Firefall .... A Concert in the Sky

I have heard about this Firefall event hosted by the city parks department ever since the first week I arrived in Springfield. For the last 2 times we have allowed the opportunity to pass without regard. This year however, I think we have caught the American Independence Spirit. We decided that this would be our year. The event takes place near the Springfield Airport and so we headed out for the short drive across the city. I am not sure what we expected but I know what we found. An $8 fee for a carload and a massive gathering of families all gathered in a big open farming field, sitting in their lawn chairs and listening to local bands set up on a grand stage. The great gathering was encircled by many fair style food vending wagons which included my favorite carnival food, the giant corn dog.

Although the food and music was nice and relaxing, we of course were gathered for a "concert in the sky"as they put it. A concert was indeed what we got. Not only was the fireworks truly a joy to experience the show was accompanied by the Springfield Symphony playing tunes in sync with the exploding fireworks.

The event came at a great time as we just entered our Summer Break. Certainly a wonderful way to begin our short, but well needed, vacation from class.

photos obtained from www.news-leader.com

Springfield's World Record "The Giant Fork"

In front of the 3-story building inhabited by Noble & Associates, a Springfield ad agency, the "World's Largest Fork" is appropriately stuck in a garden of leafy greens. . Originally placed in front of a restaurant that failed on South Glenstone, it was purchased and moved to its current location. The brick and glass building is the company's "Idea Center" -- Noble does a lot of work for the food service and retail industry, so the fork makes sense...

There are no signs directing anyone to this magnificent monstrosity yet it is not far from the Forest campus and so I tend to bring any of our visitors to see our local claim to fame. This week my sweetheart's grandpa got to cast his eyes on the biggest utensil ever.

The 35 foot stainless steal fork is certainly a sight to see.

World's Largest Fork
Address: 2215 W Chesterfield Blvd, Springfield, MO

Directions: From FIPP go East on Battlefield then turn south on Kansas Expressway after about one block; turn right on W. Chesterfield. Turn right on Cox and then into the Noble & Associates parking lot on the right.

Springfield's 4th Replaces a Mall

When I first arrived in Springfield there were 2 malls, one we shopped in and one we avoided. We no longer have to worry about avoiding the North Town Mall anymore however, it no longer stands. What is left behind is far from a vacant lot, in fact, in it's place is a massive, energy efficient, 184,212 square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter.

Although this is a new Supercenter it is actually just an upgrade from the store pictured above. It was the last of the regular Wal-Marts left in Springfield. With the Grand Opening of Springfield's newest Supercenter the count is now up to 4, one on each corner of the city. I know some are not big fans of this retailing giant, but I have a very long and personal history with Wal-Mart. Because of this I could not be anything but ecstatic that this Superstore was opening it's doors today. You can of course bet on the fact that I was there, opening day, to enjoy all 184,212 square feet.

Short Drive for a Fantastic Adventure

A short drive north of the city limits will bring you to a world away from the hum drum of graduate school. It is not too often one can find a nearby place to go to simply sit back and enjoy a relaxing ride through a majestic series of underworld artistry. In fact there is only one place in America, it happens to be right here in Springfield at "Fantastic Caverns".

Our family finally decided to see just how fantastic this cavern really was and to our surprise we loved the adventure. For a wonderful 40 minute tour we entered a massive cavern carried on a red Jeep drawn tram. We learned the extrodinary history of the cave and many scientific facts regarding cave formations. We truly enjoyed our relaxing tour of Fantastic Caverns so much that we paid the additional $5 to upgrade our single tour ticket to an annual pass. Well worth the money.