MIZ....ZOU...RAH!!!

The last few days have been an ‘exploration’ of Columbia, MO (pronounced as in the title - in case you were wondering???) and its surrounding area with dear friends – Janet & Perry;-)  First stop – the new Crosby/Leslie retreat – a beautiful home on the lake.  What a change from Burbank, CA!!

Janet & Perry's beautiful new lakeside home in Columbia, MO.

Perry's new fishin' hole.

Columbia is a city of about 100,000 people with a plethora of educational opportunities.  It is the home of the University of Missouri (founded 1839), Stephens College (founded 1833) and the baby - Columbia College (founded 1851). 

The founding of the University of Missouri (MU) represented the birth of public higher education west of the Mississippi River.  The 1,250 acre campus is the state’s flagship university with approximately 33,000 students and is one of only five institutions in the country with law, medicine, veterinary medicine and a nuclear research reactor on a single campus!!

Francis Quadrangle captures the spirit and tradition of MU.  The quad includes 17 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, including the six Ionic columns from Missouri’s original Academic Hall, which was destroyed by fire in 1892 leaving only the columns.  The Academic Hall, known today as Jesse Hall, was rebuilt just behind the ‘saved’ columns - its Dome is a campus landmark.

A view of Jesse Hall through The Columns. 

New coeds on campus!! 

E & G and Jesse makes three.

Looking north up Eighth Street through the columns of the University, one can see the pillars of the original courthouse built in 1846 by William Jewell, who aligned the columns with the columns at MU.

A glimpse of the old courthouse columns beneath the flag in the middle.

Thomas Jefferson passes on some secrets.

Gary shares a brew with Beetle Bailey, whose creator, Mort Walker, is a MU alum. 

Just by coincidence – Arizona State University was playing MU the Saturday/Game Day that we were in town.  AND, they were promoting breast cancer awareness.  So, off to the game we went at – where else – The Zou –

An appropriate name for this place - don't you think??

The Tigers arrive at the stadium.

Breast cancer awareness was brought to the fore by the student body.

Columbia College is a private, nonprofit, liberal arts and sciences institution with more than 30 campuses across the country, 18 of which are on military installations.  Just happens that one of those military bases is Lemore, CA, where daughter Heather is taking classes.

Daughter Heather is to receive her degree from Columbia College's Lemoore Naval Air Station Campus next spring.

Day trips included Rocheport, an early trading post on the Missouri River, Jefferson City, the capitol located in the heart of Missouri on the Missouri River and only 30 miles from Columbia and Westphalia, location of Janet’s ancestral home. 

The State Capitol in Jefferson City, MO. 

Hmmm..here we are again.

The Capitol sits above the banks of the Missouri River.

Janet's father grew up in this ancestral home in Westphalia, MO.

If I can drive Magic, this little thing ought to be a piece of cake.

Bringing some of the feed corn in from the fields in this vintage dump truck. 

A great family style dinner was enjoyed at the Westphalia Inn.

Enlightened, relaxed and happy from our visit – Elizabeth & Gary from Miz-zou-rah!!