Day Tripper

By Ben Temperley


If you are looking for a nice day trip, I would recommend heading south on highway 51for about half an hour to Anna, IL. The Stinson Memorial Library in Anna is an architectural gem. Walter Burley Griffin was appointed to design the library in 1912. Griffin graduated from the University of Illinois in 1899 with a degree in architecture.
After graduation he moved to Chicago to work in the office of Frank Lloyd Wright. The library is made from limestone that was quarried on the farm of Dr. Rich near Jonesboro, IL. The exterior parts that are not limestone are made of concrete. The concrete portion sits on top of the limestone portion, creating a contrast between natural and engineered materials. The clerestory art glass windows remind me of Frank Lloyd Wright’s work. The lot is nicely landscaped. I visited in June when the bushes were flowering.


Inside there is lots of natural light from the clerestory windows. On a sunny day you would not have trouble reading a book without artificial light. The furniture, lamps and décor have a Prairie Style feel. I particularly like the table lamp (looks like a Tiffany, but I am not sure). The lower level contains a meeting room with a stage and recessed lighting.


Next, I recommend heading west and stopping at Mayberry Music. They have some nice "guitarchitecture". After that, head west to IL-146/IL-3 and follow that south until you reach IL-146W which takes you to Gape Girardeau. Cape Girardeau has an awesome cable-stayed bridge that opened December 13, 2003. The Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge is 3,955 feet long. It crosses the Mississippi River. There is a nice park just after crossing the bridge. The park has great views of the river, the bridge and has a really huge old tree! The riverfront has some neat old buildings. Cape Girardeau has a beautiful flood wall with murals of famous Missourians. Check out Cape’s own Rush Limbaugh (aka. The Dr. of Democracy). Finally, the nearest Olive Garden to Carbondale is in Cape Girardeau. That alone may make the trip worthwhile.