Seniors Discover Richmond

Another “Jim Thing” here as I recently saw Richmond, Missouri mentioned in a newspaper. I checked out Richmond and discovered that it was a neat place to live, with several attractions that senior visitors might enjoy.

Richmond is in Ray County, Missouri with a population of 6,000 and is also the county seat. The city was founded in 1827 and was named after Richmond, Virginia.

It is known as “The Mushroom Capital of the World”  due to the abundance of Morel mushrooms in the area and the popularity of ‘mushroom-hunting’ in the spring.

A Mushroom Festival occurs the first weekend of May each year with crafts, a parade, beer gardens, a carnival, and of course, eating tasty mushrooms.

I hunted Morel mushrooms when I was younger. I love morels and I remember that those morel mushroom patches were carefully guarded secrets that one seldom  shared. In that manner you could go back every year and reap a tasty harvest from the same patch. I had morels that grew up out of a gravel path right in front of my cabin.  That made it easy.

 Ray County Museum On Senior’s ‘Must See List’

The Ray County Fair occurs each year in late summer and can best be described as a typical small county fair with tractor pulls, a demolition derby, go-cart races, FFA & 4H competitions, and carnival rides.

The Ray County Museum attracts senior visitors with local artifacts from the 1800’s through the present time in 37 rooms on three different floors. Exhibits include Civil War memorabilia, Indian artifacts, coal mining history, Daughter of the American Revolution, Mormon History and more pertaining to the historic past of Ray County. The Museum is said to be one of Richmond’s best kept secrets and is open year round, so mark it down on your “must see” list.

The Ray County Historical Society and The Friends of the Museum work together operating the Museum. It’s also the home of the Ray County Genealogy Association which has a library housed in the museum.

Parks, Golf Courses And Cemetery Interest Seniors

Pack a picnic basket, as there are numerous parks spread throughout Richmond with tennis courts, fishing, a swimming pool, baseball diamonds, shelters, etc. Seniors, toss in your golf clubs and play a round or two at the nearby 18-hole Shirkey Golf Club. Facebook has additional suggestions about Richmond along with a helpful local map.

Take a “Wandering Walk Through Richmond” via this video to get a good feel for the city. I’d enjoy checking out the Farris Theater, then strolling through the Richmond Cemetery Est. Circa 1875.

Austin King, the first governor of Missouri is entombed there, and Bob Ford, the guy who killed Jesse James. Hope you enjoyed that walk.

Richmond has some great restaurants as well for senior gourmands, and you can bet that morels are on the menu.  -jeb