tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53926455818126505212024-03-05T16:02:53.907-08:00Saint Louis AdventuresTourists In Our Own City: Fun, Family-Friendly Adventures in the St. Louis AreaSaint Louis Adventures with Kellie and Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669515215417006202noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5392645581812650521.post-12363019876453724562014-08-07T08:55:00.000-07:002014-08-07T08:55:58.442-07:00Citygarden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Citygarden really is cool! It has water features for the kids to play in and art sculptures from all over the world nestled among some of St. Louis' finer downtown buildings. It does have one major problem, in my opinion, no restrooms, except for port-a-potties at at the far west end of the park. If you know that before you get there though, you can have a lot fun at <a href="http://www.citygardenstl.org/">Citygarden</a>.</div>
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Citygarden has sculptures from all of the world in a garden setting representing Missouri and its native plants and features. Hailey took a field trip to Citygarden in June that included a guided tour and time to play in the water features. Grandma was in town for a visit, so Grandma, Ethan and I joined the class. I found the tour very interesting, though I'm not sure the kids did. </div>
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Even though it was a rather cool day in St. Louis, the kids did love playing in pools and fountains.<br />
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I don't know how often the food trucks hit Citygarden, but they were there the Friday we were, so we decided Grandma needed to experience some street food.<br />
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I think the above truck served authentic food from South American (see food on the left of the picture below). It was so good! </div>
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It was a fun adventure, and even included another cake picture.<br />
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<br />Saint Louis Adventures with Kellie and Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669515215417006202noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5392645581812650521.post-21377940310364942442014-08-05T20:45:00.000-07:002014-08-05T20:45:36.201-07:00Happy Birthday St. Louis!St. Louis is having a birthday! Its 250th birthday, and it's kind of a big deal. <a href="http://www.stl250.org/">STL250</a> has been throwing a celebration of grand proportions complete with a birthday party and 250 cakes.<br />
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In February, the <a href="http://mohistory.org/">Missouri History Museum</a> hosted a free birthday bash. There were free crafts, performances, cupcake decorating and a new exhibit highlighting St. Louis' 250 years with 50 people, 50 places, 50 images, 50 moments and 50 objects. The exhibit will be open throughout the year.<br />
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Birthday cakes are also popping over all St. Louis! The <a href="http://www.stl250.org/cake.aspx">Cakeway to the West</a> includes 250 birthday cakes at different landmarks, businesses and schools throughout the area. It makes for a fun scavenger hunt with family and friends. My friends and I made an impromptu girls night out of cake finding. It took a little while for my kids to warm up to the idea, but even they have gotten on the cake finding bandwagon. Here are just a few of the cakes we have encountered.</div>
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There is plenty going on in St. Louis this year, so get out there and celebrate. You could find a cake, visit somewhere new, or start your own 250 project. Happy Birthday St. Louis!</div>
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Saint Louis Adventures with Kellie and Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669515215417006202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5392645581812650521.post-87233948760055569252014-05-12T09:59:00.000-07:002014-05-12T09:59:28.173-07:00Bucket List ItemsSince I started this blog in 2011, we have done tons of fun things. Some of them from a bucket list I made (see side bar) and many other things we just discovered along the way. We've long ago accomplished most of the bucket list, but we've still had a few items left to experience. Last fall we crossed two more items off the list...Art Fair and Tour a Cathedral.<br />
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<b>St. Louis Art Fair</b></div>
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Hailey and I visited the St. Louis Art Fair in Clayton with the cousins. The kids had a lot of fun. There is a kids area set up with tons of different crafts the kids can do for free. It was definitely worth the trip. Check it out in September!</div>
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<b>The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis</b></div>
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Technically, we didn't take a tour, but we finally made it inside The Cathedral Basilica so I'm counting it! We've even been twice!</div>
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The Cathedral includes 83,000 square feet of mosaic art created by twenty artists. Construction started on the Cathedral in 1907 and the mosaic art was installed over a 75 year period.</div>
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It blows my mind that this is all made of tiny squares. The Mossaics were created with over 41,500,000 pieces of tesserae.<br />
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I think all we have left unchecked on the bucket list is a visit to the top of the Compton Water Tower!</div>
Saint Louis Adventures with Kellie and Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669515215417006202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5392645581812650521.post-28163557420615327052014-01-01T17:52:00.000-08:002014-01-01T17:53:10.677-08:00Benton Park CafeHappy 2014! Our New Year's Day tradition is going out for breakfast. The first year we went to McDonald's. Luckily, we've only gone up from there. After some "best breakfast in St. Louis" research, I decided we would try <a href="http://www.bentonparkcafe.com/">Benton Park Cafe</a>. It was the right choice.<br />
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The kids ordered chocolate milk. The waitress apologized for the chocolate milk taking so long because they had to melt the Godiva chocolate to go in it. What!? Why are my kids the one's drinking this deliciousness?<br />
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The food was so good! I ordered non-adventurous french toast, but it came with a cream cheese spread that was to die for. The bacon was also some of the best I've had in a long time.<br />
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We had to order a BP Slinger after we saw one delivered to the table next to us.<br />
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The waitress recommended the South of the Border Burrito.<br />
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The food all tasted good. It had lots of flavor, a little kick to it, or just a little something extra. The kids gave their pancake breakfasts a thumbs up, and Brenton said I had made a good choice on where to eat (he had been hoping for IHOP). The best part of our New Year's breakfast though was that Grandma and Grandpa flew in the night before and got to joins us. Yay for visitors, family, traditions and holidays!<br />
