Meet Me in St. Louis

We decided to keep track of how many states we have passed through...7 states as of yesterday. 
FL, GA, AL, MS, TN, AK, MO

As we came into Missouri, we watched a number of crop dusters doing their job. They are some talented pilots!

Saw some funny billboards about Lambert’s Cafe. Their claim to fame is their HOT thrown rolls and their pass around sides. Shucks...We missed them!

As we got closer to St Louis, we saw large community soccer fields still under about 3 feet of water. Ugh!  How awful for the area. The good news is the cornfields look healthy!

Gas prices are definitely rising. We found a St Louis Costco at $2.39 which is .40 cheaper than everywhere else we have seen since leaving TN. Long lines to get it. Reminds me, when we had gas shortages when Mike was in the Navy. 

Thought we would catch a Cardinal's game at Busch Stadium; but with the heat not dropping, even in the evening, we are going to pass and hope Monday's game in Kansas City will be cooler? With the change in plans, I get to enjoy a pool workout before heading to Evangeline's Bistro and Music House http://www.evangelinesstl.com/live-music-events/ to eat some cajun food and listen to Janet Evra. https://janetevra.com/music
The bistro, food, drinks and music were excellent!!! 

  
Couldn't understand the Cajun/creole influences until we went on our Saint Louis Trolley Tours today.

Reservations ahead can be made at www.StLouisTrolley.com or calling 314-241-1400

Terry was our lovely Trolley Tour driver. She was very well informed and it was Air-conditioned! YEAH!

Even from Union Station, where we picked up our Tour, the Arch dominates the downtown skyline

The city of St. Louis was founded in 1764 by French fur traders Pierre Laclède and Auguste Chouteau, and named after Louis IX of France. They liked this spot for the hills above the river. Hoping that the city wouldn't have so much flooding issues if it was built higher.

Union Station was built in 1894. It is a gorgeous eclectic Art Nouveau example of one of largest passenger station in 1930’s. https://www.stlouisunionstation.com/about  "Whispering Hallway" was just inside the entry. (If you whispered on one side, and someone was on the other side; they could hear you.) (Just like Cincinnati's Union Terminal Station Rotunda.) Now, this magnificent building has a new Renaissance with a boutique hotel, stores, aquarium, restaurants, train park, but alas, no active trains except for special events. Currently, they are reassembling the 1904's Worlds Fair Ferris Wheel and reinstalling on the Union Station grounds for one more entertainment draw.

Walking up the entry stairs

Over the entryway

The upstairs main room

The details were so luscious

These mosaics were so beautifully created

The mural over the Hotel Registration desk

The Midway area to get to the trains, but now it goes to various rooms, and other spaces

“Meeting of the Waters” is the name of park fountain across the street The female symbolize the Missouri River while the male symbolize the Mississippi.

Had to use an Internet photo, since its currently undergoing cleaning thanks to the Blue Water from the Blues Hockey Team celebrations...LOL!!!

     City Hall. 1890 patterned after a hall in Paris.

News to me, but this restaurant is a chain...

Hamburger’s Mary. (Pretty men entertaining 7 & 9.)

 the Boom Boom Room & the Social Bar (only clothed in paint) are more downtown adult entertainment. 
Who knew St Louis could be so fun?! 
There is a Blues Museum downtown too. 

Insomnia Cookies delivers until 3 AM. I’m guessing it’s popular with all the many college students in town. 

Levin’s Hat Co can get customized hats, even online. 

City Museum. 1993 - ORIGINS

Artists Bob and Gail Cassilly acquired a 10-story 600,000 square foot former shoe company warehouse in Downtown St. Louis. Their vision was to transform it into “a city within a city.” With a cadre of sculptors, welders, and painters dubbed the Cassilly crew, they began work immediately but showed no one what they were doing. Sadly, he died on his tractor a couple of years ago. It's still going...https://www.citymuseum.org/ It looked like you could spend a long time there and sadly, we didn't have that kind of time...

Like being in Willy Wonka land

Old cobblestones in a zipper shape were laid going down through the street in the old garment district ...very cool!

Grant’s Farm has President Grant's log cabin, and lots of exotic animals to pet. Since it was outside of town, we didn't make it.

