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ROAD TRIP: Louisiana, MO

Find Historic Treasures, Delicious Food & A Hometown Celebrity

You never know what treasures you’ll find when you travel Missouri’s roads. On a recent motorcycle trip, we came across one we’ll surely go back to again and again. We discovered Steamboat Bistro on Third St. in Louisiana, Mo.

The owner, Robbert Howland, says he came out of retirement to open the restaurant in the old Wahl Hotel & Cafe this Spring. “I worked in restaurants when I was young, and I still love to cook,” explains Robbert.

Unfortunately, the day they set to open turned out to be the first day of the Covid-19 restrictions and they were only allowed to do carry-out over the next three months. As of this writing, they are currently open for dining in.

And I highly recommend it. This beautifully restored hotel lobby and excellent food made for a very enjoyable day visiting this historic area.

Steamboat Bistro’s décor is so quaint, with its high, original tin ceilings, antique furnishings and clock collection, stained glass window, wainscoting along the walls and columns, and the old photos and paintings of steamboats traveling down the Mississippi River.

But the best part is the delicious food…the reuben, homemade potato salad, fried chicken, and the homemade cinnamon rolls and pies, using some of the owner’s family recipes. The diverse menu also features shrimp and lobster ravioli, lasagna, pan-seared New York Strip, meatloaf, pizza, BBQ pulled pork nachos, and a variety of homemade pies like coconut cream, chocolate pie and warm apple pie with raisins and walnuts (the latter is Robbert’s own recipe). Breakfast is served on the weekends.

The cozy, charming atmosphere coupled with fresh, tasty fare at Steamboat Bistro is just one reason to visit historic Louisiana.

Located on the banks of the Mississippi River 70 miles north of St. Louis on Route 79 and about 30 miles south of Hannibal, Louisiana was founded in 1816 by John Walter Basye and named after his daughter, Louisiana Basye, according to the Louisiana Visitors & Convention Bureau. Louisiana proved to be a profitable shipping point on the Mississippi River, and that wealth led to numerous antebellum homes. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources says that Louisiana has "the most intact Victorian Streetscape in the state of Missouri."

Louisiana’s first settler, John Bryson, built the first residence in 1817. Of Louisiana’s 3,300 or so residents, many are descendants of the early settlers.

For a small community, Louisiana certainly has its fair share of historic buildings. More than 15 buildings in the downtown area are on the National Registry of Historic Places, with many more dating back to the mid and early 1800’s. You can take a walking tour of the two historic districts.

Louisiana is one of three communities that formed the 50 Miles of Art corridor. Artist John Stoeckly’s studio and gallery is there. For over 20 years, Stoeckley has been capturing the history of Missouri and other notable sites in America in extremely detailed pen, ink, and watercolor. Over 300 drawings make up the two main bodies of work: “The Heartland Collection” and “Reflections of Missouri.” These drawings, along with many others, are available for viewing and purchasing at his studio, located in one of the oldest buildings in Louisiana.

There’s also the Henry Lay Sculpture Park. Set on approximately 20 acres, the sculpture park is within 350 acres of natural meadows, wooded rolling hills, lakes and streams. A well-maintained path takes guests on a 40-minute walk through a maple grove, the McElwee Cemetery and a plethora of sculptures.

Another notable fact about Louisiana is that it is the hometown of a St. Charles County resident who, as a Nashville recording artist, recently recorded a song about that called This Will Always Be My Town. As a matter of fact, the home she grew up in is now the Stoeckley Studio & Gallery.

Kathryn Shipley, or KShip, as her friends and fans call her, navigates back and forth between the Country music and Contemporary Christian genres. With many notable awards under her belt since 2017, she is one of the fastest growing indie artists in the Country and Christian categories. Most recently, she won 2019 Artist of the Year - Gospel/Inspirational at The Josie Music Awards in Dollywood.

When she recruited her old high school friend Ronnie Stoops to play guitar for the Josie Music Awards, they were talking and his wife suggested to the pair that they write a song about their hometown of Louisiana, Missouri. They loved the idea, prayed about it, and less than a week later, Ronnie presented the lyrics to her for This Will Always Be My Town.

“It was fun shooting it on location in our hometown of Louisiana. And it was cool because he had never been in Nashville, so during recording, I showed him around,” says Kathryn.

“I had recorded my previous songs there. In 2017, I was with a small record label and recorded a song called Shine Your Love. Then in 2018, I hooked up with Songwriter Chuck Thomas and he invited me to record in Nashville, at the studio of Daniel Dennis, for our Josie Music Award winning song, God Gave Me All I Need, which won for Song of the Year - Modern Country-Female Artist. It’s a whole different vibe to be in Music City and it ramps you up to do different things," she says.

“As an independent artist, it’s hard. But if you come into it doing what you love to do, and not expecting a lot of money from it…I mean, if you want to inspire people, that’s what it’s about,” she adds.

“I love doing the music videos. I’m working on a Christmas one now. There were two Nashville songwriters who pitched the song to me, and I’m very excited about it. It’s a bit more challenging with the virus, like I have to record my vocals remotely and not go to Nashville right now.”

Both Your Love is Enough and This Will Always Be My Town have been submitted to get on the First Round ballot for the Grammy Awards.

"I’m pretty excited about that!”

When asked about what may be in her future, she simply says “I just remain humble as always, but as to the future, I’d love to be an opening act for an artist.”

If you plan to spend the night in Louisiana, one great option is the Eagle's Nest Inn B&B, which offers "rest and excellent privacy in an 1850’s building," according to the website. A beautiful staircase leads to 11 upper-level rooms, with the lower level featuring Josephine's Bakery and a charming patio in the back. 

For more information about this historical town, visit VisitLouisianaMo.com.

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