Letter 3 Southern Illinois/Vincinnes

Monday, April 5 Happy Birthday Granny! We moved into southern Illinois via a bridge at Chester. Then headed east, ending at a beautiful corps park,

North Sandusky on Rand Lake, about half way across the southern tip of Illinois.

Last year we both read the story of George Rogers Clark, Long Knife by Alexander Thom, and the trek of his troop of soldiers, untrained backwoodsmen, to save this area from British control, inspiring Indian attacks during 1777-78—USA Revolutionary War times. We were basically following Clark’s trek in this area. We had the advantage of wheels and good weather, they walked in flooded fields, up to their waist in freezing,

early February, weather to Vincennes. In a short time they captured this British post. He continued to protect this area by making friends with most of the Indian tribes. Clark financed this campaign with his personal funds and from loans he personally guaranteed. He was finally partially reimbursed by Virginia for his expenses. Clark was an older brother to William Clark of Lewis and Clark fame. George Rogers Clark, in our estimation, is a great American hero, yet his efforts aren’t recognized by many Americans. Most of the Revolutionary War emphasis is placed upon the fighting of George Washington on the east coast. Clark and his “Mountain Men” closed Washington’s backdoor to British activity. Clark’s extraordinary heroic efforts were recognized by Washington.

For our delicious supper from the freezer we feasted on Spicy Sweet and Sour Pork by Frank Meyner. This was one of many frozen casseroles we brought with us from our Sunday school class fund raiser. Olivia also made several casseroles to add to the freezer. After supper we visited with two other nomads passing through this area. One from Huntsville, AL, the other from Burlington, IL. Both were heading home.

Tuesday, April 6 we worked on the blog all morning, finally posting Letter 2. This was a lazy day. After lunch we explored the south end of Rand Lake. It was built in 1965 and has about six corps of engineer parks. Very nice. Two have received stimulus funding and are closed for improvements. The one we are in is very nice already. We wondered how they are improving the others, but they were closed to our inspection.

The wind blew, and BLEW, and BLEW! All day.
We found

Burton’s Café, famous for “White Pie.” We asked about the Burtons, Olivia’s maiden name, and they were no longer the owners. Mrs. Burton’s name was Ruth, and since Daddy liked pie we just had to buy a slice.

We asked several places about George Rogers Clark and they said “Who?” One library directed us to the Rand Lake College, so we drove there. A very nice security guard led us to the history department. The expert was to receive an award momentarily, so we were given his email. He told us, via e-mail, of another book about Clark - Clark of the Ohio by Frederick Palmer.

Wednesday, April 7, the wind BLEW all night and was predicted to do so all day, so we decided to stay put another day. Then we decided it wasn’t so bad and we headed across Illinois to Vincennes, Indiana following George Roger Clark's path, so to speak. We could see where the country could be flooded. There were several rivers and very few hills.

While we were still in Illinois we saw signs about the Wabash Cannonball Bridge and its location, so we struck off to see it. “Listen to the jingle the rumble and the roar as she glides along the woodland ore the hills and by the shore …”

When we arrived we realized we could cross the Wabash here. First it was a railway bridge, now it is an automobile toll bridge. The lady in the

toll booth said they averaged between 5-800 vehicles a day.
The bridge was a narrow one-lane affair and there was a

man on the bridge driving nails back into the boards. On the other side, we weren’t one mile into Indiana when our trailer tire hub nut came off (unknown to us at the time) and then, shortly, our left rear axle started smoking. We are so blessed that the man behind us passed and flagged us down just as it started smoking. Fred looked in rear view mirror and saw the smoke. The bearings were gone, scattered on the roadway behind us. We were on a small two lane road with no shoulder and very little traffic. Several people stopped to help.
We called Good Sam Emergency road service. People still stopped to help. Among all the cars and 18 wheelers that past was a

big tractor with tall and wide extensions. He had to go half off the road to get around. He was very careful to miss us and a telephone pole just ahead of us. It wasn’t long before he came back and passed us again!
Within one hour help arrived and the mechanic

knew what to do. First, he jacked up the trailer. Then he said he didn’t need to loosen the lugs, because there was nothing holding the tire on! He removed the tire, leaving us with three trailer tires and an axle about 5 inches off the pavement. Then he followed us at 10 mph, about 5 miles to the large

Coomes Automotive Automotive repair shop in the outskirts of Vincennes, again part of the Good Sam’s network. After assessing the situation, we were here for the night, so they ran electricity to us.

