After spending the first night in a foggy alcove next to Rend Lake
a traveling stop of exploration to Cape Girardeau along the mighty Mississippi was an appropo stop in such wet mugsome weather. Some of the burgs I have visited hosted a much more varied and violent past, this was much milder, if one discounted the floods (caused by the aforementioned mighty Mississippi), fires and Civil War violence! The Red House
played the quintessential anchor point for this part of American history and includes the likes of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Of interesting note to me (if no one else) is that one of the major reasons for the L&C expedition was that the French, whom the US bought this territory from, didn't really know the boundaries so L&C were sent to better define them AND the timbers in the Red House are VERTICAL in lieu of HORIZONTAL - something I have never seen recreated!
Tomorrow is onward and DOWN to the warm(er) south!
