St. Charles County Missouri has many wonderful parks to explore. In this post I will review Broemmelsiek Park. This park has a delightful history and is a great place for a photographer to explore. On this page I will tell you a bit of the history and the features of the park. I will also share photographs that I took at the park on a recent trip with my photography club.
A Bit of History
The land for Broemmelsiek park was acquired by the St. Charles County Parks and Recreation department in 2002. The original land acquisition included a partial donation by the Broemmelsiek family whose desire was to save their precious land from subdivision development and preserve the natural beauty of St. Charles County. The park was then named for Jack and Betty Broemmelsiek who lived on the property for more than 30 years and were committed to promoting conservation activities. The home where they lived on the farm has been converted into the visitor center. The lake below the visitor center is called Betty's lake in honor of Betty Broemmelsiek.
Park Features
This 494-acre park located at 1795 Hwy DD in Defiance Missouri has many wonderful features for the nature lover.
Several large lakes for fishing.
9 miles of multi-use trails for hiking, biking and equestrian use.
A 4.7 off-leash dog park that has been voted "Best Dog Park" in the region. It features a large pond for the dogs to swim.
An astronomy viewing area that is the first of its kind in the area. Weather permitting it features Friday night public stargazing events.
A 4-acre Historic Educational Agriculture area that features crops that are grown in the area.
A visitor center that has a meeting room, outdoor patio and deck that are available to rent for meetings or special events.
Photography at the Park
Below are several photos I took has I walked around Betty's Lake.
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Jodi Picoult's books are known for being thought provoking about current
and past events and this book does not disappoint. I was hooked
from the very beginning when the novel starts in a March 2020 time
frame.
The Story
In this book Jodi Picoult says she is exploring "the resilience of the
human spirit in a moment of crisis".
In the first pages we are introduced to Diana O'Toole and her boyfriend Dr.
Finn Colson. They are a young couple very much in love and planning on
taking the trip of their dreams to the Galapagos Islands. They are all
packed and set to take their trip when Finn comes home and announces that he
cannot get away to take the trip. He is a surgical resident in
New York City, and it is the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Finn
convinces Diana that she should take the trip without him since they have
already paid their nonrefundable down payments. Dianna reluctantly
agrees to go.
When Diana reaches the Galapagos, she takes the ferry over to the
island where they are staying only to discover that due to the pandemic it
is the last ferry to the island and the island is now shut down due to the
pandemic. When she arrives, there is no transportation
available, so she decides to walk to their hotel only to discover that
it has been shut down. Diana is beginning to panic when a worker from
the hotel is leaving and stops to talk to Diana. She offers a place
for Diana to stay in a cottage she owns. She is very kind to Diana and
offers her food and advice.
The next chapters find Diana exploring the island, meeting people along the
way, and dealing with communication problems. She tries to contact
Finn, but communication is very limited, and she finally is able to get
someone to let her into the hotel to use their server.
In the meantime, Finn, is working day and night at the hospital to deal
with the spreading pandemic. When he gets a moment to send Diana an
email, he never knows if she is getting them. In one email, he lets
Diana know that her mother who is in a nursing home is gravely ill and the
nursing home is quarantined by the pandemic.
There is so much more to the story, but I don't want to spoil it for you by
telling you about all the twists and turns. I will tell you it is a
very compelling story made even more interesting by the fact that we are
currently living in the pandemic. I highly recommend this book.
More Books I Have Enjoyed by Jodi Picoult
I have read many of Jodi Picoult's books. Here are some that I
particularly enjoyed.
The Book of Two Ways explores Egyptology and I found very intriguing. Here
is a review that Diana wrote on this book. Book of Two Ways
Leaving Time is a book that explores the relationships between humans and
animals. The elephants in this story were delightful and I would
recommend this book.
My Sister's Keeper is the heart wrenching story of a young girl who
was conceived in order to provide bone marrow for her
dying sister. It is considered by many as their favorite Picoult
novel.
Enjoy your Reading! Books are a wonderful escape from daily
life.
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The first Missouri capitol was in St. Charles. Although we have lived very near for nearly 20 years, I had never been on a tour of this first capitol until recently. I was on an outing with a group that I serve as a photography mentor and our outing included a tour of the first capitol. The outside of the building does not look very exciting so I wasn't sure what to expect and I was very pleasantly surprised.
