On The Road With Doug: Cole Camp

I decided to do some father/son bonding and decided to head to Cole Camp with my son, Gabriel. You may know that I grew up in Germany, so I think the German heritage in Cole Camp is something that brings me to my youth. I always love seeing the sign "Cole Camp is Wunderbar" as you drive down Highway 65 from Sedalia.

Cole Camp features a lot of restaurants and entertainment throughout the year. My first stop in Cole Camp was 4K Cheese and Meats, located at 201 E. Junge Street. I love tasting all the various cheeses, from the smoked gouda to the ladies' favorite chocolate cheese to my personal favorite, Smoke N Bacon Cheddar. Be sure to taste as many as possible, because it seems there is always something new. I also love to buy their homemade burgers, brats and steaks. I love to buy them out of the freezer, but you can enjoy a meal on their party deck and have a great time with friends and family. They also have a nice selection of barbeque and steak sauces, along with wines and beers from around the area.

From there I went up the street to the Red Baron BBQ and Pub to have an appetizer, shake and bread pudding. I'm very well aware that they are known for great BBQ and prime rib, but my son and I were looking to just have a nice moment of the simplicity of a dessert. I have to say our server Misty was great to talk with. We were there around 3:30, so got there before the dinner crowd, but once it got closer to 4 p.m., more people started coming in. I have ate there before, but never had the desserts. My son and I loved the bread pudding immensely. I love the atmosphere of the old bank building that stood there and they have expanded over the years to have a bar area and a closed in patio area. It really seems like a place to enjoy with friends. They have live bands that come to play there, so truly a great entertainment location. If you do plan to head there, check out the certificates we have on seizethedeal.com. 

From there, we went up the street to check out a new toy store with some familiar toys. It's called "Back In Time Toys" and it just opened a few months ago at 113 East Main Street. I was amazed to see toys and games from every decade since the 40s. They specialize in vintage toys, but also have some new ones, so they have something for everyone to enjoy. They had some toys that I remember I had to leave behind in the move from Germany to the United States in 1985, such as Star Wars toys. I was really impressed by the memories that came flashing back from the old NFL game they have to the board game Battleship.The owner, Jon Morris, has plenty of toy trains and dolls. I can easily see going here for birthday and Christmas gifts in the future.

We did walk around the Downtown Cole Camp Area and hope to try The German Table, Handel Haus, Calgaro's, The Dair Bar and Maple Street Cafe & Gifts in the future. If you have never been, you definitely need to make the trip to Cole Camp, especially during the Cole Camp Fair, which is September 5-7.  All in all, it was a nice visit and trip for my son and I.