I must admit – I did enjoy driving around the state and seeing my name “mo” everywhere. It made me feel so welcome. I also have to say that their logo with the rivers as the “s’s” is the best state logo I’ve seen – well done.
I arrived back to Kansas City after the holidays to find my car in perfect order – just a bit on the chilly side. I was a little nervous about leaving all my stuff in an airport parking lot for a week – but the state of Missouri is full of good folks.
I made my way East to meet up with my cousins who I had not seen for over 30 years. It is my mom’s sister and her family and they have lived out in Missouri forever. On the way, I stopped by a few quaint towns, again full of history. One town is Hannibal and it is the home to Mark Twain. I went to the cave, to his museum, saw the riverboat and bought some of his books. He was quite a witty man and I might have to start quoting him from now on.
My cousins live outside of St. Louis in St. Charles and O’Fallon. It was wonderful catching up with them and seeing all the pictures and hearing the stories. We definitely are related and I think Grandma Zara had some pretty strong genes – we all look like sisters I think.
After spending some time with them, went into St. Louis and looked around. I went into the arch (which is a bit disconcerting) but the view at the top was fantastic. I found a great restaurant called Goody Goody’s that serves a half fried chicken with a Belgium waffle for breakfast – it doesn’t get much better than that.
It was then off (back to) the Ozark Mountains where two more of my cousins live (same family). I spent two days with my cousin Billy and got to also see Molly and her guy Maynard. Billy lives out in the woods, in a cabin, on a gravel road – it’s gorgeous. We went out on the 4 wheeler and explored, checked out the rivers and the fish, got overserved at our own little campfire, and had a fabulous time just hanging out. He’s still my fav! I hope to come back this summer and really get to explore and enjoy the area.
My last stop in Missouri was in Branson. I had not planned on going there as I was headed to Oklahoma City to meet a friend. But plans changed and Branson was beckoning. It was the Christmas parade day and the town was bustling. I enjoyed the energy and the holiday spirit. I met a couple of pilots at the Irish bar where I had stopped in to warm up with an Irish coffee. They were fun and full of stories and just about convinced me to stay the night and explore the nightlife in Branson, but Muskogee Oklahoma and Merle were calling – so I said my goodbyes and hit the road.
Other than the drivers – Missouri is Ok by me. I had lots of fun and enjoyed the diversity of the people and their personalities.
I will have pictures posted soon - having some issues with my technology!
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