I was really starting to worry that we wouldn’t make it the Missouri Botanical Garden this month…it’s been so hot, no one has wanted to leave the house, much less walk around outside. Yesterday it was a bit cooler (although drizzly and very humid), so we finally made it. The Japanese Garden looks almost as pretty when it’s raining as it does when it’s snowing…we really enjoyed watching the raindrops fall on the water!
Did you know that today is National Carousel Day? I didn’t, until I saw that the St. Louis Carousel in Chesterfield’s Faust Park was offering free rides today in honor of the event!
St. Louis has plenty of carousels…mall merry-go-rounds, outdoor carousels at places like Grant’s Farm and the St. Louis Zoo, and even a carousel over a century old at Six Flags, but none of them has a history like the St. Louis Carousel. Consisting of 60 horses and four antlered deer (as well as a few benches), it was built in the 1920s, and was originally installed at the long-defunct St. Louis Highlands Amusement Park. A fire destroyed the park in 1963, but the carousel was spared, and moved to Sylvan Springs Park. Eventually in the 1980s, it was restored and moved to Faust Park, where it operates today, rain or shine, except on Mondays. It normally costs two dollars to ride, which is probably why we hadn’t visited before this summer, but from what I can tell, the ride is both longer and faster (a real thrill, especially for smaller children like Chickadee), than any of the other carousels in the area, so it’s not a bad deal!
Faust Park is a great place to spend a day with children. In addition to the carousel, there’s a historic village, a butterfly house, and a fun playground. And since the carousel is in a climate-controlled building, it’s a great place to take a break on a hot summer day!
As we did last summer, yesterday we attended Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis to hear Turkey sing with the RSCM St. Louis Training Course. It was a lovely service, and the choir sounded beautiful…just like angels! And no matter how many times I visit the Cathedral, I am always amazed by its great beauty!
We’re already hoping that we’ll have the chance to go back next summer, and maybe even hear more than one of our children in the choir!
I never tire of looking at the Dale Chihuly glass installed at the Missouri Botanical Garden. These paired pieces, as you might expect, look especially good with sunlight shining on/through them!
On June 21st, St. Louis participated in “Make Music Day,” a day that encourages the whole city to get involved in making all kinds of music. As part of this celebration, 17 non-restorable pianos were decorated and placed around the city to give them one last chance to provide music. Almost half of the pianos were placed up and down Delmar, so last week, Chickadee and I took a walk to find them…it was almost like cake hunting again!
The first piano we saw was very colorful:
I loved the contrast between the front and back of this piano:
It was much fun to see (and hear!) other people checking out pianos like this one as we walked!
The “Play Me” message on this piano was fun:
I think this piano wins the “most local” award!
I loved the cityscape on this one:
And Chickadee loved the colorful flowers on this one!
And one last piano:
Ever since “Cakeway to the West,” I have loved hearing about public art displays like this, and I love it even more when I get to see it for myself!
I have been wanting to go to any of the Three Kings Public House St. Louis area locations for so long. But their prices are high enough that it just wasn’t feasible for our whole family of seven to enjoy a meal there. But when The Bigs were at Kantorei Kamp last week, I realized that Chickadee and I could enjoy a meal out together, without breaking the bank!
We went to the location on Manchester in Des Peres. The interior is just what I was expecting…very pub-like.
The one thing that surprised me, however, was the portrayal of the “Three Kings.” I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t the combination of Elvis, Henry VIII, and King Kong!
As I did before we went to Muldoon’s in Wheaton, I studied the menu, so I knew exactly what I was looking for. I wanted to try the house made chips (to compare them with the ones Seamus McDaniel’s makes), along with the Irish cheddar rarebit. They were delicious. For my entrée, I had to try a burger, of course, so I went with the Pogue Mahone, which was topped with a fried egg, carmelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, bacon, and cheddar and Swiss cheeses, all on a pretzel bun. Of course it wasn’t a Seamus burger (what is?), but it was really good. I ordered it rare, and it was almost as rare as I prefer, and the combination of toppings was excellent, if not very messy!
Chickadee and I walked around a bit after we were done eating…the whole restaurant is charming!
There is quite a bar, as well:
I would definitely like to go back to Three Kings. I’ll have to take another look at the menu, though, and see what I would like to order next time!
This week, Chickadee and I took a walk around the Missouri Botanical Garden. We picked just the right day to go, because the Daylily Garden was in full bloom, and the flowers looked amazing!