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You can check out where we ate last year <a href="http://www.saintlouisadventures.blogspot.com/search/label/Chris%27%20Pancake%20and%20Dinning">here</a>.Saint Louis Adventures with Kellie and Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669515215417006202noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5392645581812650521.post-43974691644110524132013-12-09T08:18:00.001-08:002013-12-09T08:18:46.389-08:00Wild Lights at the St Louis ZooI hardly got to finish my piece of pie at Thanksgiving when I realized that Christmas was right around the corner. It's kinda amazing how having 6 less days between Thanksgiving and Christmas can throw you for a loop. Our tree went up the day after Thanksgiving and the calendar started filling up with holiday events. I do love participating in Christmas activities, and since the weather was nice we headed to <a href="http://www.stlzoo.org/events/calendarofevents/wildlights/">Wild Lights</a> at the zoo. This was our first time ever attending. I figured I had enjoyed plenty of free days at the zoo, so the $5 a person to walk through the display was the least I could do. We invited some friends to join us and enjoyed a beautiful, night at the zoo.<br />
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Only a few animal exhibits are available to view, the Insectarium, the Herpetarium (Reptile House), and Sea Lion Sound. Sea Lion Sound is pretty cool anyway, but I thought it was pretty neat at night with all the lights. Unfortunately, I don't know how to use my camera well enough to capture all the action. And the one shot I did like is loading washed out. It doesn't look like this anywhere but here, so I'm not sure how to fix it.<br />
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The kids had a great time making crafts, listening to storytelling, and wandering through the lights. </div>
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It was a fun night!<br />
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Wild Lights is open on weekends from 5:30 - 8:30 pm and then every night Dec. 20-23 and 26-30. Parking is free in the south parking lot, next to I-40. There is an entry fee of $5 per person or $4 for members. Children under the age of 2 are free.Saint Louis Adventures with Kellie and Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669515215417006202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5392645581812650521.post-23177846629223142442013-12-07T17:29:00.000-08:002013-12-07T17:29:39.573-08:00Must Stop for Treats on I-44My favorite part of Thanksgiving is rolls and pie. Everything else, I could skip! This year was no exception. There is something fun and delicious about pie. Have I ever mentioned I host a "Pie" event on "Pi" day, 3/14? Plus, one of <a href="http://www.saintlouisadventures.blogspot.com/2012/03/blue-owl-restaurant-and-bakery.html">my favorite pies is also one of Oprah's Favorite Things</a>. Last spring, Casey and took a trip to Branson for our anniversary. One of the highlights of the trip for me was the food we discovered on the way down. So if you're ever headed South on Interstate 44, part of the old Route 66, make sure you stop by one of these gems...<br />
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We reached Rolla just in time for lunch. I wanted to try something new, so we stopped at the visitor centers to ask for suggestions. The host informed us of a few local lunch spots and then added, "But we're really known for "<a href="http://asliceofpie.info/">A Slice of Pie</a>." She had my attention! We got some lunch, since pizza is the only kind of pie my husband eats, and then headed for this hidden gem. It's next to a laundry mat and looks like it hasn't been updated since in was opened, but it was divine.<br />
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My pictures, taken in the car, do not do these pies justice.<br />
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I had also texted a friend who traveled between Springfield and St. Louis frequently asking if she had any good suggestions on where to eat. She mentioned a Rocking Chair Restaurant in Conway, Mo with cinnamon rolls the size of your head. Casey thought she was joking...she wasn't.<br />
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We stopped here on the way home. It was packed for being in the middle of nowhere.</div>
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We ordered four cinnamon rolls. One ready to eat and three frozen for later. Yay for getting to enjoy the deliciousness for a couple days afterwards. So yummy! </div>
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The section of I-44 south of St. Louis has lots of fun roadside attractions (a giant rocking chair, vacuum museum) and some great food!</div>
Saint Louis Adventures with Kellie and Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669515215417006202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5392645581812650521.post-50234801727352271242013-09-16T19:42:00.000-07:002013-09-16T19:42:47.149-07:00Summer Oh my goodness! Where has the year gone? The kids are back in school and the holiday season is only a few months away. Our summer was great, even though I can sum it up in only four words...travel, swimming, library, park. Other than a few amazing trips, we were kinda boring, but it was good!<br />
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We traveled over 6,000 miles this summer and visited or passed through 15 states. We saw the beauty of Yellowstone in the West and the charm and history of the Northeastern United States. I wish all our family lived closer, but if they can't, I'm glad they live in cool places.<br />
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Sorry for the picture overload, but when you take almost as many pictures as the miles you drove....<br />
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Anyway, when we were in St. Louis, we were swimming (lessons and pool) or at the library. It was a rather cool summer, so we hit the park a few times, too.<br />
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One special St Louis activity we did do this summer was visit <a href="http://kramersmarionnettes.com/">Bob Kramer's Marionnettes</a> with Nanny. It was a good experience. Bob and Dug truly have a passion for what they do.<br />
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It was fun and educational. Brenton even came home and made his own marionette.<br />
<br />Saint Louis Adventures with Kellie and Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669515215417006202noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5392645581812650521.post-18007514760825453012013-03-24T15:11:00.001-07:002013-03-24T15:15:13.397-07:00Busch Stadium and Downtown St. LouisBaseball season is right around the corner, so what a perfect time to tour the St. Louis Cardinal's Busch Stadium. I read an article several months ago that called St. Louis "one of the last great baseball towns." It really is. I tell people all the time when they move here that they'll love the Cardinals before long. They usually respond, "No, we're not really baseball people." Wrong! This isn't about baseball folks, this is about a sense of community. St. Louisans love the Cardinals and their love is contagious. Trust me people, I think baseball is boring too, but there is nothing boring about St. Louis' adoration for its baseball team! Go Cards!<br />
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Anyway, this was an awesome adventure because Aunt Cari was visiting! She had two requests, to see the Eads Bridge and ride the MetroLink (the closest thing we have to a subway system or L-Train, though I've ridden both and the MetroLink hardly compares). Since I felt we needed something else to do downtown as well, I suggested the<a href="http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/stl/ballpark/tours/index.jsp"> Busch Stadium tour</a> (Cari has done the Arch a couple times). Cari, who loves baseball, said a stadium tour would have been on the top of her list if she would have known they had one.<br />
