We left St. Louis for two weeks in September to work a job in Goodfield, IL. You gotta love “rural America” I don’t want to see another cornfield for awhile.
This is a real road our GPS took us on just outside of town.
The weight limit is 500 pounds when wet. Ron and I could hardly walk together on this road let alone drive on it.
We were also able to play tourist some. We spent a couple of hours in downtown St. Louis at the Citygarden. They had just opened it when we left town a couple of years ago. It is 3 acres in the heart of downtown that has been transformed into an urban oasis featuring contemporary sculptures, lush landscape, reflecting pools a café and spray plaza for those hot, hot summer St. Louis days. There are no walls, fences or “do not touch signs” nor are there any admission fees. Just a fun place to take a stroll and see over 23 sculptures enhanced by rain gardens, water displays and 235 trees comprised of 20 different species. The lush landscaping is made up of 1,170 shrubs, 4,194 perennials, native grasses and wildflowers, 8,000 bulbs, 12,726 ground covers and 32,000 square feet of lawn. Twelve hundred blocks of Missouri quarried limestone were used to build a 550 foot arcing wall. A natural paradise in the middle of a bustling downtown area. When you’re enjoying the garden you forget there is any traffic whipping around you. A highly recommended “tourist” destination for St. Louis residents as well as those visiting the city.
View of the Arch and Old Courthouse from inside the gardens along the walkway.
Lush landscaping.
Fountain & spray plaza featuring 102 vertical jets that
project water up to 10 feet in height.
Dismembered head of the Greek god of love and desire - Eros.
Bandages wrapping Eros's face suggest that the eyes and mouth
have been covered indicating that desires & ideas have been
imprisoned.
Untitled (Ringed Figure) made of painted steel by sculptor Keith Haring.
He is known for gracing children's hospitals, orphanages & day care
centers around the world with his works.
Jim Dine's painted bronze Pinocchio - 150" tall.
Painted bronze creating the impression of marshmallowy lightness of
these two rabbits.
Also while in St. Louis we saw another form of art and what we think is the absolute best use of all of those orange barrels and cones we see on nearly every highway while traveling.
Tax dollars at work!
We left St. Louis last Sunday for Forsyth, Missouri a small town just outside of the Branson area. We have a job here for 2 weeks and tickets to the Don Williams concert. I’ve known of Don Williams for years but really got turned on to his mellow, country sound when my sister-in-law, Terri, cut a CD for us a few months back. St. Louis is so close to Branson, how could I pass up an opportunity to spend an evening with Don?
After Branson, we are heading to Fort Lauderdale for a 4 day convention with the company we work for then off to San Antonio to spend the holidays with my nephew and his family. We are looking forward to our visit.
If you can’t be in New England at this time of the year (so they say, we’ve never been there, yet) then the Midwest is the next best place and the Ozarks "mountains" are beautiful.
View of the Ozark hills. Colors haven't quite peaked yet.
GO CARDS!!
Hope all is well!
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