COURTESY OF CRAZY DOG AND CIRQUE D'ALEX

CIRQUE D’ALEX, Kansas City

Crazy Dog’s signature wing sauces are another draw to the restaurant. Try the “Crazy Hot” sauce if you’re not a weenie.

If your daughter suggests opening an ice cream shop, you probably wouldn’t take it as a serious business idea. The same can’t be said for Ken Schaffer.

“She just said let’s get into it, so she could eat the ice cream,” Ken says.

In 2000, Ken left the tech industry and went to Penn State University to learn the art of making ice cream. He later opened a storefront ice cream shop, which he named Cirque d’Alex after his daughter; he also wanted the shop to have a circus theme. In 2009, Ken was starting to find that ice cream was a tough sell in the winter, so he started peddling hot dogs.

For research, Ken traveled to New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago to try their top dog spots. He returned as a Coney connoisseur. Since then, Cirque d’Alex has been experimenting with different hot dog creations, as well as offering standard franks. Recently, the restaurant added its spin on New Mexico’s Sonora dog. Cirque d’Alex’s is a bacon-wrapped beef dog with pinto beans, pico de gallo, salsa verde, cotija cheese, and chipotle mayo.

Also, the restaurant features a build-your-own hot dog menu with four different sausage options: beef, turkey, veggie, and bratwurst. The build-your-own option is one of the restaurant’s best features, but keep an eye out for the latest creations from Cirque d’Alex.

“Right now, we’re working on a curry wurst,” Ken says. “It’s something they do in Germany. It’s a knackwurst, which is pretty close to our hot dog, cooked in curry sauce.”

Must order: Sonora Dog. It’s all around decadent. However, the buildyour-own option is never a bad decision if you’re a picky eater. www.cirquedalex.com • 7308 Tiffany Springs Parkway • 816-891-0608

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SHOW-ME

Flavor THE DANCIN DOGS, Springfield

WOOFIE’S, Overland

There’s no need to visit the Windy City for a delicious dog when Woofie’s is around.

When Charlie Eisen visited Chicago and ate at the Northside hot dog joint Wolfy’s, he decided he wanted to bring that flavor to St. Louis.

In 1977, he opened Woofie’s in Overland and started serving hot dogs from Vienna Beef in Chicago. The restaurant looks, smells, and tastes just like a traditional Windy City hot dog stand.

In 1997, Paul Fitzgerald, who used to cut the lawn at Woofie’s, bought the restaurant. And he inherited the three secrets of cooking a hot dog, which he still declines to share.

“It’s just amazing that a hot dog’s got a secret,” Paul says. “I thought you just cooked it.”

Since taking over, Paul has only added two items to the simple yet immaculate menu, respecting the original owner’s hot dog mastery.

For the most part, though, Woofie’s has earned its reputation for sticking to the classics. In fact,

the restaurant has earned such prestige that it’s almost impossible to talk about the best hot dogs in St. Louis without mentioning it. Many city publications have ranked it among the best.

Must order: The Woofie Dog. This is the

sauce, and cheese—and a cornucopia of topping options, including Buffalo Wild Wings Mango Habanero sauce, The Dancin Dogs has something for everyone.

However, one of the cart’s highlights and a true taste of the East Coast isn’t even a hot dog; it’s a traditional lobster roll: lobster meat stuffed in a split top roll with butter garlic sauce.

“We added some Missouri flair to it by using Amish bread,” John says.

The Dancin Dogs is a big city hot dog cart with New England flair that’s one hundred percent Missouri.

Must Order: The Lobster Roll. Yeah, it’s not technically a hot dog, but it’s hot-dogshaped, delicious, and nearly impossible to find in Missouri.

The Dancin Dogs can be found on Commercial Street in downtown Springfield and at the Farmers’ Market of the Ozarks on Saturdays.

Facebook: The Dancin Dogs • 417-501-9286

closest you’ll get to a Chicago dog without crossing the border. Ask for celery salt for a truly authentic Chicago dog.

Facebook: Woofie’s Hot Dogs • 1919 Woodson Road • 314-426-6291

COURTESY OF DANCIN DOGS; JONAS WEIR

One of The Dancin Dogs specialty hot dog experiments, the Ranch Dog featured barbecue sauce, crushed corn chips, and, of course, a generous portion of ranch dressing.

The financial services industry and hot dog sales couldn’t be further apart. But when John Cavanaugh lost his business, he made the switch from the world of finance to the world of frankfurters.

“It’s a heck of a lot more fun,” John says.

“Everyone’s always smiling.”

Since opening in September 2012, The Dancin Dogs has been a hit. The company has expanded to two carts and a solar-powered ice cream cart. However, with open air carts, the cold months are tough.

“It’s not like New York where people still walk around,” John says. “People here are pretty reclusive when the weather gets worse and the seasons change.”

It’s true that pedestrian traffic in Springfield isn’t nearly what it is in the Big Apple, but The Dancin Dogs might be better than your typical urban food cart. With creative concoctions like the Boss Hog Dog—an allbeef dog topped with pulled pork, barbecue

Woofie’s classic look has made it an attractive place for filmmakers. Three movies have been shot here, including 2008’s Shadowland and Footlong, a hot dog documentary.

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The Rio Dog features bacon, jalapeño, mustard, sauteed onions, and cream cheese. This dog pile is served on a bed of Up Dog’s delicious french fries. Try it with any hot dog.

UP DOG, Independence

What’s Up Dog? Well, prestigious lawyers who dabble in business tend to get what they want. So when Ken McClain couldn’t find a Coney like the ones he grew with, he put a team of interns from Graceland University in Iowa on the job.

The interns put together a menu, a restaurant layout, and a logo, and

COURTESY OF UP DOG AND O'DOGGY'S

O’DOGGY’S, Rolla

When Cory Lawrence found a used hot dog cart for sale, he didn’t know he was about to dive into a national network of hot doggers.

“I found blogs, forums, and a Facebook page with people from the East Coast to the West Coast to the Central states,” Cory says.

“There’s hot dog vendor radio, as strange as that sounds. It’s a strange situation that I never knew existed, but it’s just a lot of people willing to help each other out.”

While researching the cart, he decided to build his own instead. By the spring of 2012, he started ordering the components he needed. Most of the parts came in on a Friday in April, and the following Monday, Cory was laid off from his job at St. James Tool and Die. “As kind of therapy for me after losing my job, I built a hot dog cart in the month of May,” he says. “In June, we started selling hot dogs.”

Cory and his wife, Susan, grew O’Doggy’s from then on. By winter 2012, it had outgrown the cart that Cory built and moved into an enclosed trailer. This spring, it moved into a storefront. Part of what grew the business

they eventually opened a hot dog cart in 2010. They also shaped the menu just as much as Ken’s desire for a Coney. For example, two of the interns were from Colombia, so they contributed the Colombian Dog, a hot dog topped with sautéed onions, tomatoes, potato chips, mozzarella cheese, and Up Dog’s special sweet and tangy pink sauce.

In July 2011, the store front opened on the Independence Square. Matt Berry, whose brother was an intern, has been the manager ever since. Each month, he creates a special hot dog limited only by his imagination. The Elvis sandwich morphed into the Hound Dog, which was topped with caramelized bananas, chocolate covered bacon, peanut butter, and crumbled peanuts. Others have incorporated ingredients like ground lamb.

“Usually when I’m thinking of hot dog recipes, I’ll think of one ingredient that I’d like to work with,” Matt says.

With the specials changing each month and the fixed menu being diverse enough on its own, Up Dog is a place worth repeat visits.

Must order: The Missouri Dog. Like our state, it’s not too flashy but plenty flavorful; this dog features bacon, mustard, cheese, and a pickle. www.eatupdog.com • 114 N. Liberty Street • 816-836-2900

is his willingness to experiment. On Fridays, O’Doggy’s started introducing specialty dogs.

“It started with the aPORKalypse,” Cory says. “In the fall of 2012, there was the big pork shortage. I thought, ‘What can we do to poke fun of that?’ ” The aPORKalypse was an over-the-top hit, a beef dog wrapped in ham and topped with pulled pork and bacon. From then on, O’Doggy’s was an experimental frank incubator. However, another reason O’Doggy’s succeeds is because Cory and Susan care about their customers.

“The whole point of O’Doggy’s is community,” Cory says.

The community focus is what truly keeps people coming back. It’s a friendly place, and all of the tips go to the Friday Backpack Program, a charity that supports food-insecure children in Rolla.

Must order: The aPORKalypse. You have to try the delicacy dog that started it all; it’s now on the regular menu. Don’t forget to tip.

The All-American Dog at O’Doggy’s in Rolla is just what you think it is: an all-beef hot dog topped with all the standards of a backyard cookout—ketchup, mustard, onions, and relish.

www.odoggys.com • 1005 N. Rolla Street • 573-3089944

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Flavor

STEVE’S HOT DOGS ON THE HILL, St. Louis

Steve Ewing isn’t just the owner of Steve’s Hot Dogs on the Hill; he’s also the lead singer of The Urge, a nationally known alternative rock band from St. Louis.

The Urge has toured the world, sold hundreds of thousands of albums, broken up, and reunited again. But if Steve Ewing learned one important lesson as the lead singer, it’s that drunken rock fans love hot dogs.

“The idea was that I wanted to feed people at night after we played our shows,” Steve says. “What I learned, though, is that I really wanted to do lunch.”

In 2008, his dog dream became a restaurant reality when he bought a food cart and started selling franks on the Hill neighborhood of St. Louis. However, the cart had limitations, and Steve wanted more freedom to craft gourmet hot dogs—the freedom only a real kitchen could grant. After a few years, he moved the operation indoors.

“I look at it from a chef’s perspective,” Steve says. “I want to present something that tastes great, looks great, and is a little different. We approach it like fine dining almost.”

Now, Steve can serve the most decadent dogs, from a creation that could only come from the Hill—a Salsiccia sausage topped with rotini alfredo, bacon, French’s fried onions, and fresh grated parmesan called the Brad Fann’s Storm Trooper Dog—to an intensely fiery frank—a hot dog topped with habanero chipotle spread, Sriracha, hot pickle relish, chipotle onions, and jalapenos.

Must order: Gorilla Mac and Cheese Dog. This spin on a childhood favorite is a hot dog topped with bacon, French’s fried onions, and creamy mac and cheese, which Steve’s makes fresh all day long. www.steveshotdogsstl.com • 2131 Marconi Avenue • 314-762-9899

DETROIT CONEY MOBILE FOOD TRUCK Detroit Coney Mobile Food Truck is the result of two Michigan natives living in a Coney dog desert. Stephanie Tyler and Rob Johnson have made a place for Michigan transplants in Kansas City to get a real Detroit Coney—a difficult undertaking in the barbecue capital.

Despite the name, the famous Coney Island dog was born in Michigan.

The Detroit Coney Food Truck sticks true to the original with a dog that’s topped with all-beef, no-bean chili, yellow mustard, and onions.

Of course, the menu isn’t limited to the Coney. Try the pizza fries, a holy union of two of America’s favorite foods. And for herbivores that want the classic treat, there’s the veggie dog, which was added to the menu after the truck catered an event for the animal shelter Wayside Waifs.

Painting I ♥ DETROIT on the side of a food truck in Kansas City doesn’t seem like a good business model, but these Michigan natives made it work.

“Missouri has really accepted us,” Stephanie says.

Must-order: The Coney, of course. The truck is named after it, for crying out loud. If you’re extra hungry, though, try the pizza fries, too.

The Detroit Coney Mobile Food Truck can always be found in the Crossroads neighborhood of Kansas City and can be hired for special events. Check the truck’s Facebook page to find its exact location. www.detroitconey.webs.com • Facebook: Detroit Coney Food Truck

Two customers are enjoying a Detroit Coney Mobile Food Truck’s traditional Michigan fare, and the owners love to see that. Snap a photo at the truck, or just pose for one, and the owners will most likely share it on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Visit www.MissouriLife.com for seven Missouri-made hot dogs and six toppings made here, so you bring the summer fun home.

COURTESY OF DETROIT CONEY FOOD TRUCK; JONAS WEIR

Kansas City

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Wineries, Breweries, and Distilleries

Oh My!

Missouri isn’t just a winery state anymore. Our claim to fame extends beyond saving France’s vines more than a hundred years ago, though it’s still a point of pride; our wines are world class.

