Missouri winters can be crazy and hang on into April. Yesterday was a prime example. Snow blanketed my beautiful Pomme de Terre Lake property for a few hours before it melted into oblivion.
As I sat watching the snow fall I realized that I have been blessed to live in some fabulous places in my lifetime like condo living in Phoenix, AZ.
Or a 4 bedroom home in Bakersfield, CA
However, my heart still goes to my home I built with my own two hands with my late husband near Pomme de Terre Lake. It is as near to Paradise as I have found for me.
Pomme de Terre Lake, is located in the Osage Lakes Region, is a beautiful, clear lake with 113 miles of shoreline and over 7800 surface acres of water. Named the "Gem of the Ozarks", it is well known for its bass and muskie fishing and is ideal for camping, canoeing, hiking and water sports. Rural and peaceful in atmosphere with friendly people, it makes a great place to raise a family or reside in your retirement years. It's located just 50 miles from the Springfield, MO metropolitan area and 45 minutes from Lake of the Ozarks, Truman and Stockton Lakes, I can have the best of both worlds at Pomme de Terre Lake.
However, the closest community and wonderful place to have raised my teenagers was Bolivar, which is the county seat of Polk County, Missouri. The population is something like 11k. The city was named for Bolivar, Tennessee, home to many of the original settlers, and like that city its name is pronounced to rhyme with Oliver. The town is perhaps best known as the location of Southwest Baptist University and it was ranked number 87 on a list of 100 Best Small Towns in America in 1995. Bolivar is still a part of the Springfield, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Bolivar is named after the South American historical figure, Simón Bolívar, who was nicknamed El Libertador (The Liberators). In another nod to history, the local high school, Bolivar High School, calls its sports teams the Liberator. Both of my girls graduated from there as well.
For twenty-six years I resided, worked in State Government and raised a family in or near Jefferson City, MO.
Rand McNally named Jefferson City the most beautiful small town in the United States, and it’s not hard to see why. The city has a lovely main street, terrific views of the Missouri River, and impressive historic architecture. In addition, the city is located in the center of the state surrounded by beautiful Missouri wine country.
It is the capital of the state and although relatively small with just 43,000 residents, it is actually the 15th largest city in the state. The Missouri state government is the largest employer in town and the unemployment rate is a respectable 6%. A relatively low cost of living, high graduation rates, lots of local amenities and decent weather, Jefferson City was a great place to live overall.
I spent seven years in the Springfield's bedroom community of Nixa, MO. Intially I arrived to babysit my granddaughter and ended up buying a second home there for convenience.
Nixa scored 100% on Missouri’s Annual Performance Report as the best town for young families to live in the state. It is known for having one of the best public school districts in Missouri, earning the “Accredited with Distinction in Performance” award by the Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education for 10 years in a row. It is one of the fastest growing cities.
I have been truly blessed to have seen a large parts of the USA in my past travels. However, I still plan to call Missouri my home in-between exploring and traveling in my retirement years.
The search is real... And I'm Loving It!
See you along the road...
Nana
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