50 States, Day 221

  Jefferson City, 38 miles

 

"A deed well done is much better than a deed well said."

Al Anon

 

Larry's Motor Sports delivered on our latest Gold Wing service. After calling ahead (I learned about that!), I wandered in at 9:45 and struggled not to slobber over the new bikes. By 11:15, I rode out, with fresh oil and a new tire. Yes, the front bore heat cracking and cupping. From now on, I check the tire pressures once a week no matter what. But Larry's performed well. And the new (PP!) CFR450 looked really tempting. The new (PP!) Gold Wings. The (PP!)Yamaha WRF450. Geez, my shirt is soaked in drool.

Larry's also displayed old dirt bikes, Elsinores and '70s Suzukis, taking me back to the good old days. Of course, by today's standards they were junk, but the memories are super fine.

I picked up my date and we headed to the Capitol, a huge building with massive columns. After passing dozens of meters, we found visitor parking, free, right in front! What do you bet we can walk in the front doors? Nope. However, after entering the side doors, no strip search. But a HUGE surprise, no other Capitol has done this; the giant halls are now a museum. Bravo! What a great way to utilize huge hallways that few people haunt.

Our tour guide took us through the building, and (replacing two that burned down) they built it in 1910. The Wonderful government decided $3 million would build it, and what do you know, it went up on budget. However, somehow they sold over $4 million worth of bonds. Oops. "Well, what can we do? We might as well use it." So they put $1 million worth of art in the building. While it made for an awesome spectacle, if private enterprise pulled that off, someone would go to prison. I'm just saying.  

The House, Gov and Senate meet there, and the Supremes never have, electing to reside in the red building next door. First Capitol I remember them never having been there.

Missouri has generated some famous people; author Laura Ingalls Wilder (Little House on the Prairie), the fan dancer Sally Rand, Presidents William Henry Harrison and Harry Truman, Mark Twain and Rush Limbaugh. Jean Tomlinson Frazer changed photography when she encouraged her models to smile. After one of her smiling portraits won a national contest, 'Jean Smile' fever took over the country. Say cheese.

This Capitol makes for a great trip with the museum thrown in for good measure. QG and I give it a 'Top Five' award for Best Capitol So Far. I believe we have ten 'Top Fives' now. Okay, maybe not. Those six through ten get tossed off the podium, with Missouri standing tall.

And now, (spoiler alert) Quilter Girl who may become Knitting Girl!

I have been frustrated with nothing to do while watching TV, so I wanted to knit the twins each a baby blanket.  I haven't knitted in a while, but it is something I enjoy and sure a lot more portable than quilting.  So we went to Wally's World to see what we could find.  The selection was pathetic, but I got a pretty lavender yarn, needles and a magazine with a doable pattern.  I am off and running.  Now I can relax at night with something for my hands to do. As far as the Capitol goes, I really liked this one.  They have a lot of offices, but it is still very much a Capitol building with the wonderful dome and well decorated center rotunda.  In the wings were great museum exhibits about state history.  The Civil War exhibits were especially thought provoking with Missouri a state divided.  There really were brother fighting brother in this state.  The end of the war didn't end all the problems either, with residents having to take an oath of loyalty to the US government in order to vote and pursuing other citizen's rights.  It was fascinating.

QG

 

Tomorrow we're off to Springfield and maybe Joplin to see how they're rebuilding. See you then and thanks for following.