A Waterfall, Carriage Rides, and Gilded Age Travel
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Hi, hello, surprise! This issue is coming at you a day early because tomorrow, your brain will be 90% mashed potatoes and 10% survival instinct.
Just the Way You Hike It
If you'd like a page from my poor-planning playbook: pretend you still have plenty of time to shop and hit the trails instead!
After six months of Missouri being as dry as a Pentecostal wedding, we're finally getting rain…which means I can start recommending MO waterfalls again: The Mina Sauk Falls Trailat Tom Sauk Mountain State Park! This trail takes you to the tallest waterfall (when it's flowing) in Missouri. And even when the waterfall is a trickle, you still get pink granite bluffs, ancient boulders, and Ozark views.
Can you tell I haven't been since August? It's probably a LITTLE less green right now.
Distance: ~2.9 miles (loop) Terrain: Rocky, rugged, ankle-watching Difficulty: Moderate Time: 2-3 hours, depending on how often you stop to fight for your life Nearby comfort food:Thee Abbey Kitchen in Arcadia If you’ve got family visiting from out of state, you can show your granola-loving Portland-based cousin that we've got solid trails, too. Get up early enough, and you might also have time to drive them over to Elephant Rocks State Park or Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park.
Arcadia Valley Tourism in the Gilded Age
After the Civil War, the railway gods expanded the Iron Mountain rail line, which was initially built to haul iron ore from the St. Francois Mountains to St. Louis.
Suddenly, prosperous St. Louisans could ride a steam train straight into Arcadia Valley, turning it into one of Missouri’s earliest getaway destinations. Spring break! Wooooo!
Resorts and “health” hotels popped up across Arcadia, Ironton, and Pilot Knob as folks escaped the city for clean air, cold spring water, and Ozark foothills scenery before our state parks even existed.
So when you fire up the SUV for Taum Sauk, Johnson’s Shut-Ins, or Elephant Rocks, you’re tracing the footsteps of 19th-century vacationers.
Arcadia Valley has been getting people outside for over 160 years.
If you’ve ever watched the Great British Bake Off and thought, “I wish I could do that”, then a couple of professional local bakers have an opportunity for you. Cookies by Rae and Sweet Celebrations by Dae are combining their sugar-filled forces for a Vintage Christmas Cookie & Cake Decorating Class, and it’s as festive and beginner-friendly as it sounds.
Expect retro-inspired piping, soft pastel holiday palettes, charming vintage details, and some “I can't believe I made this” mind-blown-ness.
When: Sat, Dec 13 • 11:00 AM-1:30 PM Where: Mana Tea, Cape Girardeau, MO Cost: $100
Your instructors are keeping this group small. Seats are limited and filling fast. Get tickets at this link.
This weekend is Small Business Saturday, which is the Super Bowl for local shops. It started as a national push to support small businesses, but around here it’s become its own little holiday, the day when quaint downtowns pull out the cocoa, the sidewalk sales, the bingo cards, the giveaways, and the “come wander around and let us treat you right” energy.
Most towns in our region do something for it: Cape has shop-hop cards and special promos, Jackson gets all Hallmark cute, Perryville rolls out holiday merch (and fun), Farmington is going big, and there are too many to list. Even the tiniest towns across Southeast Missouri get festive with pop-ups, maker markets, and enough great deals to make you feel morally superior to anyone buying from Amazon (even though you’ll probably do a little bit of that, too).
Check your town’s and your favorite businesses' social account(s) to see what they’ve got going on.
*This week's Support Local is sponsored by VisitCape
What do you get the Southeast Missouri explorers in your life?
From now through Christmas, we'll be listing ideas:
For your runner who does 5Ks “for fun”: Missouri Running Co Cape Girardeau has hydration belts, winter layers, reflective gear, and those superpower socks that act like a thermos for your feet.
For the cyclists who willingly climb hills: Check out Cyclewerx or Cape Bicycle. Bike bags, lights, multitools, and cute lil’ handlebar bells that say “I'm outdoorsy and adorable”.
For the bookish who prefer to travel from their armchair this winter: Head to Read the Room in Perryville. It’s cozy, curated, and full of giftable reads.
For the person who yee-haws year-round: The Sikeston Rodeo Museumgift shophas been posting unique stocking stuffers and rodeo-flavored goodies.
For the fisher who collects lures like they're coins: Swing by Armstrong Outdoors in Fruitland. Confession: I haven't been in here yet! But I bet they have enough gadgets to ensure your favorite angler is fully equipped to continue telling increasingly dramatic fishing stories.
For the newsletter publisher in your life: She's a size “refer Backroad Weekly to your friends.”
For each event, you’ll find more info at the link. *Because these events are upcoming, they have not been vetted. That would require a time machine, and we don't have the funds. Party at your own discretion.