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The tour starts outside of Busch Stadium at the Stan Musial statue. "Stan the Man" is the best Cardinal of all time. He died earlier this year and I was seriously tempted to attend the viewing, but thousands of people and a predicted 2 to 3 hour line kept me at home. The local channels even televised the funeral.<br />
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During the tour, you get to check out the Cardinal's World Championship trophies.<br />
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The Cardinals have won a 11 Word Series, second only to the Yankees.</div>
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You also get to see the various club rooms and places we'll never have the money to hang out in.<br />
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The view from the radio broadcast room is amazing! Too bad I didn't take a picture. However, the highlight of the trip was getting to visit the Cardinal Dugout. You can't walk on or touch the grass, but Ethan was so excited to walk on the warning track to the dugout.<br />
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After the tour we headed to<a href="http://lacledeslanding.com/"> Laclede's Landing</a>, next to the Arch. Laclede's Landing is where St. Louis got it's start. In 1763, a French merchant Pierre Laclede Liguest wanted to set up a trading post near the mouth of the Missouri river. The original area was too swampy and they staked out a place 20 miles south of where the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers meet. The following year, Liguest left Auguste Chouteau to start a trading post. When he return, he called the settlement St. Louis after the King of France. Today, St. Louis' oldest district, Laclede's Landing is home to several restaurants, clubs and shops.</div>
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We headed to one of the few kid-friendly places in Laclede's Landing,<a href="http://www.osf.com/"> The Old Spaghetti Factory</a>. The service was good, and the decor is fun, but I don't need to go back.<br />
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We then checked out the Eads bridge. The Eads Bridge is a combined road and railway bridge over the Mississippi River. When it was completed it was the largest arch bridge in the world and the first made primarily of steel. It was also a lot of other firsts you can read about<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eads_Bridge"> here</a>. Another fun fact, they used an elephant to prove it was safe because, supposedly, elephants will not walk over anything unstable.<br />
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We then took the MetroLink across Eads Bridge. Cari was very excited.<br />
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A view of the Arch from the other side of the river.<br />
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Most of our adventure travel took place by the<a href="http://www.metrostlouis.org/Default.aspx"> MetroLink</a>. Ethan loved taking the "train." It was nice to be able to hop on and off between stops, especially since it was cold outside. I'm still debating how economical it was for our outing, but if you don't want to have to mess with parking and are just going to a specific event or place, you might want to give it a try.<br />
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We miss you, Aunt Cari!<br />
<br />Saint Louis Adventures with Kellie and Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669515215417006202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5392645581812650521.post-15421975871614796462013-03-24T11:17:00.001-07:002013-03-24T15:16:03.227-07:00The Dough Depot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">I feel like I need to give a shout out to <a href="http://www.thedoughdepot.com/">The Dough Depot</a> in historic <a href="http://www.visitkimmswick.com/">Kimmswick, MO</a>. The Blue Owl seems to get all the publicity, but in my humble opinion, this is the place to eat in Kimmswick. I just discovered it earlier this year after receiving a gift card as a Christmas gift. I took the kids for my first time and was so impressed that I took a friend back for her birthday, and then later planned a girl's day out lunch there. It's unique, affordable and yummy! </span></div>
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Any sandwich I've had on the pretzel bread has been so delicious! I've heard wonderful things about their mandarin orange salad, but the house-made Strawberry Vinaigrette for the Hawaiian salad is so good, I haven't wanted to try anything else.</div>
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The kid's meals are inexpensive. Always a plus!<br />
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I've tried a dessert, too. So good! It's all good. I think I'll have to find a reason to go back soon, even if it's just Ethan and me.<br />
<br />Saint Louis Adventures with Kellie and Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669515215417006202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5392645581812650521.post-83229053288786204112013-03-22T14:42:00.001-07:002013-03-22T14:42:25.050-07:00St. Louis Skyline<div>
I instantly fell in love with this piece of artwork when Brenton brought it home from school the other day.</div>
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<br />Saint Louis Adventures with Kellie and Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669515215417006202noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5392645581812650521.post-70199386799388360642013-01-24T19:51:00.003-08:002013-01-25T06:05:16.308-08:00Eagle Watching and Clarksville, MOLast week Casey mentioned he wanted to go do something fun and different as a family over the weekend. His initial suggestions had me a little concerned (like searching for deer sheds), but luckily, when the weekend came around he suggested going to see the Eagles by the river. That I can do. There are several great spots along the Mississippi River to spot nesting Eagles during the winter months. A couple years ago we went to an event at Chain of Rocks Bridge. It's not being held this year, but <a href="http://www.greatriverroad.com/eagles/eagleevents.htm">this site</a> has a list of all kinds of Eagle spotting events going on in the greater St. Louis area.<br />
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Saturday we headed to Clarksville, Missouri. It's a little bit of drive, but it's suppose to be one the best places in Missouri to spot Eagles. It's located next to a lock and dam, which makes food easily accessible in cold weather.<br />
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It's even set up to with spotting scopes.<br />
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Apparently, it was too warm of day to get a really good look at the Eagles, but we did see several. They were really far away though and really hard to catch on camera. There are two in the trees in the picture below.<br />
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The big bird in the sky is actually a seagull, but if you look closely you can see eagle flying in front of the trees.<br />
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They have a little park along the Mississippi. It's actually a really pretty part of the river.<br />
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Then we explored a little bit of the town of Clarksville. They have a couple of specialty shops and antique shops in charming historic buildings. I read this <a href="http://www.stltoday.com/travel/tiny-clarksville-mo-has-plenty-for-visitors-to-see-and/article_6742567e-a44f-11e1-b09f-001a4bcf6878.html">article</a> before we went. It describes the town nicely.<br />
