Ken and Fey visit STL.

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Tim and I love to play tour guide in our "new" city. So, Ken and Fey are perfect victims.... HA. Ken has spent enough time roaming the midwest. Frankly, in my opinion there is only so much any one person can tolerant from the midwest..... Hey, I'm a midwestern by birth, so I can make such a statement..... and you know it's true. But, we make the best of it.

We show the kids the Gateway Arch, a must do when in St. Lou. We have lunch at Morgan Street Brewery in Laclede's Landing (one of STL older parts/neighborhoods on the banks of the Mississippi River). The beer is pretty good as is the rest of the food. STL really knows how to do tavern food, if that is what you like?

We got so lucky with the weather while Ken and Fey were visiting. The temps were in the low 80's during the day and since the kids are at FSU, they really enjoyed the cooler and drier weather. Last summer was so HOT (almost 100 every day in August) this summer is much different.

So, we take advantage of the lovely days and spend some time outside. Sunday, we drive to Elephant Rocks, about 40-45 minutes south of our home. Elephant Rocks are giant granite rocks standing end-to-end like a train of circus elephants. They formed about 1.5 billion years ago from hot magma which formed coarsely crystalline red granite, which later weathered into huge, rounded boulders. One of the largest elephant rocks, Dumbo, tops the scales at a whopping 680 tons. We walked the one-mile trail and roam between the rocks.

Monday morning we decide to head over to the STL zoo (FREE). There are five new baby tigers on display. Yes, they are all siblings, and it's an uncommon number. We are lucky to get the chance to watch them play, boy they are cute! We walk around the Grand Basin of Forest Park to the Art Museum. Forest Park is truly a GEM, and the people of STL are so fortunate to have such a lovely play-ground and everything is FREE. We go to Tim's softball game in the evening and grab a pizza from Dewey's on the way home.

Tuesday, Tim takes the day off from work and we head to Meramec Caverns. Meramec Caverns is almost a 5 mile cavern system, in the Ozarks. It was formed from large limestone deposits over millions of years. Pre-Columbian Native American artifacts have been found in the caverns. It's the first cave west of the Mississippi River to be explored by Europeans. The cave was used for extracting saltpeter for the manufacture of gunpowder, during the Civil War era by the Union Army. The plant was discovered and destroyed by Confederate guerrillas, including future famous outlaw Jesse James. James and his brother (and partner in crime) Frank used the caves as a hideout in the 1870s. But, it's pretty hokey, but fun.

We have dinner at Phoenix Wineries in Owensville, MO in the heart of Missouri Wine Country. This place is a real charmer. The winemaker is the most interesting man, his name Guenther Heeb. Not only does he make the wine, but he grows/tends/harvests the grapes (7 different varieties). He cooks all meals (German food, and it's worth the drive just to eat his cooking). He uses fresh grown veggies from his garden, plus he makes his own brats (YUMMY). He designed and maintains his website. In his spare time he makes beer. He is a very warm and hospitably host. We enjoy a terrific evening drink wine and eating Guenther food.....

Wednesday we take the Anheuser-Busch brewery tour. We see the historic Budweiser Clydesdale Stable (with horses), Beechwood Lager Cellars, historic Brew House and Bevo Packaging Facility. Plus, FREE samples at the end of the tour... that's what everyone really goes for!

After dinner on The Hill (STL Italian neighborhood), we go to the Missouri Botanical Garden. Wednesday evening all summer long the gardens sponsor FREE jazz concerts. It was a beautiful night and the music sounds good.

We had a great visit and I hated to see the kids go back to Florida. I tried to convince them to transfer to up here and finish school, but no sale..... I hope they come visit again soon!!!

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