History of First Capitol
Missouri was granted statehood on August 10, 1821. Before that time various locations in St. Louis had served as the place where decisions were made for the territory. Once it looked like statehood would become a reality a search went on to find a permanent seat of government. A location was picked in the center of the state overlooking the Missouri river. This new location was called "The City of Jefferson" and today we call it Jefferson City.
While construction of the new capitol was taking place the first legislator needed a place to meet. Nine different cities were competing for the honor. One of these cities, St. Charles, pledged free meeting space for the temporary capitol. St. Charles was located on the Missouri river and had great access to areas throughout the state by either the river or the Boonslick Road. The first Govenor Alexander McNair signed a bill making St. Charles the first capitol of Missouri. The legislator met in St. Charles for the first time in June of 1821. At that time the heated discussions of the legislature centered around slavery and state's rights.
House of Representatives
Senate
Tour of First Capitol
The first legislator met on the second floor of the two newly constructed adjoining buildings. The first floor was occupied by a general store and a carpentry shop. In the photos above you can see what the senate and the house of representatives looked like.
Our tour guide gave us some fascinating insight into what the meetings would have been like back in the early 1800's. In the photos above you see what each of the meeting rooms looked like. The senators each had tables they could use but the representatives sat on benches. Our tour guide showed us the "Laptops" like what they would have used to in order to take their notes. Here is a photo I took of the laptop.
It would have been like a mini desk, with compartments to hold the writing instrument, the ink and other essentials. They could hold it on their laps to use instead of a desk.
After seeing the legislators we went to the next room upstairs which was the govenors office.
Here is a photo of that office.
Governor's Office
Four Missouri governors were in office during the time the capitol was in St. Charles. The new capitol was ready in 1826.
Downstairs Stores and Home
The tour also included a look at a reconstructed Dry Goods store. It included items that would have been in that type of store during the early 1800's. Here is a photo I took in the store.
Sources for this Review
My sources for this review are the information provided for us by our docent, Mike. He was an excellent tour guide and provided some very interesting information on what life was like during the early years of Missouri statehood.
I also used information I read on a pamphlet I picked up during the tour. The information was published by Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Their website is www.mostateparks.com.
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If you are an avid fisherman and looking for a new lake to cast your line. Chautauqua Lake just might be the place for you. Come and fish in Chautauqua Lake and you might even see a rainbow or two.
Chautauqua Lake is located in western New York, just east of Erie Pennsylvania, and south of Buffalo New York. The lake is the largest inland lake in western New York. Stretching 17 miles long and 2 miles wide at its widest point, with 42.5 miles of shoreline.
We have lived here since 1989 and consider this our home. We live just two blocks away from the lake and can never get enough of it.
Many fishermen come here to fish for Muskie a North American fresh-water fish, it is the largest fish in the pike family. In the lake, they range from 40 to 50 inches. I've done my share of fishing in Chautauqua Lake, but have never landed a muskie.
Popular Species of Fish in Chautauqua Lake:
Muskie
Walleye
Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Crappie
Perch
Bluegill
The north basin of the lake is 75 ft. at its deepest with an average depth of 25 Ft. The south basin is much shallower at 19 Ft. at its deepest with an average depth of 11 Ft. The south basin with its shallow waters and weedy areas make this the perfect environment for bass fishing.
If ice fishing is for you, here in the winter months you will find many colorful fishing huts over the frozen surface of the lake. As for me, you will find me in the house with a warm blanket during the winter.
There are many fishing tournaments throughout the year at Chautauqua Lake. Click here for a list of the tournaments and much more do here in Chautauqua Lake Region. Then, make your plans, pack your gear and bring your boat. Maybe I'll see you on the lake.
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In early February of 2022, I had the privilege of visiting the St. Charles County Veterans Museum with a group of people from the Willows Way photography club where I am a photography mentor. This museum is just over two years old and I had never visited before. I was in for a wonderful surprise. The museum was a delight with lots of memorabilia and stories of veterans from World War I through the present day.
The volunteers who worked at the museum were wonderful and really made our whole experience very inspirational. They gave us time to explore on our own, but were always available to answer questions and tell the stories of the veterans that were featured at the museum.
On this post I will share with you some of the photos I took in the museum and also give your more information about the museum which I gathered from their website St. Charles County Veterans Museum
World War I Era Uniforms
After you enter the museum the first display you see is from World War I. Here are some of the uniforms from the display.
