Trains, Wine, and Beer

We put on our lederhosen and rode the train to Hermann.  Hermann is a German settlement near Jefferson City.  I lived there when I was in elementary school for a few years.  Hermann draws many tourist to it's area wineries and breweries.  The kids and my parents rode the Amtrak train and Brad and I drove a car to meet them.  We took a tour of one of the more popular wineries, Stone Hill.

 

Here, baby O had to kiss this tree.  She is full of one liners this summer.  Our favorite is still when she saw a black bear in Canada and straight faced said, "Yeah, I can fight that." 

 

Vineyard. 

Brad took this photo.  He is so trying to beat me in photography skills.  He won't win.   

 

 

 

These next photos are in the underground cellars.  The walls have charred marks from fires that had to be set in the '60's to burn all the mushroom spores.  Mushroom spores you say?  Yes, this was a major winery prior to prohibition.  When prohibition came through, they found a new way to be prosperous.  Mushrooms were becoming a big market and the cellars were the perfect growing environment.  Long story short, when new owners took over, mushrooms were out of hand and fires were set to kill the spores so wine making could once again happen in the cellars.  Cool right?  Yup, cool!  

 

Here we have some Nortons in their second year of aging.

 

 

 

Love this picture, so industrial in such an old place.   

 

 

 

It was so dark in most of the following pictures that my aperture required a longer shot.  I obviously can't keep still long enough for the light allowance and you will see a lot of blurry movement.

 

This is one of the few larger barrels that still had from after prohibition.  It is about 6 feet  high. 

 

 

They let the kids climb into one.  The guide said that they used to have the kids climb in to clean them.  Turns out that the kids were coming out intoxicated from the fumes!  Ha!  Who knew. 
Av and little E tried it out. 

 

 

Couldn't help myself.  Vintage industrial.  My new favorite look.  This will be framed in my house somewhere, count on it. 

 

 

This is the only barrel that survived prohibition.  It was so dark back in that space that I couldn't stand near still enough to get a good clear shot.  Wish I could go back and try over and over until I got it right. 

 

Another dark space where I was not still enough.  I loved the composition opportunity of this shot, if only it was not blurry.  It is a grape press.  It survived prohibition because someone put apples in the top saying it was an apple press instead.   

 

The brick buildings are so beautiful here.  I took way too many.  When I get this one home, I am going to have to tweak the color on it.  Too much sun.  Oh well. 

 

 Cool old building housing this brewery.  They were hosting a wedding that night.  FUN!!! 

Hermann was a two thumbs up day trip.  Brad and I rode the train back to Jefferson City with the kids.  I think I could do train travel more often.  So enjoyable. 

Sounds like I need to stop.  Brad is talking to my mom like I am not around, saying things like, "All she does is type on the computer.  Wish she would help put dinner on the table.  She is no help at all."  That is my cue. 

This week...Brad and I retreat to St. Louis, Cardinal ballgame, my sister flies in for a visit. Till then....