Metrolink

Chickadee Thursday

Last summer, Chickadee, Moose, and I rode the MetroLink from one end of the red line (Shiloh-Scott) to the other (Lambert Airport). This summer, Moose decided we needed to do the same for the blue line, so this morning, we hopped on a train in Fairview Heights and rode all the way to Shrewsbury-Lansdowne I-44 and back again!

Chickadee had to ride standing up for part of the trip, because that makes it even more fun!

I think MetroLink is going to need to add a new line so we can do this again someday!

A Promise Kept

While Turkey, Bunny, and Ladybug were at choir camp last week, Moose, Chickadee, and I looked for some fun things to do to help pass the time. One of our excursions was the result of a promise years in the making…we rode the red line of the St. Louis MetroLink from one end (Shiloh-Scott) to the other (Lambert Airport Terminal 1) and back again!

We’ve talked about doing this for years, and it was something Moose especially was interested in, so I figured the timing was perfect, especially since he and Chickadee are both currently still eligible for the 1/2 price child fare! We’ve never been to the Shiloh-Scott station before, so that was interesting in and of itself, as it has two separate stations, one for public access, and one for Scott Air Force Base personnel.

We were pretty much the only passengers on the train when we started out, and we saw many people come and go as we rode.

When we got to the airport, we went inside (as far as you’re allowed without a ticket, anyway), and were pleased to find the Cakeway to the West cake from the STL250 year still on display:

And then we got back on the train in the other direction. We weren’t alone at the beginning of the trip this time, but by the time we got back to Shiloh-Scott, we had the whole train to ourselves again!

So that’s it for our MetroLink adventure. The round-trip took us about three hours altogether, and I think we traveled close to 80 total miles back and forth. It was a nice was to spend a hot day (we were so thankful for the air conditioning on the train!), and we had a fun time seeing different parts of St. Louis as we sped by. I’m glad this was a promise that was finally kept!

On the Eads Bridge

Yesterday, the children and I took the MetroLink down to the Eads bridge to take part in a celebration marking the completion of a renovation project which will hopefully allow the 142-year-old bridge to continue to serve the St. Louis area for at least another 50 years.

The event took place on the top deck of the bridge, which was closed to traffic for the day. There were marching bands from area high schools, food trucks, and examples of the hardware used in the original construction of the bridge, the first steel bridge to be built, as well as pieces used for the renovation. Mostly, though, we enjoyed seeing St. Louis from a perspective we don’t usually get:

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While this was a fun and unusual activity, which gave us an excuse to walk the full length of the bridge from Illinois into St. Louis, it also gave us an opportunity to learn about the history of the bridge and how it was built. I love any event that helps connect us to local history and learn about where we live!

The First Train Ride

Last night, when we went to the Cardinals game, we took the St. Louis Metrolink (the city’s light rail service), downtown to the ballpark. It was the first time on a train for all of the children but Turkey, who has ridden once before, but I don’t think that anyone enjoyed the ride more than Moose did!

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