Left: The roof of the St. Louis City Museum is a whimsical urban playground. A huge slide, here used by my wife Cindy, is a part of the City Museum experience. Right: Here I stand outside of the American Gothic House, pitchfork and all, though looking much happier than the painting depicts.
8. THE CITY MUSEUM: St. Louis, MO Labeled as something of a children’ s play pen, the City Museum comes at you from every direction. It appears as a puzzle of architectural and industrial odds and ends from parts and pieces of local buildings long gone, magically pieced together to entertain adults and children alike. My wife and I spent hours there, when days wouldn’ t have been enough.
The 600,000-square-foot old factory and warehouse is an eclectic mixture of cool stuff meant to entertain on every level. The roof has a Ferris wheel, a slide, and tunnels meant for climbing and sliding, with a metal praying mantis watching over everything. The artwork, collected from artists city-wide, has made the museum a destination. We also loved going up in the Gateway Arch, visiting Forest Park, the first-class St. Louis Art Museum, and the old Capitol building. There, we saw a display on Westward Expansion and the pivotal Dred Scott Case, but most of the stories we share today came from our visit to the City Museum. Consider bringing knee pads
if you’ re a hands-on person when it comes to fun.
9. AMERICAN GOTHIC HOUSE: Eldon, IA We often validate the places we choose to see with the simple reasoning: Why not? This house, featured in the famous painting by artist Grant Wood, is one of those locations. The painting, which featured his sister and dentist, won a Bronze Award in an art contest put on by the Chicago Institute of Art and earned Wood $ 300. It was purchased by the institute, where it is still on display.
It made Wood a famous man, and the iconic house, still known as the Dibble House, a destination. There is an adjacent museum / gift shop; the house, which was once on private property, is now open to the public. The visitors’ center provides period-style aprons and jackets worn by the models in the painting for photographs.
10. ELVIS’ BIRTHPLACE: Tupelo, MS Our goal was to follow the Natchez Trace from beginning to end: Nashville,
Tennessee, to Natchez, Mississippi. From the National Park Service, I found:“ The Natchez Trace Parkway is a 444-mile recreational road and scenic drive through three states. It roughly follows the‘ Old Natchez Trace,’ a historic travel corridor used by American Indians,‘ Kaintucks,’ European settlers, slave traders, soldiers, and future presidents.”
If you are of the proper mindset to ride 444 miles at a 45 mph speed limit, more power to you. But somewhere along those miles, you’ ll need a respite. Near its midpoint is Tupelo, the birthplace of Elvis Presley. If it’ s nothing else, it’ s another“ why not,” and you should stop. Riding buddy Dave Levingston and I couldn’ t help ourselves, at least with my persistent whining to go there.
We arrived late in the day, only to see the small house’ s exterior. That was enough. But behind the house is a gift shop filled with anything you might want to purchase dealing with“ The King.” Together, Dave and I contributed greatly to the economy of Tupelo and the State of Mississippi.
The door of the two-room shotgun house, Elvis’ boyhood home in Tupelo, said“ closed,” but for Dave, sitting there was enough.
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