January 5, 2020 – Continuing Journey

Here there be dragons!!!!!

Yesterday I spent the day with my great, funny friend, Lisa, in St. Louis!  The hubs and I got in Friday night and set up at 370 Lakeside Park and RV Campground in St. Peters, Missouri.  We stayed at this park last year and thoroughly enjoyed it.  The park had flooded not long after that, so we weren’t sure what we’d find but everything looked great.  I could tell they had sodded some of the sites but otherwise, you couldn’t tell anything had happened – the lake was filled with a lot of Canada geese and two of the parking pods were full of RVers.

Saturday morning, the hubs and I met Lisa and her husband at a fabulous brunch place, Shack Breakfast and Lunch.  The menu was full of off the wall names for the various dishes, the food was delicious and the mimosa wasn’t bad either! (Ed. Note – A new favorite stop when traveling back and forth across the country!!!)  After brunch, Lisa chauffeured me around town to visit Herbaria in the Hill (Italian section).  I love imagining what it would have been like living here years ago in the small, close set houses where I imagine kids playing in the streets and adults sitting on the front porches.  Herbaria is a little soap shop that we’ve visited several times before and ordered from online.  The soap is made, packaged and shipped from the back of the shop.  There were a couple of women wrapping the soap in their paper wrappers and taping them closed.  The soap is a lye blend and only uses essential oils to add smells and (some may say) healing properties.  The hubs and I love the ones with oatmeal in them, they feel so good when you scrub down your skin!

After Herbaria, we headed to the Weaving Department at the Myers House in Florrisant (which I visited several months ago).  I’m ready to knit a nice, warm, bulky sweater to wrap up in for the rest of the winter, so I’ve been looking at bulky yarns.  I have an idea in my head of what I’d like but haven’t seen it yet.  I perused through the bulky yarns while Lisa checked out the sale shelf – they were having a really good sale – 30 and 50% off!  She is my quilting friend but does a little knitting on the side 😊.  She picked out 3 different colors of yarn that is soft as butter to make a few cowls.  I bought NOTHING (I want credit for this, Editor)! (Ed. Note – No!!!!!)  We went back to her house with my swift and winder in tow and got to work.  (The shop didn’t wind sale yarn….)  So, she’s all ready to go!

It was nice to take a break off the road!!!!

This morning the hubs and I are back on the road to Indianapolis.  We picked this stop to visit my baby brother, Brent and his family!  We’re staying (fingers crossed) at the Indiana State Fairgrounds camping area.  We didn’t know until yesterday that the fairgrounds are hosting the Indiana RV Show and the spaces may all be full.  This location is only about 2 miles from their house but if we need to, we’ll head on to another campground.  I’ll admit I’m hoping to get there early enough to visit the one yarn shop open on Sunday afternoons.  I’ll let you know how that goes. (Ed. Note – It did not go well!!)

Yeah, but was it worth it!!!

Well….the drive took a little longer than planned so no yarn shop in Indy.  However, we saw a sign at Casey, Illinois for the “World’s Largest Rocking Chair” and several other “World’s Largest” but passed by too quickly to read what they were.  At the last minute, (Ed. Note – She really kinda, maybe means last second, or close to it!!!) we decided that was what our life is about these days and swerved over to get off on the exit to Casey.  It was SO fun!  We pulled into Casey and drove down Main Street until we saw the world’s largest Rocking Chair and parked.  After taking a few pictures, we decided to get the dogs out of the car and walk around town.  As we continued on through the town, we found the World’s Largest Wind Chimes, then saw a VERY large wooden pencil and barber pole!  Across the street was the World’s Largest Mailbox, which had stairs up to a viewing area!  It was crazy!  After we walked past the mailbox, we saw a candy shop which held the World’s Largest Shoes – they were wooden clogs 😊.

   

 

Some of the “World’s Largest” had certificates on display.  The items are made of recycled materials, such as old telephone poles and damaged pipe.  We crossed the street and walked back up the block to The Farmer’s Wife, the shop (which was closed – many of the shops were closed since it was Sunday) was the one I MOST wanted to see – the World’s Largest Knitting Needles and Crochet Hook was inside!!  Can you believe it!!  It was closed ☹.  I WAS able to look through the window and see the needles and crochet hook – whoever created them had to cast on 10 stitches onto the knitting needles!  Anyway, the concept was incredible.  According to the website, a lifelong resident, Jim Bolin of Bolin Enterprises wanted to give back to his community and created these items.  I can image that on a fall, spring or summer Saturday the town would be a fun and incredible place to visit and kids would love it!