We think this is the same wheel we had trouble with in East Texas our first trip out. It doesn’t have anything to do with lubricating as it still had plenty and was freshly repacked just before our trip.

Please don’t feel sorry for us. It’s all part of our adventure we share with you. Our luck is good! Too many good things are happening for us! We know we will have problems and are prepared to do what is necessary to continue our venture. Life is a bowl of cherries, including pits! You win some and you lose some. We were safe and blessed the tire didn’t come off while moving.

We decided after inspecting another wheel’s bearings, we should replace them all. They ordered parts and closed shop.

We were also blessed as this was our destingation for the day so we unhooked and went into the town of Vincennes which was named in honor of a French Canadian in 1732, he built a fort here to protect the claims of France in the New World. We drove down

Indiana’s first Main Street. It was after hours so we were not able to go into the visitor’s center.

The city’s Historical Marker read:
“Vincennes in the American Revolutions: After taking Kaskaskia, on the Mississippi below St Louis, in July 1778, George Rogers Clark, acting under Virginia authority, sent Father Pierre Gibault, as his envoy, to Vincennes. Gibault convinced the villagers there to take an oath of loyalty to the Americans. In early August, Capt Leonard Helm arrived to take command of Ft Sackville. On December 17, British forces under Henry Hamilton recaptured the fort. Clark with some 160 men reached Vincennes on February 23, 1779, after an eighteen-day march through flooded country. The move caught Hamilton by surprise. Two days later he surrendered. The Fort, renamed Patrick Henry, remained in American Hands.”

When news of his victory reached General George Washington, Clark's success was celebrated and was used to encourage the alliance with France. Washington recognized his achievement had been gained without support from the regular army in men or funds. Virginia capitalized on Clark's success by laying claim to the whole of the Northwest, calling it Illinois County, Virginia. Clark’s efforts helped the US acquire this vast region north and south of the Ohio River in the peace settlement of 1783. Four years later the Continental Congress established the “Territory Northwest of the River Ohio,” a political entity known as the Old Northwest, which evolved into the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and the eastern portion of Minnesota. The continental congress wrote it’s first ordinance called the Northwest Ordinance that guides the annexation of all new lands into the USA and it is still the way we annex any new land today.

There are more things to see, but it was getting dark, so we headed back to the trailer for supper. Our weather has been very good, maybe a little hot. It has been unusually warn according to the locals. After dark, a cold front moved through with thundershowers. This night we enjoyed Pam Stoker's chicken & dumplings. Thanks, Pam!

Thursday, April 8 we woke up to cold and wind. The parts arrived and we waited our turn. Then we found one of them wasn’t up to their standards and they needed to return it and get a new one. So, we will spend a second night on the parking lot of Coomes Automotive. No big deal. While we waited we toured the

George Rogers Clarks National Historical Park, viewed the movie which was an edited form of a History Channel movie. Inside was

Clark’s statue, in full uniform, surrounded by seven murals depicting his story. Outside the

crabapple trees were in full bloom. In the visitor’s center was a display of the

Frontiersmen that played a big roll in settling this area. Clark, Father Pierre Gibault Jesuit priest, Tecumseh, and Henry Hamilton, British commander at Ft Sackville (Vincennes).