Just as Show-Me State wines have evolved from the extremely sweet with a bad reputation to those that are perfectly balanced and award-winning, Missouri’s breweries and distilleries have grown from small operations run out of garages to prestigious taste-makers garnering national recognition.

So whatever your drink of choice is—a full-bodied Norton, an American pale ale, or some old-fashioned moonshine—buying local has never been so easy and so enjoyable. Jump on the national “buy local” trend by buying Missouri wines, beers, and spirits, and you’ll be ahead of the curve because chances are the next big national trend will be to “buy Missouri.”

M also in Arkansas!

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Adam Puchta Winery, 573-486-5596, www.adampuchtawine.com Belmont Vineyards, 573-885-7156, www.belmontvineyards.com Blumenhof Vineyards and Winery, 800-419-2245, www.blumenhof.com Cave Hollow West Winery, www.marktwaincave.com Eagle’s Nest Winery, 573-754-9888, www.theeaglesnest-louisiana.com Edg-Clif Farms and Vineyard, www.edg-clif.com Endless Summer Winery, 573-252-2000, www.endlesssummerwinery.com Fayetteville, AR Ale Trail,

www.fayettevillealetrail.com 9. Hermann Hill, www.hermannhill.com 10. The Hermann Wine Trail, 800-932-8687, www.hermannwinetrail.com 11. Hermann Wurst Haus, 573-486-2266, www.hermannwursthaus.com 12. Little Rock, AR Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, www.dineLR.com 13. Montelle Winery, 888-595-WINE, www.montelle.com 14. Noboleis Vineyards, 636-482-4500, www.noboleisvineyards.com 15. Springfield Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, 800-678-8767, www.vacationspringfield.com

16. Ste. Genevieve, 800-373-7007, www.visitstegen.com 17. Stone Hill Winery, 800-909-WINE, www.stonehillwinery.com 18. T’s Redneck Steakhouse and Distillery, 417-532-3519, www.tsrednecksteakhouse.com 19. Wenwood Farm Winery, www.wenwoodfarmwinery.com 20. Westphalia Vineyards, 573-455-2000, www.westphaliavineyards.com 21. Yellow Farmhouse Vineyard, 314-409-6139, www.yellowfarmhousewinery.com

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PROMOTION

Grilled Pork Chops with Basil Garlic

Pork, Knife, and Spoon

by Doug Frost

Doug Frost is one of four people in the world who is both a Master Sommelier and a Master of Wine. He lives in Kansas City.

¶The great food writer M.F.K. Fisher once wrote of pork that it “is a tender and sweet meat.” But pork is so many other things, too. It is roast, stew, chops, ribs, tenderloin, ham and, of course, bacon. ¶ In Missouri and especially in Kansas City, pork is our history, providing the basis for a cuisine that underpins the American table today. Pork ribs may be our greatest culinary achievement to date. A 19th century innovation creating edible food from what had been thought to be slaughterhouse leftovers (ribs) helped launch a nativist movement that continues to this day. Once humble foods, such as pulled pork, crawfish, Brunswick stew, Collard or mustard greens, pot-pie, po’ boys, and myriad others, now populate the menus of the nation’s top chefs and offer a nod to our heritage, reflecting a burgeoning respect for the nearly forgotten foods of a younger nation. And, as John Travolta said in Pulp Fiction, “Pig is good.” ¶ Pork’s marketing as the other white meat reflects its capacity for merrily accompanying both white and red wines, and its “tender and sweet” character allows sweet wines as easily as dry wines. To help guide you along, we’ve matched some great pork dishes with Missouri wines. Find most of the recipes at www.porkbeinspired.com. ¶ But as always, remember that these are not commandments but suggestions.

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PROMOTION

For Recipes, Visit www.porkbeinspired.com Bacon-wrapped Scallops have long been standard fare among American appetizer choices, with the intriguing interplay of the salty fat of bacon alongside the briny subtlety of shellfish. Red wine is too powerful for those scallops, at least to most people, but Adam Puchta’s soft and delicate Traminette adds another layer to the vibrant match: floral notes with citrus.

Montelle Chardonel 2012 offers a more familiar turf; the Chardonel grape has the same sort of apple and lemon notes of its near namesake Chardonnay, but in its best iterations, like Montelle, its tangy and nowhere near as buttery as most Chardonnays. It’s refreshing and tasty with something as simple as a BLT.

Perhaps an old standard like Ham and Broccoli Quiche seems to be a straightforward match for a simple white wine, but in truth, egg dishes can be devilishly difficult with wine. Most aren’t particularly powerful in flavor, yet the egg adds a weightiness to the dish that is outsized to its flavor. Rose-styled wines are delightful to the palate and the eye, but they have to have a lot of fruit in order to man up to the rich egginess. In this case, the floral intensity of Blumenhof Valvin Muscat 2012 comes at it from a different direction, as if a wrestler was confronted by a lightning speed bantam weight boxer.

MORE PORK PAIRINGS As we ramp up the flavors in our selection of pork dishes, it’s best to show off the strong red wines of Missouri, particularly when Norton, our official state grape, is available. The sear on Grilled Pork Chops with Basil Garlic (shown on page 75) challenges the fruit in most wines, but Westphalia’s Prodigal Son—a blend of Norton and Cabernet Franc—has plenty of intense red fruits.

You can easily find braised pork belly among both appetizer and entrée offerings on cur-

rent menus. The pork producers website offers an easy recipe for Braised Pork Belly with Creamy Grits. That the recipe calls for red wine has little impact on the choice of wine; it’s more a matter of which wine is likely to not overwhelm the food, just as we try to find a wine that won’t be overwhelmed by the food either. Augusta’s Seyval Blanc has been championed by national wine judges for ages, but most Missourians are sadly ignorant of its renown. Give this match a try, and you’ll possibly be persuaded as well.

Hermannhof Vidal is a relatively taut wine: speaking more of citrus than the usual sweet peachy fruits, but there’s some sweetness nonetheless to counter pose its lemon and pear notes. The best masa in a tamale has plenty of earthy sweetness, too, but it needs some tartness in the wine for an ideal match.

With the Tamale with Spanish Braised Pork Shank and White Peach Salsa, the Vidal Blanc’s tangy side cuts through the lingering oil and earth of the dish.

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PROMOTION

For Recipes, Visit www.porkbeinspired.com Bacon-wrapped Scallops have long been standard fare among American appetizer choices, with the intriguing interplay of the salty fat of bacon alongside the briny subtlety of shellfish. Red wine is too powerful for those scallops, at least to most people, but Adam Puchta’s soft and delicate Traminette adds another layer to the vibrant match: floral notes with citrus.

Montelle Chardonel 2012 offers a more familiar turf; the Chardonel grape has the same sort of apple and lemon notes of its near namesake Chardonnay, but in its best iterations, like Montelle, it’s tangy and nowhere near as buttery as most Chardonnays. It’s refreshing and tasty with something as simple as a BLT.

MORE PORK PAIRINGS As we ramp up the flavors in our selection of pork dishes, it’s best to show off the strong red wines of Missouri, particularly when Norton, our official state grape, is available. The sear on Grilled Pork Chops with Basil Garlic (shown on page 75) challenges the fruit in most wines, but Westphalia’s Prodigal Son—a blend of Norton and Cabernet Franc—has plenty of intense red fruits.

You can easily find braised pork belly among both appetizer and entrée offerings on current

menus. The pork producers website offers an easy recipe for Braised Pork Belly with Creamy Grits. That the recipe calls for red wine has little impact on the choice of wine; it’s more a matter of which wine is likely to not overwhelm the food, just as we try to find a wine that won’t be overwhelmed by the food either. Augusta’s Seyval Blanc has been championed by national wine judges for ages, but most Missourians are sadly ignorant of its renown. Give this match a try, and you’ll possibly be persuaded as well.

Hermannhof Vidal is a relatively taut wine: speaking more of citrus than the usual sweet peachy fruits, but there’s some sweetness nonetheless to counter pose its lemon and pear notes. The best masa in a tamale has plenty of earthy sweetness, too, but it needs some tartness in the wine for an ideal match.

With the Tamale with Spanish Braised Pork Shank and White Peach Salsa, the Vidal Blanc’s tangy side cuts through the lingering oil and earth of the dish.

HARRY KATZ AND COURTESY OF NATIONAL PORK BOARD

Perhaps an old standard like Ham and Broccoli Quiche seems to be a straightforward match for a simple white wine, but in truth, egg dishes can be devilishly difficult with wine. Most aren’t particularly powerful in flavor, yet the egg adds a weightiness to the dish that is outsized to its flavor. Rose-styled wines are delightful to the palate and the eye, but they have to have a lot of fruit in order to man up to the rich egginess. In this case, the floral intensity of Blumenhof Valvin Muscat 2012 comes at it from a different direction, as if a wrestler was confronted by a lightning speed bantam weight boxer.

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PROMOTION

The lively aromatics in the Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Slow Cooked Pork—coriander, oranges, and fish sauce— could respond equally to Valvin Muscat or Traminette, but the new Aromella grape is, as its name suggests, redolent, too. Yellow Farmhouse has worked with the grape for six years now, coaxing out its fruit and style in the Aromella-based River Valley White.

Other so-called ethnic foods are just as easily tamed.

Pepperoni Pizza with Peppers is an opportunity to show one of Missouri’s hidden red wine treasures.

The Chambourcin grape is all raspberry jam and red cherry. Edg-Clif 2011 Chambourcin Reserve is pure party wine when you use it to wash down this or any other pizza.

It would seem that every man and woman with a smoker has his or her own particular recipe for Pork Ribs. Though ingredients like mustard may be common in pork rib rubs, there are endless variables: spice, temperature, time and especially the wood (fruit wood, though some flirt with the challenge of more powerful woods). What the very best share is remarkable flavor: balancing smoke, spice, salt, and delightfully rich meat. Norton can be an ideal match for pork ribs, though perhaps surprisingly, I have found that sweeter white wines are just as useful. Stone Hill Estate Norton 2011 has generous enough fruit for such a flavor-laden food.

Sparkling wine is delightful at the beginning of a meal, but why waste bubbly’s great ability to marry with so many foods? Tasted alongside Pork Tenderloin with Goat Cheese-Stuffed Dates & Raspberry Chipotle Sauce, Noboleis Noblevescent, a sparkling Missouri wine, is more than sufficient to the task, and its gentle sweetness is fit for the spice of the chipotle and the sweetness of the raspberries.

The salt of ham tames both tart white wines and robust red wines. Barbequed Pork Steaks,

as long as the sauce is not too sweet, can be approached with the same egalitarian view to wine.

But the Missouri Pork Producer’s barbecue pork recipe needs some sterner stuff to match its power: Les Bourgeois Norton Premium Claret 2011 is a mainstay for any Norton lover.

Pork Bolognese—with its layers of richness and savory flavors of tomatoes, fennel prosciutto, and sausage—is just as demanding of wine.

Most any modern Missouri Norton is up to the task but St. James Cynthiana 2012 (Cynthiana

being a well-known synonym for Norton) is what I chose when I tasted the dish. It was at hand, and it seemed right.

But that’s only one man’s palate. Each person’s palate has different sensitivities; it’s the main reason why we each like different things. What we ate growing up, what our friends liked, and foods that convey favored memories: each of these informs our likes and dislikes, too. So don’t let anyone, including geeks like me, tell you what you’re supposed to like or drink. Drink what you like.

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PROMOTION

And the lively aromatics in the Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Slow Cooked Pork (from coriander, oranges and fish sauce) could make some pretty music with the new Aromella grape, a grape as redolent as its name suggests. Yellow Farmhouse has pioneered that grape, but you’ll be content to match the spring rolls with that winery’s Traminette too.

Other so-called ethnic foods are just as easily tamed.

Pepperoni Pizza with Peppers is an opportunity to show one of Missouri’s hidden red wine treasures.

The Chambourcin grape is all raspberry jam and red cherry. Edg-Clif 2011 Chambourcin Reserve is pure party wine when you use it to wash down this or any other pizza.

It would seem that every man and woman with a smoker has his or her own particular recipe for Pork Ribs. Though ingredients like mustard may be common in pork rib rubs, there are endless variables: spice, temperature, time and especially the wood (fruit wood, though some flirt with the challenge of more powerful woods). What the very best share is remarkable flavor: balancing smoke, spice, salt, and delightfully rich meat. Norton can be an ideal match for pork ribs, though perhaps surprisingly, I have found that sweeter white wines are just as useful. Stone Hill Estate Norton 2011 has generous enough fruit for such a flavor-laden food.

