Kathy and Bruce

The next leg of the journey is crammed full of activity and excitement. After an exhausting ¼ mile bike ride, we stopped at what will be known as Lake Vest. It has been a dream in the making, and although was derailed for a short time, the digging has begun again. All this lake needs is a little water and some landscaping and people will be flocking from all over to see this attraction. We spent some time imaging it’s future splendor while catching our breath. The Cell Tower is an iron tower built near the Cahokia Levee. This tower has become a an icon of lower Collinsville and is one of the most recognizable structures in a three-mile radius. When the sun was setting that evening the glint from the tower made a kaliedscope of ... read more

Once Bruce and I left the Pyramids, we decided to remain at ground level to get our balance back. Pablo led us in town to peruse the local goods from various artisans and crafters. The street market contained a variety of local flavor: trinkets, pots, tools, and more. We were amazed at the craftsmanship and finery we saw before us! What treasures and riches we saw, gazing at amazement at the unusual cultural spice sprinkled throughout the tents. One particular item of interest, and a local favorite, was the gourd. If you aren’t familiar with the gourd, Webster technically defines it as “1: any of a family (Cucurbitaceae, the gourd family) of chiefly herbaceous tendril-bearing vines including the cucumber, melon, squash, and pumpkin.” As basic as this seems, we quickly learned that there is a whole ... read more