Connie, Author at - Page 42 of 98

Hershey Gardens Opens Tropical Butterfly Atrium

The first thing that caught my eye as I looked through the observation window from the Hershey Gardens gift shop into the new tropical butterfly atrium were the giant blue morpho butterflies flitting about. I had never seen a blue butterfly before, or one so large. The blue morpho is just one species of butterfly introduced in the atrium housed in the Milton & Catherine Hershey Conservatory, newly opened in 2016. In total, 200 to 300 species of tropical and North American Butterflies will be represented in the atrium when it is fully populated. Read more

Pit Stop Barbecue and Grill: Best Barbecue North of the Mason-Dixon Line

Barbecue is one of my favorite foods, really good barbecue, that is. The pork, beef or chicken has to be smoked slowly for hours over hickory, mesquite or other wood that adds a smoky flavor. The smoked meat must be juicy, not dry. I have found some great barbecue restaurants in the South, but they are a rare find north of the Mason-Dixon Line and east of the Mississippi River. So I was thrilled when we discovered Pit Stop Barbecue and Grill in Brownsburg, Indiana. Read more

I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had a short time in a city and wished we could stay longer. Fargo, North Dakota, is one of those cities. We had a week to explore North Dakota, and a single day in Fargo was our starting point. Read more

Crayola Experience: Mall of America Family Attraction

Become the star of your own coloring page. Watch your drawing become part of a scrolling mural. Turn a crayon into a race car. Spin melted wax into a work of art. These are just a few of the activities kids—and adults—can have fun with at Crayola Experience, new to Mall of America in 2016. Read more

Red Umbrella Bed and Breakfast: Relaxing Retreat Near Hershey

I felt at home as soon as we pulled up to the red-brick Federal-style Red Umbrella Bed and Breakfast. White rockers and red begonias on the porch that stretched across the home’s front practically yelled “welcome.” Co-owner Anna Goss’ genuine friendliness cemented my comfort level. The Red Umbrella B&B in Grantville, Pennsylvania, would be our home for the next three days while we explored nearby Hershey. Read more

John Ray stood in his cornfield watching the nightmarish scene unfold before him, the rest of his family crouched in the farmhouse cellar. Cannon booms resonated in the usually quiet setting. Soldiers’ cries pierced the hot, humid summer Ozark air as bloody bodies fell. The Battle of Wilson’s Creek, in which 1,317 Union Soldiers and 1,222 Confederate soldiers lost their lives, is considered the first significant Civil War battle west of the Mississippi River. John Ray’s farmhouse is the only original structure that still stands today. It is one of the eight interpretive stops at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield in Springfield, Missouri. Read more

Midwest Wanderer explores history, nature, and culture through road trips along scenic and historic U.S. highways, byways and trails

Author: Connie

Hershey Gardens Opens Tropical Butterfly Atrium

Pit Stop Barbecue and Grill: Best Barbecue North of the Mason-Dixon Line

One Day in Fargo, North Dakota

Crayola Experience: Mall of America Family Attraction

Red Umbrella Bed and Breakfast: Relaxing Retreat Near Hershey

Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield: Civil War on the Family Farm