Going Back to Caledonia

Going Back to Caledonia. Hmmm. That might make a lovely book title some day. But this past week, it was the “title” of our weekend. Many of you will remember that six years ago, my husband got the bug to get a camper. It did NOT sound like my idea of fun. But he talked me into a trial run, we rented a camper near St. Louis and made our way toward our daughters’ homes in Southeast Missouri. (You can find that blog post HERE.)

Along the way on that maiden voyage, we came upon the town of Caledonia, Missouri, and that charming tiny village may just be have been the tipping point that convinced me camping could be fun.

This weekend, we went on what Ken calls a “shake-down cruise”—a two-night trip just to make sure everything is working right on the camper before we embark on a month-long trip later this fall. We visited beautiful Missouri sights like Onondaga Cave State Park, Maramec Spring Park, and Montauk State Park. They were all so unique and beautiful, this time of year especially.

As we headed toward home late Saturday morning, we realized that we would drive very close to Caledonia again. And in fact, it would only be an 8.5-mile detour to visit the town that charmed us so much.

So we went. We parked in front of the General Mercantile, which has to be one of the coolest stores in the state, if not the country! What a great, old-fashioned mercantile!

Caledonia hasn’t changed much in six years, but it has grown and improved with new shops and new places to eat. And the town was hopping on a Saturday. We had delicious quesadillas at Roma’s and they were big enough to be Sunday leftovers the next day.

Here are just a few more scenes from the General Mercantile.

Caledonia was a good reminder that I shouldn’t have been so negative about Ken’s idea of traveling and camping. We’ve come to a great compromise and I’ve learned and grown so much.

Is there anything in your life that you initially resisted but that ultimately turned out to be something you now enjoy and are glad you did?