Off endangered list, eagles fly into Illinois

In recent decades, bald eagles have made a remarkable recovery. Keith Lee Emery/USFWS photo

The American bald eagle, once near extinction, was taken off the Endangered Species List this year, and to celebrate the majestic bird’s return to prominence, visit one of its winter nesting grounds in southern Illinois.

During the winter, bald eagles seek out open water along rivers that don’t ice over, including the Mississippi River, where they can hunt for food. The area around Alton and Grafton in southern Illinois is one of those areas, and the region annually welcomes them with events to showcase their beauty and winter habitat.

Bald eagles were first declared endangered in 1967 after the population had plummeted to an all-time low of 417 nesting pairs. Thanks largely to the protection of being placed on the Endangered Species List and to the ban on DDT, eagles staged a remarkable recovery to an estimated high of nearly 10,000 breeding pairs today.

Among the events in southern Illinois, Pere Marquette State Park will host Bald Eagle Days on Dec. 21 and 26 and on a number of days in January and February. The free programs will begin at the park’s visitor center at 8:30 a.m., and visitors will learn all about eagles. Following a short video, visitors can take a drive to view the wintering bald eagles. Dress warmly and have a full tank of gas. Reservations are required by calling (618) 786-3323.

Then on every Saturday in January, the Alton Visitors Center (200 Piasa St.) will host an Eagle Meet and Greet from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. The World Bird Sanctuary will present live eagle demonstrations, and participants will receive an Eagle Watcher’s Guide that directs them to locations in the area to see eagles in their natural habitat for free. For more details, call 1-800-ALTON-IL (258-6645), or visit the Web site www.visitalton.com.

On those Saturdays, visitors also can take a 75-minute tour through eagle country aboard a trolley that departs from the visitors center. Admission is $5 per person, and advanced reservations are encouraged by calling Bluff City Tours at (618) 466-8693. The day of the tour, reservations can be made by calling (618) 550-9291. Or visit www.bluffcitytours.com.

Similar Sunday events will be held at the National Great Rivers Museum in Alton (#1 Lock and Dam Way) on Jan. 20 and 27 and Feb. 3 and 10 from noon–4 p.m. Visitors can get an up-close look at a live eagle and then take the 75-minute trolley tour for $5. Call Bluff City Tours for reservations. The tour company also will offer day-long eagle country tours on a number of days in January and February for $48 that include breakfast and lunch. Contact Bluff City Tours for details.

Silver exhibition sparkles at the Saint Louis Art Museum

In the collection is the stunning “Tureen in the Shape of a Green Turtle.” Cahn Collection/Saint Louis Art Museum photo

Some artists use brushes and a palette of oil paints to create masterful works of art while others chisel marble or carve wood.

For Paul de Lamerie, silver was his canvas.

Widely recognized as England’s most accomplished silversmith, de Lamerie crafted exquisite pieces for wealthy merchants and powerful politicians in the 1700s, including King George I. More than merely platters, tureens, candlesticks and pots, the works that he crafted sparkle with intricate details and sublime patterns.

Now more than 40 of those works are being showcased at the Saint Louis Art Museum in “Beyond the Maker’s Mark: Paul de Lamerie Silver in the Cahn Collection,” which will be on display through Jan. 20, 2008. Through their variety, beauty and complexity, the objects explore the silversmith’s trade in 18th century London.

Among the stunning works in the collection are the innovative “Tureen in the Shape of a Green Turtle” and the extraordinary Maynard Dish, which features shells, fish, faces and more carved into its border. The dish bears de Lamerie’s mark, but it was created by an anonymous silversmith working for de Lamerie and serves as an example of an object made “beyond the maker’s mark.”

Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for students and $4 for children 6–12. Located in Forest Park at #1 Fine Arts Drive, the museum is open 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday–Sunday and 10 a.m.–9 p.m. on Friday. Admission is free on Friday. For details, call (314) 721-0072, or visit online at www.slam.org.

Ferdinand heralds the holidays with market

Each November, Ferdinand in southern Indiana celebrates both its German heritage and the holidays with one celebration: Christkindlmarkt.