Mission of the Museum
Plans for a museum that honored all of the veterans from the area was a dream of Ralph Barrale (1924-2018) a veteran of World War II. He was able to get the location secured and the dream was becoming a reality when he passed on in 2018. Unfortunately he was unable to see the actual opening in 2019.
Here is the stated mission of the museum.
" Inspiring, informing and engaging the residents
of St. Charles County to honor the memories of County Veterans who served the United State of America with patriotic valor."
Korean War
There was a section of memorabilia from the Korean War and several stories of county residents who had served there. One of this heroes was a volunteer on the day that we visited and was very knowledgeable about that era.
Telling the Veterans Stories
The museum is in the process of developing a program where high school students interview veterans to find out their stories. The program is called "Interview our Heroes- Our Military Veterans." The goal of the program is to unite generations and tell the stories of veterans. The interviews will be on video and will be put on the museum's website along with being sent to the Library of Congress in Washington D. C.. This sounds like a wonderful program and I am looking forward to seeing these interviews on the website and on future visits to the museum.
Vietnam Era Memorabilia
Several stories have been collected from Vietnam veterans. Here is some of the memorabilia that is in the museum from that era.
World War II
There is an entire room devoted to the World War II veterans. It includes uniforms, models, and a tent from the era. Here are some of the photos I took in that room.
Paintings
There were some beautifully done paintings hanging in the museum. This one was done by a local artist and depicts women in the military.
Wall Honoring Residents who Gave the Ultimate Sacrifice
In closing I would like to encourage you to visit a Veterans Museum. It is a very moving experience. If you are in the St. Louis/St. Charles area or traveling through please stop at the St. Charles County Veterans Museum. It is located at 410 E Elm St in O'Fallon, Mo.
If this location does not work for you, I encourage you to look for a veterans museum near you to visit.
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We spent 13 years living on Tybee Island, Georgia, then later lived another
6 years on Wilmington Island located off Highway 80 east of Savannah and
just minutes from Tybee Island. As you can imagine, we had a lot of
visitors over the years drawn to the area the same way we had been.
Between the historic sights of Savannah and the Atlantic Ocean off Tybee
Island, not to mention the temperate winter weather in Georgia, our northern
friends loved to come visit.
As a result, we quickly found our favorite restaurants to take our visitors
to.
Flying Fish
(c) Elf
One of our favorite restaurants was the Flying Fish. This was
especially true during the years we lived on Wilmington Island, GA. It is
located less than 2 miles away from where we lived, conveniently located on
Highway 80 between Savannah and Tybee Island, just a short 15 minute drive
east from downtown Savannah.
Locally known as simply “The Fish”, the restaurant was started by Mike
McMahon in 2007. Mike is a local Savannahian who has worked in the seafood
industry all his life. Because Savannah is known for a wide variety of tasty
local seafood, Mike took his knowledge of seafood and applied it to a tasty
menu of fresh Georgia Shrimp, Flounder and Oysters, along with crispy fried
calamari and crab claws. And, of course, the famous Low Country Boil,
consisting of spicy peel-and-eat shrimp, sausage, corn and new potatoes,
which is a classic Southern recipe along the Georgia and South Carolina (low
country) coasts!
If you are not a big seafood lover, The Fish also caters to “landlubbers”
with dishes of Chicken Alfredo & Pasta, chicken fingers and wings and
beefy burgers. They also feature a full service bar.
Our Favorite Dishes
Image Source: Pixabay
Love their fried shrimp or fried oyster dinners and several times have
had their Shrimp for 2 meal, which is a very plentiful platter of fried shrimp
with French fries, cole slaw and hush puppies. (Mmm, I could go for a plate of
that right now!)
For many years, the Flying Fish was open daily, beginning with lunches, and
had 'lunch specials'. My brother and I loved going out to lunch on
Mondays when the 'special' was pork chops deliciously prepared (our favorite
non-seafood dish). Due to the circumstances of the past couple years,
I see that the hours have been reduced to just 5 days a week and not opening
until 4:30 p.m, except on the weekends. It is still an eatery well worth
visiting. And I have truly missed the Flying Fish since moving back
to the Midwest. I still have their menu, which is occasionally fun to
'drool' over.
Click here for the Menu
to see for yourself.
