Thanks to my husband we had the chance to visit this establishment, while visiting from out of…read moretown. This is absolutely fascinating to watch. We had the great pleasure of the one on one demonstration by the blacksmith. This takes you back in time watching this process. While we were there the blacksmith was in the middle of making a fish from a horse shoe. He demonstrated the different steps to making a piece. He showed us the different pieces made (which some are available for purchase), some very unique. The tools of Tom Kennon was donated to the homestead. Tom Kennon passed at the age of 104! He worked with his tools until he was 96 years in 1980. To see his tools still being used to this day is in awe. You must come watch the blacksmith at work. You will find the tools of the trade displayed on the shop walls. A must see!

I was in Poplar Bluff visiting a friend who recently moved to town for work. When I travel, no…read morematter how small the place I visit, I like to get a feel for the locale and its history. The Railroad Museum did not disappoint. As soon as we entered the museum we were greeted by a friendly older gentleman who introduced himself and explained that he started this museum about 15 years ago when he retired from working for the railroad after 42 years. This place is clearly his baby. It's a very thorough collection of railroad artifacts and local photos (my favorite being the 19th century photo showing the overturned circus train and all the loose circus animals running around town). It definitely gives you a good sense of place and what was going on in southeast Missouri during a different era. In the back of the museum is a large room with a huge model train set with multiple trains running on it. I couldn't help myself...as soon as I walked in I squealed with delight. Wouldn't you? The Museum also features a gift shop with lots of toy trains and other train related products. Santa Claus was in the gift shop that day visiting with the local children who were stopping by to tell him their Christmas wishes. Very, very cute. If you're in the area and looking for something to do, pay a visit. And don't miss the old train cars out front, including a real caboose, that you can go inside and visit.

My rating is for the clubhouse. I live on the golf course and play golf a bit, but the course is…read morenot all that challenging. They do their best to keep it in tip-top shape, but because it's a smaller, semi-private club, I can't even begin to imagine the cost-to-member ratio for keeping up the cart paths, greens, fairways, rough and tertiary areas. The clubhouse has undergone some serious renovations and changes over the past few years. it is a really cool place to host and/or attend events for birthdays, holidays and special services. As far as the food goes, their chefs/cooks are really good at what they do. Plus, if you eat there enough, they start to know exactly what you like and how you like it. When I call up there to order take-out or take the time to sit down with the family, I barely even have to order. They know exactly what we all want before we begin our orders! Golf, swimming, food, fun, friends and overall feel - this place is a great place to be!