I had never been to the state of Missouri before and so I had no idea what to expect. I did know of one thing, that it would be very cold. It actually got down into the 20's there at night. For me being a Northern California gal this was super chilly. When I returned home last night to 50 something degrees, I realized that it is quite comfortable here even though there was frost on the ground this morning.
When we arrived in Missouri it was late in the afternoon and the sun was setting fast. We had not much time to see our surroundings, so the next morning I was quite pleased and cold to see the St. Roberts area. St. Roberts is 2 hours away from St. Louis and not much to it really, except the very bare trees that surrounded us at every turn. It is quite a flat area in geography, but still quite nice. What impressed me the most was not the town itself, but in fact its residents. Their politeness and hospitality mixed with the sweet accents they have when they talk to you is quite lovely. It was ma'am and sir the whole time. Except for the Mexican restaurant we went to in which the people with their lovely Spanish accents and cheerful demeanor...well...just reminded me of the restaurants we frequent at home. One of these days I am going to be fluent in Spanish. I have this on my "bucket list".
We mostly spent our time in Fort Leonard Wood, which is the Army post were my daughter, Clara did her military training. This particular post was quite huge in size and reminded me of the many bases that my father was posted when I was a child. There is something to be said about men and women dressed in their uniforms whether it be in the light camos or "dress blues" they wear. They just look so "smashing"! Plus, they are just so formal and polite in their manner. I mean, I know they are trained to be this way, but I still appreciate it and their service to our country. I do not always agree with our government, but I will always support our military personnel and the self-sacrificing they do for the United States.
When we left Fort Leonard Wood, we headed back up to St. Louis. This city is just amazing and really not that much different than Sacramento, CA. Its environment is such that there are a lot of trees, but they are mostly bare, because of its very cold climate I mentioned before. This city is also located near a very famous river called the Mississippi River. I did notice that there are not many evergreen trees in this area. The one other thing I noticed was that the drivers there are very much like what I would call "Sunday Drivers" for they drive slowly even on the freeways.
This city is loaded with rich history! We were able to see the Gateway Arch, which is their main attraction. Here is a link to all things St.Louis. http://explorestlouis.com. This attraction marks the opening in which Louis and Clark started their very famous exploration of the west. Included in the Arch is a museum which highlights their discoveries and other historical artifacts and the like.
I have to admit I was very nervous to go to the top of this Arch which is 630 feet tall. So after they security checked us in the lobby we went downstairs to where we would catch a tram that would take us to the very tip top of the Arch. Talk about kind of scary riding this tram 630 feet above the ground. There was a little window we could look out of and I noticed that there were stairs we could go down if in the slim chance something could go wrong.
So we made it to the top and we had to climb a little bit of stairs to get to the observation deck, which btw, is all enclosed, of course. The views were breathtaking! I found myself taking a multitude of pictures with my easy breezy snap and shoot camera, I received as a Christmas gift from my wonderful mother-in-law. There was this carpeted area that you could lean way over on to get even views of the bottom and I actually "leaned" in quite a bit to get even better shots.
After all of the amazing views were taken in, we left and headed down to the gift shop and museum that were there. So much history around this area. The Arch way was actually is Jefferson National Expansion Monument. If you want to know more here is a great link about the Arch: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gateway_Arch
When we were at the top of the Arch, we noticed an incredible building that was actually the original court house for that area and it was the place where the Dred Scott Cast was held. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dred_Scott. So we then headed over to this court house but decided to eat lunch first. We dinned at Caleco's, which is an incredibly tasting Italian restaurant. I loved the ambiance and the food was molte bene (very good - Italian). I ordered the linguine with olive oil and bacon...wow and so yummy! The guys ordered hamburgers and chicken strips of all things.
By our table was an incredible salt water fish tank with the most spectacular fish I had ever seen. We loved looking at the coral and the various fish that I cannot name, but their colors were so beautiful and iridescent. Throughout the restaurant was Christmas decorations all over and gorgeously done too. It was just a great relaxing lunch and then we were off to the court house. This place was amazing! So rich with important history of the a case that decided African American slavery and their rights to be free. We actually could sit where the judge sat and over saw the case. Above is a link covering the Dred Scott Decision.
We were getting very sleepy, so we decided to head back to the hotel and take an hour nap, because we wanted to go to a museum near the hotel. So we rested up and headed to the Missouri History Museum located in Forest Park area. Such an amazing park too. What made the visits so wonderful was not only what they had to offer, but also the fact that their admissions were free, except for special exhibitions, such as right now there is one about Mammoths and also an exhibit on the Civil War. But trust me there was so much to see and explore that we really had no time to see it all in a few hours. Such an incredible and I took a ton of pictures that I will share at another time.
