Enjoy Winter Outdoors In Missouri

Jefferson City, Mo. ? We know it is tempting to just sit in your living room and wait for spring; after all, it is warm and dry in there. As winter tightens its grip, a person's fancy often turns to thoughts of . . . skiing (snow, not water) and canoeing.

You can do both right here, in Missouri. No need for a 12-hour road trip through treacherous mountain terrain, or to endure the long, demanding lines of airport security. Missouri's tourism website, VisitMO, has listings for everything you need to get out and experience nature, even in winter.

Missouri has two venues for swishing down the slopes: Snow Creek, north of Kansas City, and Hidden Valley, on the western fringe of St. Louis. Both are perfect for an exhilarating afternoon, regardless of your skill level. Just pick your ride of choice, from downhill or cross-country skis, to snowboards, to tubes, and enjoy a refreshing day outdoors. Yes, both offer professional instructors.

Snow Creek is about 10 minutes north of Weston; a half hour south of St. Joseph. Their state-of-the-art snowmaking machines can blanket the hillside with 12 inches of snow. The venue has a total vertical drop of 300 feet; a 700-foot long tube area; and a terrain section for snowboards. One-day, two-day and season tickets are offered.

The lodge at Snow Creek includes a bar, cafeteria, picnic and barbecue area, a bonfire pit, equipment rentals, souvenir and gift shop, an award-winning ski school, and (just in case) a first-aid station. They hold nighttime sessions some weekends. Watch their website for details.

To make a weekend of it, stay just down the road, in Weston ? voted Missouri's No. 1 Day Trip by Ingram's Magazine, and the No. 1 Best Overnight Destination by VisitKC.com.

• Weston Bend State Park has hiking trails that meander through the woods and along a bluff with great views of the Missouri river. Picnic sites and camping are available if the weather is good.
• Visit Pirtle Winery, known for their fine Missouri wines and meads (mead is wine made from honey).
• Unwind at O'Malley's Pub, an Irish microbrewery and restaurant.
• The American Bistro-style cuisine at the Avalon Cafe, situated in an 1847 home, has dishes ranging from pizza to wild boar, pasta to beef steaks, elk loin to chicken.
• For a down-home meal and scrumptious breakfast, try the Weston Cafe.
• Spend a relaxing night at the Inn at Weston Landing, a four-guestroom bed and breakfast, built in 1842.
• The 26-guestroom Saint George Hotel opened its doors in 1845. The hotel has been renovated with modern conveniences, while maintaining its original architectural style and beauty.

Across the state, in Wildwood (a western suburb of St. Louis), the skiing hot spot is Hidden Valley ski resort. Their snowmaking system can provide all the snow necessary for skiing, tubing and snowboarding, on 30 acres with an overall 310-foot vertical drop. The ski lodge holds a bar, cafeteria, equipment rentals, and (just in case) a first-aid station. Certified instructors offer skiing and snowboarding instructions (all levels and ages; private and group). Trails at Hidden Valley are lighted for night skiing and special moonlight sessions, some of which last until 3 a.m. Day tickets, group and senior rates, and season passes are available.

After a day on the slopes, it's about 10 minutes to Eureka, where you can relax, dine and spend the night.

• A highlight of the Eureka area, Route 66 State Park features an original section of old Route 66, plus a visitor center with Route 66 and Times Beach exhibits, Meramec River access, picnic areas and shelters, and trails for hiking, bicycling and horseback riding.
• Plan ahead and make reservations to tour the Endangered Wolf Center. This internationally recognized captive breeding facility raises endangered wolves and releases them into the wild. This is a fascinating attraction you'll never forget.
• The Holiday Inn at Six Flags features a heated indoor pool, arcade games, a bar and a restaurant (kids eat free).
• Chow down on some of the best barbecue in America at Super Smokers Barbecue Restaurant. This is the home of the St. Louis area's only World Champion BBQ team; their award-winning barbecue sauce is available on-site and at grocery stores throughout the Midwest.
• If barbecue isn't your thing, try Poor Richard's Restaurant, where they serve two tons of chicken wings every week, in addition to fish, steaks and daily specials.

Not into snow skiing? How about floating a cool Missouri stream? Yes, in winter. This is a swell season to enjoy the solitude, while drifting along in a canoe . . . and it isn't crowded. The water this time of year is especially clear; the winter views give you a different perspective of the Missouri countryside; fishing is always good; and there is an abundance of camping and cooking spots on gravel bars. Caution: take extra clothes in a dry-bag, just in case.