Vincennes was also the home of President William Henry Harrison and we saw

his home along with the historical buildings of the first capitol of Indiana. If you remember this Harrison caught pneumonia at his inuagral speech and died 30 days in his term. He wasn’t able to accomplish anything. Fred speculates, because of his lack of activity, he may have been one of our greatest Presidents!

Vincennes was also the birthplace and home of Red Skelton. He was born to humble circumstances, and went on to become one of the best known comedian entertainers of the twentieth century. He was given the nickname “Red” for his bright red hair. His mother was widowed just before Red’s birth and she struggled to raise her four children. Red worked many jobs as a child. He spent most of his early years on the road during the summer as a member of a medicine show. In 1929 he started appearing in Minstrel Shows. In 1941 he had his own radio show. In 1942, he put his feet in concrete outside the Grauman Theater in Hollywood. The footprints were gifted to Vincennes University from Red’s estate.
During WWII while in the Army he helped build up soldiers spirits by going to camps. In 1951, he began his 20 year run on television featuring many characters including "Freddie the Freeloader" and "Clem Cadidlehopper."
Here in Vincennes there is a Red Skelton Bridge, Street, Performing Arts Center and Museum as well as a

mural in downtown. Throughout Red’s successful career he never lost sight of his upbringing and the needy individuals around him. He truly was an amazing artist in many senses. We remembered his wonderful, hilarious, and CLEAN comedy unlike the standup comedians of today.

Friday, April 9, finally all was finished with the wheels and we left town, following the Ohio River

to old Shanteetown. All we found was the Hogdaddy’s saloon

with a line of bras.

We stopped for the night at Cave in the Rock State Park in the town of Cave in the Rock. We found a place to set up and went to see this exciting cave. We walked over the hill and

down to the cave. The walk was more interesting than the cave that was only about 100 yards deep.

As we walked along the Ohio we could see the

ferry crossing.

Saturday, April 10 we drove over to the free ferry crossing and walked on pretending we were pioneers floating down the Ohio to a new home. Along this stretch, the only thing interesting were the

small bluffs where the cave was. Back at the trailer we admired the flower

bed of dandelions and violets along our pad.

As we followed the scenic River Road we had been told about a Chocolate factory at Golconda, so we turned off the road and ended up right in the middle of the Pope County FFA Antique Tractor Show. We had never been to one before so we strolled down the street admiring the

reconditioned tractors. Fred wished Alan had one of the

Ford models.

Along the road we began seeing lots of blooming

Dogwood trees in the woods.

Arriving in Metropolis, IL,population 6,500, we searched out the

Harrah’s Casino where we parked in the big spots for trucks and RV’s. We both went in to scout it out, then came back for an early supper. Fred went back to play Texas Hold’em. Olivia stayed to work on this blog and catch up on reading. It was noisier than Ferris Avenue with all the buses and trucks running their diesels. We hoped we could sleep. The things we do for those we love!

Fred said “Don’t ask how he did.”

Sunday April 11 we walked up the street to the First United Methodist Church of Metropolis. Their preacher was amazing, along with being a great preacher he had a beautiful voice too. People we met in the pews told us to be sure and see the statue of

Superman and the Daily Planet. It seems there really was a Superman and the town of Metropolis. For comments please email Olivia@bobheck.com or Fredharrington@yahoo.com or if you wish to be taken off our list email the same address.

Our next letter will be “The Land Between the Lakes.”

Letter 2 Missouri

Letter 2: Missouri

Wednesday, March 24, one week out. Time flies when we are having fun. Today we posted letter 1, then went into Branson for a little shopping, came back, took a nap, paid bills, cooked steaks, watched the

boats gathering & fishing across the upper end of Bull Sholes lake, called home and went to bed early. We decided to stay one more night here.