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We ate lunch at The Farm Cafe. It's owned by <a href="http://www.overlookfarmmo.com/">Overlook Farm</a> which operates a couple of inns and another restaurant on it's beautiful, large operating farm.<br />
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They serve sandwiches, soups, and salads. Our sandwiches were yummy!<br />
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Eagle watching and Clarksville was a fun way to spend a few hours. If you're interested, Clarksville will host its annual <a href="http://www.clarksvillemo.us/eagledays.html">Eagle Day</a>s this coming weekend.Saint Louis Adventures with Kellie and Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669515215417006202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5392645581812650521.post-25099973355528159042013-01-23T20:13:00.002-08:002013-01-23T20:13:29.249-08:00Chris' Pancake & DinningHappy New Year (a few weeks late)! Our New Year tradition is going to out to breakfast on New Year's Day. This year we headed to <a href="http://www.bartolinosrestaurants.com/chrispancakes.htm">Chris' Pancake and Dining</a> on The Hill. One of my favorite native St. Louisans, Lindsey, had mentioned it several times as one of her favorite places to eat. Plus, it's been recognized several times for having the "best breakfast" in St. Louis. There's not many people out early on New Year's Day. In fact, the only place we really saw any people was at Chris'. Guess they know it's a great place to eat, too.<br />
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The menu said they have the "Best French Toast" in town. It was really good!<br />
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The service was good, the food was good, and it was great way to start off the new year!Saint Louis Adventures with Kellie and Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669515215417006202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5392645581812650521.post-9910036116002861592013-01-13T18:36:00.000-08:002013-01-13T18:37:09.303-08:00Gooey Butter Cake "Food Feuds" and Lafayette SquareSo...I have rewritten the beginning of this post a couple times, mostly since I've been working on it since November. I'm not feeling very creative right now, so I'll just stick with the last one, and insert some current commentary... <br />
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What a wonderful time of year (though now we're in January and I think it is my least favorite month)! So many things to celebrate and be grateful for! One of the many things I'm grateful for is all of my St. Louis adventures! I'm also grateful for all the yummy food we get to enjoy this time of year (until we make resolutions to eat better). I'm so going to have to go on a diet in January (who knew it would take me until January to post and even longer to go on a diet?). Speaking of food, we took a St. Louis adventure the day before Thanksgiving to kick of the holiday with not pie, but Gooey Butter Cake! It's very likely I had gooey butter cake for the the first time at a St. Louis Thanksgiving.<br />
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What is Gooey Butter Cake? Well, it's an accident made by a bakery in the 1940's that has stuck around Saint Louis ever since. You can buy it in most St. Louis area grocery stores and bakeries, but lots of St. Louisans swear by their mom's recipe. Paula Deen also has a version out now nationally, but it truely started here in St. Louis (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gooey_butter_cake">Wikipedia</a> will back me up). Gooey Butter Cake is a dense gooey cake (maybe similar to a pound, coffee, or butter cake). To be truthful, to me it's kind of an acquired taste. Even though it took me years to like, I enjoy eating it now and my kids love it!<br />
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We started our Gooey Butter Cake adventure at <a href="http://parkavenuecoffee.com/">Park Avenue Coffee</a> in Lafayette Square. While leaving a parade in July, I saw a sign at their downtown location advertising they had been the winner of <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/food-feuds/sweet-feuds/index.html">Food Feuds </a>on the Food Network. Food Network equals St Louis adventure to me, even if takes a few, or many, months.<br />
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Here's their trophy for winning Food Feuds on the Food Network.<br />
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Here is their Gooey Butter Cake.<br />
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They make over 70 flavors and had about 12 flavors available the day we visited. We tried chocolate chip cookie dough, red velvet, triple chocolate and pumpkin caramel pecan (which I think is the one they won Food Feuds with). They were all delicious! The triple chocolate was my favorite. This is Hailey's Red Velvet.<br />
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The coffee shop has a patio you can use behind the shop with fireplaces. The kids loved it. It was a fun place to eat our cake (and probably kept all the customer without kids inside happy).<br />
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Then we explored<a href="http://www.lafayettesquare.org/"> Lafayette Square</a> and the <a href="http://stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/parks/parks/view-park.cfm?parkID=52&parkName=Lafayette%20Park">park</a>. Lafayette Square is a Victorian-style Historical District and it is GORGEOUS! Who doesn't want to live in one of these cute houses?!<br />
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The park is supposedly the oldest in St. Louis. It's beautiful too! My kids were mostly concerned with the playground,which isn't that old.<br />
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The park has a couple of statues and Revolutionary War cannons.<br />
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These cannons are really cool. They were on a British war ship that was sunk by American ships in Charleston Harbor in 1776.<br />
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After a fun, beautiful morning in Lafayette Square, we headed home by way of <a href="http://www.gooeylouiecake.com/">Gooey Louie</a>'s. They were Park Avenue Coffee's competition on Food Feuds. Gooey Louie didn't come out the victor on Food Feuds, but elsewhere it's been voted the best Gooey Butter Cake in St. Louis for the past four years.<br />
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We had to buy a whole gooey butter cake at Gooey Louie to try out. It was only $12 for this Chocolate Chippewa cake.<br />
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It was nothing like the gooey butter cake at Park Avenue, but still delicious! I think it tasted more like the gooey butter I've come to know in St. Louis than Park Avenue's. Either place though, you can't go wrong if you're looking for a tasty St. Louis treat!Saint Louis Adventures with Kellie and Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669515215417006202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5392645581812650521.post-16535876306405765592012-12-05T19:56:00.000-08:002012-12-05T19:56:52.764-08:00Christmas in Saint LouisThere are so many fun things to do in the Saint Louis area to celebrate the Christmas holiday! Here are some of our favorites and things we'd like to try.<br />
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Christmas Traditions in Historic Saint Charles</div>
