Take a Trip: Mighty MO

Missouri gets the short end of the stick as a tourist destination, but it has a lot to offer! This past weekend my mom and I took a road trip toward the St. Louis area.

Our first true tourist stop was in tiny Williamsburg. I would guess the population is around 50. The reason we stopped is for breakfast at Crane's. Crane's began first as a general store, which it still looks like the old general store, with the screen door and wood floors, and most recently it began selling boots and protective wear for the nearby nuclear plant. So we ate in a little greasy spoon, complete with the 10 farmers sitting around a table drinking coffee.

We then headed toward Kimmswick, which is south of St. Louis. You get off the highway, and you would never guess you're so close to the city. It's an old river town (Mississippi River) that's now full of craft shops and such. Mom and I thought it would be a bit more, but the best part was lunch at The Blue Owl. One Kimmswick resident started making tons of baked goods to sell and it turned into a large restaurant that serves 300+ per day, and they aren't even open for dinner!

Sunday morning was Defiance. The night before we drove through Defiance and there was a biker rally going on. I know that's why Mom initially wanted to go, but we decided instead to go to Daniel Boone's home. It was really interesting. If you like history, and you're anywhere close, you should stop by. We had a great guide, which is who Mom is standing by in the photo.

This home was actually Daniel's son, Nathan's home. Daniel Boone was given around 800 acres along the Missouri River by the Spanish government when Boone was commissioned to bring settlers into the territory. Once it became American territory, our government didn't recognize foreign land grants, so Daniel lost his land, but after some time, he did get the land back and immediately sold it to pay off debts. His son bought this piece of land, including the 600+ acres surrounding for the price of a horse, saddle and bridle. Living here was Nathan, his wife, their 14 children, Daniel and Rebbecca Boone.