Winter 2023
The ever revolving cycle of seasons has once again moved to winter. Every season in Missouri has unique and wonderful charms. Winter may not be your favorite (it is not mine), but still there are many aspects of a winter season that bring us pleasure, especially when that season is in Missouri.
Winter pleasures include steaming mugs of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate while relaxing in a comfortable chair in the presence of good friends. As always, I have researched some internet sites to get you started.
Warm Springs Ranch near Boonville is the home of the famous Anheuser Busch Clydesdales. The usual tours of the ranch are not available in the winter, but they have special Christmas-related events that you can read about at OnlyInYourState.com/missouri/christmas-farm-mo. Visitors IRL can visit the horses, tour the barns, shop at the gift shop and enjoy special Christmas treats. Visitors online can see some great photos of the ranch.
It has become very popular for communities in Missouri to sponsor drive-through events in their parks to see Christmas displays with lights and music. Glasgow is a historic river town located on the sharpest bend in the Missouri River, so our parades is a nighttime lighted Christmas themed boat parade. This page tells more about it and includes a video of last year’s parade: VisitMo.com/events/old-fashioned-christmas-boat-parade.
Eagle Days events are very popular in Missouri. This website at mdc.mo.gov/events/eagle-days, will help you locate a good place to observe these birds along waterways in Missouri. Remember, it is illegal to get too close to the birds or to frighten them. I plan to observe our local eagles with binoculars from the upstairs porch of my house in Glasgow.
I used to enjoy hiking and camping and often did both with family, Boy Scouts and even alone. Some physical problems make that more difficult for me now, and my camping is pretty much limited to an annual visit to Boy Scout Camp Lewallen just north of Poplar Bluff: StLBSA.org/properties/all-properties/camp-lewallen. I used to love hiking and camping in any season. Winter hiking presents more challenges than summer, but on the plus side, there are a lot fewer bugs and snakes.
Hiking trails, wild animal viewing are close to St. Louis. You can see photos of Lone Elk County Park at StLouisCountyMO.gov/st-louis-county-departments/parks/places/lone-elk-park/#30H. Lone Elk Park is a wildlife management area with bison, wild turkey, waterfowl, elk and deer. Motorcycles are prohibited. Domestic animals are not allowed, even if confined in a vehicle. The park acreage was once part of the Tyson Valley Powder Plant used for the testing and storage of ammunition during WWII. After the war, the area served as a county park, and in 1948 herds of elk and bison were established. The land was re-acquired by the Federal Government during the Korean War, and for safety reasons, the wildlife herds were destroyed in 1958. However, one lone bull elk survived.
In 1964 St. Louis County reacquired a portion of the original tract from the General Services Administration and in 1966 the name was changed from Tyson Park to Lone Elk County Park. Six additional elk were obtained from Yellowstone National Park in 1966 through the efforts of the children of the Rockwood School District and West St. Louis County Lions Club.
I hope you have a great and safe winter. If our paths should cross while watching a parade or checking out a Christmas display, be sure to say hello. There is nothing like a warm Missouri greeting to increase comfort on a cold day.
Winter pleasures include steaming mugs of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate while relaxing in a comfortable chair in the presence of good friends. As always, I have researched some internet sites to get you started.
Warm Springs Ranch near Boonville is the home of the famous Anheuser Busch Clydesdales. The usual tours of the ranch are not available in the winter, but they have special Christmas-related events that you can read about at OnlyInYourState.com/missouri/christmas-farm-mo. Visitors IRL can visit the horses, tour the barns, shop at the gift shop and enjoy special Christmas treats. Visitors online can see some great photos of the ranch.
It has become very popular for communities in Missouri to sponsor drive-through events in their parks to see Christmas displays with lights and music. Glasgow is a historic river town located on the sharpest bend in the Missouri River, so our parades is a nighttime lighted Christmas themed boat parade. This page tells more about it and includes a video of last year’s parade: VisitMo.com/events/old-fashioned-christmas-boat-parade.
Eagle Days events are very popular in Missouri. This website at mdc.mo.gov/events/eagle-days, will help you locate a good place to observe these birds along waterways in Missouri. Remember, it is illegal to get too close to the birds or to frighten them. I plan to observe our local eagles with binoculars from the upstairs porch of my house in Glasgow.
I used to enjoy hiking and camping and often did both with family, Boy Scouts and even alone. Some physical problems make that more difficult for me now, and my camping is pretty much limited to an annual visit to Boy Scout Camp Lewallen just north of Poplar Bluff: StLBSA.org/properties/all-properties/camp-lewallen. I used to love hiking and camping in any season. Winter hiking presents more challenges than summer, but on the plus side, there are a lot fewer bugs and snakes.
Hiking trails, wild animal viewing are close to St. Louis. You can see photos of Lone Elk County Park at StLouisCountyMO.gov/st-louis-county-departments/parks/places/lone-elk-park/#30H. Lone Elk Park is a wildlife management area with bison, wild turkey, waterfowl, elk and deer. Motorcycles are prohibited. Domestic animals are not allowed, even if confined in a vehicle. The park acreage was once part of the Tyson Valley Powder Plant used for the testing and storage of ammunition during WWII. After the war, the area served as a county park, and in 1948 herds of elk and bison were established. The land was re-acquired by the Federal Government during the Korean War, and for safety reasons, the wildlife herds were destroyed in 1958. However, one lone bull elk survived.
In 1964 St. Louis County reacquired a portion of the original tract from the General Services Administration and in 1966 the name was changed from Tyson Park to Lone Elk County Park. Six additional elk were obtained from Yellowstone National Park in 1966 through the efforts of the children of the Rockwood School District and West St. Louis County Lions Club.
I hope you have a great and safe winter. If our paths should cross while watching a parade or checking out a Christmas display, be sure to say hello. There is nothing like a warm Missouri greeting to increase comfort on a cold day.