Cheese-ology

A macaroni and cheese centric restaurant, how could Tony and I not try it out!  Tony has a list of his top 5 most loved items.  In order, they are bacon, sweet tea, Me!, Sugar, and cheese.  Yes, I come in number 3 on his most favorite things.  Once I learned that there was a restaurant devoted to number 5 on Tony's list, I knew that we had to try it out.  Cheese-ology prides itself on offering a new twist on the American classic, macaroni & cheese.  Located in the heart of the Delmar Loop, they add such items as bacon, bar-b-que chicken, tuna, and sausage to the traditional macaroni and cheese dish.

For our first time, I had the classic which was just cheddar and America cheese.  I absolutely loved the bread crumbs that they sprinkled on top to give it a crispy top.

I know that some may find this shocking, but Tony ordered the Bacon, Bacon.  This dish is specifically made for bacon lovers.  It has mozzarella and gruyere cheese with a generous amount of thick cut bacon topped with bread crumbs.

Final word - it was delicious!!!  We will definitely be returning.

Harley Davidson Museum - Milwaukee, WI

Despite not being too impressed with the city of Milwaukee, the Harley-Davidson Museum downtown was a great place to visit! 

Everyone should arrive at the museum on a motorcycle.  They had a huge parking lot right in front dedicated to motorcycle parking.  I didn't feel nearly as cool pulling up in a cab!

Serial Number One

This particular vehicle known as Serial Number One is a bit of mystery.  Its engine is very early, but doesn't match what is known about the first engines produced by Harley-Davidson.  The frame itself is not original to this motorcycle.  These oddities triggered much debate.

During the 1990s, restorers discovered a number "1" stamped inside various components, inspiring the bike's nickname.  Because of the questions surrounding it, Serial Number One has become a legend in Harley culture.  Only one thing is for sure, this is the oldest Harley-Davidson in the world.

Meticulous research by Harley-Davidson archives staff and external experts has proven that Harley-Davidson Serial Number One was built without fenders and used in competition, probably to illustrate the power and reliability of the motor.  

Most believe that this is not the very first Harley-Davidson every built.  That distinction would go to one of the prototypes.  Instead, they believe that it is the developmental platform from which the first true Harley-Davidson street motorcycles sprang.  It is the first Harley-Davidson motorcycle to be considered ready for production.  And, beyond any doubt, it is the oldest Harley-Davidson motorcycle in existence today.

One of the original uniforms worn by the Harley-Davidson racers.

Part of the Pre-WWII era bikes.

Part of the Post-WWII era bikes.

There was a huge room dedicated to the involvement of Harley-Davidson vehicles in World War II.  It was probably my favorite part of my entire museum.

An entire wall is used to display examples of the famous Harley-Davidson fuel tanks.  I loved the sparkly bright pink ones!

This wall was devoted to showing all of the different motors that Harley-Davidson has used over the years beginning with a 1903 model!  The display area in front of this wall had several digital screens showing each of the motors on the wall.  You would press the picture and it would play a recording of the sound of that particular motor.  I stayed there for a while! 

This was entering into the lower level of the museum where it focused on the 1960's and beyond for H-D.  Most of this area was about showing how customizable the bikes are for the individual rider.

And here is an excellent example of an owner customizes his bike!  When Russ Townsend found himself laid up from an injury, he chose an unusual form of therapy: decorating his 1973 Electra Glide model with thousands of red, white, and blue rhinestones.  He also added many lights, as well as homemade light bars and trim. 

Over the years, his bike has been featured in numerous magazines and books.

Part of the Harley-Davidson Archives Vehicle Collection

This particular model was found decades later buried in a barn.

I absolutely loved the sign!  The work area for the restorers was easily visible for those that head up to the third floor to see the archives collection.

Totaling more than 450 motorcycles, the Harley-Davidson collection is the only one of its kind in the world.  No other motor driven vehicle manufacturer has ever had the foresight to save at least one model vehicle from each model year.  The founders began the collection in 1915, and actually went into the field to repurchase sold vehicles from dealers and riders that represented the first 12 years of the company's history.

The collection vehicles from 1915 to present are retained in their original condition.  At no time are parts re-plated.  Sheet metal parts are never repainted or stripped.  In short, they take great pride in preserving the vehicles in their original condition.

As part of the preservation process, each vehicle is completely disassembled.  Each part down to the last lock washer is cleaned.  Surface grime carefully removed to ensure that original decorative work is not altered.  They do as much as possible to preserve as much of the original finish as possible.

My pictures don't really do it justice as to how large this area actually is when you see it in person.

Butterfly House

Prior to me leaving for a few weeks for work, we decided to visit the Butterfly House which is located half an hour outside of St. Louis.

Once we arrived at Faust Park in Chesterfield, we first visited the St. Louis Carousel that we had heard about.  It is an original carousel created by the Dentzel Company of Philadelphia in the 1920's.  It was installed in 1929 at the Forest Park Highlands which burned to the ground in 1963.  The carousel was the only thing left standing.  A local man then purchased the carousel and donated it to St. Louis County Parks in 1965 to prevent it from being dismantled.  Money was raised to restore the carousel to its original beauty and installed it in a climate controlled building in Faust Park in 1987. 

View of the Butterfly House when you enter Faust Park.

A local artist created a few sculptures for the grounds surrounding the Butterfly House.  The butterfly itself was my favorite, and the most impressive of all of them.

Benches in the gardens.

I have always loved the black and white butterflies!

This is the much smaller butterfly house than the one located in Houston, but it is still nice.  It was opened on September 18, 1998.  The 8,000 square foot Conservatory Garden is made out of 646 pieces of glass, each weighing approximately 200 pounds.  It is a division of the Missouri Botantical Garden.

Tony was irritated because the butterflies weren't staying still long enough for him to take pictures, so he found one that was dead and decided to pose it.  He took like 20 pictures of the poor, dead butterfly!  Once he was done, he left it resting peacefully on the leaf.  I wonder how many people photographed the dead butterfly throughout the day!