Thursday, March 25, it rained in the night and was foggy when we arose, but there was one boat on the lake in the rain. We were still the only camper in this park. This corps park is built on two levels of bank and we are on the upper bank. It is very level with a few large sycamore trees and cleared land. The 40 spots are nice and long. Two trailers came in late in the day and they each had another vehicle and boat. These spots are long enough to accommodate both vehicles and trailers. Each site had electricity with water and a dump available. We were ten miles from Branson. Rain was forecast for the day. It was a very lazy day. We didn’t leave the trailer all day. Most of the time it was cold and rainy. Just a slow, soaking rain, except the ground here was saturated so it puddled all around us. Thank goodness we were on paving.

We were glad to have comments from the first letter, that gave Olivia something to do. Thanks everyone for chatting with her via email and phone. We entertained ourselves. We could have cleaned house, but that was work. Olivia spend a large amount of time marking maps with places friends told us about. Fred read, napped, checked the weather every hour, and occasionally stepped outside. He didn’t stay long.

We guess we over emphasized our battery problems, but just like at home, things have to be fixed, so we take care of it. No big deal. Weak batteries cause problems we don't want. Replacing them at the first sign of failure is our solution. We would rather not have those problems, but it happens.

Friday, March 26 we awoke to thick, heavy fog. We knew the weather was suppose to be clear so we took our time preparing to leave. At 9:30 when we left to stop at the dump it was still with us. By the time we took on water and dumped the holding tanks the fog was almost gone. We had enjoyed staying in River Run Corps park at Forsyth, it was level, with nice spots and on the river/lake. And the whole time there were no pay envelopes in the pay stand. Even if there had been it would have only been $8 a night, but we will take free anytime. Guess it really wasn’t open for the season, but there was no gate and the electricity was on.

Fred said we have to make excuses to our Branson loving friends for not going to any shows. We would have gone to see Noah, except their season hadn’t started, the others just didn’t suit our fancy.

We decided to take a major highway east so we drove north to Springfield and hit US highway 60. It was a nice divided highway, with minimum traffic. The sky was clear all day. So nice to not even have a cloud in the sky, after the day before. We drove a whopping 220 miles to another corps park at Clearwater Lake.

The X marks the camp site we chose below the dam.

River Road park was below the dam and had over 100 spots. All with electricity and some with water too. We chose a spot

close to the river and watched fishermen snag catfish—paddlefish. The host was very personable and we enjoyed razzing each other. We decided to stay two nights as we are not in a hurry. The few spots occupied here are locals that come here a lot. One couple said some stay two weeks, then trade spots with their neighbors for another two weeks. One way to beat the system. This is the second park in a row where

Canadian Geese came right up to the campsite.

Saturday March 27 was just flat boring! It was cold, wet and no one ventured out of their trailers. We did ride around to the other side of the dam and walked on the fishing platforms. We drove into Piedmont (population 2200) and found the United Methodist Church and visited with a member who was in charge of a forest service workshop for youth on their church acreage. They had about 8 stations of outdoor activities such as casting and target shooting. At their tabernacle was a group cooking hamburgers for the teens. Of course they invited us back for Sunday service.

On the way back to the trailer we stopped at a meat market in the country. Best meat we have ever seen. Too bad our freezer was full. One of the many items in their meat counter was ham salad. We asked about the large quantity on display and they said they sold a full tray every day—about 80#. We bought 1/2 pound just to see what it was like and it was very good.

Back at the trailer Fred attempted to cook hamburger patties on the grill and they nearly blew away, but persistence paid off. After supper a local couple stopped by for a chat. They walk 10 miles every day. Wow! It was too cold for us to even peak out the door, much less take that kind of hike.

Sunday, March 28 we went back to the Trinity United Methodist Church between Piedmont and Patterson. They have a very active contemporary church with lots of radical hospitality. We were filled with the spirit and left with a bag of goodies. While in town we connected to the internet and found the Reins from Pennsylvania were not going to be able to meet us in the Land Between the Lakes in Tennessee, so we started plotting another route. We will hit that area later. We thought we would head to St Louis in a couple of days.
We invited the host couple to come for a potato soup supper. They live locally and filled us with lots of ideas of places to see.

