Southern Hiker.com http://www.southernhiker.com Outdoor Travel in the Southern United States Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:50:39 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en My Photo in the Florida State Parks Contest Florida State Parks Contest Related posts:
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On Day 3 of our road trip we finally ran into some real cowboy and bandit history, and lots of it, in the town of St. Joseph, Missouri. For those who don't know, St. Joseph was the starting place of the Pony Express, the site of Jesse James' death, and the home of the famous Patee House.

St. Joseph, MO (23)  St. Joseph, MO (88) St. Joseph, MO (115)

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Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]> http://www.southernhiker.com/st-joseph/ Swimming with the Manatees IMG_0423 This morning I had one of the most amazing nature experiences of my life. I was kissed, cuddled, and connected to a wild manatee, named Goofy by the locals. These manatees have made their winter home in the warm spring waters of Homosassa, Florida. Most of them love to just lay on the bottom, but a few seem to be just as curious about humans as we are about them. CLICK MORE BELOW AD FOR REST OF ARTICLE No related posts. Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]> http://www.southernhiker.com/swimming-with-the-manatees/ Camping with Your Spouse Valentine Heart On this Valentine's Day, I wanted to write an article discussing the enjoyment and benefits I get from hiking with my wife, and that others can get when sharing the outdoors with their significant others. This summer the Ms. and I did a good bit of camping together on a couple of road trips and several weekend outings in the mountains. One of the things I started thinking about is the pleasures I get camping with my wife. While I do enjoy going camping with the guys on occasion, camping with one's spouse seems to bring certain unique benefits that one doesn't get from camping with your pals. As such, I thought I would make a list of some of these unique benefits, and see what you guys thought might be some benefits I missed. CLICK "MORE" BELOW AD FOR REST OF ARTICLE Related posts:
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  • Help Stop State Park Closures Last year I wrote about the distinct possibility of...
    • Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]>     http://www.southernhiker.com/free-the-hikers/     Kansas City Barbeque – End of Day 2 Arthur Bryant's After seeing the capital we completed our day long exploration of Missouri by heading west to Kansas City for some of the best barbeque I have ever tasted. Being a southerner raised in a Barbeque Shack, I must say that I am very proud of the south's pork cooking traditions. I have tasted Barbeque in nearly 30 states at countless locations, and have never found a place that beats some of my favorite Georgia barbeques. That is why it is so difficult for me to say this, but a new winner has emerged for best barbeque and it is not in the southeast. Arthur Bryant's Barbeque is world famous, and frankly the only thing I found worth seeing in Kansas City. This restaurant is understated to say the least. It looks like a hole in the wall in a seedy part of town. Inside though, the sandwiches are piled high with pork on white loaf bread and covered with some of the best sauce I have ever tasted. Prices are decent (around $7 for sandwich and fries), but quantity and quality could easily justify higher prices. Kansas City (2) Arthur Bryant's Barbeque 1727 Brooklyn Avenue Kansas City, MO Finally, after trekking across the state and filling our bellies, we wondered around Kansas City for any last sights to see before bedding down near St. Joseph, Missouri, the home of Jesse James and the Pony Express. Day 2 was exhausting, we had driven clear across the width of Missouri, taken on 3 towns, went up in the Gateway , Arch, saw the Clydesdales and drank free beer at the Anheuser Busch factory, the Missouri State Capitol Building, and had the best barbeque I had ever tasted. It was quite an exhausting day, and a hotel bed was a well deserved treat. Related posts:
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    Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]>     http://www.southernhiker.com/roadtrip-day-2-best-bbq/     Epic Summer Roadtrip- Day 2 (Part 3) Jefferson City Jefferson City Capitol (97) The road to Jefferson City is only a couple of hours from St. Louis, but the road is flat, and the terrain is different than anything I've seen on the east coast. On this road, I first begin seeing flat green land with only the occasional, very small hill. As for the Capitol in Jefferson City, we discovered why USA Today rated it the most beautiful capitol on the inside, which is not to detract from its beauty on the outside. Jefferson City Capitol (89) Jefferson City Capitol (90) Tours of the Capitol are offered for free Monday through Saturday. Jefferson City Capitol (30) The Capitol exterior of the building sits above the Missouri River, and at the top of its dome is 238 feet tall. In addition to the intricate freizes surrounding the top of the building, two massive bronze statutes representing the Mississippi River and Missouri River, as well as a statute of Thomas Jefferson due to his role in the Louisiana Purchase. The 3 acre complex located in downtown Jefferson City is worth exploring without the building, as it also contains some beautiful fountains, war memorials, and other Greek statuary. Inside the building is even more magnificent. As we entered under one of the exterior staircases, we were immediately greeted with large columns Jefferson City Capitol (79) One of the Capitol's most famous paintings is actually a room itself. The walls of the former House of Representatives Lounge are an elaborate, colorful mural on the "Social History of Missouri." This mural by Thomas Benton wraps around the room with real and ficticous persons important to Missouri, as well as the the key economic industries which have historically sustained Missouri. Completed in 1935, Benton not only included the likes of Huckleberry Finn and Missouri's major rivers, he also included the more controversial images of Jesse James and slavery's role in Missouri history. After visiting this room on the tour, head up to the third floor and take a look at Missouri's numerous bronze busts of famous Missourians. Finally, before departing, head to the center of the capitol and see the decorative dome nearly 300 feet above containing an ornate 4500 pound chandelier. After walking the grounds outside of the capitol, we left Jefferson City for Kansas City Bar-B-Que
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