About 10 miles east of Steelville, the folks at Bass' River Resort can set you up for a trip on three rivers: the Courtois, the Huzzah and the Meramec. Their facilities include tent camping sites, RV sites and cabins. In January, they offer one free canoe rental with the rental of a log cabin; other specials apply in February and March.

• Seven miles southeast of Steelville, unwind and refresh at Westover Farms, on 475 acres adjacent to the Mark Twain National Forest. Stay the weekend, or longer, in one of their hand-hewn log and stone cabins, equipped with modern conveniences, a wood-burning fire place, and a full kitchen; just take your own food. Hike and bike the trails; fish for rainbow trout year-round; and visit the on-site fish hatchery. Do not take your own firewood.
• While you are in the area, visit Peaceful Bend Winery and try some outstanding Missouri wine. From the coziness of the tasting room, it is a short hike to the banks of the Meramec River, where the wintertime views are worth the walk.

Outdoor and nature enthusiasts are sure to enjoy Missouri's wintering eagle population. America's symbolic bald eagles can be spotted along open waterways and lakes throughout Missouri. In winter, Missouri's resident eagle population is supplemented by migrating birds from the north, with numbers reaching more than 2,500 eagles, the second-largest number of wintering eagles in the lower 48 states.

Several organized "Eagle Days" are held, giving you the opportunity to witness these magnificent birds in their natural habitat. These events include discussions by professional naturalists; spotting scopes for an up-close-and-personal view and refreshments are usually available.

• January 19: Eagle Watch and Trail Walk at Fort Belle Fontaine Park, in St. Louis.
• January 19 and February 16: Eagle-Watch at Roaring River State Park, Cassville.
• January 26-27: Clarksville Eagle Days, beside the Mississippi River.
• February 2: Eagle Days at Duck Creek Conservation Area, near Puxico.
• February 2: Eagle Days at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, also near Puxico.
• February 8 and 22: Eagle Viewing at Montauk State Park, outside of Salem.

For eagle viewing on your own, try:

• The Osage River, below Bagnell Dam.
• Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area, southwest of Columbia.
• Lock & Dam 24, at Clarksville.
• Lock & Dam 25, east of Winfield.
• Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, northwest of Puxico.
• Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, northern edge of St. Louis.
• Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, east of West Alton.
• Schell-Osage Conservation Area, north of El Dorado Springs.
• Smithville Lake, north of Kansas City.
• Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, south of Mound City.
• Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge, south of Sumner.
• Table Rock State Park, southwest of Branson.
• Truman Reservoir, west of Warsaw.
• Lake of the Ozarks, central Missouri.
• And the Missouri River, statewide.

Missouri has an abundance of outdoor winter activities; these are but a few ideas. The key is . . . get outside and experience this diverse and fascinating season. There is no need to get the winter blahs.

To find more exciting things to do, information about lodging, attractions, events and dining across Missouri, check out VisitMO.com.

About the Missouri Division of Tourism
The Missouri Division of Tourism (MDT) is the official tourism office for the state of Missouri dedicated to marketing Missouri as a premier travel destination. Established in 1967, the Missouri Division of Tourism has worked hard to develop the tourism industry in Missouri to what it is today, an $11.2 billion industry supporting more than 279,000 jobs and generating $627 million in state taxes in Fiscal Year 2011. For every dollar spent on marketing Missouri as a travel destination in FY11, $57.76 was returned in visitor expenditures. For more information on Missouri tourism, go to http://www.visitmo.com/.

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January 15, 2013–Pittsburgh, PA– At the 50th annual international conference in San Antonio, TX, the
Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) is celebrating diversity with keynote topics, conference
sessions, and featured speakers at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio Hotel on the Riverwalk, February 13-16, 2013.
Educators, administrators, support professionals and parents will gather to take a comprehensive look at issues
and best practices in professional preparation and evaluation; advances in reading and math research; early
childhood assessment; and transition from school to work.

Reviewing LDA's past 50 years of advocating, educating, and supporting individuals with learning disabilities
and projecting the future of LDA, the keynote speakers will energize the audience to celebrate all aspects of
diversity, including: diverse learners, cultural diversity, linguistic diversity and bridging the diversity gap.
Throughout the four days, more than 200 breakout sessions and topical workshops will be provided by leading
experts in special and general education, mental health, education research, best classroom techniques, adult
issues, assistive technology, and advocacy.

The opening keynote session on Wednesday, Feb. 13, "Building on the Past, Looking Toward the Future," will
be a roundtable of nationally recognized authorities in the field of learning disabilities: Doris Johnson, Ph.D.,
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL; Nancy Mather, Ph.D., University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ; and Brock L.
Eide, M.D., and Fernette Eide, M.D., Eide Neurolearning Clinic, Edmonds, WA.

