Boonville, Bunceton and Warm Springs Ranch

Today was a rather calm day compared to the last week.  The only thing we HAD to do today was go to Warm Springs Ranch to see the Budweiser Clydesdales.  Poor us...

Bales walks the tracks at the
Boonville Visitor's Center/
former Union Station

We started out this morning in downtown Boonville trying to figure out where the old Harned home is in Bunceton.  Nobody seemed to know, so they told us to go over to the old Jail and Hanging Barn and ask the Friends of Cooper County.  We were out of time, so off to Warm Springs Ranch we went, with the intent to come back afterwards. 








The "W" from the original Budweiser sign in St. Louis

Warm Springs Ranch is the breeding grounds for the Budweiser Clydesdales.  We learned ALL about how the Clydesdales are taken care of, bred, raised, hitched, etc.  It was fascinating, informative, and a great deal of fun. 

Sizes of horseshoes



Bailey holds a Clydesdale horseshoe

We were amazed at how large the horses really are...








We even got to meet a couple of the babies - Cobra and Red were their names.  I have no idea which one this is.

And then, the grand finale - as if seeing the babies wasn't exciting enough, we got to pet and be up next to one of their commercial horses (who also used to be a hitch horse), Duke.  Duke stars in many of the Budweiser commercials, including this past year's SuperBowl commercial!

Bailey and Duke - she scratched and petted him - he was a doll!

After Warm Springs Ranch, we headed back into Boonville to meet with the Friends of Cooper County about the Harned house.  They didn't know either, but we found some very vague information on a plat map there, so we headed down to Bunceton anyway. 

Bunceton water tower in front of the High School

After driving around for a short while, we stopped and asked some "old timers", who gave us all kinds of conflicting information, but we went on the wild goose chases anyway.  We spent a great deal of time in the local cemetery taking photos of all of the Harned headstones.  Then we drove around looking for Walnut Rows Farms.  We never found it, and on one last run through town (blink and you'll miss it!), we stopped at the Post Office (which is only open for a couple hours once a week), then went to the Bank of Bunceton - where we met a cousin.  Who told us the Harned home burnt down a few years ago, and nothing is left.

Bunceton is kind of sad - it is run down, no major businesses to mention, and deteriorating quickly.  It is still a farming town.

Downtown Bunceton, MO - the post office is in front
of the mailbox.  It was closed. 

Oh well.  We were tired.  And hot.  And the Russell Stovers ice cream parlor was calling us...so off we went.  We ended our day doing some site seeing along the Missouri River, and then back to the hotel to pack for our flight home tomorrow night!