Sparkling wine is delightful at the beginning of a meal, but why waste bubbly’s great ability to marry with so many foods? Tasted alongside Pork Tenderloin with Goat Cheese-Stuffed Dates & Raspberry Chipotle Sauce, Noboleis Noblevescent, a sparkling Missouri wine, is more than sufficient to the task, and its gentle sweetness is fit for the spice of the chipotle and the sweetness of the raspberries.

The salt of ham tames both tart white wines and robust red wines. Barbecued Pork Steaks,

as long as the sauce is not too sweet, can be approached with the same egalitarian view to wine.

But the Missouri Pork Producer’s barbecue pork recipe needs some sterner stuff to match its power: Les Bourgeois Norton Premium Claret 2011 is a mainstay for any Norton lover.

Pork Bolognese—with its layers of richness and savory flavors of tomatoes, fennel prosciutto, and sausage—is just as demanding of wine.

Most any modern Missouri Norton is up to the task but St. James Cynthiana 2012 (Cynthiana

being a well-known synonym for Norton) is what I chose when I tasted the dish. It was at hand, and it seemed right.

But that’s only one man’s palate. Each person’s palate has different sensitivities; it’s the main reason why we each like different things. What we ate growing up, what our friends liked, and foods that convey favored memories: each of these informs our likes and dislikes, too. So don’t let anyone, including geeks like me, tell you what you’re supposed to like or drink. Drink what you like.

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Need time to relax?

Need time to yourself ?

Want to go shopping?

Leave your husband with us.

Husband Day Care

S I N C E 19 3 0

We have everything to keep him entertained!

Big Screen TV • Beer • Wine • Snacks YOU ONLY PAY FOR HIS FOOD & DRINKS!

Visit the Historic Westphalia Inn

573-486-2266 | www.hermannwursthaus.com | 234 East First Street, Hermann, MO

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 AMERICA’S PREMIER SULFITE-FREE WINERY

Open Fri. at 5pm, Sat. at 4:30pm, and Sunday at 11:30am

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www.hermannhill.com

Missouri’s #1 Inn & Spa for wine country celebrations.

Voted Best B & B in the Midwest-AAA readers poll!

When it’s time for wine ...

Wenwood Farm Winery www.WenwoodFarmWinery.com Midway between Hermann & St.James

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Missouri wines, Missouri grapes, Missouri made, Missouri life!

Awardwinning wines and a very comfy B&B. Open at 11 am, 7 days a week 221 Evergreen Parkway, Lebanon, MO 417-532-3519 www.TsRedneckSteakhouse.com

Book your perfect getaway and let us pa mper you for a few days.

573-754-9888 www.theeaglesnest-louisiana.com

Cave Hollow West Winery Hannibal, MO • www.marktwaincave.com

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Great BOOKS! Savor Missouri: River Hill Country Food and Wine Join author Nina Furstenau as she travels the back roads of Missouri’s river hill country and finds the best homegrown regional foods, wines, and more.

7" x 10", 176 pages, more than 400 photos, $24.95.

Missouri River Country: 100 Miles of Stories and Scenery from Hermann to the Confluence

“Terroir” is Not a Dog Breed

It’s that special blend of soil and climate that makes every wine unique. And boy do we have unique terroirs in the Missouri River Valley!

You can taste it in our wines.

Come out to the Yellow Farmhouse Winery in Defiance and taste how really good Missouri wines can be.

100 DEFIANCE ROAD AT HWY. 94 | DEFIANCE, MO 63341 OPEN FRI, SAT, & SUN, NOON - 5PM | 314.409.6139 WWW.YELLOWFARMHOUSEWINERY.COM

Discover the magic of the confluence, Daniel Boone’s last home, the nation’s first viticulture area, unique conservation areas, and more. 12¼" x 9¼", 192 pages, 236 photos and illustrations, hardcover, $39.95

New Regionalsim: The Art of Bryan Haynes

1

Rediscover our landscape! 12" x 12", 180 pages, more than 150 pieces of artwork, hardcover, $49.99.

www.MissouriLife.com/store 1-800-492-2593, ext. 101.

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PROMOTION

PERFECT PAIRINGS OF BEEF AND MISSOURI BEER Nothing beats summer in the Show-Me State. It’s the one time of year that Missourians truly get to shine. We beat the brutal winter, stayed sane through spring fever, and now we get to bask in the warmth of the summer sun.

This seasonal sensation reveals itself in all aspects of Missouri culture—most importantly in our food. It’s no coincidence that this state’s semi-official cuisine is barbecue; its smoky, sweet, and spicy flavor is distinctly warm-weather-oriented. Sure, we’ve got the best restaurants to get barbecue, but isn’t the best barbecue in your own backyard, with your friends, your family, and your beer of choice?

Yes, barbecue is a specific style of food, but don’t get bogged down by semantics. Any outdoor cookout can be a barbecue if you’re cooking your favorite food to perfection under the summer’s evening sky.

So fire up that grill or just move the dinner table outside. It’s our favorite season—the season of beef and beer.

We’ve put together six beef dishes paired with ales from the best microbreweries in the state. From zesty steak tacos with a light pale ale to a brown ale with spicy beef brisket, we’ve got a duo that will do well at any backyard barbecue, cookout, or whatever you want to call your savory summer celebration.

WIN $500 IN BEEF Simply visit www.MissouriLife.com/winbeef, or scan the code, tell us your favorite beef and beer pairing, and you’ll be entered into a drawing to win $500 worth of beef.

Sponsored by the Missouri Beef Industry Council.

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PROMOTION

BY JON

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PROMOTION

4 Hands is one of the best microbreweries in the state, and the country for that matter. The company’s beers range from the inventive, the Chocolate Milk Stout, to the perfected, the Single Speed Session— an American blonde ale that’s soft and delicate with pilsner malt and jasmine flower. You can find most of their brews in a store near you, but what you can’t find in stores, you’ll be able to try at the 4 Hands tasting room in St. Louis.

The 4 Hands Reprise Centennial Red pairs well with beef or sharp cheddar cheese or both.

The beer’s bitterness and orange character make it a perfect way to wash down this sweet onion and pepper beef sandwich.

INGREDIENTS • 3 to 3-1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 to 1-1/2 inch pieces • 2 medium sweet onions, cut into 1/2” wedges • 2 red bell peppers, cut lengthwise into 1” wide strips • 1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth • 1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce • 1/2 cup no salt added tomato paste • 6 minced garlic cloves • 8 to 10 French bread rolls, split, warmed • Toppings: sharp cheddar cheese, pepperoncini, pepper rings, assorted olives DIRECTIONS 1. Place onions in 5-1/2 quart slow cooker; top with beef, then pepper slices. Combine beef broth, tomato paste, soy sauce, and garlic; add to slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 6 to 7 hours or low 8 to 9 hours or until beef is fork-tender. (No stirring is necessary during cooking.) Skim fat from cooking liquid, if necessary.

2. Serve beef and vegetables in rolls with toppings, as desired. Serve au jus for dipping, if desired.

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The tiny town Bucyrus has given the rest of Missouri a great gift: Piney River Brewing Company.

Up a hill from its namesake, Piney River has been brewing up beers since 2010. Now, you can find Piney River brews at grocery stores throughout the state; you can recognize the beers by their distinctive sixteen-ounce cans. You can also visit their tap room in Bucyrus on the weekends.

Piney River’s Old Tom Porter pairs well with a good steak, but the beer also works well as part of a marinade. Try it out in this recipe.

INGREDIENTS • 2 tri-tip sirloin steaks, 2 pounds a piece, 3 inches thick • 2 cups Old Tom Porter • 1 cup bourbon • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil • 1/2 cup brown sugar • 2 coarsely chopped medium onions • 8 coarsely chopped garlic cloves • 6 bay leaves • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped, fresh oregano • 2 tablespoons coarse salt, plus more to taste • Freshly ground pepper, to taste DIRECTIONS 1. Arrange steaks in a single layer in a shallow dish. Whisk together all ingredients, and pour over steaks. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator, flipping occasionally, for at least 6 hours or up to 2 days.

2. Preheat grill to medium-high. Transfer steaks to plates, and pat dry. Reserve marinade. Season steaks generously with salt and pepper. Cook over direct heat until browned and caramelized, about 4 minutes per side, then move to indirect heat (the cooler part of the grill) and continue cooking until a meat thermometer registers 135 degrees for medium-rare. Transfer to a platter, cover, and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Bring marinade to a boil in a saucepan; boil for 5 minutes. Pour over steaks, or serve on the side.

4. Steak pairs well with grilled vegetables and soft, buttered polenta. Old Tom Porter is a nice complement to the rich flavor of the sauce and the steak.

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PROMOTION

One of Missouri’s newer microbreweries, Mother’s Brewing Company has been brewing up craft beer in the heart of Springfield since 2010. With an everchanging cast of seasonal and specialty brews and a few year-rounders, Mother’s is providing all of the Show-Me State with great beers, which you can find at grocery stores across the state.

The Three Blind Mice brown ale is inspired by English brown ales, German altbiers, and Irish reds, but despite its European inspiration, it pairs great with red-blooded American barbecue.

This light, drinkable ale has a slight roasted character from some of the malts the brewery uses, making it a perfect pair with smoky barbecue. The chocolate and toffee notes blend well with the sweetness of many rubs and sauces, but they also complement the spiciness of other recipes. Overall, the beer is very versatile when it comes to barbecue, but we think it goes great with beef brisket.

INGREDIENTS • 1 boneless beef brisket flat half (about 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 pounds) • 3/4 cup barbecue sauce • 1/2 cup dry red wine Rub: • 2 tablespoons chili powder • 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar • 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder DIRECTIONS 1. Combine rub ingredients in small bowl; press evenly onto beef brisket. Place brisket, fat side up, in stockpot.

2. Combine barbecue sauce and wine in small bowl. Pour around brisket; bring to a boil.

Reduce heat; cover tightly and simmer 2-3/4 to 3-1/4 hours or until brisket is fork-tender. Remove brisket; keep warm.

3. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Bring cooking liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, 8 to 10 minutes or until reduced to 1 cup sauce, stirring occasionally.

4. Trim fat from brisket. Carve diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Serve with sauce.

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PROMOTION

O’Fallon Brewery has been brewing up beer since 2000. Now, Missourians across the state enjoy indulging in one of the brewery’s flagship beers, such as the famously fruity wheat beer called Weach, and look forward to its seasonal offerings, like Pumpkin Head in the fall and the Kite Tail cream ale in the summer.

This year, O’Fallon just introduced a new flagship beer to be offered year-round—Zeke’s Pale Ale. This American pale ale is made with Australian Galaxy hops. The tropical hop flavor and aroma of the Galaxy pair perfectly with Steak Fajitas with Avocado and Mango Salsa, and the medium bitterness in the beer will shine through the subtle heat in the dish.

INGREDIENTS • Steak of your choice • Peppers, sliced Mango Salsa: • 1 pitted and diced avocado • 1 seeded and diced mango • 1 diced tomato • 1 seeded and chopped habanero pepper • 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro • 1 teaspoon sea salt • One lime, juiced • 1 red onion, chopped • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar Steak Marinade: • 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce • 1 teaspoon cumin • 2 cloves of garlic, diced • 1 teaspoon kosher salt • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes • 2 shallots • ½ cup O’Fallon Smoked Porter DIRECTIONS 1. Mix salsa ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve.

2. Blend all ingredients and marinate meat for at least an hour.

3. Add steak to searing hot grill and cook for 3 to 5 minutes on each side to preferred doneness. Grill peppers.

4. Slice steak across the grain and serve with peppers and mango salsa on fresh tortillas.

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For more than twenty-two years, Schlafly has been producing some of the Show-Me State’s finest beers.

They’re the largest independently owned brewery in the state. The brewery now offers a variety of year round beers, seasonal brews, limited editions, and draft-only beers that will satisfy any beer drinker’s palate.

The Schlafly Dry-Hopped APA is one of the flagship beers, and one of the brewery’s most popular. Based on the English pale ale, this bold, aromatic ale has notes of pine and citrus. Think an IPA, only hoppier. It makes for a great cooking sidekick. Try it in this steak marinade.