General session keynotes are Thursday, Feb. 14, "Technologies of the Future: Where Assistive Meets
Mainstream," Manju Banerjee, Ph.D., Institute for Research and Training, Landmark College, Putney, VT; and
Friday, Feb. 15, "Celebrating Diversity and Culturally Responsive Teaching," Vivian Correa, Ph.D.,
Department of Special Education and Child Development, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC.

Two special sessions will be open to the public. On the evening of February 13, the session is "Brain Food:
How Nutrition, Chemical Exposures and Genetics Interact, and Steps Schools Can Take to Protect and Nurture
Children's Development." On Saturday morning, February 16, "Finding Your Future: Postsecondary
Opportunities" will bring mini-sessions and exhibitors with information on postsecondary education and
training to young adults with learning disabilities and the educators and parents who support them.

LDA is a non-profit organization of parents, professionals and adults with learning disabilities providing
support, information, and advocacy on behalf of individuals with learning disabilities.

For further information go to www.ldaamerica.org/conference/index.asp

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Heroic Abilities Aren't Exclusive to Comics, Novelist Says

Cynical adults may sneer when they say, "Youth is wasted on the young." But young world-traveler Ryan Pearson sees a more positive message in George Bernard Shaw's often repeated quote.

"I see it as meaning that youth is an opportunity to seize direction, enlightenment, significance and to expand one's powers," says Pearson, author of "Green Hope" from "The Element Series," (www.theelementsseries.com), about a teenager blessed with wealth and fame who discovers he has the added responsibility of super powers.

"It's sad that so many teens get sidetracked by trying to fit in with a crowd, or worrying that they don't measure up somehow. At a time when they should be enjoying a new sense of independence and capabilities, they're often paralyzed by self-doubt."

Pearson says all teens have super powers - they just need to recognize them:

• Your inner "mutant": Many teens like to make a big deal out of not caring what others think about them, precisely because they care about what everyone thinks of them. This can make them sensitive and anxious about how they express themselves and what they enjoy, from what they wear to the music they like to the grades they earn. Embrace what sets you apart! No one else in the world is quite like you. Explore your interests and find what you love - whether or not it's what other teens love. You'll get a head start on developing valuable skills.

• "Punisher" fitness training: You don't have to be built like the renowned vigilante from the Marvel universe, but you'll look your best - and feel your best - if you establish a good exercise routine now. Not only will working out give you a nice physique, it's a good way to reduce stress and it even gives you a natural high thanks to the release of endorphins, chemicals that make your brain happy.

• Batman's first rule in fighting: Despite the fact that it would make his crime fighting much, much easier, the Caped Crusader absolutely refuses to use guns. That's because a deranged criminal with a gun shot and killed Bruce Wayne's parents when he was a child. The result is that his fighting methods are more moral and creative, and he always knows what to do when a quick decision is needed. Getting into the habit of making your own decisions based on your values and your understanding of right or wrong, instead of following the crowd, will help make even the hardest choices easier.

• Cultivate your "spidey" senses: Teens are naturally impatient, impulsive and impetuous. Slow down! Take your time on the road, in relationships, during confrontations and when contemplating big decisions. Part of why Spider-Man is so fast is that time slows for him during tense situations. Likewise, teens who can slow down emotionally-driven decisions and better understand their consequences, much like a "spidey" sense, will make wiser ones.

• Know your kryptonite: Some kids just seem to have it all: academic excellence, athletic accomplishments, popularity, and a clear complexion to boot. But everyone has their limits, like Superman's kryptonite. Knowing your limits and learning how to worked around them, or strengthen them, is a lifelong challenge for everyone.

About Ryan Pearson

After completing a Bachelor of Laws degree at age 21, Ryan Pearson took a leap of faith by leaving the beautiful beaches of Australia to travel the world. Eventually, he landed in Montreal for several years before returning home to write about his adventures. He overcame many challenging personal experiences and now embraces an audacious new lifestyle. Pearson writes about his own character arc - involving a supernatural and overzealous way of life - via character Reagan Jameson.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo., January 11, 2013 - Earning a spot on Drury University's Dean's List is a significant accomplishment; it means a student earned a grade point average of 3.6 or greater on a 4-point scale) while carrying a full-time course load of 12 or more semester hours at Drury, a top 10 Midwestern university, according to U.S. News & World Report.

In the fall 2012 semester, Olivia Thompson from Moline, Illinois made the Dean's list.