We are kicking off a series of CVB staffer’s ideal Saturdays in Cape Girardeau!  First up Stacy Dohogne Lane, Director of Public Relations…take it away!

Saturdays are my favorite. The weekend is just beginning and all that free time is just stretching out in front of you….here’s what an ideal summertime Saturday in Cape Girardeau looks like for me:

Saturdays start off bright and early with a run on the Cape LaCroix Trail in the morning with my mom and my sister. My favorite section goes through the Cape Woods; as soon as you hit the woods, everything gets a little quieter and the shade is always welcome.

We wrap up our run and head straight downtown to Dynamite Coffee. This cozy coffee joint started out in a trailer that spent Saturday mornings at the market and has moved into their first brick-and-mortar space. Robbie and Katie run the spot, and while the menu is small, the quality is top notch. Their specials rotate on a seasonal basis, and right now the summer specials include the Borgia – espresso, milk, dark chocolate and a hint of orange and the Espresso and Chaser – espresso paired with infused sparkling water. I get an iced coffee and walk down the block to the Cape Riverfront Market.

The Cape Riverfront Market takes place Saturday mornings from 8 a.m.-noon May-October and it is something I never miss if I can help it. Iced coffee in hand, I make the rounds to scope out what produce and other goodies are coming home with me. I stop and visit with Emily and Ross of Laughing Stalk Farmstead to hear how the farm is doing this week. We’ve participated in their CSA program for 3 years now and love the steady stream of fresh veggies.

If I’m not too loaded up with veggies after the market, I’ll buzz through some of the locally owned downtown shops and see what’s new, inventories are always changing!

Oscar and Ninja, my schnauzer-beagle mixes, are restless, so I pack them up in the car and we drive a few minutes to Kiwanis Park, home to Cape Girardeau’s new dog park. They run, play and bark at the other dogs enjoying the chance to dash around without a leash and are tired out in about an hour.

My husband and I make an early evening trip to the Broadway Biergarten.  With dozens of German and Belgian beers on tap and hundreds of bottled beers to choose from, their menu switches out seasonally. Fruity beers that appear only in the summer are my favorite so I have lots to choose from!
Wrapping up at the biergarten before it gets too dark gives us time to head home and pick up Oscar and Ninja. Ice cream cones from Port Cape in hand, we and walk the pups on the paved trail that runs alongside the Mighty Mississippi River. There’s usually a barge headed up or down the river that are fun to watch.

And that is a picture perfect Saturday for me in Cape Girardeau! What does your perfect summery Saturday look like?