Adult Field Trips are spelled F-U-N!

July 7, 2013


This weekend I took a little day trip to the heart of Missourah and it was AWESOME. One of the best Missourah Saturdays I've ever had, I'm disappointed I didn't start this day trip thing earlier. 

Stop #1: National Shrine of our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

I never expected to find such a beautiful church in the middle of Missourah. To think of the time and devotion they spent building this...absolutely amazing. The church took 10 years to build, and at the time cost $2,000. That stained glass window you see to the right? Yeah...designed by Raphael. Raphael. In the middle of Missourah. INSANITY. 

Whenever I enter a church, especially a beautiful, old one like this I am not only taken aback by the architecture and attention to detail, but just the thought of the thousands and thousands of people who have brought their triumphs, their joys, their sorrows, their tears, their worries to these pews. How many bended knees have prayed here, pouring their thoughts out to God. It's really awe-inspiring. 

The actual shrine. Above the altar the following words are painted:
"Come to the foot of this alter, here graces will be showered on all."

It is a shrine to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. If you're not familiar with Catholicism, this is a pretty common image/token that you see on jewelry, etc. It has Mary on one side, and the other has some symbols representing Mary's relationship to us and the Church, the 12 apostles, etc. Catholic belief is that Mary gave this symbol in an apparition to Saint Catherine Laboure in 1830 and instructed her to have it engraved and sent across the world. And now it is literally...everywhere. Whoever wears it is believed to receive special graces and protection, etc. There are thousands and thousands of stories of the "Miraculous Medal."

Behind this door is the room of petitions. 
They switched to electric candles a few years ago due to the fire hazard
of having 1,200 candles burning at the same time. 
People from all across the world send their petitions in.
Notice the candle design in the overlay--stunning details!

After touring the inside of the church, I took a walk across the absolutely beautiful grounds to the grotto. So relaxing to just sit outside in the sunshine and stare at the beautiful surroundings.


Stop #2: Historic "Ste. Genevieve" and the Buldoc House

This house was built in 1810 by Louis Buldoc, one of the original traders in Missourah. What you need to know: the entire house was built without a single nail. That's right, NO NAILS. The roof can hold up to 30 feet of snow! 

I also learned about their love for multi-purpose furniture. There was this hideous chair with a huge back to it...flip the back on top of the chair's arms and boom--instant table. Tiny bed, fold it in half and boom--bench for visitors to sit on. There was also a creepy portrait of the "Most Dangerous Man in Missouri." He is notorious for surviving 16 duels. He also commissioned the first portrait of himself to be done on rounded wood, so that no matter where you are in the room it looks like his eyes are following you. I call him "The Original Creeper McCreeperton."

Day trip? I say YES!

And that's it. Day tripping was awesome and I cannot wait to do it again. It was so much fun to get out into the country and see some cows, shrines and historical houses. And you can't really beat the $3/gallon gas and 50 cent nachos. 

How about you? If you treated your state like a tourist for a day, 
what would be on your day trip schedule?

 photo signature-16.jpg

7 comments:

  1. 30 feet of snow?! & a Church around 2,000 dollars?! This makes me want to go on day trips in my area and just simply explore! This is a great idea, & now you have knowledge about these neat things.

    xo. Kailagh

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have never been on one but now you are making me want to go! I found your blog through Venus Trapped in Mars giveaway and I am so glad I did, I love it and I am now following you!

    xx
    Kelly
    Sparkles and Shoes

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is SUCH a fun idea. My man and I are getting bored of our usual weekend routine, and we could totally do something like this! Cool pics

    ReplyDelete
  4. So cool! A house with one nail!!

    Sounds like a really fun day! If I was going to treat my current state (NY) like a tourist destination I'd have to go wine-tasting and if I were to treat my former and future state (FL) like a tourist destination I'd hit up a beach or two but really St. Augustine in Florida is where it's at -- OLDEST city in the USA, the fountain of youth, forts? It's awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I want to roadtrip with you. :(

    ReplyDelete
  6. I want to go on a day trip around missouri...even though I've lived here my whole life. haha

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hey! I remember you posting about that coral skirt. :) On twitter. Maybe... However, if I'm mixing things up and that was not you who posted about finding the last coral maxi skirt, then I'm sorry.

    Looks like you had a fun time!

    ReplyDelete

Your comments make my day! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.

Hayley Larue Design