INGREDIENTS • 1 chopped yellow onion • 1 chopped and seeded jalapeño pepper • 1 chopped and seeded poblano pepper • 1 chopped head of garlic • 1 peeled lemon • 2 anchovies • 2 whole cloves per steak • 2 cloves allspice per steak • 12 whole peppercorns per steak • 1 bay leaf per steak • 12 ounces Schlafly APA • 1 cup white vinegar • 2 cups molasses • 2 tablespoons olive oil DIRECTIONS 1.Combine all ingredients in a heavy bottom sauce pot and bring to a boil.

2. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Let the marinade cool before straining.

4. Strain the cool marinade over the steaks and refrigerate overnight.

5. While grilling, use the remaining marinade to baste the steaks.

Visit www.mobeef.org for more information on Missouri beef, restaurants, recipes, and nutrition.

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PROMOTION

v Kansas City’s largest brewery, Boulevard, has been making a name for Missouri microbrews for more than twenty years. In fact, it was named the third best microbrewery in the nation

by USA Today last year. All of their beers, from their flagship brew, Boulevard Wheat, to the Smokestack Series, a special collection of bolder beers meant for sharing, are right at home at a backyard grill on a hot summer’s day.

The Boulevard Pale Ale is perfect with a medium rare steak with little char and lots of caramelized flavor. The caramel malt flavor is a great flavor hook, and the moderate hop bitterness balances the richness of the meat. Try it out with this top round steak recipe.

INGREDIENTS • 1 beef top round steak, cut 3/4 inch thick (about 1 pound) • 1 pound trimmed asparagus • 1 teaspoon olive oil • 3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese • Salt • Hot cooked orzo (optional) Marinade: • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme • 2 minced large cloves garlic • 2 teaspoons steak seasoning blend • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper DIRECTIONS 1. Combine marinade ingredients in medium bowl. Place beef steak and marinade in food-safe plastic bag; turn steak to coat.

Close bag securely and marinate in refrigerator 6 hours or as long as overnight, turning occasionally.

2. Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Toss asparagus with oil. Place steak in center of grill over medium, ash-covered coals; arrange asparagus around steak.

Grill steak, covered, 10 to 11 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, times remain the same) for medium rare (145°F) doneness, turning occasionally. (Do not overcook.) Grill asparagus 6 to 10 minutes

(over medium heat on preheated gas grill, covered, 8 to 12 minutes) or until crisptender, turning occasionally.

3. Sprinkle cheese over asparagus. Carve steak into thin slices. Season with salt, as desired.

Serve with asparagus and orzo, if desired.

Tip: To make asparagus spears easier to turn on the grill, thread them ladder-style onto two 12-inch metal skewers. Insert a skewer about 1 inch from each end of spear, leaving a small space between the spears. Use tongs to turn entire asparagus “ladder” for even cooking.

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SHOW-ME

Flavor

Dining worth the drive.

Clayton

A Cozy Coffee House THE AURA of the Pacific North-

which roasts its own beans, has three loca-

west abounds in the Clayton location of

tions in St. Louis, and each is a treat to visit.

Northwest Coffee Roasting. The company,

The warmth, the fragrant aroma of coffee, and the art, which always changes, makes this coffee shop a nice place to visit with friends and catch up. Plus, the espresso and coffee drinks are skillfully prepared. Order the mocha Bianca, a white chocolate mocha, and you won’t regret it if you like your coffee on the sweeter side.

Aside from the extensive coffee menu, the cafe offers customizable egg sandwiches. Try two eggs with some veggies and goat cheese on either a bagel or a Mexican-style torta for a quick, delicious breakfast. —Jonas Weir www.northwestcoffee.com 8401 Maryland Avenue • 314-725-8055

Rolla

Killer Barbecue SURE, MISSOURI HAS two famous barbecue styles from St. Louis and Kan-

Boonville

sas City, but have you ever had Mid-Missouri’s roadkill barbecue?

Hooked on Phoenix

there are some reminders of his family farm, like the ducks that populate the lake just outside.

THE PHOENIX’S daily special board, sitting prominently on

Although the restaurant is less than five years old, Randy has been smoking meats for decades.

the Main Street sidewalk, is a welcome sight for anyone spending lunch

His brisket, turkey, St. Louis-style ribs, pulled pork, sausages, and other meats have a distinct

hour in Boonville. At first glance, the menu looks similar to any Ameri-

flavor thanks to red and white oak wood and his secret dry rub. And you can top any meat with

can bar and grill, but it’s the details that make The Phoenix stand out.

KC sauce or Randy’s sauce, which is spicy.

The main street club, for instance, is your standard club sandwich, ex-

Before digging in to the main courses, order the Roadkill Loaded Chips. Randy affection-

cept with roasted pork loin and a house-made green peppercorn aioli.

ately refers to the dish as his

The Phoenix also makes its own wing, barbecue, and burger sauces; each

hillbilly nachos—potato chips

is worth trying. Staple items with a twist dot the menu, but it’s not a gim-

topped with baked beans,

mick. From the bread to the sauces, the whole menu is flavor-focused.

shredded cheese, and a heap-

A quality beer selection and classic public house décor—think sturdy

ing pile of shredded beef.

wooden tables and chairs—round out the atmosphere. If you have an

Although Randy didn’t run

adventurous palate, options like the yellow fin tuna steak sandwich will

over anything on the menu, he

take you off the beaten path.

will confirm one thing: “It’s not

The Phoenix is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday.

fast food; it’s food that wasn’t

Its subtly elevated menu items make it a best-kept secret in the region,

fast enough.”—David Cawthon

worth stopping at or driving to any day of the week.—Evan Wood

www.randysroadkillbbq.com

Facebook: The Phoenix Public House & Eatery

12670 Route E • 573-368-3705

315 Main Street • 660-882-9200

JONAS WEIR, EVAN WOOD, AND DAVID CAWTHON

With his bare hands, Randy Hrovat built his barbecue joint, Randy’s Roadkill BBQ and Grill, a few miles north of Rolla near the farm where he grew up. There’s no actual roadkill on the menu, but

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Old Mule The “BBQ-Marinade-Dipping” Sauce Putting a little kick in family meals for over 18 years!

Locate a store near you or order direct.

828-625-0305 | www.oldmule.com

Visit Historic Glasgow!

Historic past

exciting present

Glasgow, MO www.glasgowmo.com

THE CORNER STORE

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

Step back in time to your favorite Corner Store where everything you need for the home and family is right here. Also available, vintage furniture and quality antiques.

101 Market St. | 660-338-5869

Don't miss the music!

GLASGOW LIONS CLUB PRESENTS: “JAMMIN ON THE RIVER” RIVERPORT MARKET

EAT SHOP STAY

19th century Italianate charm showcasing oneof-a-kind gifts mostly created by Missouri artists. Choose from artworks of pottery, jewelry, wood carvings, and more!

106 Market St. | 660-338-9989 www.riverportmarket.com

Tour Glasgow and see the first large all steel bridge built in 1877, the second oldest bank in Missouri, The Glasgow Savings Bank, Henderson Drug Store, established mid 1800’s, which still serves orangeades, and other shops that have been here since the 1800’s. History waiting to be discovered by you.

Live music on the bank of the Missouri River!

June 21: Gate opens at 5 pm with Bon Scott S, Big Mijit, and Str 8 Arrow.

August 9: Gate opens at 6 pm with Bob’s Garage Band.

Both events will be held on Water Street in downtown Glasgow. 573-823-0158

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COURTESY OF KEVIN MCGRAW

This Hale-Velie fire engine, which could handle a thousand gallons of water per minute, is parked outside Fire Station No. 8 as it appeared around 1920. Kansas City Fire Chief George C. Hale had patents for a few features like the turret, hose, and extinguishers, which enabled him to put his name on the truck.

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SHOW-ME

Lucky NO. 8

COURTESY OF KEVIN MCGRAW

How Kansas City’s oldest standing fire station was saved. BY DAVID CAWTHON BEFORE ITS restoration, the building at 1600 Locust was weathered and boarded up, its important history forgotten to many. A tire center that occupied it from the mid-1950s to the mid-1990s had punched holes in the original pine flooring and welded pieces of metal to the I-beams to hang tires.

One man remembers the structure at its worst.

Ray Elder, an expert on Kansas City firehouse history, says that he and his wife purchased tires from the building during its tenure as a tire shop.

The sight rattled him.

“When I picked my wife up here one evening, I knew what kind of building this was, and I was disheartened to see what the old building had been turned into,” he says.

Ray knew something about the dilapidated building that few others realized. It was Kansas City’s oldest standing fire station. Old Firehouse No. 8, as it’s known, hadn’t been a firehouse for decades, but it was a masterpiece in its heyday.

The station was conceived when, under Fire Chief George C. Hale’s recommendation, the city purchased the lot in 1883 for $1,500. Construction began three years later, and the building, which cost $2,500, was completed just before Christmas on December 21, 1886. Of course, there were other expenses: the hose reel that cost $700, the horses and harnesses that cost $500, and the yearly salaries for four men and a watch boy, which totaled $3,840. A hundred dollars worth of decorations rounded out the bill. However, the station’s first fire engine was a bargain; it was a hand-me-down.

The station was a repair center for fire engines in the area from about 1887 to 1895, and the master mechanic had an office on the building’s second floor.

George appointed his brother and world-

champion clog dancer Lorin E. Hale as captain of the station. Lorin had worked at another station in town but quit to pursue clog dancing with his other brother William. Lorin hung up his dancing shoes, returned to the

“I knew what kind of building this was, and I was disheartened to see what the old building had been turned into.”

—Ray Elder fire fighting life, and went on to serve in other roles in the fire department.

Although firefighters would travel home on their thirty-five-minute breaks, they slept at the station and worked there twenty-four hours a

day, seven days a week—though an occasional visit to a tavern was in order.

Aside from the fire fighters who first occupied the station, the structure of Old No. 8 is interesting, too. A long tower that juts from the back was used to repair and dry firehoses. What makes this tower an anomaly is that most early fire stations in Kansas City were rented, so many lacked a hose tower.

“That’s one of the strangest hose towers,” Ray says. “It was the first one built like that.”

Later, technological advancements would make these towers obsolete.

Because of its height, the tower was also used to train firefighters to climb pompier ladders, which are specially designed to attach to windows. During a September 1904 exercise, George L. Stapleton fell from the ladder, which led to his death hours later. He was the fourteenth Kansas City firefighter ever to die in the line of duty.

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The first floor has a bar, and its walls are filled with Kevin’s artwork. This is also where Kevin and Denise hosted First Friday art events.

Hanging in the bedroom are a 2004 painting from Kevin’s old studio and two lights (one seen here) from the original Houlihan’s restaurant, which started in Kansas City.

When Kevin’s old bar, The Newsroom, closed, he salvaged a few pieces that now live in his apartment, like the stained glass windows that are on the upper and lower levels.

The original wood ceilings date to the late 1800s. The McGraws added modern flourishes and left the exposed duct work.

Not everything in the home relates to art or fire fighting; this chest and chair were purchased at auction.

The station ceased operations in 1954 when it became a tire center. After the tire center shuttered, the building sat vacant, perhaps lost if artist Kevin McGraw hadn’t seen promise within its walls.

In 1997, Kathy Barnard, a friend of Kevin’s, opened her glass art studio across the street from the old fire station. Before Kathy moved downtown, she and Kevin had been neighbors, and she mentioned to Kevin that the building at 1600 Locust Street needed a face-lift but had potential. At the time, another buyer had made plans to restore it, but a contractor had left with his money; the bank threatened to foreclose. Kevin learned of the situation, made a few phone calls, and purchased the building. It was a fortuitous transaction for Kevin, who was on the lookout for a new home after his old residence at 56th and Locust Streets burned down.

Fittingly, Kevin and his wife, Denise, used a book of matches as a party invitation to Old No. 8. It read: “moving from one fire to the next.”

Long before the party started, Kevin had to deal with the cabinets sitting on tarps and the wood flooring stacked in the corner. Debris and trash from the tire shop littered the building.

“We filled up seven forty-yard dumpsters of junk,” Kevin says.

The couple tried painting the walls, but the paint wouldn’t stick, so the couple wove in dashes of art: paintings, sculptures, and stained glass.