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Last year was our first year visiting<a href="http://stcharleschristmas.com/"> Christmas Traditions in Historic Saint Charles</a>. We had so much fun we've already gone again this year. Christmas characters roam the streets and pass out cards for children to collect on Wednesday and Friday evenings, and Saturday and Sundays. You can find more details about our visit last year<a href="http://www.saintlouisadventures.blogspot.com/search/label/Historic%20Main%20in%20St.%20Charles"> here</a>. (This picture is also from last year since I have suddenly hit my blogger photo storage limit. Oddly, a whole lot of other blogs hit their limit at the same time, so I'm going to hope it's a fluke and they fix the problem before I have to get too creative to post pictures.)<br />
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Bass Pro Shop</div>
While you're in St. Charles you can also stop by Bass Pro Shop for <a href="http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CFPageBasic?storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&appID=86915&template=freephoto.cfm&loc=14">Santa's Wonderland</a>. Most of you will actually pass Bass Pro Shop to get to Historic Saint Charles. Bass Pro Shop has free crafts, activities and a photo with Santa. We've done several activities at Bass Pro Shop, and the kids always have fun.<br />
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Missouri Botanical Gardens</div>
The Missouri Botanical Garden hosts several holiday events, including the<a href="http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/things-to-do/events/signature-events/gardenland-express.aspx"> Gardenland Express</a> holiday flower and train show. I've never been, but since I'm a member this year, I feel like I should go check it out.<br />
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The Butterfly House also brings in special butterflies and holiday foliage for <a href="http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/visit/family-of-attractions/butterfly-house/things-to-do-at-the-butterfly-house/signature-events/winter-jewels.aspx">Winter Jewels</a>. On weekends, kids can enjoy making holiday crafts. This is definitely on my list this year...I like to think I'm using my membership benefits to the fullest ;).<br />
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Light Displays</div>
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<a href="http://www.saintlouisadventures.blogspot.com/2011/12/way-of-lights.html">Last year</a> we checked out <a href="http://www.wayoflights.org/">The Way of Lights</a> at Our Lady of the Snows. The drive through display is free. You can also stop for free crafts and displays, or enjoy other activities, such as camel rides, for a small fee.<br />
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My favorite light display though is Tilles Park's <a href="http://www.stlouisco.com/ParksandRecreation/ThingsToDo/WinterWonderland">Winter Wonderland</a>. It's $10 a car, but I've never felt bad paying for it. This display is closed to vehicles on Saturday night, so plan accordingly.</div>
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We've also done <a href="http://www.santasmagicalkingdom.com/explore-kingdom-home.html">Santa's Magical Kingdom</a> years ago, but we thought it was overpriced and haven't been back.<br />
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Forest Park</div>
The Zoo does a light display called <a href="http://www.stlzoo.org/events/calendarofevents/wildlights/">Wild Lights</a>. It does require paid admission, and since I'm so use to the zoo being free, I've never thought about checking it out. I bet it'd be pretty cool though, and now I'm feeling kinda bad I've been so cheap.<br />
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The <a href="http://stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/parks/parks/Jewel-Box.cfm">Jewel Box</a> has a Poinsettia display over the holidays. It's an okay extra to another activity at the park. We had fun though when we visited<a href="http://www.saintlouisadventures.blogspot.com/2012_01_01_archive.html"> last year</a>.<br />
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A couple of the museums in Forest Park host extra activities during the Christmas break. This year it looks like the<a href="http://www.mohistory.org/node/7976"> Missouri History Museum</a> will have extra kid friendly activities starting on the 27th.<br />
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New Year's</div>
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We've never actually been to<a href="http://www.grandcenter.org/directory/festivals-events/first-night/"> First Night</a>, but I've thought about it before and it might happen this year.</div>
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Happy Holidays! I'd love to hear about your favorite things to do in St. Louis to celebrate, especially if it's something I've missed.</div>
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Saint Louis Adventures with Kellie and Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669515215417006202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5392645581812650521.post-65653219760731285022012-10-14T16:51:00.000-07:002012-10-14T16:51:54.263-07:00Alton, IL and Melvin Price Locks and Dam<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Oh, my! How is it October? We did this adventures while my mom was here - two months ago! </div>
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But this is a great time to post this anyway because the leaves are changing and if I lived closer I would definitely be driving the<a href="http://www.greatriverroad.com/"> Great River Road</a> through Alton to look at all the fall foliage.</div>
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An adventure to the<a href="http://www.mvs.usace.army.mil/rivers/locks-dams.html"> Melvin Price Locks and Dam</a> was actually planned for last year when both my parents came out, but they ended stuck in an airport instead and this activity got bumped. This adventure has my dad written all over it, but we went ahead and did it with just Grandma this year. We'll have to take him another time.</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">The</span><a href="http://www.mvs.usace.army.mil/rivers/Museum.html" style="text-align: left;"> National Rivers Museum</a><span style="text-align: left;"> is next to the Locks and Dam. It has river exhibits, a movie and a couple of activities.</span></div>
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The kids enjoyed trying to navigate a barge into the locks.<br />
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We got to see a two small fishing boat and a large barge go through the locks.<br />
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If you visit the locks, I highly recommend planning your trip around a <a href="http://www.mvs.usace.army.mil/rivers/Reservations.html">tour</a> (they have them 3 times a day). On the tour, you get to walk out over the locks. Brenton is petrified of heights and was scared half to death. Luckily, candy has very powerful effect on my children and we were all able to go.<br />
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On the tour, they also take you down next to a lock so you can actually see the water move up or down in order for the boats to move up or down the river. (This image would not rotate for some reason).<br />
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After visiting the Locks and Dam we explored a little bit of Alton. My kids are obsessed with giants, so we found the statue of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Wadlow">Robert Wadlow</a>, also called the Alton Giant and the World's Tallest Man. My kids were very impressed.<br />
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Then we also headed up the Great River Road to find the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piasa">Piasa</a>, a representation of an old image seen along this part of the river years ago by Father Jacques Marquette in 1673.<br />
