Winter 2022
Winter in Missouri can be a challenging friend. Fall entertains us with colorful foliage, summer treats us to hot, sweet afternoons and lazy evenings, spring thrills us with new life and growth. But, winter can chill us with snow and ice that brings traffic hazards, cold noses and frozen pipes.
Still, the winter season has many charms. Winter in Missouri can bring us special joy if we are open to the season’s positive aspects.
Winter travel in Missouri needs to be carefully planned with attention given to weather forecasts. When the cold does keep us indoors, we can enjoy evenings with our families and travel online through our computer screens.
To help plan those cyber trips, I have searched for some winter travel locations. You can type in the URLs directly or just go to ShowMeMissouri.net, click on Cyber-Travels and then click on the links.
Before making any long trips, even in warmer seasons, it might we wise to check on road conditions. This is especially true in the winter season. This Missouri Department of Transportation site will show road conditions as well as road closures due to constructions. It is a valuable resource in any season. Check out the roads at Traveler.MODOT.org/map/.
Older children and adults sometimes enjoy telling ghost stories. A cold winter night might be a good opportunity to dim the lights and indulge oneself in something a little scary. Missouri has a lot of haunted locations. One of these is the Lemp Mansion in St. Louis. This site at LempMansion.com/IsItHaunted.htm tells the tragic story of Johan Adam Lemp and his family. Mr. Lemp was a pioneer in the St. Louis brewery business, and his brewery was located near the present location of the Gateway Arch. His large mansion was the very symbol of power and wealth. The business eventually passed to William Lemp in the early 1900s. After both his son and a close friend died from illness, William lost his mind and committed suicide in the mansion. Two other sons later committed suicide in the home as well. The mansion is rated as one of the 10 most haunted places in the U.S. Today you can visit the mansion and tour it. It also contains a restaurant and an inn.
Leaving the haunted world behind, I remember watching the last Olympics and being fascinated by the curling events. You might remember seeing the competitors sliding a 40-pound chunk of granite toward a target 140 feet away. Teammates rapidly sweep the ice with brooms to change the stone’s path. The objective is to put your stones close to the target. The opposing team can knock your stone away from the target. It has some similarity to shuffleboard. Ready to try it? Check out the Kansas City Curling club at KCCurling.com/. You can go there to watch curling or to take curling lessons. Remember to dress warmly.
In St. Louis, you can visit the “Old Cathedral” near the Gateway Arch or online at OldCathedralStL.org/. The proper name is the Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France. The history of this place begins in 1764 when the founders of the city dedicated this block of land to be used for religious purposes. The current church is the fourth church to be built in this spot. It was dedicated in 1834.
A museum is located in the church basement and tours of the church are offered. Services are held on a regular basis and visitors are welcome to attend. I have been there a number of times, and it is a beautiful church. You can take the tour virtually at OldCathedralStL.org/take-a-video-tour. The video explains much of the art and symbols that appear in and on the building.
Enjoy winter in our beautiful state. If we should see each other at the Lemp Mansion or while having a quiet moment in the Cathedral, be sure to say hello. Nothing warms a Missourian’s heart like a friendly greeting on a cold day.
J.Y. Miller lives in Glasgow and is a regular contributor to Show-Me Missouri. His e-mail address is jymiller@ShowMeMissouri.net.
Still, the winter season has many charms. Winter in Missouri can bring us special joy if we are open to the season’s positive aspects.
Winter travel in Missouri needs to be carefully planned with attention given to weather forecasts. When the cold does keep us indoors, we can enjoy evenings with our families and travel online through our computer screens.
To help plan those cyber trips, I have searched for some winter travel locations. You can type in the URLs directly or just go to ShowMeMissouri.net, click on Cyber-Travels and then click on the links.
Before making any long trips, even in warmer seasons, it might we wise to check on road conditions. This is especially true in the winter season. This Missouri Department of Transportation site will show road conditions as well as road closures due to constructions. It is a valuable resource in any season. Check out the roads at Traveler.MODOT.org/map/.
Older children and adults sometimes enjoy telling ghost stories. A cold winter night might be a good opportunity to dim the lights and indulge oneself in something a little scary. Missouri has a lot of haunted locations. One of these is the Lemp Mansion in St. Louis. This site at LempMansion.com/IsItHaunted.htm tells the tragic story of Johan Adam Lemp and his family. Mr. Lemp was a pioneer in the St. Louis brewery business, and his brewery was located near the present location of the Gateway Arch. His large mansion was the very symbol of power and wealth. The business eventually passed to William Lemp in the early 1900s. After both his son and a close friend died from illness, William lost his mind and committed suicide in the mansion. Two other sons later committed suicide in the home as well. The mansion is rated as one of the 10 most haunted places in the U.S. Today you can visit the mansion and tour it. It also contains a restaurant and an inn.
Leaving the haunted world behind, I remember watching the last Olympics and being fascinated by the curling events. You might remember seeing the competitors sliding a 40-pound chunk of granite toward a target 140 feet away. Teammates rapidly sweep the ice with brooms to change the stone’s path. The objective is to put your stones close to the target. The opposing team can knock your stone away from the target. It has some similarity to shuffleboard. Ready to try it? Check out the Kansas City Curling club at KCCurling.com/. You can go there to watch curling or to take curling lessons. Remember to dress warmly.
In St. Louis, you can visit the “Old Cathedral” near the Gateway Arch or online at OldCathedralStL.org/. The proper name is the Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France. The history of this place begins in 1764 when the founders of the city dedicated this block of land to be used for religious purposes. The current church is the fourth church to be built in this spot. It was dedicated in 1834.
A museum is located in the church basement and tours of the church are offered. Services are held on a regular basis and visitors are welcome to attend. I have been there a number of times, and it is a beautiful church. You can take the tour virtually at OldCathedralStL.org/take-a-video-tour. The video explains much of the art and symbols that appear in and on the building.
Enjoy winter in our beautiful state. If we should see each other at the Lemp Mansion or while having a quiet moment in the Cathedral, be sure to say hello. Nothing warms a Missourian’s heart like a friendly greeting on a cold day.
J.Y. Miller lives in Glasgow and is a regular contributor to Show-Me Missouri. His e-mail address is jymiller@ShowMeMissouri.net.