Some were their own works; others were from friends and area artists.

When the first floor renovation was completed, the couple invited the Kansas City art community into their home. Located on the fringe of the Crossroads Arts District neighborhood, Kevin and Denise were part of the birth of First Friday events, which promote area artists.

At their home, the couple gave young artists the chance to show their work for free.

To pay homage to the building’s history, firefighting antiques dot the McGraw’s home.

Although they aren’t original to station No. 8, they are important relics of Kansas City’s early firefighting days. Kevin and Denise were browsing an art store in Westport and purchased a gaggle of old fire extinguishers that now reside on the main floor. Kevin also found an old water tank and placed it in the entryway. These horse-drawn tanks were popular for small towns and would have been used around 1868, about the time when Kansas City first established its fire department.

Upstairs and in the family room and kitchen, more artwork lines the walls, like one of Denise’s early works—from fourth grade. Hanging nearby is an early lithograph from an artist named Laura Isaac, who began showing her work at the fire station. Kevin’s piece titled Views of a Salesman documents everything he saw on a certain day: a Coke machine, his old closet, and pages from his day planner from his old job. Perhaps the most noticeable piece in the room is a four-hundred-pound coffee table that has a metal rod driven through a footballsized rock. And another piece is Kevin’s homage to Crossroads Art District founder Jim Leedy.

“He was a big part of why I bought down here,” Kevin says.

Now, hundreds of artists and studios populate the Crossroads neighborhood. But not all the stories of firehouses in Kansas City have happy endings. Some have been demolished to make way for new development. The No. 25 station and station No. 5 were both torn down to make way for the freeway.

But Old Firehouse No. 8, on 1600 Locust Street, about a block from The Kansas City Star and the bustle of Interstate 70, is a revitalized piece of history that’s become a home and a work of art among Kansas City’s modern urban canvas.

ANGELA BOND

SHOW-ME

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Cruisin’ to Clinton Cruise Nights: June 14, July 12, August 9, September 13, and October 11 Olde Glory Days: July 3-6 Antique & Collectibles Auction: September 13

For more information, go to www.clintonmo.com

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Missouri

Civil War Museum At Historic Jefferson Barracks

www.mcwm.org | 314-845-1861 9 AM – 5 PM daily | St. Louis, MO

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!

now open

Finished buildings start at just $1,200.

Quality construction by Amish craftsmen 800-492-2593 ext. 101 amishmade@missourilife.com

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Musings ON MISSOURI

WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT IN THE never-ending quest for the acquisition of useless knowledge, I spent the lion’s share of winter past learning the intricacies of boat building. I read articles, purchased books, studied designs, perused forums, and downloaded plans pertaining specifically to the moderately obscure vessel known as the Cajun pirogue. I immersed myself in the structural considerations of these shallow draft canoe hybrids to (hopefully) avoid immersion in Davy Jones’ locker. I’ve never understood why the dearly departed, former lead singer of The Monkees operates an underwater cemetery for unlucky sailors, but it’s a query I won’t pursue.

It’s unwise to whistle past submersed graveyards.

I initially sought a tub capable of propelling me far from the madding crowds, which I define as more than three people per hundred acres of water. I don’t enjoy madding crowds on my best day, and even less so when fishing. I’m socially phobic enough that repetitious questions in the vein of “Havin’ any luck?” lead me to pack up and skedaddle. I go fishing for silence and solitude, generally hiding out in sloughs and secluded coves at odd hours. Hooking and landing denizens of the semi-deep—much as I enjoy it—is a secondary consideration.

You see, I’ve a long history of solo, aimless paddling. In my youth, I hit just about every river in the Ozarks: the Current, Jacks Fork, Eleven Point, North Fork, Big Piney, Osage, Niangua, and Courtois, just to scratch the surface. My Florida years found me in the mangrove swamps off Everglades City most every weekend. Throughout my Montana decade, I frequently hauled a hundredpound aluminum Grumman into the high mountains and cruised around on alpine lakes while trying to avoid irritable moose (a rather amphibious RON MARR critter, the moose, with a perpetually bad attitude).

While living within the borders of the Mark Twain forest, I floated the Gasconade near daily. This was a convenient joy, since my primitive cabin was a mere fifty feet from the river (and thankfully above it … the Gasconade floods with terrifying force).

Thus, seeing as how winter past stretched on for roughly fourteen months, you’d think I would by now be in possession of a fine, homemade watercraft. Or at least as fine a homemade watercraft as one can fashion from plywood, cedar fence-pickets, aluminum trim-coil, and a bottle of noxious-smelling marine epoxy. Building a pirogue didn’t strike me as a Herculean task.

I taught myself to build various stringed instruments, and a boat is infinitely easier than that.

I figured the entire effort would require about two hundred dollars, thirty hours, and a minimum of cursing. I figured I’d be done by March.

Luckily, I didn’t say March of what year. Life got in the way, pesky details began to bore me, and the two hundred dollars went toward replacing a busted table saw. That’s okay, for only a few of my countless hobbies have endured long-term. For me, learning how to perform an offbeat skill is ninety-nine percent of the fun. Transubstantiating comprehension into physical reality is too frequently anti-climactic. The months spent home-schooling myself in boat building were pure joy. Does anything else matter?

This is not to say I won’t build a Cajun pirogue. Neither is it to say I will. I suspect the rest of this summer will find me tramping far off beaten paths toward cloistered sections of shoreline, weighed down with catfish rod, camp chair, tackle box, and perhaps a homemade musical gizmo. I’ll merge with the gloaming, watching birds, muskrats, and water snakes, strumming a tune, and waiting for the rise of the line.

Apparently, building a boat doesn’t float my boat.

Happily, ... other things do.

ANDREW BARTON

BY RON MARR

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If you belong to or work with a cultural or educational organization based in Missouri that serves communities, families and individuals in our state, and would like to learn more about grants from the Missouri Humanities Council, please call the MHC at 314-781-9660.

If you have questions about these free grant workshops, or would like to register, please contact Anna Marie Wingron at Annamarie@mohumanties.org Seating is limited, registration is required.

Local Grants

from the Missouri Humanities Council 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.

Missouri Humanities Council Grants Each year, the Missouri Humanities Council (MHC) awards grants to Missouri libraries, museums, educational institutions and other non-profit groups around the state. These grants support locally generated programs and projects that are based in the humanities – subjects such as history, archaeology, anthropology, literature, religion, law, philosophy, ethics and languages – and which connect scholars and experts in these areas with diverse public audiences.

Grant requests are evaluated by the MHC board members in open and fair competition, with multiple submission and review dates each year. Grants up to $2,500 are reviewed monthly, and grants above $2,500 are reviewed in March, June and September. Missouri Humanities Council provides assistance and guidance in completing the applications on request.

In Fiscal Year 2013, the MHC grant program awarded 47 grants totaling $179,774 to organizations throughout Missouri, such as the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal, the National Churchill Museum in Fulton, the Eminence Area Arts Council in Shannon County, the Foundation for the Restoration of Ste. Genevieve, the Springfield-Greene County Library District, and the McDonald County Historical Society in Pineville. The wide range of projects and programs supported by MHC funding during 2013 included publications, video and film projects, teachers’ workshops, exhibits, living history events, lectures, publications and storytelling events.

MHC and local community hosts also will be presenting two-hour workshops on how to apply for a grant for your project or program at the following locations around Missouri this year: June 28 – Savannah July 26 – Bolivar August 23 – Kirksville September 27 – Cape Girardeau October 24 – Joplin [100] MissouriLife

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ALL AROUND

Missouri J U N E /J U LY 2 0 1 4

NORTHWEST

county pride!

SUMMER FUN DAY

NODOWAY COUNTY FAIR

July 17-19, Maryville > Carnival, pedal pull, dances, Hit and Miss Engine Show, ice cream social, quilt show, Texaco Country Showdown, concerts, livestock shows, and crafts. Courthouse Square. 5 pm-midnight Thurs.-Fri.; 1 pm-midnight (9:30 am parade) Sat. Free admission. 660-582-4722, www.nodcofair.org

June 7, Trenton > Free fishing, children’s fishing contests, Amazing Race-style trail race, crafts, games, and nature hikes to the Thompson River.

Crowder State Park. 1-4 pm. Free. 660-359-6473, www.mostateparks.com/park/crowder-state-park

ART IN THE PARK June 13-15, St. Joseph > Visual art show and sale with en plein air competition. Civic Center Park.

10 am-6 pm. Free. 816-279-3199, www.stjomo.com

COLEMAN HAWKINS FESTIVAL June 13-14, St. Joseph > Jazz festival with bands from around the region and art displays. Coleman Hawkins Park. 5-10 pm Fri.; 10 am-10 pm Sat. Free.

816-271-8574, www.colemanhawkins.org

KIDS’ FISHING DAY June 14, Cameron > Fishing in the park’s lake for kids ages 5 to 12, nature displays, and prizes. Wallace State Park. 9 am-noon. Free. 816-632-3746, www. mostateparks.com/park/wallace-state-park

SLICED BREAD JAM June 14, Chillicothe > Six bluegrass bands perform.

Litton Agri-Campus. Noon-8 pm Fri.; 8 am-10 pm Sat. Free Fri. (except camping); $5-$15 Sat. 660-6461173, www.slicedbreadjam.com

COUNTRY MUSIC SHOWDOWN June 21, Maryville > Contestants compete in the Country Showdown National Talent Search. Mozingo Lake Recreation Park. 6 pm. Free ($20 to compete.) 800-748-1496, www.countryshowdown.com

DAWG DAZE SUMMER FESTIVAL COURTESY OF LUKE REVEN

July 10-12, St. Joseph > More than 20 bluegrass bands perform including The Ozark Mountain Daredevils and Rhonda Vincent and The Rage.

Ol’ MacDonald’s Farm. Times vary. $50-$160, 800-838-3006, www.dawgdazefestival.com These listings are chosen by our editors and are not paid for by sponsors.

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HAIRSPRAY July 18-20, St. Joseph > Family-friendly musical full of humor, dancing, and great music. Missouri Theatre. 7:30 PM Fri.-Sat.; 2 PM Sun. $10-$25. 816-2321778, www.rrtstjoe.org

NORTHEAST MUSIC UNDER THE STARS June 5-July 24 (Thurs.) Hannibal > Bring a chair and a picnic for outdoor concerts with artists ranging from bluegrass and rock to blues to country. Historic mall area outside Mark Twain’s Boyhood Home. 7-9 PM. Free. 573-221-9010, ext. 404, www.marktwainmuseum.org

it’s all fair play!

June 6-July 25 (Fri.), Kirksville > Bring a lawn chair or blanket for a different concert each week.

Downtown. 7-8:30 PM. Free. 660-665-0500, www.visitkirksville.com

MARION COUNTY FAIR July 26-Aug. 2, Palmyra > Parade, carnival, car show, 4-H and FFA exhibits, bull bash, queen contest, Old Iron tractor pull, concerts, motocross, demolition derby, Rock ’n’ Roll Revival, and truck and tractor pull. Marion County Fairgrounds and Flower City Park.

Event times and costs vary. 573-769-0777, www.showmepalmyra.com

BOOTS AND BLACK TIE June 7, Macon > Wine tasting, hors d’oeuvres, silent and live auction, and dinner to benefit Maples Repertory Theatre. Royal Theatre. 6 PM. $40. 660-3852924, www.maplesrep.com

COURTESY OF PATTY CHEFFEY

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES

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ART FAIR

GREEN HOMES FESTIVAL

OLDEN DAYS OF SUMMER

June 21-22, Hannibal > More than 50 artisans display and sell their handmade works. Downtown Historic District. 10 am-6 pm Sat.; 10 am-4 pm Sun. Free. 573-719-0252, www.hannibalartfair.com

June 7, St. Louis > Festival showcases affordable, practical options for sustainable living and features more than 70 exhibits and demonstrations, including miniature solar car races and free electronics recycling collection. Missouri Botanical Garden.

9 am-4 pm. $4-$8. 800-642-8842, www.mobot.org

June 13, 27, and July 11, Chesterfield > Event for children 2 to 12 features blacksmith demonstrations, rope and corn husk doll making, schoolhouse activities, hayrides, and carousel rides. Faust Park Historic Village. 10 am-1 pm. $10 (parents are free).