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This picture was actually taken earlier in the day outside the museum.</div>
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This was a fun trip. All of these activities were free and there are still a couple other things in the area that I would love to try out. So, I recommend crossing the river over into Alton if you get a chance.<br />
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<br />Saint Louis Adventures with Kellie and Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669515215417006202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5392645581812650521.post-16021476124554097882012-09-03T19:16:00.000-07:002012-09-03T19:16:35.966-07:00Missouri Grown and Kid Picked<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
One of my favorite things of the summer ended up being visiting the local farmer's market on a regular basis. It was tiny, but the produce was yummy and I liked supporting my local growers. When I was growing up we always had a large garden, or were at least always helping my grandparents with there huge garden. My kids, on the other hand, occasionally watch mom kill a vegetable plant in a pot, and hope they are at either grandparents house when some gardening action is going on. But I still think it's important for my kids to get to experience picking their own food right off the tree or plant. What my kids don't appreciate is only having to pick what you want and not getting in trouble for leaving stuff on the plant (I've had to pick lots of green bean in my days, and you don't get to leave anything that's ready on the plant when it's your own garden). Anyway, after that long unrelated introduction, the point of this post is that apple season came early this year. So if you want to go apple picking this season, you better go now!</div>
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Recently we headed over to <a href="http://www.eckerts.com/">Eckert's</a> after school to do some apple picking. They were, and still are, running a pick one pound, get one free promotion. It ends September 9th. The best part about this adventure was Grandma was in town to go with us! This was our first trip to Eckert's and the boy's first time apple picking. It was lots of fun!</div>
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Besides apples, we found a birds nest in one tree.<br />
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The tractor-pulled wagon ride to the orchard wasn't running when we were there. We had to ride a small bus to the orchard. I was a little disappointed, but my kids were not. Brenton thought it was the coolest bus he had ever been on. Ethan said it was the first bus he'd ever ridden, so he was very excited.<br />
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Earlier this summer, my cousin invited us down to go blueberry picking at <a href="http://www.libertyblueberryfarms.com/index.html">Liberty Blueberry Farms</a>, south of Saint Louis in Farmington. My kids loved picking blueberries and eating them while we were there. They wouldn't eat any after we got home though, not even blueberry muffins! Oh well, we had a great time with the cousins!<br />
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<br />Saint Louis Adventures with Kellie and Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669515215417006202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5392645581812650521.post-25357317467039267142012-08-08T20:37:00.000-07:002012-08-08T20:37:40.567-07:00Springfield, IL: Land of LincolnSummer is quickly coming to end, and Casey still has lots of vacation time left at work. I think he is secretly saving it all for hunting season, but just to make sure I don't catch on, he took a day off work for a day trip to Springfield, Illinois. Casey and I took a weekend anniversary trip there a few years ago and loved it! There's plenty to fill a weekend with, but since it's only a two hour drive or less from Saint Louis, it makes for a fun day trip as well.<br />
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I don't think you have to be a history buff to appreciate all the Abraham Lincoln sites Springfield has to offer. But if Lincoln doesn't excite you,<a href="http://www.travelchannel.com/tv-shows/man-v-food/episodes/springfield"> Man Vs. Food</a> has been there too, so you can enjoy some great food after you learn something.<br />
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We started at visit at the <a href="http://www.illinoishistory.gov/hs/lincoln_tomb.htm">Lincoln Tomb</a> in Oak Ridge Cemetery. I am just in awe of this place, inside and out.<br />
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At the outside of the tomb is a sculpture of Lincoln's face. It was a tradition for soldiers going off to war to rub the nose of the original sculpture for good luck.<br />
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People still do it today.<br />
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After the tomb, we ate lunch at D'Arcy's Pint. Someone had recommended this place to Casey and I a couple years ago, but we skipped it after finding out there was a 2 1/2 hour wait. Adam from Man vs. Food had been there though, so it was on my list to try this trip. We didn't have to wait 2 1/2 hours this time, but I can see why people do wait that long. This place was fantastic! They are famous for their Horse Shoe, a Springfield tradition that resembles an open face sandwich topped with french fries and a white cheese sauce. We tried the deluxe (with hamburger, bacon and onions) and the buffalo chicken. They were both good, though it was easier to eat the ground hamburger than mess with a chicken patty.<br />
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After lunch we headed to the museum part of the <a href="http://www.alplm.org/">Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum</a>. This place is awesome. They have a couple theatre productions with amazing effects, and then you journey through Lincoln's life and the Civil War with amazing effects and life-like wax sculptures.<br />
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The kids loved playing in Mary Lincoln's Attic, the kid's area of the museum.<br />
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We ended our Springfield trip with a visit to the historic Route 66 roadside attraction Cozy Dog Drive In. It's the home of the first cozy dog or the questionable home of the first corn dog, but either way Brenton says it's definitely the best corn dog he's ever had. It's a greasy spoon kind of place, but it's got great Route 66 memorabilia and the kids enjoyed it.<br />
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We had a great trip to Springfield! We had great food, great company and lots of great places to visit. <br />
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We didn't go this trip, but I can also recommend the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/liho/index.htm">Lincoln Home</a>.</div>Saint Louis Adventures with Kellie and Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669515215417006202noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5392645581812650521.post-3289707603370745012012-08-02T18:34:00.000-07:002012-08-02T18:35:43.947-07:00The Donut StopThe Donut Stop has been on my to do list for over a year. Considering my sweet tooth, I really don't know why it took me so long to go there. In 2010 Bon Appetit named The Donut Stop one of the <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/2010/03/top_10_best_places_for_donuts">Top 10 Places for Donuts</a> in the US. That's a good enough reason for me to visit! Recently, the local paper did an article on <a href="http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/dining/restaurants/reviews/our-picks-for-to-die-for-doughnuts-in-st-louis/article_7eebad96-ca03-11e1-afa0-001a4bcf6878.html">"to-die-for" donuts</a> in Saint Louis and I decided it was time to skip the grocery stores and head out for some donut goodness. <br />
