Summer 2022
The ending of the spring teased us by alternating days of summer-like warmth with cold winds and snow. Summer heat in the daytime and gentle warmth in the long summer evenings make a Missouri summer the stuff that dreams are made of.
With the kids on school summer vacation and our inclinations to relax, it is an ideal time to enjoy some travel in our beautiful state of Missouri. Travel through our computers is always a good way to satisfy that “travel itch” or to plan our IRL travel. As usual, I have scouted out some URLs that you may visit.
Surely, we have all noticed the large representations of quilt blocks on barns as we travel. These quilt barns make a nice diversion as we drive, and you can visit them all at OnlyInYourState.com/missouri/quilt-barn-trail-mo/. The page not only shows the quilt barns, but also shows how the barn displays are made.
Speaking of quilts, a project of the Missouri Bicentennial 2021 was the creation of a special bicentennial quilt with a square representing each of our 114 counties. Contests were held to select the quilt squares. You can view the entire quilt or a closeup of each square at Missouri2021.org/bicentennial-quilt. The Pemiscot County block was designed by a retired teacher from Caruthersville, Vickie DeReign. Vickie and I taught in the same school and we both taught this magazine’s publisher, Gary Figgins.
For many of us, camping is a favorite summer activity. I’ve spent a lot of nights in a tent and most of them were very enjoyable. A big step up from my popup tent is a yurt. Campers at the Lake of the Ozarks State Park at Kaiser can rent a yurt. Yurts are very spacious and come equipped with beds, other furniture, refrigerators, and both heating and air conditioners. You can have a look at them and the other features of the park at OnlyInYourState.com/missouri/spend-the-night-in-a-yurt-at-this-gorgeous-mo-state-park.
George Washington Carver is famous for his work in developing uses for the peanut. He was born on a farm near Diamond in the Southwest part of the state. The 240 acre National Historic Site is maintained by the National Park Service. Tours are guided by Park Rangers and there is no admission chage. Learn more at NPS.gov/gwca/planyourvisit/things2do.htm .
Today, the Missouri Department of Agriculture is housed in the George Washington Carver Building in Jefferson City. Visit oa.mo.gov/content/george-washington-carver-state-office-building-mda to learn more.
Most of us would not think of being without our cell phones. There was a time when phones were all attached to walls. The Jefferson Barracks Telephone museum will let you explore the history of telephones with many displays of equipment including central office switching stations. As an old Signal Corps officer, I really want to visit this museum. Until I get there IRL, I’ll content myself with the website at VisitMo.com/things-to-do/jefferson-barracks-telephone-museum/ .
Jefferson Barracks is a former military reservation near St. Louis. There is a veterans cemetery and other things to see: Learn more at FriendsOfJeffersonBarracks.com/recon_area_maps.php .
I hope you enjoy a peaceful summer in our beautiful state of Missouri. Be careful on both the IRL and internet highways. If our paths should cross and you see me at a Missouri campsite or enjoying some peanuts at the Carver Historical Site, please say hello. Meeting and making friends can be the best part of a Missouri summer.
With the kids on school summer vacation and our inclinations to relax, it is an ideal time to enjoy some travel in our beautiful state of Missouri. Travel through our computers is always a good way to satisfy that “travel itch” or to plan our IRL travel. As usual, I have scouted out some URLs that you may visit.
Surely, we have all noticed the large representations of quilt blocks on barns as we travel. These quilt barns make a nice diversion as we drive, and you can visit them all at OnlyInYourState.com/missouri/quilt-barn-trail-mo/. The page not only shows the quilt barns, but also shows how the barn displays are made.
Speaking of quilts, a project of the Missouri Bicentennial 2021 was the creation of a special bicentennial quilt with a square representing each of our 114 counties. Contests were held to select the quilt squares. You can view the entire quilt or a closeup of each square at Missouri2021.org/bicentennial-quilt. The Pemiscot County block was designed by a retired teacher from Caruthersville, Vickie DeReign. Vickie and I taught in the same school and we both taught this magazine’s publisher, Gary Figgins.
For many of us, camping is a favorite summer activity. I’ve spent a lot of nights in a tent and most of them were very enjoyable. A big step up from my popup tent is a yurt. Campers at the Lake of the Ozarks State Park at Kaiser can rent a yurt. Yurts are very spacious and come equipped with beds, other furniture, refrigerators, and both heating and air conditioners. You can have a look at them and the other features of the park at OnlyInYourState.com/missouri/spend-the-night-in-a-yurt-at-this-gorgeous-mo-state-park.
George Washington Carver is famous for his work in developing uses for the peanut. He was born on a farm near Diamond in the Southwest part of the state. The 240 acre National Historic Site is maintained by the National Park Service. Tours are guided by Park Rangers and there is no admission chage. Learn more at NPS.gov/gwca/planyourvisit/things2do.htm .
Today, the Missouri Department of Agriculture is housed in the George Washington Carver Building in Jefferson City. Visit oa.mo.gov/content/george-washington-carver-state-office-building-mda to learn more.
Most of us would not think of being without our cell phones. There was a time when phones were all attached to walls. The Jefferson Barracks Telephone museum will let you explore the history of telephones with many displays of equipment including central office switching stations. As an old Signal Corps officer, I really want to visit this museum. Until I get there IRL, I’ll content myself with the website at VisitMo.com/things-to-do/jefferson-barracks-telephone-museum/ .
Jefferson Barracks is a former military reservation near St. Louis. There is a veterans cemetery and other things to see: Learn more at FriendsOfJeffersonBarracks.com/recon_area_maps.php .
I hope you enjoy a peaceful summer in our beautiful state of Missouri. Be careful on both the IRL and internet highways. If our paths should cross and you see me at a Missouri campsite or enjoying some peanuts at the Carver Historical Site, please say hello. Meeting and making friends can be the best part of a Missouri summer.