314-615-8332, www.stlouisco.com/parks/faust

NATIONAL TRAILS DAY

WINE CELLAR CONCERT

June 7, St. Charles > Children’s bicycle safety program, bicycle rodeo with Missouri State Park rangers, and information on trails. First Missouri State Capitol State Historic Site. 10 am-3 pm. Free.

636-940-3322, www.mostateparks.com/park/first -missouri-state-capitol-state-historic-site

June 14, Steelville > Hors d’oeuvres and a concert by The Jacques Thibaud String Trio. Peaceful Bend Vineyard. 6:30 pm. $35. 573-775-3000, www.peacefulbend.com

NEMO FAIR July 14-19, Kirksville > Carnival, livestock shows, concerts, children’s games and contests, bull ride, truck and tractor pull, and demolition derby. NEMO Fairgrounds. 5-11 pm. $20-$50. 660-665-8800, www.nemofair.com

SUNFLOWER DAYS July 26-27, Clarksville > Artists come and set up their easels and paint the blooming sunflowers and children’s art area. Downtown. 10 am-5 pm. Free.

314-606-2014, www.clarksvillemo.us

ST. LOUIS

STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL June 7-8, Kimmswick > Crafts, street entertainers, carnival rides, horse-drawn carriage rides, jazz festival, polka band, and a wide variety of strawberry treats. Throughout town. 10 am-5 pm. Free. 636464-6464, www.visitkimmswick.com

GOOD AS GOLD

HISTORY HAYRIDE

June 1-15, St. Louis > Celebrate the Craft Alliance’s golden anniversary with a multimedia exhibition of gold objects. Craft Alliance. 10 am-5 pm Tues.Thurs.; 10 am-6 pm Fri.-Sat.; 11 am-5 pm Sun. Free.

314-725-1177, www.craftalliance.org

June 8, St. Louis > Take a ride on this long hayride that travels along the river and through a prairie with a guide providing historic information.

Fort Belle Fontaine. 10 am, 12:30 and 2:30 pm. $7.

314-544-5714, www.stlouisco.com/park

TASTING FROM THE GARDEN June 19, St. Louis > Stroll through Jarville Gardens and learn about harvesting from your landscape and composting from expert gardeners. There will be a silent auction, too. Queeny Park. 5-8 pm. Free.

314-615-8344, www.stlouisco.com

SOLAR PICNIC June 21, Leasburg > Learn how to cook using the sun. Commercial and homemade solar ovens will be on display. You can sample solar-cooked foods.

Plus, there will be family-friendly, sun-related crafts and activities. Onondaga Cave State Park. 11 am-3 pm. Free. 573-245-6576, www.mostateparks .com/park/onondaga-cave-state-park

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.

Get your plants & feeders out in the sun with SwingArm USA! SwingArmUSA.com 573-552-8321

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www.mttcllc.com 660-537-2577 | 573-544-6977 [104] MissouriLife

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Explore the Old Trails Region

MADISON STREET LOUNGE FOOD

路

DRINKS

路

FUN

660-548-1221 Find us on Facebook Tuesday - Thursday 4PM - 9PM Friday 4PM - 11PM | Saturday 4PM - 1AM

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VINTAGE BLISS MARKET June 21-22, Maryland Heights > Booths featuring vintage, antique, and repurposed items. Westport Plaza Outdoor Village. 10 AM-6 PM Sat.; noon-5 PM Sun. Free. 314-576-7100, www.westportstl.com

WIND SYMPHONY June 22, Hermann > Concert by the St. Louis Wind Symphony. Eitmann Amphitheater. 4-6:30 PM. Free.

800-932-8687, www.visithermann.com

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT TOUR June 22, Kirkwood > Take a twilight tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright house. There will be refreshments. Ebsworth Park. 5:30 PM. $30. Advanced reservation. 314-882-8359, www.ebsworthpark.org

COURTESY OF CIRCUS FLORA

CRAFT ON TAP June 27, St. Louis > Party showcasing local beer, bands, and food with live demonstrations by the studio artists. Craft Alliance. 6-11 PM. Free. 314-7251177, www.craftalliance.org

POKER PADDLE June 27, St. Louis > Bring your own boat or rent one and circumnavigate the lake while collecting cards to try and win prizes. Creve Coeur Park, meet at Tremayne Shelter. 6 PM. $10-$40. Advanced registration. 314-775-2142, www.stlouis.com/parks

Daring young woman on a flying trapeze!

CIRCUS FLORA’S THE PAWN May 29-June 22, St. Louis > Drawing on the history of chess, this tale is performed by acrobats, camels, equestrian bareback riders, and The Flying Wallendas. Circus Flora’s Big Top at Grand Center. 7 PM Tues.-Thurs.; 1 and 7 PM Fri.-Sat.; 1 and 5:30 PM Sun. $12-$48. 314-289-4040, www.circusflora.org

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WINE AND JAZZ FESTIVAL June 28, Chesterfield > Wine and food samples, jazz music from a variety of bands, and a fireworks display. Chesterfield Amphitheater. 3-11 pm. Free.

636-537-4000, www.chesterfieldjazzfestival.com

SPRING CEMETERY WALK

SOUTHEAST SPRING BLUEGRASS CONCERT

July 5, Leasburg > Researcher captures, bands, and studies hummingbirds. Onondaga Cave State Park.

10 am-1 pm. Free. 573-245-6576, www.mostateparks .com/park/onondaga-cave-state-park

June 1, Burfordville > Traditional bluegrass and bluegrass gospel performed by The Whitewater Bluegrass Band, plus refreshments. Bollinger Mill State Historic Site. 2-4 pm. Free. 573-243-4591, www.mostateparks.com/park/bollinger-mill -state-historic-site

SECRET AGENT CAMP

FARMINGTON COUNTRY DAYS

July 14-18, Chesterfield > Learn the science that spies use by performing tasks with your powers of observation and your Inspectkit (ages 5-12). St. Louis Carousel at Faust Park. 9 am-3 pm. $240. 314991-8000, www.stlouis.madscience.org

June 5-8, Farmington > Arts, crafts, vendors, carnival rides, and concerts. Downtown. 5 pm-midnight Fri.; 9 am-midnight Sat.; 10 am-5 pm Sun. Free.

573-756-3615, www.farmingtoncountrydays.com

HUMMINGBIRD BANDING

TUNES AT TWILIGHT

MUSIC ON MAIN July 16, St. Charles > Concert by Miss Jubilee and the Humdingers. North Main Street. 5-7:30 pm. Free.

800-366-2427, www.historicstcharles.com

June 6, 13, and 20, Cape Girardeau > Enjoy a different performance each week at this outdoor concert. Common Pleas Courthouse Gazebo. 7-8 pm.

Free. 573-334-8085, www.oldtowncape.org

ST. CHARLES COUNTY FAIR

TUNES IN JUNE

July 22-26, Wentzville > Carnival, livestock shows, concerts, tractor pull, and more. Rotary Park. Times vary. $5-$35. 636-327-6949, www.stcharlescofair.org

June 6, 13, 20, and 27, Charleston > Outdoor concerts. Rolwing Park. 6 pm. Free. 573-683-6509, www.charlestonmo.org

June 7, Burfordville > Ages 12 and up take a guided hike to Bollinger family cemetery and learn about 19th-century burial traditions. Bollinger Mill State Historic Site. 2-4 pm. Pre-registration. Free. 573243-4591, www.mostateparks.com/park/bollinger -mill-state-historic-site

NATURAL AREAS HIKE June 7, Patterson > Guided 5-mile hike into Mudlick Natural Area past waterfalls, bluffs, and historic hiking shelters. Sam A. Baker State Park.

9 am-2 pm. Free. 573-856-4515, www.mostateparks .com/park/sam-baker-state-park

MYTH BECOMES HISTORY June 10, Pilot Knob > Author Doug Giffords presents a program on exposing popular misconceptions about the Battle of Pilot Knob. Fort Davidson State Historic Site. 7-8:30 pm. Free. 573-546-3454, www.mostateparks.com/park/fort-davidson -state-historic-site

THE RAINMAKER June 13-14 and 20-22, Poplar Bluff > Laugh-outloud farce full of mistaken identities, nuns, wine, and romances running wild. Historic Rodgers Theatre. 7:30 pm Fri.-Sat.; 3 pm Sun. $5-$8. 573-7279066, www.rodgerstheatre.org

Wants You!

The Best of Missouri Hands is dedicated to the development and recognition of Missouri’s Artists and Artisans.

We are a statewide resource for connecting, educating, and inspiring Missouri Artists and Artisans.

ouri

Join the Best of Miss Hands today!

www.bestofmissourihands.org 866-699-2664 2101 W. Broadway, Ste. 322 Columbia, MO information@bestofmissourihands.org

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World-Class Wineries • German Heritage Museums & Tours

MISSOURI’S MOST BEAUTIFUL TOWN

Come enjoy our Old-World hospitality as you see for yourself why Hermann has been voted Missouri’s most beautiful town.

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• More than 60 Gracious B&Bs • Shops & Galleries • Arts & Crafts • Great Restaurants

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•

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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 MINES ROCK SWAP June 13-15, Park Hills > Rock hobbyists set up booths to swap and sell rock and mineral specimens, fossils, and rock jewelry. Missouri Mines State Historic Site. 9 AM-6 PM Fri.-Sat.; 9 AM-4 PM Sun. Free. 573-431-6226, www.mostateparks.com /park/missouri-mines-state-historic-site

FRENCH HERITAGE FESTIVAL June 14, Ste Genevieve > Music, dance, French cuisine, wine and beer tent, reenactments, parades, French Colonial architecture tours, folk dancing, folk tales, and candlelight tours. Historic Downtown. Noon-midnight. Free (except special events). 800-373-7007, www.visitstegen.com

June 21, Cape Girardeau > Artists’ booths, kids’ art tent, high school theater performance, face painting, chalk walk, dance, and music including steel drums, jazz, vocal concert, and the Music Academy. SMSU River Campus. 10 AM-5 PM. Free.

573-335-1631, www.rivercampusevents.com

GAZEBO CONCERTS June 22 and July 27, Perryville > Classy Chassy Country and James Truesdell with Tools of the Trade. Gazebo on the Courthouse Lawn. 5-7 PM. Free. 573-547-6062, www.perryvillemo.com

Corny party!

SWEET CORN FESTIVAL AND TOUR DE CORN June 27-28, East Prairie > Main Street Party, 5K run/walk, crafts, pig races, and outhouse races. June 28th charity bike ride with 15, 30, 60, and 100-mile routes. Downtown. 5:309:30 PM Fri.; 7:30 AM-5 PM Sat. Free ($20-25 to ride). 573-649-5243, www.epmochamber.org

COURTESY OF SILVEY BARKER

SUMMER ARTS FESTIVAL

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2014 • 11th Season

e

FOREVER PLAID [6/18-7/12] The Boys Next Door [6/27-7/26] Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn [7/18-8/3]

BINGO: THE WINNING MUSICAL [10/19-26]

The Odd Couple [11/5-23] Winter Wonderettes [11/28-12/14]

• North Missouri’s Professional Theatre •

102 N. Rubey St., Macon, MO 63552 660-385-2924 www.maplesrep.com www.facebook.com/maplesrep

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SUMMER SPEAKER SERIES

ROSA STRING WORKS BAND

July 8, Pilot Knob > Program by an award-winning genealogist on the stories from Park View Cemetery. Fort Davidson State Historic Site. 7-8:30 PM. Free. 573-546-3454, www.mostateparks.com /park/fort-davidson-state-historic-site

June 28, Newburg > Performance of country, bluegrass, and gospel music. Lyric Live Theatre.

6:30-9 PM. Donations accepted. 573-364-9663, www.lyriclivetheatre.com

July 12, Bonne Terre > Presentation by bat expert, live bats, researchers in action, and live mist netting demonstration. St. Francois State Park. 6-10 PM. Free. 573-358-2173, www.mostateparks.com/park /st-francois-state-park

PHELPS COUNTY FAIR July 23-26, Rolla > Demolition Derby, ATV Race, truck pulls, carnival rides, livestock show, super farmer, home arts, and concerts. Phelps County Fairgrounds. $8-$30. 4-11 PM Wed.-Fri.; 8 AM-11 PM Sat. 573-364-6364, www.phelpscountyfair.com

OLD SETTLERS DAY

SOUTH CENTRAL

July 26, Waynesville > Family-friendly event celebrates pioneers and settlers with old time crafts and demonstrations. City Park. 10 AM-4 PM. Free.

