Wild Lights at the St Louis Zoo

I 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 Wild Lights 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.

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.

The kids had a great time making crafts, listening to storytelling, and wandering through the lights. 

It was a fun night!

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.

Must Stop for Treats on I-44

My 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 my favorite pies is also one of Oprah's Favorite Things. 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...

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 Slice of Pie." 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.

My pictures, taken in the car, do not do these pies justice.

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.

We stopped here on the way home. It was packed for being in the middle of nowhere.

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!  

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!