IF ALL ELSE FAILS . . .

Use your head but make sure while it is still attached to your body!

Or hold on to your head while your "Big Sista" tries out her new move at the bowling alley!

HOLY THURSDAY

Saint Genevieve Catholic Church - St. Genevieve, Missouri.

CROSSING THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER - ST. GENEVIEVE FERRY

We took the ferry crossing the Mississippi River. It costs $20 round-trip per vehicle (passengers included in the price). I thought of asking the question, "What would the fare be for a truck-load of people in the back of a pick-up truck?", but the young men who operated the ferry did not look like they were in the mood to chat. Definitely not amused by city people driving a fancy T-bird, paying $20 just to cross the river and come right back, without purpose. I was glad to capture the barge going down the river transporting a heavy load, probably rocks from one of the quarries, while watching the ferry coming back to Missouri side.

During our previous ferry ride a few years ago, we got off and drove to Fort de Chartres on the Illinois side. We walked around the fort, no admission fee required but there was no official guide either. We learned a little about French Colonial life from a brochure we picked up at the gift shop. It was in August and it was really hot so we did not spend much time there and I could not tell you much from that brochure or from what I saw or remembered, just that it was a rough life without any of the modern convenience such as cooking stove, refrigerator and no computer ** haa haa **

According to the Visitors Guide, http://www.greatriverroad.com/, "Just north of town is the Ste.Genevieve-Modoc Ferry which the locals like to call "The French Connection." This ferry, two miles north of the Great River Road Interpretive Center on Main Street, takes vehicles and passengers across the Mississippi River to Randolph County, Illinois where visitors can experience more of French Colonial life at the Pierre Menard Home, Fort Kaskaskia, and Fort de Chartres. Hawn State Park and Pickle Springs Natural Area are located west of town and provide its visitors with unique outdoor experiences." More about America's towns along the Mississippi River in future posts.

OLD BRICK HOUSE IN ST. GENEVIEVE, MISSOURI

A few weeks ago, we drove to St. Genevieve for our "Sunday Drive in the Country". It was our first Day-Trip of 2010. We were so tired of the cold wintery weather and so ready for sunny warm summer days and to start enjoying our weekend trips. For my husband, it was more about driving the T-bird than the destinations. He usually "lets" me decide where to go! According to the travel guide, "The village of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri was established somewhere between 1722 and 1749. It is about an hour of driving from St. Louis. The villege is the only original French Colonial Village left in the United States." When in Ste. Genevieve, we walked around the town square, looked at items in antique shops (but never purchased anything because we are not collectors and would not have any knowledge to judge the values or conditions of the stuff in the stores) and a must on the agenda would be a piece of homemade pie and a cup of coffee before driving back to St. Louis. One of the historic houses is The Commandant's House which was a center for government activity during the final days of Spanish rule before the French took back the territory and sold it to the Americans. Jean Baptise Valle, its owner, came from colonial Ste. Genevieve's leading family, which had prospered in mining and mercantile business. For this post, I present to you the Old Brick House of St. Genevieve.

The plaque reads "First Brick House - West of Mississippi River - Built in 1785 - First American Court Held Here".