Craves, Caves, & Graves

Tiny Family Graveyards - Conway, Sturdy, and Eddie

2025-08-18T17:25:00.000-05:00

Isn't it amazing that you can just stumble across the oldest graveyard in St Louis County by accident? If I hadn't driven up and down Conway Road about 10 times trying to find the Old Bonhomme Stone Church STL250 Cake, I never would have noticed that little marker at the entrance to a very narrow and pitted driveway leading up to a tiny cemetery with a one lone picnic table.

Conway Cemetery is the family graveyard of the Joseph Conway family, one of the founding families of the Chesterfield area. If you visit the Old Stone Church down the road, you will see his name as one of the founding members of the church. The Conway family moved from Kentucky to Missouri with Daniel Boone's family.

Interesting fact about Joseph Conway: He actually survived a scalping at age 14, and later was a sort of Indian prisoner of war. He went on to fight in the Revolutionary War and helped clear the Illinois territory of Native Americans so it could be opened for westward expansion. That's the kind of thing the DAR gives plaques for.

I've never been able to find the right words to explain why finding a tiny graveyard is like finding a treasure. I think it's because I'm such a history buff, and you just don't find new tiny graveyards. Finding something like this always leads to new knowledge about someone who may have been forgotten by many, but at the same time, the fact that it is still here means that someone knows about it and has protected it from surrounding development. When you stand here you know you are standing on what was once the Conway Farm, and you can't get the same feeling from graves that have been moved to a larger cemetery.

I also love the quiet solitude of a tiny cemetery in autumn. This sunbeam pointed out Dr Samuel and Elizabeth Smith, who were neighbors of the Conways. Ancestry buffs can read more on Rootsweb. Conway Cemetery is located on Conway Road in Chesterfield, MO. If you are driving from Bonhomme Presbyterian Church to the Old Bonhomme Stone Church, it is about 4/10 of a mile from the new church, on the right. You might have to make a couple passes.

I happened to find a couple other family graveyards LAST autumn, and never did post them here. Next is Sturdy Cemetery, also known as Smith Sturdy Cemetery, in Crestwood, MO. (I am making a small edit here in 2025 based on a comment I overlooked years ago. Re: the "concern" at calling it Smith Sturdy Cemetery: I get it, but this is how it's listed on Google Maps and I can't do anything about that.)

~~I did not have much luck finding out more about the Smith/Sturdy family.~~ Check the commenrs for details directly from the Sturdy family! Thank you for sharing your family history!

This is a small cemetery of only about 50 burials, surrounded by a subdivision. It is still active and maintained by the family, so please respect their family's sacred ground.

Last on the tiny tour is Eddie Cemetery. This one is surrounded by chain link fence with no gate, but you can photograph 99% of it from one spot.

This one is also surrounded by a subdivision, and has just under 30 burials of the Eddie Family Sometimes I find these tiny cemeteries just by browsing Google maps, because there is so little information to be found online about their history. Eddie Cemetery is located at 11839 Eddie & Park Road.

Leave a comment if you know more about any of these cemeteries, or if you know of other tiny graveyards in the St Louis area!

New St Marcus Pet Cemetery

2025-08-18T16:41:00.001-05:00

I don't know about other moms, but I love a cemetery when I need to kill time in the car and I am looking for shade. Idling our cars on a black asphalt parking lot is no bueno! Last month, when Lilly was at dance camp, and I was done with errands, I found myself in New St Marcus Cemetery looking for the perfect tree to park beneath. I wound around and around the paths and eventually found myself all the way in the back. A tiny section, off on its own, shook loose some cobwebs of the past decade. There's a pet cemetery here!

I didn't notice a single burial later than 2001, though Pishy McPhishums looks suspiciously like a guerilla burial. I cannot find ANYTHING about the current status of this cemetery. If you come across this on Google and you have a pet buried here or know anything about it, please share in the comments! I'd love to hear about your pet.

Many of the burials here seem to be small dog breeds of advanced age, or possibly cats. I love the name Lady Baltimore and I want to know what kind of pet this was.

One of the most intriguing of all is this pair, one born in China! Bringing a dog from China in the 1950s, I cannot even imagine! At one time there had to be a ceramic portrait on this marker. And it wasn't until I was getting an AI assist with the alt text that I noticed the tiny metal plaque at the bottom, which looks like it says Duke 1961-1964, but I can't tell without going back. I ALSO want to know if there were more from this family, because the 2nd one is from the 1980s. So many questions! I will come back to this post if I find out more.