The festival, which will be held Nov. 16–18 this year, rings in the season and gives visitors a head start on their holiday shopping. Four locations will feature plenty of items to complete your shopping list, including antiques, art, handmade treasures and more.

Festivities kick off Friday at the Monastery Immaculate Conception with the appearance of the Christkindl Angel heralded by trumpeters and the Sisters of St. Benedict Bell Choir at 6:30 p.m. Then the monastery will host a dinner with music at 7:15 p.m. Dinner reservations are required by calling (812) 367-1874.

On Saturday and Sunday, the four market locations–the Ferdinand Community Center, Forest Park High School, the monastery gymnasium and the monastery art studio–will be open. The monastery locations will feature antiques, while the other two will be brimming with handcrafted artisan creations. Hours are 9 a.m.–5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m.–4 p.m. on Sunday.

In addition to shopping, other activities will spread holiday cheer. Live musical entertainment will be held at the Forest Park site both days, and tours of Monastery Immaculate Conception will be conducted.

The Christkindlmarkt is part of a series of events called Olde World Christmas. The other events include the Huntingburg Christmas Stroll (Nov. 9–11) and Jasper O’Tannenbaum Days (Nov. 30–Dec. 2).

Admission to the market is free. Ferdinand is located on Highway 162 just north of Interstate 64. For details, call (800) 968-4578, or click on www.visitduboiscounty.com.

Hoop dreams come true in Kansas City

The term “March Mad-ness” was coined to describe the excitement associated with the men’s NCAA basketball tournament each spring, but now there’s a place where you can experience that fervor all year long.

The College Basketball Experience opened this fall adjoining the amazing new $276 million Sprint Center in Kansas City’s Power and Light District, a vibrant nine-block downtown neighborhood featuring restaurants, shops, offices and entertainment venues. Connected to the Sprint Center by a common lobby, the College Basketball Experience celebrates men’s college basketball at all levels and provides fans with an entertaining, hands-on experience that explores the game from an insider’s perspective.

A main component of the new facility is the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, which showcases the coaches and players who have made the sport what it is today. Featuring videos, photographs and exhibits, the hall will welcome its second class in November, including legendary University of Missouri coach Norm Stewart.

In addition, the center has interactive areas in which visitors can get caught up in the excitement of basketball. In the Fan Experience area, high-energy activity venues place visitors in electrifying game-like situations, like sinking a game-winning shot.

The center, located at 1401 Grand Blvd., is open 10 a.m–6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and from 11 a.m.–6 p.m. on Sunday. It is closed on Monday and open on Tuesday for school groups only. Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for youth. For details, call (816) 949-7500, or visit online at www.collegebasket ballexperience.com.

Savor bounty of Missouri on wine trail

Sip and sample your way along the Holiday Fare Wine Trail this winter for a festive food and wine tasting event at a number of wineries clustered along the Missouri River.

Held each year over the third weekend in November, this year’s Holiday Fare Wine Trail will be Nov. 17–18. A celebration not only of the holidays but of Missouri’s bounty, the annual festival features scrumptious holiday foods perfectly matched with a selected wine at each winery. The route includes seven wineries along 20 scenic miles between Hermann and New Haven, generally located along Highway 100.

For instance, at Bias Vine-yards and Winery in Berger, participants will snack on warm pumpkin muffins paired with hot mulled wine. OakGlenn Vine-yards and Winery in Hermann will pair Norton wine with smoked turkey breast and Norton wine reduction sauce. And Stone Hill Winery in Hermann will present butterscotch-drizzled sherry pecan squares with cream sherry.

The price is $15 per person, and tickets must be purchased in advance. The last day tickets will be sold is Nov. 14. Purchase tickets online at www.hermann mo.info or by calling (800) 932-8687. The ticket price includes a souvenir wine glass.

Wine Trail hours will be from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. on Saturday and from 11 a.m.–5 p.m. on Sunday. For details, call (800) 909-9463, or visit www.hermannmo.info.