"What's for dinner?"

My job requires a lot of creative energy. When I need that ‘ump’ to get my creative juices flowing - I jump in my SUV and head for a farm visit! What better way to clear my head than to pick a tomato, admire Norton grapes, scratch a goat’s ear, or think about all those T-bone steaks in that cow grazing in the field? There is just something exceptional about treading through mud (err..I hope it’s only mud!) and enjoying the rural life. Here in Southeast Missouri, the Mississippi River Hills Region is my playground. And there isn’t much I enjoy more than sharing that playground with you! So consider this your official invitation to come play in the fields with us for the 5th year of our Taste of Place Agri-culinary Events!


“Agri-culinary?” you ask. Yes. You’ve heard of farm-to-table and eating local? Well around here we like to take the table to the farm and enjoy foods grown within our six counties. We blend the world of farming and rural culture with a local food experience that is hard to beat!

Picture this: As we prepare for your arrival, we line up rows of tables in a field. Then we cover them in quilts and vintage table clothes and add quart jars of field flowers to the centers. Let’s not forget plates, silverware, and pint jars. (What?! Pint jars?! Yep, Granny won’t let us bring her crystal to the field! Then again, the jars add a nice touch with the quilts!)

Upon your arrival, your experience starts with a site tour and visiting with the location host. Next we get acquainted with other dinner guests over regional cheeses, wines, and sausages.

As the evening progresses, you sit down at the wonderful tables as platters of braised pork or burgundy beef are passed around. And let’s not forget bowls filled with culinary delights of ‘real’ vine ripened tomatoes and salads, potatoes and steaming vegetable dishes. (Take a little. Take a lot. But you won’t want to miss anything!) Let’s top off the evening with scrumptious dessert made from season fruits of the region. It could be strawberry pie or apple dumplings! Yumm….Yumm..!

Are you ready?! Well we’re very excited for the 2013 season. We’ve lined up a tree farm, a private vineyard area, and a horse ranch! To find out more and to buy your tickets visit our website today! www.aTasteofPlace.com

Come enjoy an adventure with us where . . . It’s not just “What’s for dinner?” It’s an experience!

And yet . . .

I’ve connected with a number of travel bloggers lately. Oh what wonderful places they have taken me! Thanks to Visit Flyover Country’s suggestion, I recently read a blog - Travel With No Regrets - by All Colores. She reminds us that travel is a privilege. Although her blog has been all over the globe, in the blog she states “Some people can’t even travel locally due to illness, war or a financial fight for survival.” This is so true, and although I have not left the country, I feel privileged that I have been blessed with the opportunities to see several of these United States. And yet . . .



River bluff at Trail of Tears State Park,
Cape Girardeau, Missouri


 My travel regret? From Fairbanks, Alaska, to Clearwater Beach, Florida, my biggest travel regret is not taking the time getting to know my own backyard. But thanks to knowing lots of people, I don’t feel alone in my regret. (Is this an unfortunate statement or just life?) Just the other day, while in Cape Girardeau County, I mentioned Trail of Tears State Park to a woman. I told her how I enjoy seeing the river and its bluffs from the Park’s amazing view. Instead of an affirmation I received a “Really?! I’ve never been there” reply. (Might I add she was not a teen but a ‘seasoned’ woman of about my mid-century age?) And yet . . .



View of the river and bottoms at
Magnolia Hollow Conservation Area,
Ste. Genvieve County, Missouri

This did not catch me by surprise. As the coordinator for the Mississippi River Hills Association (MRHA), I’ve been privileged so see many 'wonders' in these six counties (Yes, there are more than 7 'wonders' in the world!). From the simple beauty of a winding county road to the Mississippi River view at Trail of Tears State Park or Magnolia Hollow Conservation Area in Ste. Genevieve County.

My first visit to Trail of Tears in particular left me in awe. I had been working on the MRHA project for just a few weeks. Letitia ‘Tish’ Johnson, CD of University of Missouri Extension - Ste. Genevieve County, and I were giving a regional tour to a group out of St. Louis, John Grizzell, of Grizzell & Company, who had secured the bid to design the MRHA logo. As us stood overlooking the Mississippi River and its amazing bluffs an eagle majestically floated across the view directly in front of us! The look on John and his guests’ faces was pure delight! Tish and I could not have orchestrated it any better ourselves. And yet. . .

How many of us have stopped for just a few hours in our busy lives to see the view at Trail of Tears State Park? I’ve also had a similar eagle experience at Magnolia Hollow. Both locations are handicap accessible by the way. Magnolia Hollow’s view is about a quarter of a mile from the parking lot; however, the path is nicely paved for wheelchairs, and has a bench at the half-way point for those with difficulty walking. And yet . . . 

Sunset in my own "backyard."



Do you have any ‘And yet. . .’ moments that have left you with travel regrets? Remember you don’t have to travel far to see 'wonders'. I mean, let's face it. Folks from other countries travel here to visit us! What's even better, is the excitement of those locations can be renewed with every visit when we allow ourselves to appreciate even the simplicity around us. What is your favorite wonder to wander to in your backyard?