The sun was already down when we left the building, so we took a drive around the area and to our surprise and amazement, we found the most spectacular historical college called Washington University http://wustl.edu/. Oh my goodness this place is massive and very old. Like I said earlier it was dark, but we knew we had to come back and take pictures in the morning before we headed home to Sacramento.
The next morning we packed up and headed out to the zoo, until we realized it was way too cold to be visiting an outside zoo in 25 degree weather. We figured also that we have a membership to the Sacramento Zoo that we could just wait and go to ours. Maybe another time and visit we can. With our change in plans we decided to go check out Washington University and its surrounding neighborhoods. What I noticed about Missouri is that a lot of houses and buildings are made of brick. I would hazer a guess that it is because it with stands the snow and tornadoes that are known to "visit" the area. I really loved looking at the homes that are much more affordable to buy than in California.
Back over to the Washington University and to our picture taking moments. It was established in 1853 and is associated with 22 Noble laureates. Rated top 10 in U.S. News and World Report. 14,000 students attend this university. I would have loved to have attended this college, but I am sure my grades would not have let me in. I was just taken in by its architectural brick buildings with such Victorian ornateness and decorum. I took a ton of pictures of just the goblins that adorned the edges of the main building alone. The place looks like either a very old sanitarium or a castle, truly it is a sight to behold if you love all things history which I certainly do.
After our brief visit to this fine University, we had a little extra time to kill before our afternoon departure to Sac Town. We decided on driving across the Mississippi River and into Illinois. Ethan says "cool...now I can tell my friends that I was in three states in less than a week!". So we drive to Illinois and only stayed a little bit, because to get anywhere of any consequence it would take about 5 hours driving time, and you would hit Chicago. I would have loved to visit there so much, but alas no time.
Our very last place of interest we stopped was St. Louis's Union Station, which is an incredible place to behold with its also teeming of history and decorum. Before you even get to the historical main area, you go through a mall of sorts and buy cheap souvenirs or grab a quick bite to eat. Here is a link about this station www.stlouisunionstation.com/. I was completely blown away by this place and its elegance. Such incredible ornateness and class just runs through and through this place. Such a nice way to end our visit of St. Louis. I would love to go back and also discover and explore Illinois the place of all things Abraham Lincoln, my favorite American President.
I am now back at home in Sacramento, CA and I already miss Missouri, but now have incredible memories that will last a life time, plus so many, many pictures taken that I have not even seen yet. But, alas there is no place like home, because a least here there are still leaves on some of the many trees we have around here. I love Christmas time here and look forward to the holidays and 2012. I will have to for now just dream of our next travel destination place.
When we arrived in Missouri it was late in the afternoon and the sun was setting fast. We had not much time to see our surroundings, so the next morning I was quite pleased and cold to see the St. Roberts area. St. Roberts is 2 hours away from St. Louis and not much to it really, except the very bare trees that surrounded us at every turn. It is quite a flat area in geography, but still quite nice. What impressed me the most was not the town itself, but in fact its residents. Their politeness and hospitality mixed with the sweet accents they have when they talk to you is quite lovely. It was ma'am and sir the whole time. Except for the Mexican restaurant we went to in which the people with their lovely Spanish accents and cheerful demeanor...well...just reminded me of the restaurants we frequent at home. One of these days I am going to be fluent in Spanish. I have this on my "bucket list".
We mostly spent our time in Fort Leonard Wood, which is the Army post were my daughter, Clara did her military training. This particular post was quite huge in size and reminded me of the many bases that my father was posted when I was a child. There is something to be said about men and women dressed in their uniforms whether it be in the light camos or "dress blues" they wear. They just look so "smashing"! Plus, they are just so formal and polite in their manner. I mean, I know they are trained to be this way, but I still appreciate it and their service to our country. I do not always agree with our government, but I will always support our military personnel and the self-sacrificing they do for the United States.
When we left Fort Leonard Wood, we headed back up to St. Louis. This city is just amazing and really not that much different than Sacramento, CA. Its environment is such that there are a lot of trees, but they are mostly bare, because of its very cold climate I mentioned before. This city is also located near a very famous river called the Mississippi River. I did notice that there are not many evergreen trees in this area. The one other thing I noticed was that the drivers there are very much like what I would call "Sunday Drivers" for they drive slowly even on the freeways.
This city is loaded with rich history! We were able to see the Gateway Arch, which is their main attraction. Here is a link to all things St.Louis. http://explorestlouis.com. This attraction marks the opening in which Louis and Clark started their very famous exploration of the west. Included in the Arch is a museum which highlights their discoveries and other historical artifacts and the like.
I have to admit I was very nervous to go to the top of this Arch which is 630 feet tall. So after they security checked us in the lobby we went downstairs to where we would catch a tram that would take us to the very tip top of the Arch. Talk about kind of scary riding this tram 630 feet above the ground. There was a little window we could look out of and I noticed that there were stairs we could go down if in the slim chance something could go wrong.
