Ideas for places to visit in the Midwest
One more of the Henry Shaw Home at the Missouri Botanical Garden. This image is called Architectural Projection Mapping which projects images on a building aligned with the building’s features. The Garden holds a “Garden Glow” event every year and this is from this year. If you are in the area, get tickets and enjoy more than 2 Million Christmas lights and fantastic displays.
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During special events at the Missouri Botanical Garden, they like to project images like this, set to music. This is called Architectural Projection Mapping which projects images on a building aligned with the building’s features. This is from this year’s Garden Glow.
Built in 1849, Tower Grove House is Garden founder Henry Shaw’s restored country residence. Today, staff and volunteers encourage visitors to take a step back in time to learn more about the people who made the Garden grow.
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A nice way to start the season is to visit Missouri Botanical Garden’s Garden Glow. A walk through the park gives you scene after scene of the upcoming holiday. See the Climatron with its reflecting pools, walk through Henry Shaws home, see the beautifully decorated gatehouse and endless holiday lights. The grandkids love the train display.
Here the reflecting pools are filled with Christmas Trees in front of the Climatron.
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Ally Mill is an impressive Grist Mill in Souther Missouri. The mill, built in 1894, is said to be one of the most photographed in the world. Alley Spring which used to power the mill is one of largest fresh water springs in the state and remains 57 degrees year round. The deep dark blue hue of the water can be attributed to the mineral content from dissolved dolomite bedstone.
This historic grist mill is located in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways near Eminence, Shannon County, Missouri.
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Know as the most photographed Mill in Missouri, Hodgson Mill is nicely preserved. The Mill is located 17 miles northeast of Gainesville on Hwy. 181 in the Sycamore area.
For the next few photos, I am going to focus on old grist mills in Missouri. However, this is sort of a faux grist mill since it was recently built and never served as a mill. This is the entry way to Big Cedar Lodge’s Dogwood Canyon a stunning valley with beautiful waterfalls on both sides. The mill serves as a restaurant and gift shop.
Here is the other side of the mill:
A bonus photo of the waterfall behind the mill:
The park offers miles of hiking along a river that goes back into the canyon.
Dogwood Canyon is in the Southwest section of Missouri at: 2038 State Hwy 86, Lampe, MO 65681
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A favorite fall scene. This is an area known as Art Hill in St. Louis’s Forest park. In the background is the Art Museum looking over Art Hill which is lined by these trees. Like clockwork, every fall these trees turn a bright red. In the distance is the statue of St. Louis on his horse.
The St. Louis Art Museum’s Main Building was created for the 1904 World’s Fair. Then called the Palace of Fine Arts, the building was situated next to a massive temporary structure called Festival Hall. Like much of what was built for the fair, the tall, domed building of Festival Hall was never meant to be permanent. It was made from wood and staff—a mixture of plaster, cement, glycerin, and dextrin that gave the appearance of stone. This approach to construction had two benefits: an extremely ornate exterior and easy demolition.
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One of my favorite places to visit is New Harmony Indiana. It is not far from St. Louis so it is a fun place to visit the town and have lunch at the Red Geranium Restaurant.
Settled in 1814, New Harmony was first a spiritual sanctuary for the Harmonie Society and then a haven for international scientists and scholars led by Robert Owen in 1825.
A small town with a big history, New Harmony offers visitors and residents a remarkable range of experiences: art galleries, museum exhibitions, professional summer theatre, guided tours of historic properties, a winter concert series, festivals, unique shopping and dining in a beautiful, walkable community, plus Harmonie State Park is located just south of town.
Visiting one fall, I was impressed by the stunning colors and beautiful homes.
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While out hunting with the Basset Hounds, this is an area we would pass through in the fall. This area borders St. Louis County along the Missouri. The hounds would chase rabbits, very rarely catching anything but was a good excuse to get out on Sunday afternoons and explore Missouri’s back roads.
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This is an interesting view at the Missouri Botanical Garden. These gates are directly in front of Henry Shaw’s home (behind me in this view) allowing a direct view through another set of gates to the Linnean House, quite a distance away. To the right of one of the posts is the Henry Shaw Mausoleum. The Missouri Botanical Garden is an interesting place to explore as it changes throughout the seasons and has a number of districts or themed areas to explore. If you are not a regular visitor, I highly recommend it!
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