Secretly, I was looking forward to visiting Cape Girardeau the most. Of all the stops, of all the adventures Paul, Stewbert, and I were bound to have on our motorcycle journey to Key West, Fla., the river town of Cape Girardeau, Mo., was one that I most eagerly anticipated.
Cape Girardeau has been a destination for travelers for nearly 300 years. Around 1733, a French adventurer named Jean D. Girardot established a trading post on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. At that time, Missouri was a vast wooded wilderness inhabited by numerous tribes of Indigenous Americans. Situated on the world's only inland cape, Girardot's outpost quickly gained notoriety as a welcomed respite for adventurers and trappers heading west.
Although Girardot moved on, the name stuck. In the late 1700s the Spanish Governor General commissioned a French-Canadian by the name of Louis Lorimier to establish a military outpost at the site of Girardot's old trading site. Despite the efforts of Lorimier and his contemporaries, the name of this official settlement would be immortalized as Cape Girardeau.
Following the Louisiana Purchase, Cape Girardeau played host to adventurers Lewis and Clark as they headed north. The advent of the steamboat in 1835 made Cape Girardeau the busiest commercial and passenger port between Memphis and St. Louis. Later, during the Civil War, Union troops occupied the city, and for a brief period General Ulysses S. Grant was headquartered there before moving to nearby Cairo, Ill.
Fortunately, Cape Girardeau was spared the destruction that devastated many other cities during the Civil War. During the late 1800s and throughout the 20th century, a focus on agriculture, industry, and higher education graced the former trading outpost. Currently, some 8,000 students in all disciples attend college at Southeast Missouri State University.
Having clocked a solid seven hours of riding on our first day, the historical area of downtown Cape Girardeau proved to be a welcomed objective. The waterfront plays host to a myriad of parks and social activities, and the floodwall murals are a must-see.
The floodwalls run along the Mississippi River and protect the downtown area from flooding. More than three blocks of murals adorn the walls, depicting past historical events of Cape Girardeau. Immediately adjacent to the murals is the Missouri Wall of Fame, which features the bust of famous Missourians. All along this wall are the painted faces of people who have contributed to American society and culture in one way or another, from Laura Ingalls Wilder to Burt Bacharach and numerous well-known authors, poets, and playwrights. Omar Bradley, our last five-star general, an astronaut, politicians, and media personalities from Walter Cronkite to Rush Limbaugh are featured.
I love the downtown area of Cape Girardeau not because I am from Missouri, because I am not, but rather because it shows a sense of pride in the community. Such acknowledgment of self-worth is pleasing and contagious to visitors like us.
Port Cape (www.portcape.com) is an absolute hidden gem. Facing the Mississippi River and mere feet from the floodwall murals, the three-story brick building just looks ancient, with its painted Coca-Cola sign offering bottles for three cents. In fact, Port Cape is a historical treasure - built prior to 1836, it is one of the oldest buildings west of the Mississippi. Ulysses S. Grant was briefly headquartered there, and the land on which Port Cape sits was originally a grant from the Spanish government to Lorimier.
The enticing aroma of decades' worth of barbecue greeted us as we walked in the door. Awaiting our arrival was John, a Missouri native and good friend. As we sat down, Doc Cain, the owner of Port Cape, paid a visit to our table. The dialogue went something like this:
Doc: "Welcome to Port, what brings you all out on this fine evening?"
John: "I have guests in town, these are my friends from Wisconsin." He motioned in our direction as the server brought a round of beers. The ice-cold glasses were already beaded with condensation.
Doc smiled but didn't miss a beat: "Why John, I didn't know you had any friends."
And so our evening went, something like a scene on the outskirts of Gran Torino. Man, was it great. Port Cape has barbecue down to a science - I would highly recommend the dry rubbed ribs. I even got Doc to laugh when I remarked, "Yeah, we have barbecue in Wisconsin; I think you call it "ketchup' down here."
John chimed in, "Me and Doc go way back." He went on to explain how Doc's son had studied culinary science in Chicago, and was changing a few things on the menu. Amidst the chatter of neighboring tables and the pounding of a local band playing in the corner, I couldn't have been happier, with good food, great company, and ice-cold beer.
I am constantly amazed how life offers the opportunity to go out and meet new people, how a simple interest in a hobby opens the door to new contacts. I met John through our mutual interest in antique aviation. Even had social media been invented decades prior, I doubt John, age 80, would have jumped the bandwagon.
The more I live, the more I realize that those friends are the most genuine.