573-435-6766, www.oldstagecoachstop.org

SOUTHERN GOSPEL REUNION June 13, Waynesville > Southern Gospel concert.

High School Auditorium. 7 PM. Free. 573-774-0404, www.pulaskicountyusa.com

CENTRAL

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

CONCERT IN THE PARK

June 19-22 and 26-29, Rolla > Shakespeare’s comedy set in the Wild West where nothing is what it seems. Cedar Street Playhouse. 7:30 PM Thurs.Sat.; 2 PM Fri. and Sun. $12-$20. 573-364-9523, www.ozarkactorstheatre.org

June 3, Camdenton > Bring a lawn chair or blanket for a concert by the Lake Area Community Orchestra at the park’s castle ruins. Ha Ha Tonka State Park. 7-8 PM. Free. 573-346-2986, www .mostateparks.com/park/ha-ha-tonka-state-park

Pickin’ and grinnin’!

OZARK HERITAGE FESTIVAL June 20-21, West Plains > Old-time music and folk life traditions distinctive to the Ozark Highland with a variety of concerts, mule jumping, jig dance competition, Fiddlers Frolic, and quilt show.

Downtown. 9 AM-10 PM. Free. 888-2568835, www.oldtimemusic.org

COURTESY OF WEST PLAINS DAILY QUILL

BAT NIGHT

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THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE June 5, 12, 19, and 26, Jefferson City > Bring your lawn chair for live music. Downtown. 5:30-9 PM. Free. 573-680-5468, www.visitjeffersoncity.com

BLUEGRASS MARTINS CONCERT June 6-7, Versailles > Family of musicians perform contemporary and traditional tunes and original songs. Royal Theatre. 7 PM. $5-$10. 573-378-6226, www.theroyaltheatre.com

ART IN THE PARK

RAPTOR AWARENESS PROGRAM June 21, Danville > Program about birds of prey with live hawks, falcons, owls, and vultures. Graham Cave State Park. 2-3 PM. Free. 573-564-3476, www .mostateparks.com/park/graham-cave-state-park

Flying high!

FLY-IN TO SUMMER June 21, Mexico > Fly or drive in to tour the Zenith Aircraft factory. See demonstrations on kit production, and view kit and light sport aircraft. Mexico Memorial Airport.

8 AM-3 PM. Free. 573-581-9000, www.zenithair.com/events.htm

A STATE DIVIDED June 14-Aug. 10, Linn > A Civil War in Missouri exhibit. Osage County Historic Society Cultural Heritage Center. 9 AM-5 PM Wed.-Thurs.; 9 AM-noon Sat. Free. 573-897-2932, www.osagecounty.org

COURTESY OF ZENITH AIRCRAFT COMPANY

June 7-8, Columbia > More than 110 artists and crafters, music, strolling magicians, and children’s creative art area. Stephens Lake Park.

10 AM-5 PM Sat.; 10 AM-4 PM Sun. Free. 573-4438838, www.artintheparkcolumbia.org

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NIGHT HIKE June 21 and July 19, Camdenton > Hike Spring Trail with a park naturalist to learn the calls and songs of nocturnal residents. Ha Ha Tonka State Park. 8:309:30 pm. Free. 573-346-2986, www.mostateparks .com/park/ha-ha-tonka-state-park

BEAR CREEK BLUES FESTIVAL June 28, Slater > Regional and local blues band performances, guitar raffles, and fireworks display.

City Park. 3 pm-midnight. $10-$25. 660-529-2271, www.bearcreekblues.com

BITTERSWEET GARDEN TOUR June 29, Jefferson City >Five landscaped garden tours, handcrafted garden art, and refreshments.

Throughout town. 12:30-5 pm. $10. 573-634-5436, www.bittersweetgardenclub.com

GUMBO BOTTOMS July 11-13, Boonville > Original musical by Meredith Ludwig dips into the deep water between rural river culture and big city life in the 1920s.

Turner Hall. 8 pm Fri.-Sat.; 2 pm Sun. $10-$12.

660-882-2390, www.gumbobottomsmusical.com

SALINE COUNTY FAIR July 12 and 16-20, Marshall > Demolition Derby (July 12th 7:30 pm), livestock shows, 4-H and FFA

displays, Country Show Down singing competition, rodeo, and junior livestock sale. Saline County Fair grounds. 7 am-9 pm. Free (except special events).

660-886-6908, www.visitmarshallmo.com

SOUTHWEST BIKES, BLUES, AND HOT CARS June 5-7, Nixa > All makes and models of cars, trucks, and motorcycles; concerts; helicopter rides; children’s activities; and demonstrations. Summers at the River Entertainment Complex. 2-11 pm Thurs.; 8 am-midnight Fri.; 9 am-5 pm Sat. $5-$15.

417-714-4126, www.bikesbluesandhotcars.com

RAILROAD DAY

CITYWIDE GARAGE SALE June 7, Mt. Vernon > Variety of items. Throughout town. 7 am until everything is gone. Free. 417-4667654, www.mtvernonchamber.com

HULSTON MILL CIVIL WAR DAYS June 14-15, Greenfield > Battle reenactments, period lifestyle demonstrations, skirmishes, historic mill tour, and children’s activities. Hulston Mill, 6 miles east of Greenfield. 9 am-5 pm Sat.; 9 am-2:30 pm Sun. $5. 417-267-9204, www.dadehist.org

MUSEUM’S 26TH ANNIVERSARY June 22, Carthage > Door prizes, gallery talks, and a program on the historical interpretation of 1860s Victorian clothing. Powers Museum. 1-4:30 pm.

Free. 417-237-0456, www.powersmuseum.com

June 7, Chadwick > Parade, High Strung Band concert and other live music, children’s games, pig roast lunch, contests, silent auction, and Veterans Recognition. Community Building. 9:45 am4:30 pm. Donations accepted. 417-634-3734

FRIDAY SQUARED AND SNO GLO 5K

BISON HIKE

FIBER “U”

June 7 and July 5, Mindenmines > Guided hike to see bison, wildflowers, and prairie animals. Prairie State Park. 10 am-noon. Free. 417-843-6711, www .mostateparks.com/park/prairie-state-park

July 12-13, Lebanon > Fibers arts displays, demonstrations, and classes. Cowan Civic Center. 8 am6 pm Sat.; 8 am-3 pm Sun. Free (except classes).

417-533-5280, www.mopaca.org

July 11, Cassville > Live music, concessions, outdoor movie, and 5K around the Greenway Trail.

Historic Courthouse Square. 7-10 pm. Free ($25 for 5K participants). 417-847-2814, www.cassville.com

A FineOpening Art and reception Fine Contemporary for juried show, Craft“Local Gallery Identity” June 6, 5:00-7:30 pm This exhibit will continue through July 26.

A Fine Art & Fine Contemporary Craft Gallery Tuesday-Friday 9:30-5:30, Saturday 10-4 2031 S. Waverly, Springfield, MO 417-882-3445 •www.waverlyhouse.com

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2031 S. Waverly Springfield, MO

5/2/14 8:17 AM

38TH ANNUAL ICE CREAM SOCIAL July 19, Fair Grove > Pulled pork sandwiches, homemade ice cream, country and bluegrass groups, mill tour, corn grinding demonstrations, and fireworks display. Grounds of Wommack Mill. 5:308:30 PM (followed by the fireworks at District Park).

Free. 417-833-3467, www.fghps.org

BUTTERFLY FESTIVAL July 19, Springfield > Children’s activities, caterpillar petting zoo, and butterfly exhibit. Dr. Bill Rosten Butterfly House. 9 AM-3 PM. Free. 417-891-1515, www.parkboard.org

SUMMERTIME BLUESFEST June 6-7, Gladstone > National and local blues bands. Oak Grove Park. 5-10 PM Fri.; 1-10 PM Sat. Free. 816-436-4523, www.gladstonechamber.com

STREETS ALIVE! June 6-8, Lee’s Summit > Family-friendly festival with arts, crafts, carnival, KCBS-sanctioned barbecue contest, children’s area, and live music and entertainment. Downtown. Noon-4 PM. Free.

816-246-6598, www.downtownls.org

And the band played on!

TRIBUTE TO THE TITANIC MUSICIANS June 20-21, Branson > Yvonne Hume, published author and niece of the ship’s first violinist, John Law Hume, will meet and greet visitors and tell her family story about being related to a Titanic musician. Titanic Museum Attraction. 9 AM-9 PM. $12-$25. 800-381-7670, www.titanicbranson.com

COURTESY OF TITANIC MUSEUM ATTRACTION

KANSAS CITY

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WATERFEST June 27-29, Excelsior Springs > Celebrate the area’s mineral water heritage with arts, crafts, live entertainment, children’s water games, classic hot rod car and truck show, parade, and fireworks. Hall of Waters Historic District downtown. 2-9 PM Fri.; 9 AM-9 PM Sat.; 11 AM-4 PM Sun. Free. 816-630-6161, www.exspgschamber.com

TOUR DE LAKES June 28, Lee’s Summit > Bike tour of Longview Lake, Raintree Lake, Lakewood Blue Springs, and Lake Jacomo. Longview Recreation Center parking lot. 7 AM-1 PM. $25-$30 to ride. 816-969-1541, www.tourdelakes.org

LUNAR STRAIGHT WALL July 5, Knob Noster > Learn what a lunar straight wall is and then see it. Knob Noster State Park. 8:3010:30 PM. Free. 660-563-2463, www.mostateparks .com/park/knob-noster-state-par

¡Vamos a celebrarlo!

ANTIQUE AND CRAFT FAIR

June 20-22, Kansas City > Celebrate Latino culture with traditional music, food, dancing, and exhibits. Crown Center Square. 5:30-11 PM Fri.; noon-11 PM Sat.; noon-10 PM Sun. Free ($10-$20 after 4 PM). 816-472-6767, www.fiestakansascity.com

BREAKFAST AT BINGHAM June 7, Independence > Home-style breakfast, baked goods for sale, and performance by the bluegrass band, The Pheasant Pluckers. BinghamWaggoner Estate. 7-10 AM. $8-$5. Advanced tickets. 816-461-3491, www.bwestate.org

STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL June 7, Independence > More than 600 pounds of strawberries served in shortcakes, ice cream, and floats; family activities; live music; and 100 booths of antiques, arts, and crafts. Vaile Mansion. 9 AM4 PM. Free. 816-325-7430, www.vailemansion.org

UNDER THE BLUE MOON June 8, Kingsville > Cocktails, silent auction featuring hard-to-find plants, live auction, and elegant dinner. Powell Gardens. 5-10 PM. $175.

816-697-2600, ext. 207, www.powellgardens.org

BUSHWHACKER DAYS June 11-14, Nevada > Celebrate the 50th year of this event with an ice cream social, gospel music, Bushwhacker BBQ, Local Legends music, motorcycle and tractor shows, quilt show, baby show, historical reenactments, crafts, carnival, and main stage concerts including Crystal Gayle. Downtown Square. Free (except carnival). 417-667-5300, www.bwdays.com

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES June 13, 27 and July 11, 25, Warrensburg > Bring a lawn chair or blanket for outdoor concerts by

different local musicians. Downtown Courthouse lawn. 7 PM (June 27 at and July 25 8 PM). Free.

660-429-3988, www.warrensburgmainstreet.com

SAENGERFEST June 14, Cole Camp> German singing festival featuring choral groups. Jaycee Gardens. 2-9 PM. Free.

660-668-3157, www.colecampmissouri.org

BAD MOON RISING June 14, Knob Noster > Learn about astronomy and space. View the moon and Saturn’s rings, and take a naked-eye laser sky tour. Knob Noster State Park. 8:30-10:30 PM. Free. 660-563-2463, www .mostateparks.com/park/knob-noster-state-park

GARDEN WALK June 14, Lee’s Summit > Tour gardens in a historic neighborhood. Downtown. 10 AM-6 PM. Free.

816-246-6598, www.downtownls.org

ANTIQUE FESTIVAL June 14-15, Kansas City > More than 100 booths featuring china, collectibles, jewelry, and books.

