Summer 2018
After a spring in which Mother Nature seemed to have trouble making up her mind, we are really ready for a nice warm summer. We had snow on Easter here in Glasgow and on the next two Sundays, as well. Many of us will be planning trips as school lets out, and even if a long vacation is not possible, shorter trips to explore our beautiful state are always in order.
As always, I have searched for some interesting sites to get you started.
When I was growing up in mid-Missouri, summer fun usually included a visit to the Lake of the Ozarks. The fun there might include fishing, swimming, or visiting Lee Mace’s Ozark Opry. FunLake.com offers a glimpse at everything there is to do. The site has a link to some great videos and a place to order a free official “Lake of the Ozarks Vacation Guide”.
Lee Mace was a pioneer at the Lake. He has passed on now, but his Ozark Opry is still providing family entertainment. A museum of the original opry and webpage at LeeMacesOzarkOpry.com shares the story. My family saw the show on TV and in person. We thought that Dillard Stamper looked a lot like my dad. Go to their page just to see the old photos and to read the poem about Lee Mace.
To go even farther back into the past, you might enjoy a visit to Ste. Genevieve. This is Missouri’s oldest permanent town and a treasure of history. A website at VisitSteGen.com offers plenty to see and do. You can travel back to Missouri’s early French roots at Felix Vallé House State Historic Site. The American-Federal style Valle house was built in 1818 and today is furnished in the style of the 1830s with a host of artifacts that show the American influence on the French community of Ste. Genevieve after the Louisiana Purchase. The Bauvais-Amoureux House, built in 1792, is one of several other historic homes in the site, nestled within historic Ste. Genevieve. I did not find a reference on the page, but if you eat in one of the fine restaurants, I would recommend a local speciality, Liver Dumplings. Really, they are good!
If you are in my neck of the woods in June, you can drop by the Glasgow Beer Bash. Similar to the community’s Wine Walk, you can walk around the historic downtown and sample craft beers. The Bash is sponsored by the Friends of the Glasgow Pool (FriendsOfTheGlasgowPool.org) to raise money to replace the old public pool. There will be a public street dance/concert in the evening after the Bash.
Of course, the highlight of many summers in Missouri is a trip to the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia. I went many times as a child but had not been able to go for a long time until last summer. Because my wife and I are both retired, we did not need to get our classrooms ready to start school, and it was a perfect reason to visit the fair. We had such a good time that we plan to go back this August. You can plan your trip and decide which attractions you want to see at MoStateFair.com. They still have the livestock exhibits and the famous “butter cow”. I’ll see them both again, and I’ll also get my senior pass for unlimited rides on the shuttle wagons around the whole fairgrounds.
I hope you have a great Missouri summer. Who knows, we might cross paths either on the internet or even IRL. If you should see me at the Beer Bash, enjoying country music at the Ozark Opry, or at the State Fair; be sure to say hello. That’s just how we are in Missouri-—always glad to meet a friend.
J.Y. Miller lives in Glasgow and is a regular contributor to Show-Me Missouri. His e-mail address is jymiller@ShowMeMissouri.net.
As always, I have searched for some interesting sites to get you started.
When I was growing up in mid-Missouri, summer fun usually included a visit to the Lake of the Ozarks. The fun there might include fishing, swimming, or visiting Lee Mace’s Ozark Opry. FunLake.com offers a glimpse at everything there is to do. The site has a link to some great videos and a place to order a free official “Lake of the Ozarks Vacation Guide”.
Lee Mace was a pioneer at the Lake. He has passed on now, but his Ozark Opry is still providing family entertainment. A museum of the original opry and webpage at LeeMacesOzarkOpry.com shares the story. My family saw the show on TV and in person. We thought that Dillard Stamper looked a lot like my dad. Go to their page just to see the old photos and to read the poem about Lee Mace.
To go even farther back into the past, you might enjoy a visit to Ste. Genevieve. This is Missouri’s oldest permanent town and a treasure of history. A website at VisitSteGen.com offers plenty to see and do. You can travel back to Missouri’s early French roots at Felix Vallé House State Historic Site. The American-Federal style Valle house was built in 1818 and today is furnished in the style of the 1830s with a host of artifacts that show the American influence on the French community of Ste. Genevieve after the Louisiana Purchase. The Bauvais-Amoureux House, built in 1792, is one of several other historic homes in the site, nestled within historic Ste. Genevieve. I did not find a reference on the page, but if you eat in one of the fine restaurants, I would recommend a local speciality, Liver Dumplings. Really, they are good!
If you are in my neck of the woods in June, you can drop by the Glasgow Beer Bash. Similar to the community’s Wine Walk, you can walk around the historic downtown and sample craft beers. The Bash is sponsored by the Friends of the Glasgow Pool (FriendsOfTheGlasgowPool.org) to raise money to replace the old public pool. There will be a public street dance/concert in the evening after the Bash.
Of course, the highlight of many summers in Missouri is a trip to the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia. I went many times as a child but had not been able to go for a long time until last summer. Because my wife and I are both retired, we did not need to get our classrooms ready to start school, and it was a perfect reason to visit the fair. We had such a good time that we plan to go back this August. You can plan your trip and decide which attractions you want to see at MoStateFair.com. They still have the livestock exhibits and the famous “butter cow”. I’ll see them both again, and I’ll also get my senior pass for unlimited rides on the shuttle wagons around the whole fairgrounds.
I hope you have a great Missouri summer. Who knows, we might cross paths either on the internet or even IRL. If you should see me at the Beer Bash, enjoying country music at the Ozark Opry, or at the State Fair; be sure to say hello. That’s just how we are in Missouri-—always glad to meet a friend.
J.Y. Miller lives in Glasgow and is a regular contributor to Show-Me Missouri. His e-mail address is jymiller@ShowMeMissouri.net.