St. Charles, MO

If you like history, especially American history, you must enjoy St. Charles, MO. In 1821, Missouri became the 24th state admitted to the Union. The statehood proclamation was signed by President James Monroe. Until that time Missouri was part of the Louisiana Territory purchased from France by President Thomas Jefferson in 1804. The capitol for this new state would be in the City of Jefferson located in the center of the state along the Missouri River. There was a temporary problem: in 1820 the central area of the state was a wilderness. A temporary state capitol was needed until Jefferson City could be constructed and a place for government established.

A competition was held among nine locales that submitted bids to be the capitol city. St. Charles was selected, perhaps because the town promised rent free facilities would be provided. The new state government took up residence on the second floors in two brick buildings along the banks of the Missouri River in a town that already had a fascinating history. These government buildings have been restored, and we were able to tour them. That early legislature was composed of a mix of gentry and frontiersmen, some educated and some illiterate. The debates must have been rough and tumble as these men took on the challenges of organizing a state and dealing with issues of economy, slavery, lawlessness, trade, and safety.

Today St. Charles is a tourist destination. The restored main street and riverfront area are filled with curio shops, restaurants, antique stores, and an assortment of commercial offerings. Friday morning we walked the uneven bricked sidewalks and roadways of Main Street to explore the shops. We lunched at Lewis and Clark's Restaurant and rested our feet before touring the State House. A quilt festival was in progress Friday and Saturday and drew many visitors. The town seemed prosperous, but, in a way, the downtown area seem like a tourist facade that did not reveal the "real" St. Charles. We did not have opportunity to get beyond this surface.

Friday night was special. We were joined by friends of Donna and Chuck: Bob and Nance and Larry and Pat. Bob and Nance brought their motor home and stayed the weekend. Larry and Pat came from Alton, IL and joined the group for dinner. Larry and Mem also had friends Dallas and Shirley visiting and they too joined us for dinner. The Sundermeier Park has a Beef Eaters Restaurant that is superb. We had steak and prime rib dinners that were too good to describe. The food was wonderful and the group of fourteen made for a highly entertaining and enjoyable evening. We rolled out of the restaurant right into our coaches.

A less historic enterprise in St. Charles is the Ameristar Casino. This was our destination Saturday. Some played the penny slots, others played the quarter slots; some won, some did not. We had a great lunch at one of the several casino restaurants, and everyone had a good time. We capped off the day with an Italian restaurant named Fratello's. Bob and Nance took us there and the food was excellent.

We left St. Charles on Sunday morning to drive on to Branson. Bob and Nance bid us farewell. Many of us will see them in Florida at Crystal Lake sometime in early 2009. Larry and Pat will also be at Crystal Lake. We are talking to Mem and Larry and Jim and Linda about coming to Crystal Lake so that we can continue the party.

Good roads and fair winds brought us to Branson and the America's Best Campground in early afternoon. It was a comfortable trip and Chuck was an excellent lead dog.