- Dan Wegmueller of Monroe writes a column for the Times each Tuesday. He can be reached at dwegs@tds.net.
Cape Girardeau has been a destination for travelers for nearly 300 years. Around 1733, a French adventurer named Jean D. Girardot established a trading post on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. At that time, Missouri was a vast wooded wilderness inhabited by numerous tribes of Indigenous Americans. Situated on the world's only inland cape, Girardot's outpost quickly gained notoriety as a welcomed respite for adventurers and trappers heading west.
Although Girardot moved on, the name stuck. In the late 1700s the Spanish Governor General commissioned a French-Canadian by the name of Louis Lorimier to establish a military outpost at the site of Girardot's old trading site. Despite the efforts of Lorimier and his contemporaries, the name of this official settlement would be immortalized as Cape Girardeau.
Following the Louisiana Purchase, Cape Girardeau played host to adventurers Lewis and Clark as they headed north. The advent of the steamboat in 1835 made Cape Girardeau the busiest commercial and passenger port between Memphis and St. Louis. Later, during the Civil War, Union troops occupied the city, and for a brief period General Ulysses S. Grant was headquartered there before moving to nearby Cairo, Ill.
Fortunately, Cape Girardeau was spared the destruction that devastated many other cities during the Civil War. During the late 1800s and throughout the 20th century, a focus on agriculture, industry, and higher education graced the former trading outpost. Currently, some 8,000 students in all disciples attend college at Southeast Missouri State University.
Having clocked a solid seven hours of riding on our first day, the historical area of downtown Cape Girardeau proved to be a welcomed objective. The waterfront plays host to a myriad of parks and social activities, and the floodwall murals are a must-see.
The floodwalls run along the Mississippi River and protect the downtown area from flooding. More than three blocks of murals adorn the walls, depicting past historical events of Cape Girardeau. Immediately adjacent to the murals is the Missouri Wall of Fame, which features the bust of famous Missourians. All along this wall are the painted faces of people who have contributed to American society and culture in one way or another, from Laura Ingalls Wilder to Burt Bacharach and numerous well-known authors, poets, and playwrights. Omar Bradley, our last five-star general, an astronaut, politicians, and media personalities from Walter Cronkite to Rush Limbaugh are featured.
I love the downtown area of Cape Girardeau not because I am from Missouri, because I am not, but rather because it shows a sense of pride in the community. Such acknowledgment of self-worth is pleasing and contagious to visitors like us.
Port Cape (www.portcape.com) is an absolute hidden gem. Facing the Mississippi River and mere feet from the floodwall murals, the three-story brick building just looks ancient, with its painted Coca-Cola sign offering bottles for three cents. In fact, Port Cape is a historical treasure - built prior to 1836, it is one of the oldest buildings west of the Mississippi. Ulysses S. Grant was briefly headquartered there, and the land on which Port Cape sits was originally a grant from the Spanish government to Lorimier.
The enticing aroma of decades' worth of barbecue greeted us as we walked in the door. Awaiting our arrival was John, a Missouri native and good friend. As we sat down, Doc Cain, the owner of Port Cape, paid a visit to our table. The dialogue went something like this:
Doc: "Welcome to Port, what brings you all out on this fine evening?"
John: "I have guests in town, these are my friends from Wisconsin." He motioned in our direction as the server brought a round of beers. The ice-cold glasses were already beaded with condensation.
Doc smiled but didn't miss a beat: "Why John, I didn't know you had any friends."
And so our evening went, something like a scene on the outskirts of Gran Torino. Man, was it great. Port Cape has barbecue down to a science - I would highly recommend the dry rubbed ribs. I even got Doc to laugh when I remarked, "Yeah, we have barbecue in Wisconsin; I think you call it "ketchup' down here."
John chimed in, "Me and Doc go way back." He went on to explain how Doc's son had studied culinary science in Chicago, and was changing a few things on the menu. Amidst the chatter of neighboring tables and the pounding of a local band playing in the corner, I couldn't have been happier, with good food, great company, and ice-cold beer.
I am constantly amazed how life offers the opportunity to go out and meet new people, how a simple interest in a hobby opens the door to new contacts. I met John through our mutual interest in antique aviation. Even had social media been invented decades prior, I doubt John, age 80, would have jumped the bandwagon.
The more I live, the more I realize that those friends are the most genuine.
- Dan Wegmueller of Monroe writes a column for the Times each Tuesday. He can be reached at dwegs@tds.net.
