Our little trusty Toyota took us on a fun adventure on a sauntering Saturday with my brother Lindell and his wife Myrna. We went spelunking in a guided tour at Onondaga Cave State Park in Leasburg, Missouri, enjoying the beauty of the underground world. At a constant 57 degrees we were happy to grab a jacket before heading down. We dodged stalagmites and stalactites and learned about flowstones as we walked along the steep paths of the underworld.
The formations named the King’s Canopy, Queen’s Canopy and the Twins greeted us “coldly” as we approached each one. My favorite room was the lily pad room where the formations actually looked like lily pads in the water.
At one point we were shown the remains of an old bridge that was extremely rickety. They said tours used to cross that bridge. When the patrons got out in the middle of the bridge they turned out the lights and shook the bridge. Can you even imagine the terror they felt. I’m sure people were dying to do that again said NO ONE EVER!
A cave is always a great place to spend a hot summer afternoon and Onondaga Cave is no exception.
Who Wants BBQ
Lunch was at Mo Hick Bar-B-Que located on the old historic Route 66 at 913 East Washington Street in Cuba, Missouri. This joint had a great menu of smoked meats such as pork steaks, brisket, chicken, pulled pork and ribs. If you don’t care for smoked meats they also serve wings, sausage samplers or sliced turkey. You can’t go wrong with any choice off the Mo Hick BBQ menu.
The Oak Ridge Boys tour bus was parked at the Wagon Wheel Inn next door. Although we never saw the Oaks, we felt they too were having BBQ for lunch.
The Wagon Wheel Inn, according to their website is the oldest continuously operated motel on Route 66 and has recently been completely restored. The inn was quite a sight to see. The old stone buildings stand near the old Route 66 highway. It had large shade trees along with several firepits, decks and a large patio. An evening spent under the old shade trees would be quite relaxing on a cool fall evening.
Antiques
Next we spent some time at The Two Old Crows Antique Mall, established in 2007 at 100 Rocky Creek Road in Cuba, Missouri. There was lots to look at in their 9,000 square foot showroom along with several items from my childhood making me feel like an antique myself. Lindell and Myrna found some things they couldn’t live without.
Meramec Springs Park
Meramec Springs was a quick stop, but so beautiful was located near St. James, Missouri and worth the time spent strolling near the spring. We laughed as Dan fed the trout. He threw in one pellet of food at a time and the water boiled as the fish flopped, jumped and fought to gobble the food first. One happy fish swam away while hundreds kept their eyes and mouths wide open for the next morsel to be dropped. When that happened the game was on once again. A fog had settled on the water near the spring and Lindell was a happy little photographer as he shot several pictures.
If you bird watch, camp, fish, take photographs, hike or just stroll along, you will love the beautiful green waters of Meramec Springs Park.
Ice Cream for Everyone
With growling tummies, we stopped at the Dairy Isle and Grill for burgers and ice cream. As we drove up we noticed the the oversized ice cream cone which hung on the building. I couldn’t wait to order and eat my burger so I could dig into some delicious creamy ice cream. The sky threatened rain, but we ignored the warning sights and sounds and sat around an umbrella while we enjoyed our meal.
Fifty years in the business of frying burgers, dipping ice cream and making shakes along Steelville’s Main Street is a long time to do business. I’m sure they have their service perfected.
Oak Ridge Boys Concert
The highlight of the day was the Oak Ridge Boys concert at the Meramec Music Theater in Steelville, Missouri. Yes, those boys are getting up in age but who isn’t with three out of four approaching the age of 80. The concert was amazing. They sang for over an hour and a half of nonstop memories as well as a few new songs. They really rocked the stage. No talking. No breaks. Just solid music. They finished with the old favorite, Bobbie Sue, and disappeared off stage. We wondered if their bus was equipped with oxygen masks for a quick recovery from a fast, fun-filled evening. We left the theater with a smile covering our face and Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba-Bobby Sue stuck in our heads.
The Meramec Music Theater, a performing arts center, hosts concerts throughout the year. Check their website for upcoming performances.
It was a great day full of fun and memories. Time to head home and back to the reality of life.