Location:
Flying Fish Bar & Grill
7906 East US Highway 80
Savannah GA 31410
(912) 897-2009
Hours: Open Wednesday and Thursday 4:30 and Fri thru Sun 11:30 am … until
the party stops!
So, if you are a snowbird planning a trip south in the winter, or
vacationing in the Savannah, Georgia area, add
The Flying Fish Bar & Grill to the “restaurants” section of your
itinerary. You won't be disappointed in the food or the relaxed atmosphere.
And Tell Mike hi for me. :)
Related Links:
My family & I do seem to seek out seafood restaurants wherever we may
find ourselves. I may miss the Flying Fish Bar & Grill in Georgia, but
have since found another here on the Mississippi River in my current
location. Another FISH-named restaurant equally as tasty ~ the
Go Fish Marina Bar & Grill.
Flying Fish Bar & Grill Restaurant Review written by Wednesday Elf
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During a recent visit from my brother & sister-in-law, we went out to lunch at the Tycoga Vineyard & Winery located about 18 miles from my home. My brother used to make his own wine as a hobby and enjoys trying different wines, so I knew he would enjoy visiting this winery. We had an extremely pleasant couple of hours doing a wine tasting and having this winery's fresh handmade wood fired pizzas for lunch.
Tycoga Vineyard & Winery
Tycoga Vineyard & Winery is a family owned business that began in 2010 with only 50 plants. Their intent was to only grow grapes and sell them. Their first plants produced a small crop.
Then one day a couple stopped by and gave the Tycoga family their phone number. They said they thought that these were wonderful grapes and that they needed to make wine instead of just selling the grapes.
Tycoga Vineyards
After many long talks with this helpful couple, and learning about grapes, the Tycoga family ended up planting many, many more grape plants. They now have over 26 acres of plants.
TYCOGA Vineyard & Winery was then established in 2014. The Tycoga tasting room opened on December 20, 2014, and final construction was completed in April 2015.
Handcrafted Wines
Tycoga Wines
Tycoga now has over 20 different types of wines from Dry to Sweet. This wide variety of mainly ESTATE produced wines allows the Tygoca family to showcase wines to both the novice and the experienced wine drinker. TYCOGA Vineyard & Winery has entered the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition every year since 2015 and they have won awards every year, including bronze, silver and gold metals.
The wines at Tycoga also include a dessert wine and a sparkling wine. The dessert wine pairs well with a delicious piece of chocolate cake. During a wine tasting, they offer you a piece of chocolate to eat – first tasting the dessert wine without the chocolate and again after eating the chocolate. It allows you to see how well it goes with a chocolate dessert. Yum.
Food
Wood-Fired Pizza
Tycogo Winery offers 16 varieties of their delicious wood-fired Pizzas Click this link for the menu.
Private Parties and Small Events
Outside Patio overlooking the Vineyard
Tycoga Winery has an event room, a Barrel room and an outside patio for booking anything from a bridal shower to a wedding, or for an office event, birthday party, retirement party, graduation or any other special occasion. An attractive venue for your special event.
Summary
If you enjoy visiting wineries and find yourself traveling in Southeastern Iowa, spend an hour or two at the Tycoga Vineyard & Winery. It has a delightful atmosphere and very friendly staff.
The name of the winery comes from the TYCOGA Family children - Tyler, Courtney & Gabe.
*Tycoga Vineyard & Winery Travel Review written by Wednesday Elf
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St. Louis Missouri has a wonderfully moving display on Art Hill that
commemorates those who died on 9/11 and those who have died in the war on
terror in the 20 years since 2001.
This display first was put up on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and then
again on the 15th anniversary and now on the 20th anniversary. I have
been privileged to view the display each of these times and find it to be a
very emotional experience. Here is a photo I took this
year.
History of Flags of Valor
Here is a quote from the website on the history of Flags of Valor.
The first display of Flags of Valor in St. Louis was for the 10th
anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In that display 2977 flags were
placed on Art Hill. These flags represented the individuals who lost
their lives in the twin towers attack, the Pentagon attack, and on Flight
93, and the first responders who gave their lives to save others.
2016 Display
On the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks the display on Art Hill
honored those 6869 service members who lost their lives in the following
operations: Enduring Freedom, New Dawn, Iraqi Freedom, Inherent Resolve,
and Freedom's Sentinel.
