Thanksgiving Along the River in Grafton, Illinois

Our Thanksgiving is always a special day for friends and family to gather together. For many years we enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner at the home of my parents in University City, Missouri. Dinner there always included what ever family was in town, an assortment of my parents dearest friends, and usually someone who had no other family or place to share Thanksgiving.
In November of 1998 my parents retired from their jobs in St. Louis. They were able to fulfill their retirement dream of building and moving to a house near the ocean in North Myrtle Beach, SC. That left family here to develop new Thanksgiving traditions. The weather in November and our jobs made travelling to Mom & Dad's for Thanksgiving not very probable.
Not wanting to celebrate alone, my husband Ernie and I turned to our church family for holiday celebrations. For many years, we shared a Thanksgiving dinner with our good church  friends Art & Lorraine Carlson. We were privileged to have our dinner at the faculty facility the Whitmore House on the campus of Washington University. After Art passed away, we shared a few Thanksgivings with Lorraine- eventually at Sunrise- her assisted living home until she too passed from this life.
Then it was time for new traditions as we who had no local family gathered at the house of one of our church family members to share a Thanksgiving dinner. Usually the hostess provided the turkey and all of us guests brought a side dish or dessert or beverage to add to the feast.
This year, 2011, none of us was quite up to cooking. So we decided to start a new tradition-Thanksgiving out. Jane Vacho, her daughter Maryann, Ernie and I thought Thanksgiving at Pere Marquette Lodge in Grafton, Il. would be great fun !! November 24, 2011 turned out to be a warm, partly sunny day. That made the trip across the river to Illinois even more enjoyable. After a 2 1/2 hour wait, which we spent sitting outdoors on the patio chatting and watching the river, we were finally called to table.  What a feast it was-turkey,ham,chicken, roast beef, a selection of salads, shrimp, salmon, cranberry sauce, 3 kinds of potatoes, cornbread and wild rice  stuffings, assorted vegetable dishes and assorted cheesecakes, pies and cookies for dessert. We finished eating and were on our way back across the river right at sunset. A good meal, A good time and a wonderful trip was had by all !!