So we made it to the top and we had to climb a little bit of stairs to get to the observation deck, which btw, is all enclosed, of course. The views were breathtaking! I found myself taking a multitude of pictures with my easy breezy snap and shoot camera, I received as a Christmas gift from my wonderful mother-in-law. There was this carpeted area that you could lean way over on to get even views of the bottom and I actually "leaned" in quite a bit to get even better shots.
After all of the amazing views were taken in, we left and headed down to the gift shop and museum that were there. So much history around this area. The Arch way was actually is Jefferson National Expansion Monument. If you want to know more here is a great link about the Arch: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gateway_Arch
When we were at the top of the Arch, we noticed an incredible building that was actually the original court house for that area and it was the place where the Dred Scott Cast was held. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dred_Scott. So we then headed over to this court house but decided to eat lunch first. We dinned at Caleco's, which is an incredibly tasting Italian restaurant. I loved the ambiance and the food was molte bene (very good - Italian). I ordered the linguine with olive oil and bacon...wow and so yummy! The guys ordered hamburgers and chicken strips of all things.
By our table was an incredible salt water fish tank with the most spectacular fish I had ever seen. We loved looking at the coral and the various fish that I cannot name, but their colors were so beautiful and iridescent. Throughout the restaurant was Christmas decorations all over and gorgeously done too. It was just a great relaxing lunch and then we were off to the court house. This place was amazing! So rich with important history of the a case that decided African American slavery and their rights to be free. We actually could sit where the judge sat and over saw the case. Above is a link covering the Dred Scott Decision.
We were getting very sleepy, so we decided to head back to the hotel and take an hour nap, because we wanted to go to a museum near the hotel. So we rested up and headed to the Missouri History Museum located in Forest Park area. Such an amazing park too. What made the visits so wonderful was not only what they had to offer, but also the fact that their admissions were free, except for special exhibitions, such as right now there is one about Mammoths and also an exhibit on the Civil War. But trust me there was so much to see and explore that we really had no time to see it all in a few hours. Such an incredible and I took a ton of pictures that I will share at another time.
The sun was already down when we left the building, so we took a drive around the area and to our surprise and amazement, we found the most spectacular historical college called Washington University http://wustl.edu/. Oh my goodness this place is massive and very old. Like I said earlier it was dark, but we knew we had to come back and take pictures in the morning before we headed home to Sacramento.
The next morning we packed up and headed out to the zoo, until we realized it was way too cold to be visiting an outside zoo in 25 degree weather. We figured also that we have a membership to the Sacramento Zoo that we could just wait and go to ours. Maybe another time and visit we can. With our change in plans we decided to go check out Washington University and its surrounding neighborhoods. What I noticed about Missouri is that a lot of houses and buildings are made of brick. I would hazer a guess that it is because it with stands the snow and tornadoes that are known to "visit" the area. I really loved looking at the homes that are much more affordable to buy than in California.
Back over to the Washington University and to our picture taking moments. It was established in 1853 and is associated with 22 Noble laureates. Rated top 10 in U.S. News and World Report. 14,000 students attend this university. I would have loved to have attended this college, but I am sure my grades would not have let me in. I was just taken in by its architectural brick buildings with such Victorian ornateness and decorum. I took a ton of pictures of just the goblins that adorned the edges of the main building alone. The place looks like either a very old sanitarium or a castle, truly it is a sight to behold if you love all things history which I certainly do.
After our brief visit to this fine University, we had a little extra time to kill before our afternoon departure to Sac Town. We decided on driving across the Mississippi River and into Illinois. Ethan says "cool...now I can tell my friends that I was in three states in less than a week!". So we drive to Illinois and only stayed a little bit, because to get anywhere of any consequence it would take about 5 hours driving time, and you would hit Chicago. I would have loved to visit there so much, but alas no time.
Our very last place of interest we stopped was St. Louis's Union Station, which is an incredible place to behold with its also teeming of history and decorum. Before you even get to the historical main area, you go through a mall of sorts and buy cheap souvenirs or grab a quick bite to eat. Here is a link about this station www.stlouisunionstation.com/. I was completely blown away by this place and its elegance. Such incredible ornateness and class just runs through and through this place. Such a nice way to end our visit of St. Louis. I would love to go back and also discover and explore Illinois the place of all things Abraham Lincoln, my favorite American President.
I am now back at home in Sacramento, CA and I already miss Missouri, but now have incredible memories that will last a life time, plus so many, many pictures taken that I have not even seen yet. But, alas there is no place like home, because a least here there are still leaves on some of the many trees we have around here. I love Christmas time here and look forward to the holidays and 2012. I will have to for now just dream of our next travel destination place.
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