2021 Display
In 2021the Flags of Valor organization has refined their purpose beyond
remembering to educating. With a new generation that wasn't even
born when 9/11 occured it is important to educate on what has happened and
what we must always remember. This years display is three
fold.
1. Remembering the Victims of the 9/11 Attacks
To remember the 9/11 victims, there are 6 oversized informational
boards. Three are on each side of the Grand Basin. These boards
visualize 2,564 victims of the 9/11 attacks.
There is also a flag with the names of all of the victims.
2. Remember the First Responders who Died
There are 413 flags above the Grand Basin to remember the first responders
who made the ultimate sacrifice.
3. Remembering Service Members Who Died during the War on terror
since 9/11/2001
There are more than 7000 3' by 5' American Flags on the hill below the St.
Louis Art Museum. Each flag represents of service member who has died
since 9/11/2001 in the War on Terror. Each flag is marked with an
informational dog tag and a photo of the service member.
Information for this article was gathered from the Flags of Valor website
at Flags of Valor STL All photos were taken by Mary Beth Granger.
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Fall will be upon us.
Sunny cool days and the leaves will be turning so many beautiful colors. We
live in Western New York not far from the Kinzua Dam.
Every year when the
leaves are at their peak, we take the drive down I86 East, from there we take
some back roads into Pennsylvania, through the Allegheny National Forest to the
Kinzua Area, the ride is breathtakingly scenic.
If you are in the
process of planning a fall vacation, consider the Kinzua Dam. The dam is
located about 6 miles east of Warren Pennsylvania, along route 59 nestled in
the 500,000 acres of the Allegheny National Forest. I’m going to include a
little history and all the fun activities in
the Kinzua area.
So, if you like
camping, hiking, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, boating, or just relaxing and taking in the
views it’s all here at Kinzua. If you’re the outdoors type pack your bags and
get ready for some breathtaking views and fun. First here is some history of
the area.
Kinzua Dam Construction and Why:
Construction began in
1960 by the US Army Corps of Engineers and was completed in 1965. The main
purpose of the dam was for flood control on the Allegheny River. Kinzua
controls drainage on a watershed of 2,180 square miles.
Several side benefits
from the construction of the dam include drought control, hydroelectric power
production, and recreation. The dam created Pennsylvania’s deepest lake, the
Allegheny Reservoir, also known as Kinzua Lake.
The cost was
approximately $108 million. According to the US Army Corps of Engineers, the dam
paid for itself in 1972 when tropical storm Agnes’s heavy rains on the
watershed brought the reservoir to within three feet of its maximum capacity.
Downstream flood
damage would have been devastating at an estimated $247 million. The Kinzua Dam
has saved an estimated $1 billion in flood damages since it became operational.
Recreation at Kinzua Dam:
There are many
recreational activities at the Allegheny Reservoir and the surrounding area. If
you’re the outdoors type, then there is something here for you. Along the
reservoir, there is camping, boating, fishing, hiking, and a beach. If you’re the winter
type there is snowmobiling and cross country skiing along the trails.
The US Forest Service
has four reservoir campgrounds and five primitive (boat to or hike only)
camping areas. Most of the recreation areas surround Allegheny Lake.
We love to go
there any time of the year and soak in the beautiful scenery and walk the
trails. Since we live in Western New York, which is not so far from Kinzua,
it’s a nice drive, especially in the fall.
Hiking Trails and Beautiful Scenic Views
There are many scenic overlooks at Kinzua. There are two areas that we never miss
and never tire of visiting, they are Jake’s Rock and Rim Rock. The intro photo of this article was taken from Rim Rock.
The views from these overlooks
are beautiful any time of the year, but we prefer to go in the fall when the
views are breathtaking. We have been there many times and it’s always the same,
“Beautiful”
Did You Know That Johnny Cash recorded a song about the Kinzua Dam?
As a tribute to the
Seneca Nation of Indians, Johnny Cash recorded, As Long as the Grass Will Grow. The
construction of the Dam forced 600 Seneca Indians to relocate because 10,000
acres of their land had to be flooded.
This land had been
occupied by the Seneca Nation since the treaty of 1794. President Kennedy had
been asked to halt the project but declined because of the need for flood
control.
President Kennedy
ordered government agencies to assist in finding land for the placement of the
Seneca Nation of Indians.
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