JT and Me Take a COLD Trip to the Zoo!

Even though JT's visit was abbreviated, he and I did get a chance to go to the zoo while he was here.  I would NOT recommend visiting the St. Louis zoo in mid-January!  The day that we went, the high temperature of the day was 17 degrees!  It was also cloudy, and had flurries had started by the time that we left.  Now, if you would like to have the zoo completely to by yourself, a cloudy, 17 degree day is perfect for that.  The train, carousel, food stations throughout the zoo - everything was closed!

Don't worry.  The apes were in their inside house so that 

they didn't get cold!

I love this picture.  It may be my favorite that I took that day.

Gorillas are some of my favorite animals.  He just looks so regal and commanding.  You just want to sit with him on the branch!

The other gorillas was eating while we were inside.

It was very odd to see giraffes inside!  As you can imagine, the ceilings were incredibly tall to accommodate them. 

Baby giraffe!

Kangaroo!

There was a baby kangaroo in there as well, but we could never get a good picture of him.

And back outside to visit the animals that were outside.  You should have seen us trying to take pictures while all bundled up in winter gear.

They had several of these just walking along the sidewalk and inside some of the habitats.  I loved the white small polka dots on the black coat!

When we first walked up, the camel was all the way in the back eating.  He started walking our way as soon as we arrived.

He stayed right up next to us, but we didn't stay long too long.  Camel spit doesn't sound too appealing.

Although beautiful, Mike still has him beat!

The bears have always been my favorite at the zoo.  This one was enjoying a nice orange as a treat.

Penguins!!!

They were definitely enjoying the cold weather!  Actually, I was surprised that almost all of the animals were active given how cold it was.

It's sad when the indoor penguin house is warmer 

than the temperature outside.

We kept getting splashed as they swam around.

These little guys were absolutely precious.  They would take off quickly, and it'd look like they were running on top of the water.

Celebrating Mardi Gras in St. Louis!

As you can see, we decorated for Mardi Gras!  We are lucky enough to live only a few blocks off of the Soulard Mardi Gras route, so our neighborhood actually gets into the spirit of Carnival. 

On Friday evening, Tony went to help our neighbors cook for the big festivities on Saturday.  They didn't finish up until after midnight!  It was okay though because the food was delicious.  On Saturday, our neighborhood enjoyed crawfish etouffee, red beans and rice, chicken and sausage jampalaya, gumbo, and even 20 lbs of boiled crawfish!  It's great to live next to people that love New Orleans and Louisiana cooking! 

Sugar assumed his perch to be part of the decorations in his festive jester collar.  It's so cute because it jingles when he moves.  We have to be careful though because we have caught him trying to chew the little bells off.  He doesn't like them as much as we do!

Christmas Time in the City

Christmas is my favorite time of the year.  Normally, our house looks like the North Pole.  Since we are going to be away so much this year, we just had to rely on the beautiful decorations around town!



While doing some Christmas shopping in Old St. Charles, we were treated to this group of boys.  They were marching up and down the cobble stoned streets, playing Christmas carols on their instruments.  It was very fitting for the charming city that is very proud of their American history.

We ran in Wal-Mart one evening to grab a few things, and saw the Coke truck parked out front.  The entire truck was covered in LED lights!

It was really pretty!

The Santa station inside Wal-Mart.  We saw Santa later, but didn't

take a picture.

The big tree in the center of the Galleria Mall.

The large Christmas display is set up over an area that is home to several fountains and an indoor pond.  They set up risers in the water with the displays and Santa on top.

I love the velvet ribbon that they use on the tree.

Even the little waiting bridge and Santa's chair are set up over water.  It's really quite pretty.

We have also visited a few of the city parks in the area to see their displays as well.  Alas, it won't really be Christmas until I see the ceramic tree out at my parents house!

A Thanksgiving Full of Firsts

This year, Tony and I celebrated Thanksgiving with just the two of us for the first time ever.

Tony and I began by shopping at the farmers market for all of our yummy Thanksgiving Day food.  This home made us both think of home.  The meats were all neatly displayed in bags on a table beneath the sign.

Tony's plate

My plate.

This was also Tony's first time cooking a turkey and it was delicious!  He made it with some sort of sage butter compound that was quite tasty.

It was also our first time to see snow on Thanksgiving Day!  This was taken right when it started, but a little did end up sticking as it continued throughout the afternoon.

Sugar enjoying the snow from his perch in the window.

Jilly's Cupcake Bar

A bar that only serves cupcakes?  Yes, please!  Tony and I recently visited the University City neighborhood of St. Louis to check out this gourmet cupcake shop called Jilly's Cupcake Bar.

The decor inside the shop is adorable.

Yummy!  Each day, they have 10 daily selections.  You can special order from their menu in advance if you'd like a specific type.

I'll give you three guesses as to which one Tony picked.  Of course he picked this one!  It has bacon on top!

I went the more traditional route and ordered something with chocolate, nuts, and caramel.

A Lazy Ride Down the Mighty Mississippi

After visiting the Arch, we walked across the street to take a ride on the appropriately named Tom Sawyer Steamboat.



Picture of the Arch and downtown from the steamboat.

Right next to the dock is the helipad.  Rides around the Arch and downtown are actually pretty inexpensive.  They start at $35.  It's on our Explore St. Louis to do list, but I'm not real sure that Tony is on board with this plan.

Eads Bridge

This world famous bridge is an iconic St. Louis symbol.  It is a combined road and railway bridge that connects St. Louis with East St. Louis, IL.

The bridge is named for its designer and builder, James Eads.  When it was completed in 1874, it was the longest arch bridge in the world.  Both its ribbed steel arch spans and the use of steel as a primary structural material were considered daring at the time.  It was the first such use of true steel in a major bridge project.

The Eads Bridge was also the first bridge to be built using a cantilever support methods exclusively, and one of the first to make use of pneumatic cassions.  They are still some of the deepest ever sunk.

On opening day June 14, 1874, they sent a test elephant across the bridge to prove it was safe.  It was believed that the instincts of an elephant would keep them from setting foot on unsafe structures.

The bridge is still in use today for both vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

In the bottom left corner, you can see the monument dedicated  to Lewis and Clark.  It was dedicated in September of 2006 and is called the Captains Return.

This century-old riverboat-turned-casino is great part of St. Louis history.   Unfortunately, it's expected to be dismantled soon.

The Edward Jones Dome and Lumiere Casino

The Edward Jones Dome is home to the St. Louis Rams.  It was also host to a Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II, which was the largest indoor gathering ever hosted in the United States.

Lumiere Place casino is pretty interesting.  It's a beautiful glass building that also has the largest electronic sign that I've ever seen right on the interstate.  I need to try and take a picture of it.  Words can't describe how enormous it is. 

Like most states with legalized gambling, the casinos have to be floating on river water.  Clearly, Lumiere Place isn't a typical boat.  The designers took advantage of a little loop-hole and built a manmade basin in which the casino portion floats.  It is filled with water from the Mississippi River.  Patrons don't even realize that they are entering a boat.  They use a restraining device that keeps  the floor floating at the same level regardless of how many people are on board.

Driving the piles for a new bridge that will also connect St. Louis to Illinois.

Look closely.  See the funny thing sticking out of the water?  That's not part of the bridge.  Last year, a barge ran into the bridge and sunk.  They have already tried to raise it twice with no success.  Another attempt is planned after the first of the year when the water levels drop.

I'm guessing that you don't get to keep your job when you run your boat into a bridge.  Just my guess.

Another picture of the wreck.