Monday, March 29 we moved to Sikeston, MO to be closer to Cairo and New Madrid on the Mississippi River. We were parked in a PA spot with a beautiful entry of

Tulip trees, by two pm, so we prowled the town before going to

Lambert’s about 3 pm. Angie & Bobby had taken us to the Lambert’s in Foley, AL so we knew the routine

Home of the Throwed Rolls! Olivia tried her best to get a good picture of the rolls being thrown, but this was the best she could do.

This fellow had just come out of the kitchen and had already emptied a full pan! They were huge! And so good. Before our order came, we had already eaten a roll and fried okra. The menu consisted of a big variety from chicken salad, liver & onions, vegetable plate, fried chicken livers, gizzards, ham and beans, hamburgers, or the big stuff like steaks, frog legs, beef, steak and ribs. A salad was about 15” in diameter and 8” tall served in a bread bowl! Olivia had started to order a salad, but when she saw it she was glad she had ordered

liver & onions. All of their menu includes pass-arounds. Servers came around many times with black-eyed peas, fried potatoes & onions, sorghum molasses, macaroni & tomatoes and of course the rolls. Their signs say, no sharing and no take homes, but our waitress brought us two to go plates and several cups along with two hot rolls from the kitchen. We left there with enough food for two more meals. Not bad for $24. It was not even 5 pm and the place was already full.
Be sure to go to www.throwedrolls.com take the virtual tour and visit their menu among other things.
AND if you are ever in this area, Ozark, MO, or Foley, AL stop in and give them a try. You won’t be sorry.

Tuesday, March 30 WOW what a day! We departed this RV park about 10 am and traveled south about 20 miles to

New Madrid—say Mad’ rid on the Mississippi. OK, we failed the parent education test, because when we called our daughters, they had no idea what New Madrid was. OK, so many of you readers might not know either so for your education, in New Madrid, MO in December of 1811 there was an 7.9. magnitude earthquake, followed by tremors and another really big one (an 8) in January, 1812. These were the two most powerful earthquakes to strike the USA since the influx of Europeans. Church bells rang in Boston, Charleston, and Washington, D.C.! It was felt through out most of the USA. The Mississippi reversed direction and formed new lakes and a new channel. The New Madrid Shocks became a national event. There was civilization here starting in 1783. The town of New Madrid disappeared into the new river course, so the current town is newer.

These quakes were not measured at the time they happened. It was too early for that science. The magnitude has been calculated and agreed to in more recent times based upon damage reports for various parts of the USA. New Madrid sits near the middle of a fault (New Madrid Fault) estimated to be about 150 miles long, 40 miles wide and 25 miles deep. It runs north northeast from east central Arkansas and terminates near Cairo (say Ka ro), Illinois where the Ohio meets the Mississippi. Today most scientists believe it extends to the Gulf of Mexico and much further north than Cairo. The New Madrid Fault is active. Activity is measured 24/7 along the fault. Many small tremors are detected each month—most under 2.0. It takes about a 4.0 to be felt. It has been nearly 200 years since the last big ones and most scientists believe it is time for another one—though probably not as high as an 8.0.

Recently Fred had read reports predicting the next major eruption will be soon and will be in Arkansas along this fault line.

We had a delightful time visiting in the museum and being educated by their guide and director. It was interesting to learn there was a Methodist Church here in 1810.
So why do people continue to live here? Why do people live near the San Andreas Fault in California? Why do people live in tornado alley? Near hurricane paths? We don’t know. The area around New Madrid is some of the prettiest farmland we’ve ever seen.

Part of an earthquake is “sand blows.” They are like geysers, but are sand. All over this part of the area are scattered sand blows. Surrounding these sand blows, some of which are 30 feet in diameter, were rings of white sand, quite distinct from the mucky black topsoil. They show up this time of year when nothing is growing as spots in the fields, but when crops are planted they do not do well in these blows because the water drains down the sand chimney as far as 25 miles below the surface.