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There's nothing fancy about The Donut Stop. No seats, just a counter and lots of yummy looking donuts. The prices aren't fancy either, I felt like I got a good deal. I only paid between 50 - 80 cents for most of the donuts. <br />
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The boys were fishing, so Hailey and I enjoyed this adventure all by ourselves. We also enjoyed most of those donuts all by ourselves. <br />
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All the pictures were taken on my cell phone, so they don't do the donuts justice. <br />
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So yummy! In fact, we took the boys back the next weekend. Definitely worth the trip!Saint Louis Adventures with Kellie and Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669515215417006202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5392645581812650521.post-74615588873236043382012-06-25T20:17:00.002-07:002012-06-25T20:17:42.400-07:00Best Parks: Deer Creek ParkWe started our quest to find the best parks in Saint Louis on June 1. I remember because it was freezing that day! I thought it would be a great day to go to the park since the weather was suppose to be nice. I put on a t-shirt and capris. I should have dressed like the mother sitting next to me at the park. She had the sense to wear a sweatshirt. But, it was June! <br />
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Anyway, we checked out <a href="http://www.cityofmaplewood.com/index.aspx?NID=79">Deer Creek Park in Maplewood</a>. It was awesome! <br />
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What kid doesn't want to play on a playground shaped like a spaceship?! The slide was big hit!<br />
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The playground has both rubber and rock. As long as you have on the right shoes, I think parks with rocks can be great. Little boys can keep themselves entertained for a long time with just some rocks.<br />
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The park had lots of benches for parents, even some in the shade! It also had several fields to play in and a walking trail. I also appreciated the cities no smoking ordinance (whether people follow it or not might be another story).<br />
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We ended our visit with a trip to the concession stand. I haven't decided if having a concession stand next to a playground is a plus or minus. It was reasonably priced though. Even if it was only 50 something degrees, we decided snow cones are an appropriate way to celebrate any summer day at the park.<br />
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I give Deer Creek Park two thumbs up. It might not be appropriate for toddlers, but I think it would be a hit with any kid preschool age and up.Saint Louis Adventures with Kellie and Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669515215417006202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5392645581812650521.post-31133799741085445222012-05-31T21:17:00.000-07:002012-05-31T21:21:23.509-07:00Gateway Grizzles and Baseball's Best BurgerTuesday night we headed to our first <a href="http://www.gatewaygrizzlies.com/">Gateway Grizzles</a> game. The Grizzles are a frontier baseball league team in Illinois. Ethan earned 2 free tickets through preschool. I usually would have just sent him with his dad, but then I saw the Man Vs. Food Baseball Special and decided I wasn't missing out on that food and we were all going.<br />
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It was a fun night. It has a very family-friendly atmosphere. They have things for the kids to do. You sit close to the field. And we even won tickets to go back. The boys are super excited.<br />
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The kids with the Grizzles Mascot.<br />
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Ethan with his craft he made before the game.<br />
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The boys watching and loving the game.<br />
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A view of the field.<br />
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The highlight of the night for Brenton was getting his mitt signed. He shows it to everyone. He doesn't even know who it is, he says it was #33, but the signature says #23.<br />
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Now to the most important part...the food!<br />
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Baseball's Best Burger is a bacon cheeseburger on a Krispy Kreme. It did taste good. The Krispy Kreme makes it sweet tasting. I don't know that I could eat this on a regular basis, but it was worth the trip.<br />
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The Philly Cheesesteak Nachos were yummy too! I could eat these all the time!<br />
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We have several adventures planned for the summer, some new and many repeats (so check back often).<br />
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I've also decided to check out some new parks. You know, the ones you've heard off, but never go to, or the ones you wish someone would tell you about. After some research, I've picked out five. <br />
Tilles Park<br />
Shaw Park<br />
Longview Farm Park<br />
City Garden<br />
Deer Creek Park<br />
Actually, we've down the City Garden before, but I would like to try it again prepared (it really kills any park experience when you spend 1/2 hour looking for a bathroom). Plus, I'll spotlight some of our already favorites. Am I missing any great parks? Please let me know.<br />
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I'm also going to try to Visit a Book with my kids. We would spend a week or two reading a classic (or not so classic) out loud and then visit something related to the book. I love this idea, but I think it could cost me a fortune (gas and attractions wise). These are my ideas so far, but I would love any other ideas, especially since I'm running into many roadblocks.<br />
<em>My Side of the Mountain</em> - Camping<br />
<em>Little House on the Prairie</em> series - Visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder Homestead (Unfortunately, this is like 3 hours away)<br />
<em>The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn</em> or <em>Tom Sawyer</em> - Visit Mark Twain's hometown of Hannibal, MO<br />
<em>Julie of the Wolves</em> - Endangered Wolf Center<br />
<em>Treasure Island</em> - St. Louis Pirate Festival (Unfortunately, this event has been cancelled until 2014)<br />
<em>Magic Tree House: Abe Lincoln at Last</em> and it's companion Fact Tracker - Visit Lincoln Sites in Springfield, IL (I love Springfield, but I think I'll only pull this one off if my my parents visit)<br />
This educational experience for my children is sounding expensive, maybe I'll just stick to all that free, awesome stuff in St. Louis. We are doing the Shakespeare Festival in Forest Park again, but I think I'll wait and let them read that themselves in high school.<br />
<br />Saint Louis Adventures with Kellie and Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669515215417006202noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5392645581812650521.post-84995319972713094872012-05-15T18:44:00.000-07:002012-05-15T18:44:46.948-07:00Weekend Trip: Kansas CityIn April we spent a weekend as a family in Kansas City. This is was our second family trip to Kansas City, and I have to say, I love it! It's just 3 to 4 hours away and has lots of family-friendly, reasonably priced things to do. Here are some of the things we've done the last couple years in the American City of Fountains.<br />
