Hermann, Missouri’s Wine Country
It was the best of times, it was the worst of time! Yes I am talking about the wonderful old German Community of Hermann Missouri. So let’s start with the best of times shall we?
The day started by boarding the Amtrak in K.C. and as usual Amtrak delivered. The cost, $20.00 to get to Hermann and $20.00 to get home! Yes that is right, for the small price it was $40.00 round trip from K.C. to Hermann Missouri and I am not sure I could have driven the 3 hours for that price. Also as usual Amtrak was a great ride with comfortable, spacious seating and you can even carry your own cooler on the train! (Thank you again S. and C. O.) That means and I am sure you guessed it, MySideOfTheBar was once again riding the rails! We sat back and had a few drinks and in a few short hours we were in the wonderful community of Hermann, MO.
You may ask, why in September as the October fest is only a few short weeks away? Well we have been there in October at least four times and all I can compare it to New Years eve, when every amateur drinking is out and about. I remember one year we pulled into Hermann around 11:00 A.M. and there was already someone passed out in the parking lot so as you may gather September is a better choice at least for us. Also the weather in September is still very summer like.
Our first stop of the day was the Barrel Bar which boasts to be the oldest continuous bar west of the Mississippi. The sign our front states it was established in 1878 and how they kept it open through prohibition I am not sure, but it was a nice place to start our day and has a great menu with some traditional German fare available.
We called the Herman Trolley to pick us up, yes that is right they have a Trolley Service in Hermann and it is a great way to get around and the price is very inexpensive, ten dollars for the entire day. The Trolley will pick you up and drop you off almost anywhere in Hermann and stops at the four wineries in Hermann.
Central Patti Ridding the Trolley
Our favorite is the Oak Glen Winery, overlooking the Missouri River and many of the Winery’s Vineyards. Ok, now for the worst of times. We find Missouri Wine just barley palatable, just barley. I am not sure if is due to the Missouri Wine industry being completely destroyed during prohibition, or just the climate and growing season but we have met very, very few bottles of Missouri Wine that we enjoy. However with the beautiful scenery and the aid of my always handy 10 shot flask of bourbon we did manage to drink a few bottles of wine at Oak Glen and had a wonderful afternoon.
The View from Oak Glen
Central Patti and The Professor at Oak Glen
After a few hours we were back on the Trolley heading back into Hermann to check into our Bed and Breakfast. We stayed at the Harbor Haus Inn which was a wonderful place to stay the weekend. We had a three bedroom two bath apartment which had a great patio overlooking the Missouri River. We had a great bottle of Bordeaux while we freshened up and then walked down the hill to a local pub and had a couple of drinks before the Trolley stopped to take us to our dinner destination.
We had a late dinner at the Stone Hill Winery, which at one time was one of the largest Wineries in the United States. They server a traditional German menu and the Schnitzel is excellent. Again the Wine here is nothing to write home about, but we did have a bottle of Chambourcin.
We did however have a small issue getting home. We seemed to have misread the Trolley schedule and it seemed to have stopped by the time we finished dinner so we began our walk back to our room. We estimated it was only a little over a mile and except for being charged by a pit bull and Central Patti’s shoes breaking down causing her to walk barefoot we had almost made it back to the room when we became a little disorientated and luckily we found a man sitting in the middle of the road on a cooler drinking beer who gave us directions.
We finished off the evening on the Patio sipping Four Roses.
The next morning we awoke to late for the Breakfast part of Bed and Breakfast, however we brunched at a local restaurant, Simons. Simons had a nice menu and beer on tap served in frozen mugs which tasked great, I believe we had a honey wheat.
We finished off the day at the Hermannhof Winery enjoying a bottle of their Blush wine and some Four Roses before grabbing a picnic of German Sausage, Cheese and German Bread for the train ride home.
Hermannhof Winnery
Hermannhof Vineyards
Central Patti and The Professor at Hermannhof
The weather all weekend was great and I can safely say that all at MySideOfTheBar had a great weekend.