CityGardens Sculpture Park has lots of public art, splash pads for kids and places to relax right downtown...

http://www.citygardenstl.org/ . With all the beautiful summer foliage we couldn't get any good photos there from our tour. Fabulous public art & downtown parks abound. 

Ballpark Village built in 2015 right by Busch Stadium (built 2006, 40,000 seats) reminds us of Baltimore’s Camden Yards. ...More to be added with hotel, apts.,offices & parking garages to be completed in 2020. 

Stan, the Man was our trolley driver’s favorite player. 

Offers for same baseball day tickets for $11.20 for 2 for first 275 people; thanks to one of the radio stations. Details here: https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/tickets/specials/first-pitch.

Wish we knew that yesterday, we could have gone to the game for far less than advertised. Also, ticket sellers outside gates give deep discounts right before the game starts. Oh well!  Another miss...

2nd largest Mardi Gras Parade next to New Orleans 

Soulard Market is like Findley Mkt. in Cincy. Can find lots of unusual things here. The Soulard area is one of the oldest city settlements. Lots of brick construction thanks to plentiful clay and the brick making industry. Looks like Cincy’s “Over the Rhine” or Covington’s “German Village,” but better maintained like Georgetown !!! Gorgeous! Lots of Irish Pubs in the neighborhood. In 1843 Busch came here and partnered with Anheuzer. They developed pasturing process. There is a beer garden & cafe, and sometimes the Clydesdales hang out, not to mention brewery tours...Been on so many others that we skipped this too.

1904 Worlds Fair held at Forest Park, Opera, Art & History Museum, Zoo, Boathouse, original World’s Fair Pavilion, and Zoo. 
Millionaires row was built outside the park; so the millionaires would be comfortable & fashionable while they stayed there for the Fair. Most of the homes are behind tall ornamental wrought iron fencing. It's a gorgeous area to this day.  In historic areas, even commercial places have to maintain the architectural look. Not much historically is torn down here but redone like in Europe. Love that idea!!!

(1904 World’s Fair Inventions: ice tea, waffle cones, hotdog buns, and mustard.)

Lafayette Sq Park is next to Soulard. Oldest park in the city. Lots of lovely painted ladies Victorians, going for 6 figures or more...They were exquisite!!!

Must be quite a few Serbians here, Milena

Even the low income housing in the city is constructed of all brick townhouses and well designed. It's all beautifully maintained thanks to lots of control... (3 strikes and you are out seems to work here.)

Purina offices can bring your pets to work. Hold lots of pet friendly events. 

Number of bridges cross over into IL. We traveled under all of them when we traveled down the Mississippi with Lily on Moondance. 

"Eat Rite or don’t eat at all" was their slogan and was part of the original Rte 66 cafes and diners.

Tums, Art Deco building started producing Tums there in 1930. Their slogan is FearNoFood

Arch, “Gateway to the West” Tram rides to top sell out, but you can reserve ahead...not our thing. The National Park Service runs the Museum under the Arch. It’s really wonderful. 

The Arch and it's Museum Underneath

He was chosen in the late 40's but it was the early 60's before the Arch was completed

Last time we came West we followed some of their trail

Since the exhibition space was recently overhauled they have lots more dedicated to Native Americans and Women

The same curves Antonio Gaudi used for his arches

President Jefferson who pushed for our nation's expansion

Many of the exhibitions were very interactive which was really interesting

I've never seen one of these before...the precursor to our tire jacks

Didn't realize the French influence in this area

Oh No!!! Many of the tribes gave more rights to women than white men

Went to his museum

We learn nothing as a country from our history

Looking back to the old Courthouse and city

 

  Can't believe this lovely building witnessed many slave trials, and slaves were sold off these backsteps

We spent 2 hours there and don't think we covered half of it.

St Louis Zoological Park has a train to take you around the park. Like Cincy this zoo is landlocked by neighborhoods.  Sadly, the views from the train aren’t as good as Cincinnati’s Zoo, but you can jump on and off once you purchase an armband; saving you some walking. 

They had quite a few of these large tortoises

Gloria, the 26 week old is walking towards us

Grevy’s zebra breeding program is doing well. 

I was so hot and tired at this point that I wanted to join them!

We were so exhausted and hot that we decided to get a beer and something to eat before calling it a night. Once again, we didn't begin to do this beautiful town justice, but we did learn so much.