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Both times we visited places related to our <a href="http://www.lds.org/church/places-to-visit?lang=eng">church</a>. They were free.<br />
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This year we visited the <a href="http://www.crowncenter.com/Index.asp">Crown Center</a>. <br />
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There is so much to do there! We just visited the Kaleidoscope and the<a href="http://www.crowncenter.com/entertainment/Index.asp?Reference=hvc&~="> Hallmark Visitors Center</a> because they are both free, but so worth the visit.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.hallmarkkaleidoscope.com/">Kaleidoscope</a> provides 45 minute art and craft sessions. The kids got to make puzzles, bookmarks, butterflies and whatever else they could imagine. This place was so cool. I loved it, and so did the kids.<br />
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Two years ago, we went to the <a href="http://www.opkansas.org/Things-to-See-And-Do/Deanna-Rose-Childrens-Farmstead">Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead</a>. We had so much fun there, too.<br />
(My kids look so little in these pictures!)<br />
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The kids also loved eating at the <a href="http://www.trexcafe.com/">T-Rex</a> Restaurant. <br />
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Kansas City is actually known for it's BBQ (and not dinosaur restaurants, tough to believe, I know)! Last year during a weekend there with friends, I tried out some of their popular places. Sorry, no pictures! I took advice from my favorite food guy, Adam, on <a href="http://www.travelchannel.com/tv-shows/man-v-food/episodes/kansas-city">Man vs. Food</a> and visited <a href="http://www.oklahomajoesbbq.com/">Oklahoma Joe's</a>. A lot like Pappy's, except in a gas station. We also did the other extreme, and visited <a href="http://www.jackstackbbq.com/">Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue</a> which is "Zagat Survey's Highest Ranked BBQ in the country" and more of a elegant dining experience. Both very delicious!<br />
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I think Kansas City is definitely worth a trip!Saint Louis Adventures with Kellie and Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669515215417006202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5392645581812650521.post-80523137130938599832012-05-14T20:42:00.000-07:002012-05-14T20:42:26.850-07:00Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly HouseWe had a visitor! It was very exciting! So exciting that it really shouldn't have taken me a month and a half to blog about it, but better late than never... My sister, Amy, came to see us in March. We had lots of fun just having her around, but, of course, we fit in a couple adventures as well. <br />
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Amy, Ethan and I spent a morning at the <a href="http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/visit/family-of-attractions/butterfly-house.aspx">Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House</a>. It's a been awhile since I've been to the Butterfly House, so I'm glad Amy wanted to go. <br />
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We watched a short movie and checked out some insects of the non-butterfly variety before heading into the butterfly conservatory. <br />
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There are butterflies everywhere, but they are so hard to get pictures of. In March they release extra Blue Morpho butterflies, so we saw lots of beautiful blue butterflies, even if we don't have great pictures to prove it.<br />
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Ethan was a good sport. He posed for lots of pictures and stood very still so a butterfly might land on him. We had to settle for taking a picture next to a butterfly instead.<br />
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I didn't post most of the pictures, but Ethan started to look the same in all of them, so we changed things up with a little silliness.<br />
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The Butterfly House is located in Faust Park, which is also home to the <a href="http://www.stlouisco.com/ParksandRecreation/ChildrensFun/StLouisCarouselatFaustPark">Faust Park Carousel</a>. This is one of the few places we pay to ride the carousel (but maybe that's because it use to be cheaper?).<br />
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We're so glad Aunt Amy came to see us. And since we went to the Botanical Gardens while she was here, too, I ended up buying a membership (covers both the Butterfly House and the Botanical Gardens) and we should be visiting the Butterfly House again soon.Saint Louis Adventures with Kellie and Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669515215417006202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5392645581812650521.post-4336814722877194392012-05-14T20:36:00.000-07:002012-05-14T20:36:24.499-07:00Sharing the LoveA couple weekends ago, Casey and I used a Groupon I bought for a <a href="http://stlouisfuntours.com/">St. Louis Fun Trolley Tour</a>.<br />
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It was fun. We didn't see much we haven't seen before, but we learned lots of fun information. It makes me kind of proud to be from St. Louis (not that I was unproud before, after all, I blog about the place). Our tour guide was great, just sharing his love of St Louis with people from all over the world.<br />
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Speaking of love, St Louisans do love free. One tidbit of information from our tour was that St. Louis is second only to Washington DC in free attractions. Maybe that's why St. Louis was named the <a href="http://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/10-best-cities-for-cheapskates/1.html">top city for cheapskates.</a> I think that's considered a high honor when it means you boast one of the highest number of museums and libraries per capita.<br />
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Love My St. Louis!Saint Louis Adventures with Kellie and Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669515215417006202noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5392645581812650521.post-11313508329441250002012-03-14T06:32:00.000-07:002012-03-14T06:32:52.679-07:00The Blue Owl Restaurant and BakeryHappy Pi Day! I actually don't like math. I'm terrible at it! But I really, really like pie! So if I can use March 14th, or 3.14, as an excuse to eat lots of pie, I'm all for it! <br />
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In honor of 3.14, I thought I'd share an adventure to the home of some famous, Oprah approved pie.<br />
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<a href="http://www.theblueowl.com/">The Blue Owl</a> is located in Historic Kimmswick.The town hosts a couple festivals during the year, but all year you can enjoy some Blue Owl goodness. Just check the hours before you go because they're only open during the middle of the day. They serve homemade-style food. I recommend the White Chicken Chilli. They are most known though for what comes out of their bakery.<br />
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The Levee High Carmel Peacon Apple Pie has been featured on the Today Show, The Oprah Magazine and The Food Network. It really looks amazing! The crust tastes amazing, too! The inside is just okay, in my opinion, but the best part of any pie is the crust anyway.<br />
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