Charleston, Missouri
Charleston Missouri’s Azalea Festival was our destination for this Wandering Wednesday and it was a gorgeous day for a long drive south. Their azaleas and dogwoods were in full bloom showing off their beautiful pinks, whites, reds and purples. Charleston was a cute little town all trimmed and ready for visitors.
Food Trucks in the Park
Rowling Park was the place to be if you were hungry. If you weren’t, you would get that way pretty quickly when you smelled that luscious aroma wafting through the park.
We chose the pork steak sandwiches which were tender and perfectly smoked. Other choices on the food truck’s menus around the park were hand dipped corn dogs, inch thick pulled pork sandwiches, shish-kabobs and tenderloins that were as big as a paper plate. Yum can I go back?!?
The craft fair was high quality stuff. If you want stuff, and need stuff, that is the place to fulfill all your stuff needs.
Joseph Hunter Moore Home
Next we visited the Joseph Hunter Moore Home, a beautiful Victorian home built in 1899. The house was built with seventeen rooms on three floors, seven fireplaces and running water to all the bathrooms and kitchen. The beautiful period furnishings, some original to the house, filled all the rooms.
Located on the third floor was a basketball goal and a bowling alley. We would have loved to wander up the long staircase to see more of the house but it had been closed off to the general public. The woodwork throughout the house was amazing and the winding staircase was elegantly decked out. There was a lot of history in them ole walls.
The original furniture was still in the dining room of the Moore home and the dishes were period pieces.
These two humorous stories were found in the kitchen, memories of the family.
The front of the home had a wrap-around porch which I’m sure many young couples sat planning their future or old friends shared their latest news on warm summer evenings. The azalea gardens around the old home were in beautiful full bloom. They called my name wanting me to sit among them with a book in my hand and rest the entire day away.
St. Henry’s Church Tour
We finished the afternoon at the St. Henry’s Church tour which showcased their many stained glass windows. The church began in Charleston in 1973.
There are two more days of the festival and lots of other fun activities planned like a car show, book sale, truck parade, ice cream social, carnival and a dog show. Jump in your vehicle and head to Charleston for some fun and good food.
Happy Wandering!