In the Chamber of Commerce we asked why they pronounce New MADrid, and she said they “Chicken Fried it!” We wonder if we could say that when asked about the pronunciation of Waxahachie!

Also this part of Missouri is the “Boot Heel” of the state. They also told us of a way to

drive on the levies to cross the country. Olivia is so glad Fred likes to explore, because we find so many interesting things. We left town on the levy and saw a lot of cultivating in the river bottom as well as on the other side of the levies.

We traveled to the Big Oak Tree State Park where we visited with the ranger for a good while. We saw the world record, largest Persimmon tree, Cir. 6’9”, HT 131’, Spread 40’.

It is the tree between Fred and the water tower.

Fred remembers persimmon trees around Duncanville, Texas when he was a kid. The fruit was delicious, unlike the varieties sold commercially. One day Jimmy Horne, Jimmy Brandenburg and Fred decided it would be neat to build a small log cabin from the trees in a persimmon grove on the Horne’s property, now Lakeside Park in Duncanville. We were about 12 years old. The grove was thick enough so the trees grew strait and tall. Over several days we use hatchets to fell and trim enough to give us a start on the cabin. We tried notching, but it proved too difficult, so we decided to use large nails to hold the logs in place. Nailing into green persimmon proved too difficult. The next day we brought a bar of soap with us. We thought the soap would work as a lubricant. It didn’t. We gave up on the project. I also remember during this project Brandenburg asked that Fred sit on one felled tree so it would be more stable as Brandenburg trimmed the branches. He did and Brandenburg continued to chop. When Fred sat on the trunk, the tree collapsed under his weight & his target moved. The hatchet missed the branch, but not Jimmy's thigh. We never saw so much blood. We made a quick tourniquet and Fred ran about a half of a mile to get help. It turned out okay, but I’m not sure Brandenburg has ever forgiven Fred!

A little further north where highway 80 runs into the river, we drove along the levy for about 15 miles. we saw beautiful cultivated fields on the dry side and trees and water on the river side. At one point we saw a

flooded tree farm.

Dead nettle or as some call it Hen Bit was blooming and decorated the levy side. Surprisingly we did not see any trash in the river bed.

At another point we saw

a family exploring this part of the river.

At the end of this road was the

bridge to Cairo, Illinois. It is on a spit of land that divides the Mississippi and the Ohio.

At the Mississippi Bridge we could also see the

bridge across the Ohio and as we crossed we could see the

conflux of the two rivers. Some where out there was the original Ft Defiance.

As we entered Cairo we saw the reality of what we had been told.

The town was being deserted by the affluent and it was showing

signs of neglect. There were many store fronts that were just shells of their previous days.
We came to Cairo because, when you “do” genealogy, as we have, you study migration patterns in settlement of our country. During the 1800s “main street” USA may well have been the Ohio river. Before railroads, many settlers going west used the Ohio for the first part of their trip. That leg terminated where the Ohio meets the Mississippi, Cairo, Illinois. They re-provisioned in Cairo, then continued their migration. Some to the north, some to the south and some to the west. Saint Louis calls itself the gateway to the west. We won’t argue with that, Cairo was the gateway to new opportunity, whatever direction. Because of this activity, it became a large prosperous city. The stately old homes are a testament to prosperous days. It sad to see it is such decline. Even its river port activity couldn’t sustain the city.

It was really sad until we came to…
the

historic park district. There were many

old homes that appeared to be preserved

and we hoped this was continued.
Many of the streets were brick and some had been paved over.

Its population has shrunk to the point

the hospital was abandoned. Only the beautiful tulip tree showed life. Businesses closed and moved elsewhere.
As we crossed back into Missouri we looked out over to the

Ohio river and promised to see it again up river. Olivia took a picture crossing the Mississippi via the bridge for Deever. She said she couldn’t stand going over big bridges, but see Diana, you don’t have to look down! Tunnel vision! By the way there are ferries across the Mississippi too!

