Missouri Friends and Family

One of my girlfriends from graduate school got married this month.  Since I hadn't visited any parts of Missouri since the move to Maryland five years ago, I jumped at the chance to support my friend at her wedding and also visit friends and family in other parts of the state.

 Also, Culvers' Butterburgers...

Erin's wedding took place at sunset in the beautiful countryside outside of Springfield and the reception was held inside a small historic octagon barn.  We both laughed and remarked how we both pretty much look the same as when we last saw each other.  It was lovely catching up with Erin's family and meeting her new husband Matt!

Hans and I set our sights east and stopped in at Cape Girardeau for a meet-n-greet with my SEMO graduate advisor, past and present students, and faculty at one of the campus buildings.  Cape was still flushed with the excitement of being the filming location for the movie Gone Girl so there was a handy brochure in the Drury-family-owned motel we were staying at that highlighted some of the more recognizable settings for the film.

There had been a fog of anxiety hanging over us since Springfield because of a family emergency I was trying to deal with.  In the evening we had a very quiet dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant in old downtown.  The next morning we played tourist and took some pictures around the historic center and I finally got to check out Old Lorimer Cemetery, which predates the Civil War.  The graves of well-known Cape Girardeau families can be found, along with a couple of piles of old headstones that have fallen over due to age or vandalism.  It's a little sad that they have not been restored.

Last but not least, we ended our trip in St. Louis for a few days and stayed with Hans' grandmother.  The weather turned sour and cold but that didn't stop us from making a "Drewes Cruise" and checking out the new Ballpark Village that sits on the site of old Busch Stadium.  There is a patio outside that marks the former base locations, so you can re-live Cardinals moments while tracing the former diamond.  The Village is a controversial business venture because while it offers an impressive array of sports bars and game viewing experiences (on game day they blast live sound from new Busch Stadium into the main bar) the city gave a lot of tax incentives to see the revitalization of downtown St. Louis and the owners of Ballpark Village have yet to make good on their promises to deliver more than just parking lots and bars.

Hans' grandmother treated us to dinner since it was my birthday and we went to an excellent Italian place in the city with Hans' uncle who also lives in St. Louis.  We were a little taken aback by how suddenly our trip to Missouri ended, so we've resolved to return and this time we won't wait for another five years to go by!