Kentucky Christian University's Young Library The 12 Towns of Christmas Virtual Vacation

Let's keep pushing West, stopping first at a town called Noel, Missouri.

This town hasn't always been associated with Christmas. It was named after the settler Bridges Noel, and didn't become a "Christmas Town" destination until 1932 or 1933. Here's a segment of the story, as told by Lee Ann Murphy of the Neosho Daily News:

"Until 1933, no one connected Noel to the Christmas holiday. That year, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt named Democrat Ed Rousselot to a position with the post office. With a French heritage, Rousselot shared the meaning of Noel in French along with a different pronunciation, Noel to rhyme with bell in the French fashion.

His vision was to make Noel known as the Christmas city, so he proposed the idea of a special Christmas postmark. To help spread the word, the town tried to enlist some celebrity help and they found it in singer Kate Smith.

...Although the Christmas postmarks did little toward making Noel a winter tourist destination, the tradition did earn the town a new nickname as The Christmas City...In the past, as many as 50,000 cards have received the special Christmas postmark, but the number has been declining as fewer people send out Christmas cards. Last year, the number was around 30,000, but the specially stamped cards still travel around the U.S. and even to several foreign countries."

Here is the famous stamp:

Speaking of cards, Missouri has another claim to fame in the Christmas world...Hallmark!

Hallmark is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. Not only are they famous for their cards for all occasions (especially Christmas), but also for their decorations and their movies, which dominate our TV's from Thanksgiving through the New Year. However, that's a good 3 hour drive North from Noel, so let's see what else this town has to offer.

The Ozarks:

There is nothing more Christmasy than a brisk winter day out in the wilderness. If you're feeling adventurous, take a canoe with you for this trip. Located along the Elk River, Noel is known as the canoe capital of the Ozarks, which makes it a popular tourist destination. Dress warm, and if you get wet, just make sure someone has a cozy fire waiting for you back at one of their numerous cabins for rent.

Pinwheels are a Missouri must have. Whether they are savory (served as appetizers), or sweet (served as dessert), they fill tables and bellies from St. Louis to Kansas City. For your entertainment needs, I'll provide a savory and a sweet recipe.

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pinwheel Wraps - from sweetphi.com

Yield: 20 servings

Ingredients:

• 6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
• 8oz cream cheese
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons ranch dressing seasoning mix
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 3-4 tortillas (8-inch)

Directions:

• Start by cooking the bacon. Slice raw bacon into small pieces and put into pan. Cook for approximately 5 minutes or until just crispy, using a slotted spoon transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain and cool.
• Using a hand or stand mixer beat the cream cheese and sour cream together. Add powdered ranch mix and blend until smooth. Add in shredded cheese, bacon and peppers and mix until combined.
• Lay spinach tortilla on a flat surface.
• Spread cream cheese mixture all the way to the edges of the tortilla.
• Roll tortilla tightly. To seal the tortilla closed, use a small amount of the cream cheese mixture.
• Slice into even sections, about 1-1 1/2 inch pieces, arrange, and serve!

Christmas Pinwheel Sugar Cookies - from bakedbyrachel.com

Yield: 30 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 5 drops red gel food coloring
• Christmas colored nonpareils

Directions:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs and vanilla, followed by salt and baking powder. Scrape the bowl as needed. Mix in flour, adding one cup at a time. Continue mixing until fully combined and no streaks remain. Divide dough into two equal portions. Return one half of the dough to the bowl. Add 5 drops of red gel food color to the bowl. Mix until dough is evenly colored. 
• Place untinted dough between two large sheets of wax paper. Roll out dough to a 9x16-inch rectangle. Transfer dough to the refrigerator to chill, keeping both sheets of wax paper in place. Repeat process with red dough. Refrigerate both layers of dough for 15-20 minutes. 
• Place the red dough down first, removing the top layer of wax paper. Remove one sheet of wax paper from the untinted dough. Carefully flip the untinted dough down onto the red layer. Remove the remaining top layer of wax paper. Trim the dough to an even rectangle. Beginning at one of the short ends, carefully roll dough into a tight log. Pull up gently on the remaining layer of wax paper to help roll the dough. Wrap dough log in wax paper. Wrapped dough may be placed inside of two large drinking glasses or the center of a paper towel roll cut down the length. This will help to keep it's round shape. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. 
• Add holiday nonpareils to a large shallow dish or tray. Unwrap dough log and begin rolling in the sprinkles. Continue rolling and pressing sprinkles into the dough until it is completely covered and no dough shows through. Rewrap in wax paper. Refrigerate for an additional 1-2 hours. 
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking pan with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. 
• Unwrap the sprinkle covered dough log. Slice off the end. Carefully slice 1/4-inch slices, spacing roughly 1-2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Return remaining dough to the refrigerator until ready to slice and bake. Bake cookies for 10 minutes. Allow cookies to sit on the pan for 1 minute before transfering to a wire rack to cool completely. 

We are heading West again, but this time, it will take us to the North Pole - North Pole, Colorado!