Wednesday, March 31 we moved north, stopping to view the Missouri Wall of Fame, painted in 1995 on a

river wall in Cape Girardeau. Many if not all of Missouri’s famous people were included on this wall.
From Mark Twain,

Rush Limbough,

Truman

the sports and entertainment field. Along the way were plaques telling a brief history of each person. The wall was a long block long and very well done.

Thursday, April 1 we headed into St Louis to the

Gateway Arch. Trees along the path were blooming but we have never seen this kind of buds. We wondered what they were. Fred thinks they are burr oak. Several had told us the river was up and it was up

to the street below the arch. Underground below the arch is a large area where we saw a big screen movie about Lewis & Clark. There were murals on the wall of the underground.

This Gateway Arch is a memorial to westward expansion and an icon of the city of St. Louis. Many embraced Manifest Destiny, a phrase coined in 1845 to explain America’s thirst for expansion to the Pacific Ocean. It crystallized the idea that it was God’s will and the right of Americans to take over the continent. The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial park was designated a national historic site in 1935 to honor the type of all the frontier heroes. In 1803 Lewis and Clark outfitted here, furs were traded, the westward emigration, In 1874 Eads Bridge was finished and the railroad era began. In 1890 the US census said there was no more frontier.

The arch stands for the many cultures that made the American West what it is today. 40 blocks of old buildings were leveled in the core of the downtown area, where the French originally set up a fur trading post in 1764 and steamboats jostled for space in one of the nation’s busiest pre-Civil War ports.
The structure of the Arch is a sandwich made of stainless steel on the outside, carbon steel on the inside and concrete in the middle. Fred did not want to be one of the million people that take the tram to the top each year.

After seeing the arch, we dashed over to one of the big hospitals so Olivia could get her annual mammogram. It was surprising she was able to get an appointment that morning. With a good report we went back to the river to attempt to see another river wall painted by artists. When we found it, others had defaced it so much it was ruined.

On the way back to the trailer we stopped in Kimmswick on the river to eat at the

Blue Owl Restaurant and Bakery, but unfortunately they closes at 3 pm. There was a local committee meeting going on and the lady politely gave us the menu and invited us back another day. She did show us their baked goods and we bought one of the little

butterscotch pecan pies. It is a pecan pie recipe with butterscotch pieces, baked then piled with pecans on top and held on with a glaze. The little

apple pie must have been baked with a whole apple on top. We visited briefly with the delightful owner. She is originally from Galveston, Texas.

We were camped in St Joe’s State Park about 75 miles south of St Louis. We intended to be closer, but it being Easter Weekend we took what we could get. There were some sites to see in this area so it was ok. This particular state park is unique in that the main attraction is off road trails and horse trails.

Our camp spot was on the end of the road of the horse loop. There is a large parking lot at the main road and hitching posts at the campsites. We hoped no one camped next to us with horses. At least there was not a site on the other side of us. It is forested with hardwood trees, with a few scattered cedars.

Friday, April 2, Happy Birthday Teenya! This was washday for us, so we gathered everything dirty and drove into Farmington—population about 15,000. After washingclothes, Fred sprayed off the worst of the levee dirt from the Suburban. The afternoon included a walk around the loops and cooking steaks on the grill. Nice day.

Saturday, April 3, it rained during the night and we awoke to rain drops sparkling in the sunlight on the cedar tree leaves and a lower temperature.

This was a day to sightsee. We took off to Bonne Terre and found an abandoned lead mine that offered tours of the underground mine and lake. It has been developed into a hot spot to scuba dive. The mine had been 5 layers deep and when active, there were pumps to empty out the seeping water. Pumping has ceased. Now three layers are flooded. On the way down to the second level

scuba divers passed us. We stopped to hear about the

ore buckets. Each miner was required to fill 21 of these one ton buckets per day and received $1 for their efforts. The buckets were pulled by mule to a shaft below where it was processed before being hefted to the ground. The miners hollowed out the ground, leaving pillars and

the pillars were repeated on each level under the pillar above. When we arrived at the

underground lake

we boarded a flat bottom boat with silent trolling motors to explore the most remote historic portions of the 17 mile shoreline of the world’s largest subterranean lake.