Cheers
The day started by boarding the Amtrak in K.C. and as usual Amtrak delivered. The cost, $20.00 to get to Hermann and $20.00 to get home! Yes that is right, for the small price it was $40.00 round trip from K.C. to Hermann Missouri and I am not sure I could have driven the 3 hours for that price. Also as usual Amtrak was a great ride with comfortable, spacious seating and you can even carry your own cooler on the train! (Thank you again S. and C. O.) That means and I am sure you guessed it, MySideOfTheBar was once again riding the rails! We sat back and had a few drinks and in a few short hours we were in the wonderful community of Hermann, MO.
You may ask, why in September as the October fest is only a few short weeks away? Well we have been there in October at least four times and all I can compare it to New Years eve, when every amateur drinking is out and about. I remember one year we pulled into Hermann around 11:00 A.M. and there was already someone passed out in the parking lot so as you may gather September is a better choice at least for us. Also the weather in September is still very summer like.
Our first stop of the day was the Barrel Bar which boasts to be the oldest continuous bar west of the Mississippi. The sign our front states it was established in 1878 and how they kept it open through prohibition I am not sure, but it was a nice place to start our day and has a great menu with some traditional German fare available.
We called the Herman Trolley to pick us up, yes that is right they have a Trolley Service in Hermann and it is a great way to get around and the price is very inexpensive, ten dollars for the entire day. The Trolley will pick you up and drop you off almost anywhere in Hermann and stops at the four wineries in Hermann.
Central Patti Ridding the Trolley
Our favorite is the Oak Glen Winery, overlooking the Missouri River and many of the Winery’s Vineyards. Ok, now for the worst of times. We find Missouri Wine just barley palatable, just barley. I am not sure if is due to the Missouri Wine industry being completely destroyed during prohibition, or just the climate and growing season but we have met very, very few bottles of Missouri Wine that we enjoy. However with the beautiful scenery and the aid of my always handy 10 shot flask of bourbon we did manage to drink a few bottles of wine at Oak Glen and had a wonderful afternoon.
The View from Oak Glen
Central Patti and The Professor at Oak Glen
After a few hours we were back on the Trolley heading back into Hermann to check into our Bed and Breakfast. We stayed at the Harbor Haus Inn which was a wonderful place to stay the weekend. We had a three bedroom two bath apartment which had a great patio overlooking the Missouri River. We had a great bottle of Bordeaux while we freshened up and then walked down the hill to a local pub and had a couple of drinks before the Trolley stopped to take us to our dinner destination.
We had a late dinner at the Stone Hill Winery, which at one time was one of the largest Wineries in the United States. They server a traditional German menu and the Schnitzel is excellent. Again the Wine here is nothing to write home about, but we did have a bottle of Chambourcin.
We did however have a small issue getting home. We seemed to have misread the Trolley schedule and it seemed to have stopped by the time we finished dinner so we began our walk back to our room. We estimated it was only a little over a mile and except for being charged by a pit bull and Central Patti’s shoes breaking down causing her to walk barefoot we had almost made it back to the room when we became a little disorientated and luckily we found a man sitting in the middle of the road on a cooler drinking beer who gave us directions.
We finished off the evening on the Patio sipping Four Roses.
The next morning we awoke to late for the Breakfast part of Bed and Breakfast, however we brunched at a local restaurant, Simons. Simons had a nice menu and beer on tap served in frozen mugs which tasked great, I believe we had a honey wheat.
We finished off the day at the Hermannhof Winery enjoying a bottle of their Blush wine and some Four Roses before grabbing a picnic of German Sausage, Cheese and German Bread for the train ride home.
Hermannhof Winnery
Hermannhof Vineyards
Central Patti and The Professor at Hermannhof
The weather all weekend was great and I can safely say that all at MySideOfTheBar had a great weekend.
Cheers
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