Jaunted

Starting this weekend is the Arts and Crafts Festival, which could be fun once you've had a few steins. Next week, the Artists of Wine Country open up their studios to show off and sell their work. Both weekends will also be full of food, beer gardens and live oom-pah bands. The fun really ramps up for the last, blow-out weekend of October 27-28.

Why so German in the middle of Missouri? The Pennsylvania Dutch (who were really the Deutsch) checked out this particular frontier back in 1837. After realizing that their promised land was way to hilly for ordinary crops, the settlers planted grapes and started making wine. That same rough terrain helped keep Hermann solidly German.

Speaking of wine, there's plenty of it around. Though we always think beer when anyone utters "Oktoberfest," the area's seven wineries will host special events during the celebrations. Be on the lookout for grapes like Norton and Vignoles; they're the local specialties.

Hotel pickings in the area are already getting tight, so be sure to call around first to book a room. The Hermann Area Chamber of Commerce can help you dig something up. And fortunately, the area is packed with B&Bs, so you'll have a cozy place to sleep off all those sausages.

Getting There:
Fly into St. Louis, then cruise down Highway 100. But take Route 94 if you want to see the new bridge into town named for Senator Christopher Bond. Either way, lift a glass to earmarks--once you've parked the car, of course.

Related Stories:
· Hermann Oktoberfest [Official Site]
· Hermann Area Chamber of Commerce [Official Site]
· Fall Festivals coverage [Jaunted]
· Fall Festivals Map [Jaunted]

[Photo: sdiver]