After a delayed start in the morning while Tom fixed an air ride problem under the truck in the Walmart parking lot, we pulled into Jefferson City in the mid-afternoon. It was raining, again, as we got there, so we stopped in a hotel parking lot and asked permission to park there while we walked to the capitol. While we were waiting, we talked to a couple who were fixing a trailer tire but were local, and they told us that we could park closer to the capitol at a bike shop with a big lot. So, we moved from the hotel to the bike shop, where they said we were welcome to park in their lot, which is just down the hill from the capitol. By the time we got done with all this moving around, the rain had stopped, so although it was still damp and gray, we took a walk around the capitol area with the dogs.
The Jefferson City capitol is in a very historic area of the city. It’s so historic, that most of the surrounding area is a state park with historic buildings. You can also cross a bridge to another small park which is, at least at some times of the year, an island in the river. Jefferson City is more like Charleston in that it’s on a river, but the river doesn’t really feature into the capitol landscaping because a railroad runs between the river and the city, but all of this just makes you realize why the city is located where it is, where trains and ships could meet to move goods through the area to the rest of the world. The capitol itself is impressive, but not ostentatious, with the front facing the river. The building is surrounded by fountains and statues, mostly of some sort of merman centaurs, which I found a little puzzling since I’m not sure why landlocked Missouri went with a mythological nautical theme. But, they’re very attractive. What’s not to love about a buff man/horse/fish creature? The governor’s house is also beautiful, and we were told that the Capitol itself used to be more like the governor’s mansion before it burned and was rebuilt.
The Jefferson City capitol is in a very historic area of the city. It’s so historic, that most of the surrounding area is a state park with historic buildings. You can also cross a bridge to another small park which is, at least at some times of the year, an island in the river. Jefferson City is more like Charleston in that it’s on a river, but the river doesn’t really feature into the capitol landscaping because a railroad runs between the river and the city, but all of this just makes you realize why the city is located where it is, where trains and ships could meet to move goods through the area to the rest of the world. The capitol itself is impressive, but not ostentatious, with the front facing the river. The building is surrounded by fountains and statues, mostly of some sort of merman centaurs, which I found a little puzzling since I’m not sure why landlocked Missouri went with a mythological nautical theme. But, they’re very attractive. What’s not to love about a buff man/horse/fish creature? The governor’s house is also beautiful, and we were told that the Capitol itself used to be more like the governor’s mansion before it burned and was rebuilt.
The area around the capitol is beautifully landscaped.
The Governor’s Mansion
Aqua-men and Aqua-horses. I’m not sure why, but this theme runs all around the capitol.
The entire capitol area is a state historic site.
From the capitol, you can take this bridge over the railroad tracks to an island park. The park has a fitness trail and picnic pavilions, as well as a small playground. We saw a few walkers while we were there.
We got back to the truck, and Tom called the repair shop in Versailles where we were scheduled to leave the camper the next morning. When we were in Albuquerque, he had ordered some parts for the suspension system which this shop had and was willing to install. Tom also had some brake parts we’ve been carrying and planning to change out ever since we left Belize, and he’d talked to the shop about doing that as well. There is a small campground in Versailles (pronounced ver-sales, in case you’re wondering), but because we’re self-contained and don’t needed electric or water, Tom asked if we could just park in their lot, which would give us a few extra minutes in the morning - which, if you know me, is a really good thing. They were fine with us parking there, so we pulled in last Monday afternoon - and the Versailles truck repair adventure continues.