Divers were in the area and we saw their bubbles. Fred said this was better than the Blue Grotto. That's saying something. The color of the water was beautiful.

Visibility underwater is said to be about 100 feet, with a good light source. One man said his group of 12 from Wisconsin paid $365 each for this trip. It included lodging and 3 days of diving.

This mine has been on the Discovery Channel and we were told that on UTube was a show filmed in this lake. Olivia tried to watch it, but we didn’t have enough power. You might want to watch it called Red Bull Depth Charge. Let us know how it is.

From there we drove south to Elephant Rocks State Park which reminded us a lot of Enchanted Rock State Park in Texas. This is where granite bubbled up, then the dirt eroded and left these giant boulders. The kids were having a great time

climbing on the rocks and

families were enjoying the pretty day for picnics.

On our way through Farmington we discovered a

storage unit flea market and Olivia just had to stop to see if there were any fleas? We both bought one book.

Our next adventure was to drive to the Mississippi River at St Genevieve to ride the ferry. We finally found it, or was it the landing? We drove the mile back into town, yes that is the ferry landing. Then back to the landing where someone told us the river was running too high for the ferry to land on the other side. So, no ferry crossing for us today.

Sunday, April 4 what a glorious Easter Sunday! The sky was clear, the flowers were blooming and

Manchester United Methodist Church was amazing. We arrived 30 minutes early and the parking lot was changing shifts. What a traffic jam! Olivia so wished for the camera inside. This church has a membership of 3000. By the time the service started we estimated 1500 in the sanctuary, balcony and northex hall. The prelude was like a symphony and the choir came in at least 125 strong. They faced the congregation with their bells in a balcony above the choir. Two men on the end played 13 big bells. We couldn’t see how many the other 14 members played. Garlands of spring flowers hung from the bell balcony and sprays of flowers were in each window. Then we all sang “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” which made cold chills run up our spine.. The rest of the service was just as meaningful. Very Moving Service! In the Sermon the pastor spoke of the Echo of the Reserection this congregation will participate to carry on what God started on Christmas and Easter. They will not go to church that day, but will participate in about 20 ways of service from feeding the homeless, helping at a shelter of homeless mentally ill women, to visiting nursing homes. They had a table set up in the northex for members to sign up.
During the final hymm “Crown him with many Crowns” the shades of the windows were raised. All together a wonderful service.
Olivia found out the information about “Don’t Go to Church” May 2 and will send to our church.

From there we drove about five miles to Chesterfield to visit with Olivia’s cousins, Steve, Sidney, Wes and Bailey. Wes is 17, a junior in high school and loves MUSIC! Bailey will be 13 next week and as her parents said, she sets the pace for the family. Their place is on a hillside,

overlooking a small private lake with a balcony all around it. Sidney's mother and step father were also there. Steve is Olivia’s cousin Bob Hiatt’s oldest son. We have visited with the younger son Scott several times when we visited Bob near Kansas City. Steve is an Oral Surgeon like his father. Sidney found the house and they added on the back room, dining room, garage and completely redecorated the house. They lived in the construction for 4 months during it’s completion.

The large dining room has full length windows facing the lake. We enjoyed a wonderful Easter lunch and a nice visit with them all.

As we were leaving we took

group pictures on their hill with the tulip and pear trees in the background. Sidney said, “They have next year’s Christmas card.” Bailey designs their cards around their pictures.

Thanks for reading our blog and to send us comments please email olivia@bobheck.com or fredharrington@yahoo.com
Next letter: Illinois.