In rural southeast Missouri you find one of those small towns that can go 75 years without making news — then bang, it’s on everyone’s radar. Such is the case with New Madrid, Missouri. Hugging a bend in the Mississippi River, this spot was rocked in 1811 & 1812 by two of the biggest earthquakes in US History. So powerful, they reversed the flow of the river and were felt for hundreds of miles. Half a century later the town played host to a critical battle of the Civil War.

Such is the story of Missouri’s famed Bootheel: a notch in the map at the bottom of the state — sticking into Arkansas. Here you get one of the best views of the river — and the tugs and barges constantly on the move. You can actually drive right on the levy. The battle of Island Number  Ten was fought right on the New Madrid Bend in the river — the confederate knew this was the perfect spot to block Union troops from invading the south by river.  But in the end the Union won this battle. You can learn about it in The New Madrid Historical Museum, where the story of the war, and the great quake are told in detail.

The drive itself offers some beautiful countryside and a visit to one of America’s craziest restaurants.

in nearby Sikeston, Missouri you can’t miss — really you should not miss Lambert’s Cafe — where they invented the “Throwed Roll.”  Yep, throwed. If you want a roll with your meal — you better be good at catching — because waiters will toss them clear across the room.

According to the manager on the day we were there, Lee Blissett, it all started in the 1970’s on a crowded night. Owner Norman Ray Lambert could not reach across to one table — so he just started trowing the rolls. It caught on, and has been a big hit ever since.

Says waiter Turner Smith, “The key to the toss, just a lot of practice, and you gotta put an arch on it.”

History lessons, great views of the big river, and a little lunch with a baseball twist. Nothing like Small Town Americana in The Missouri Bootheel.