This is a personal travel post, so if you’re not interested, you can skip it. My friend, Donna and I went to St. Charles, Missouri on Thursday. Our main reason for going there was to see Byrne & Kelly, Neil Byrne and Ryan Kelly, appearing at the Foundry Art Centre.

They were talking about their new album, Echoes, telling us the story of each song, and then performing. They started with a Q&A, and ended with a few Celtic Thunder songs. It was a fascinating, unique performance. I had never heard artists talk about an entire album, how they wrote the songs. And, they performed every song on the album.

Of course, they also had a Meet & Greet afterward. And, they were as funny and kind as they always are. When I thanked them for the show, saying how much I appreciated the stories, Ryan answered, “That’s what it’s all about, Lesa.” Neil quickly responded, “Did you say it’s all about Lesa? That would make a great song title.” I told them to make sure they spelled it Lesa. Just two very kind men. We could certainly tell, watching them with the fans.

Ryan Kelly, me, Neil Byrne

We stayed at a delightful bed and breakfast, Boone’s Lick Trail Inn. Comfortable room, terrific breakfast, and within walking distance of the charming river town of St. Charles.

St. Charles has so much history, and we just didn’t have the time to see all of the historic buildings. But, it was considered the last “civilized” stop by the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1804.

Lewis and Clark Boat & Nature Center

Clark, Lewis’ Newfoundland dog, Seaman, and Lewis

Now, just pictures of a spring day in the historic area of St. Charles, Missouri.

Lots of shops, restaurants, galleries. Beautiful buildings, as you can tell since I took so many pictures. Best of all, a fun trip with a great friend.