Crown Center Square. 9 AM-6 PM Sat. 10 AM-4 PM Sun. Free. 816-274-8444, www.crowncenter.com

MISSOURI WINE, FOOD, AND ART June 21, Excelsior Springs > Sample regional wines. Local artisan and crafters display and sell their wares. Listen to live music from rockabilly to jazz. Downtown. Noon-9 PM. $20-$25.

816-637-2811, www.visitesprings.com

July 12, Independence> More than 100 antique dealers and crafts, mansion tours, and performance by the Spirit of Independence Community Band. Bingham-Waggoner Estate. 9 AM-4 PM. Free.

816-461-3491, www.bwestate.org

TOUR OF NEVADA July 12-13, Nevada > More than 100 cyclists race a short one-mile course through the city. Downtown and around the High School. 4 PM Sat.; 9 AM Sun. Free. 417-448-5505, www.nevadamo.org

OUTDOOR MOVIE NIGHT July 19, Lawson > Bring your lawn chair or blanket for a classic movie on a theatre-size screen and enjoy free popcorn. Watkins Mill State Park.

8 PM. Free. 816-580-3387, www.mostateparks .com/park/watkins-mill-state-park

FREE LISTING & MORE EVENTS At www.MissouriLife.com PLEASE NOTE: TO SUBMIT AN EVENT:

COURTESY OF WILLIAM AND JILL DIMARTINO

FIESTA KANSAS CITY

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Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, p. 117 Missouri Civil War Museum, p. 98 Missouri Department of Conservation, p. 123 Missouri Farm Bureau, p. 98 Missouri Humanities Council, p. 100 Missouri Pork Association, p. 124 Missouri State Fair, p. 119 Old Mule Company, p. 93 Old Trails Region, p. 106 The Railyard Steakhouse, p. 93 Rolla, p. 10 Rost Landscaping, p. 97 Salem Area Chamber of Commerce, p. 25 Sand Creek Post & Beam, p. 109 Socket, p. 113 St. Joseph Convention & Visitor's Bureau, p. 104 Stone Hollow Studio, p. 10 Titanic Museum Attraction, p. 11 Tour de Corn, p. 112 Truman State University Press, p. 102 Union Station, p. 33 Waverly House, p. 115

Directory of our Advertisers Connect with us online! www.MissouriLife.com www.facebook.com/MissouriLife • Twitter: @MissouriLife

Albany, MO, p. 110 American Honda Motor Co., p. 3 Amish Made, p. 98 Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, p. 15 Arrow Rock, p. 106 Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre, p. 105 Bent Tree Gallery, p. 10 Benton County Tourism, p. 23 Best of Missouri Hands, p. 108 Boonville Tourism, p. 106 Branson Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, p. 4 Callaway County Tourism, p. 26-27 Cape Girardeau Convention & Visitor's Bureau, p. 102 Central Missouri Speedway, p. 98 Clay County, p. 17 Clinton, p. 97 Columbia Orthopaedic Group, p. 109 Crown Center District, p. 34 Downtown Branson Fiddle Fest, p. 115 Downtown Hannibal Art Fair, p. 103 Gladstone, p. 108 Glasgow, p. 93 Greater Chillicothe Visitor's Region, p. 111

Gunflint Wood Shop, p. 104 Helena, AR, p. 111 Hermann Tourism, p. 109 Isle of Capri, p. 7 James Country, p. 107 Jefferson City Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, p. 21 John Knox Village East, p. 107 Joplin Convention and Visitor's Bureau, p. 111 Kansas City Convention & Visitor’s Association, p. 30-32 KCPT, p. 36 Keokuk, IA Area Convention and Tourism Bureau, p. 112 KMOS, p. 114 & 116 Lebanon Tourism, p. 13 Lexington, MO Tourism, p. 106 Lodge of Four Seasons, p. 2 Louisiana, MO Visitor’s & Convention Bureau, p. 103 Madison Street Lounge, p. 106 Maples Repertory Theatre, p. 111 Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum, p. 103 Marshall Tourism, p. 8-9 Maryland Heights Convention & Visitor's Bureau, p. 25 Mexico, MO Tourism, p. 18 Mission Travel Tours & Cruises, p. 104

GUIDE TO WINERIES, BREWERIES, AND DISTILLERIES: Adam Puchta Winery, p. 80 Belmont Vineyards, p. 79 Blumenhof Vineyards and Winery, p. 80 Cave Hollow West Winery, p. 81 Eagle's Nest Winery, p. 81 Edg-Clif Farms and Vineyard, p. 83 Endless Summer Winery, p. 80 Fayetteville, AR, p. 82 Hermann Hill, p. 80 Hermann Wine Trail, p. 81 Hermann Wurst Haus, p. 79 Little Rock, AR Convention & Visitor's Bureau, p. 82 Missouri Beef Council, p. 84-91

Missouri Life Books, p. 83 Missouri Pork Association, p. 75-77 Montelle Winery, p. 82 Noboleis Vineyards, p. 81 Springfield Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, p. 79 Ste. Genevieve, p. 78 Stone Hill Winery, p. 80 T’s Redneck Steakhouse and Distillery, p. 81 Wenwood Farm Winery, p. 80 Westphalia Vineyards, p. 79 Yellow Farmhouse Vineyard and Winery, p. 83 WET & WILD! Coldwater Ranch Resort, p. 61 Ellington Chamber of Commerce, p. 61 Eminence Chamber of Commerce, p. 62 Meramec Caverns, p. 62 Pulaski County, p. 62 Shady Lane Cabins, p. 61 Sullivan Area Chamber of Commerce, p. 62 GOLF, RESORTS, AND SPAS GUIDE INSERT: Amtrak, p. 12 The Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa, p. 14 Branson Visitor TV, p. 15 Camden on the Lake, p. 16 Downstream Casino, p. 10 Isle of Capri, p. 9 KT Diamond Jewelers, p. 12 Lake of the Ozarks Golf Council, p. 13 Lied Lodge, p. 13 Missouri Division of Tourism, p. 4-7 Missouri Life Travel, p. 14 Moberly Area Chamber of Commerce, p. 12 Osage National, p. 8 The Pitch, p. 13 Point Royale Golf Village, p. 11

Here’s another way to connect to our partners!

Pull out your smartphone and scan this code to request information or link directly to their websites.

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CELEBRATE THE 4th of July, SHOW-ME STYLE! Fireworks, parades, music, and so much more!

IMPROMPTU PARADE, Arrow Rock, July 4 > Join the parade, and pick up a kazoo and be part of the band. Main Street. 2 PM. Free. 660-837-3330, www.arrowrock.org BUCKHORN BLAST, Buckhorn, July 5 > Poker run, family activities, and fireworks.

Shrine Club. 8 AM-10 PM. $5. 573-586-7291, www.local28forr.com FOURTH AT THE FORT, Cape Girardeau, July 4 > Reenactors and cannon and rifle fire. Fort D Historic Site. 9 AM-3 PM. Free. 573-335-1631, www.visitcape.com FIREWORKS DISPLAY, Carthage July 4 > Spectacular fireworks show. Municipal Park. Dusk. Free. 417-237-7000, www.visit-carthage.com OLD GLORY DAYS, Clinton, July 3-6 > Vendors, fireworks show, Grand Parade, cardboard boat race, car show, crafts, pedal pull, carnival, and Office Olympics.

Downtown Historic Square. 10 AM-11 PM Thurs.-Sat.; 10 AM-10 PM Sun. Free (except special events). 660-885-8166, www.clintonmo.com FIRE IN THE SKY, Columbia, July 4 > Two stages of entertainment and fireworks display choreographed to music. Flat Branch and Peace parks. 6:30 PM. Free.

573-874-7460, www.gocolumbiamo.com INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION, Doniphan, July 4 > Food vendors, games, crafts, contests, Miss Current River, music, bands, and fireworks display. Riverfront Park. 1-10:30 PM. Free. 573-996-2212, www.ripleycountymissouri.org 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION, Ellington, July 4 > Fireworks show. Town and Country grocery store parking lot. Dusk. Free. 573-663-7997, www.ellingtonmo.com 4TH OF JULY IN THE PARK, Fayette, July 4 > Parade, swimming pool activities, and fireworks display. 10 AM-10 PM. Free. 660-248-5246, www.fayette.missouri.org FAMILY FUN AND FIREWORKS, Higginsville, July 6 > The Bucket Band followed

by Two Way Crossing, youth activities, concessions, and a huge fireworks display.

Fairground Park. 5-10:30 PM. Free. 660-584-3030, www.higginsvillechamber.org SALUTE TO AMERICA, Jefferson City, July 3-4 > Carnival rides, parade, concerts, beer garden, and a huge fireworks show. Downtown. 4-11 PM Thurs.; 11 AM-11 PM Fri. Free. 800-769-4183, www.salutetoamerica.org LEGACY BLAST, Lee’s Summit July 3 > Entertainment, concessions, and fireworks show. Legacy Park. 6-10 PM. Free. 816-969-1550, www.lsparks.net 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS, Maryville, July 4 > Fireworks show over the lake.

Mozingo Lake Recreation Park. Dusk. Free. 800-748-1496, www.mozingolake.com

COURTESY OF DEBORAH DAVIS

CELEBRATE INDEPENDENCE, Neosho, June 28 > Skydiving act, battle of the bands, crafts, nighttime aerobatic act, and fireworks. Morse Park and Hugh Robinson Memorial Airport. 4-10 PM. Free. 417-451-8050, www.neoshomo.org FAMILY FRIENDLY 4TH OF JULY, St. Charles, July 3-5 > Carnival, live music, crafts, parade, children’s area, and fireworks. Frontier Park. 5-10 PM Thurs; 10 AM-10:30 PM Fri.; noon-10:30 PM Sat. Free (except carnival). 636-946-7776, www.historicstcharles.com

Better than bottle rockets!

BOOMS AND BLOOMS, July 3. KIngsville> See daylilies near peak bloom, enjoy performances by Lee’s Summit School of Rock and Symphony Orchestra, and watch a fireworks display shot off over the Gardens’ 12-acre lake. Powell Gardens. 9 AM-10 PM. $5-$12. 816-697-2600, www.powellgardens.org

FIRE AND THUNDER, Shell Knob, July 4 > Boat parade and fireworks show over the lake. Best viewed from Conservation Park or on Table Rock Lake east of the bridge. 6:30 PM parade; fireworks at dark. Free. 417-858-3300, www.shellknob.com FREEDOM FEST, Steelville, July 4 > 5K run, classic cars, music, and fireworks. Community Park. 8 AM-10 PM. $5 per vehicle. 573-775-5533, www.steelvillechamber.com

FREEDOM CELEBRATION, Ste. Genevieve, July 4 > Live music and fireworks.

Pere Marquette Park. Dusk. Free. 800-373-7007, www.visitstegen.com

PATRIOTIC PARADE, Warrensburg, July 4 > Parade, games, bounce houses, and vendors. Downtown Courthouse. 9:30-11:30 AM. Free. 660-429-3988, www.warrensburgmainstreet.com

JB BLAST, St. Louis, July 4 > Music under the stars, concessions, and brilliant fireworks. Veterans Memorial Amphitheater at Jefferson Barracks Park. 7 PM. Free.

314-615-4386, www.stlouisco.com/parks

DAM EXPERIENCE FIREWORKS, Warsaw, July 5 > Fireworks shot over the lake while you listen to a simulcast of patriotic music. Truman Lake Dam and Visitors Center. 9:45 PM. Free. 800-927-7294, www.warsaw.org

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Missouriana It's like a Wikipedia page you clicked on by accident!

Better know your hot dogs!

A traditional KANSAS City hot dog features sauerkraut and melted SWISS cheese.

In 2001, the US POSTAL Service issued a stamp commemorating St. Louis native AL PARKER’S art.

Of Missouri’s ten DRIVE-IN theaters, only three are north of I-70: The Twin and the I-70 Drive-In, both in the Kansas City area, and the Moberly 5 and Drive, in the state’s CENTRAL region.

Share these during an important meeting!

BLUE SPRING, EAST OF EMINENCE, IS DEEP ENOUGH TO COVER THE STATUE OF LIBERTY, AND IT FEEDS 93 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER INTO THE CURRENT RIVER PER DAY.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ANDREW BARTON

Missouri’s state parks host about 18 million visitors a year—not bad for a state with a population of just over 6 million.

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