This Weekend’s Happenings
Fri, Nov 28
Old Town Cape Christmas Tree Lighting, Cape Girardeau, MO - A 30-foot Christmas tree, aerial performers(?!), carols, cocoa, s’mores, Santa, and a crowd feeling festive. The switch flips around 6pm, but vendors and treats start at 5:30pm. Don't know what to do with yourself once the lights go on and the selfies have been snapped? Shop local, baby, or check out the Christmas jazz cabaret. (sponsored)
Winter’s Kiss Christmas Cabaret, Cape Girardeau, MO - Holiday jazz cabaret by Debby Lennon (Carnegie Hall, The Muny… yeah, she’s the real deal). 7pm (doors 6:30). $15 general; $72 table for 4.
5-H Christmas Tree Ranch Opening Day, Jackson, MO - Live trees, Santa photos (11am–1pm), a petting zoo, hot cocoa, cookies, and a gift shop packed with holiday goods. 10am-8pm. Free entry. Free pine smell. Items for purchase.
Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides, Farmington, MO - Clip-clopping + historic downtown + holiday lights + decorate shop windows. Carriage rides from noon-4pm. Free. Cozy blanket not included.
Black Friday Hike with Hiking with Shawn, Pope County, IL - Skip the crowds and hit the woods. This free 4-6 mile hike takes you to Crow Knob, Miller Grove, and the old Miller Grove Cemetery. Moderately rugged, might be muddy, definitely scenic. Bring water, good shoes, and all the Thanksgiving calories you're looking to burn. And you get to meet the famous Shawn from Hiking with Shawn!!! 9am. Free.
Sat, Nov 29
Small Business Saturday Bingo, Downtown Cape Girardeau, MO - Pick up a bingo card at the Marquette Tower lobby and visit participating shops to win one of two $500 downtown shopping sprees. 8am-5pm. Free to play. (sponsored)
Jackson Holiday Extravaganza “Flip the Switch”, Jackson, MO - It only sounds like a public execution. It's actually a kickoff night for Jackson City Park’s massive holiday light display. Santa sightings, cocoa, cookie decorating, a scavenger hunt, face painting, and then the big lighting ceremony at 5pm. Free.
Christmas Kick-off Celebration, Farmington, MO - Carolers, a Santa Beard Contest, hot cocoa, a choir, a tree lighting, and a Christmas drone light show. If Farmington gets any more festive, it'll have to change its name to Whoville.
Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides, Farmington, MO - I don't know who is planning the Hallmark Christmas magic in Farmington this year, but girl, he better propose. Noon-4pm. Free.
Snowman Lane Drive-Thru Light Park, Farmington, MO - A drive-thru wonderland full of snowman-themed scenes. My favorite scene is the one where the snowmen reenact the shower scene from Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. $15 per vehicle; $25 for large vans. Open at dusk. Cash preferred.
Small Business Saturday Passport, Downtown Perryville, MO - Shop at participating stores, fill your passport, and enter to win a Downtown Gift Basket.
Guided Hike: Thacker Hollow, Gallatin County, IL - A moderate hike with the River-to-River Trail Society. Meet at Rim Rock Trailhead. Free.
Reindeer 5K Run/Walk, Anna, IL - You don't have to wait until New Year's Eve to get active. Make this your Thanksgiving Day resolution. Registration 7am, race at 8am. $20 advance; $25 race day.
Fairy House in a Book Workshop, Murphysboro, IL - Make a tiny fairy house hidden inside a book. All supplies provided while they last. Free. Sallie Logan Public Library. This was so specific and adorable, I had to include it.
Christmas by the River, Paducah, KY - Caroling, carriage rides, Santa, shopping, and a new riverfront twist on Paducah’s beloved holiday tradition.
Parade of Lights, Cape Girardeau, MO - If you like parades and Christmas lights, by God, I have good news for you. A classic (and bright) Cape holiday parade rolling down Broadway at dusk. Starts 5pm at Broadway & West End Blvd., ending on Main Street. Theme: Charlie Brown Christmas. Free.
Historic Christmas Homes Tour, Jackson, MO - Tour seven historic homes + a winter garden + the “12 Days of Christmas in SE MO” exhibit. Kids’ activities at several stops (letters to Santa, ornament making, pine-cone bird feeders). 2-5pm. $25 adults; kids 12 & under free. If there are even tickets still available.
Nature’s Holiday Wreaths, Puxico, MO - On Dec 10, the Mingo Refuge Visitor Center is hosting a hands-on wreath workshop using native evergreens, pinecones, berries, dried grasses, and other natural goodies. Bring your own wreath form; they’ll supply the rest. Ages 18+. Only two spots left (when I wrote this).
Mary Mingle 5K, Cape Girardeau, MO - The famous 2025 Mary Mingle 5k tradition, benefiting the Community Counseling Center Foundation.
Resolution Run, Cape Girardeau, MO - Start the new year with a 5 or 10K.
Wild Medicinals for Flu & Cold Season, Cape Girardeau, MO - On Jan 14, the Cape Nature Center is teaching a beginner-friendly class on using wild plants to support your immune system during winter. Ages 8+ (under 15 must attend with an adult). Only one spot left. Snag it if you’re the herbal-curious type.
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Welp, (*slaps knees), we better get goin'. This Thanksgiving, we're thankful for our readers and our sponsor, VisitCape, for supporting Se/Mo adventures.
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