Here's a map to show you where to find this section:

Yoda Guy Movie Exibit

2025-08-06T13:00:00.004-05:00

One thing about us is that we will find the unique museums wherever we are in the world. This was originally published to Castle & Wand Travel after we visited in March 2021.

We just returned from a Star Wars Day at Sea Disney Cruise to St Maarten, St Thomas, and Disney's private island, Castaway Cay. (Note: 2021 was the last year Disney Cruise Line had Star Wars Day at Sea, but we hope they bring it back some day!) We have cruised many times with Disney, but this was our first 7 Night cruise, and I STILL felt like we didn't have enough time to get to everything on the ship, or that I got to all the things I wanted to do in each port!

Today I want to tell you about this fantastic little museum in St Maarten that I learned about RIGHT before the cruise, and I'm so happy I did! Nick Maley is a creature effects artist who was part of the team that created Yoda, and many other creatures, for the original Star Wars trilogy. He also worked on on more than 50 other movies. The museum is full of memorabilia from his career, as well as things he collected from other artists, and the gift shop is full of artwork that is for sale. It's an incredible collection to find in the middle of the Caribbean!

This display talks about how the Ewok toys were manufactured BEFORE Return of the Jedi started filming, so the creature effects artists basically had to create the costumes from reinvention of a teddy bear, even matching fabric and other materials. Trying to make the movie creatures look like the toys meant that the suits were very hot and awkward, with extra padding.

The museum reminded me so much of the old Movie & Magic Hall of Fame (aka Tricks, Flights, and Dummies) in Las Vegas, which is no longer around but inspired my love of homegrown, DIY museums when I was in high school. I just LOVE a private collection assembled with pride. My favorite part of this museum was a display with a little video screen playing Nick's own personal advice for young people, telling to follow their dreams and not to listen to people who say they can't.

My second favorite part was the thrill of looking right into the scary holes of a Tusken Raider, the stuff of childhood nightmares. *shiver*

Something I didn't notice until I moved this blog and was going through original photos from the trip was this display inside the front door. When we went in 2021, Lilly did NOT want to go inside, so she stayed outside with my parents. I feel like Francis and I skimmed through the museum distracted by how long our kid would last outside, and I'm dying to go back to take my time, and to buy a special map!

The museum itself is a nonprofit and was hit hard by COVID. Our cruise was the first Disney ship to return to Sint Maarten, and they really rely on the cruise ship passengers to stay afloat! To learn more, and support Nick's mission, check out the Follow Your Star Foundation on Patreon. Fill out my quote form here if you would like my help finding a future cruise itinerary that includes Sint Maarten!

Fiber Arts Meet Ups

2025-08-05T13:11:00.001-05:00

This post contains an affiliate link for Bookshop, which helps us stock our Little Free Library with diverse books!

If you're a long time follower of the blog, you may remember that many moons ago, I was the first person to create a map and list of all the Fish Fries in the St Louis area. Eventually the news stations picked up the idea, and I let it go because it's a mind-numbing amount of work, perfectly suited to an intern.

Today I started making a list of all the Fiber Arts meet ups in St Louis and I quickly realized it was turning into the Fish Fry list. I'm currently reading the book I'm Beginning to Worry About This Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin, and I'm trying to do something about getting away from the prison made of nightmares that is the internet (more specifically, the bad news fire hose of social media and main stream media). We need to make more time for face to face social interactions, and I'm putting this out there to hold myself accountable.

I can't promise I will be at every single one of these, but for the most part, they don't conflict with any of my kid's sports lessons. I'd love to meet up with people who also know they need to put down the screens and build community in person!

Abbreviations:

SLPL - St Louis Public Library (City) SLCL - St Louis County Library WG - Webster Groves Public Library Definitions Fiber Arts - any fiber/needlecrafts! Knitting, crocheting, embroidery, macrame, needle felting Yarn - Knitting/Crochet

Times
Carpenter (SLPL): 10am - 11am

Kingshighway (SLPL): 6-7:30pm

Schlafly (SLPL): 5:30-7:30pm

Webster Groves (WG) Library: 1-3pm
Dates (All are fiber arts meetups unless otherwise noted)

August 11 - Schlafly (Fiber Arts Movie Night - Little Women)
August 18 - Kingshighway
August 26 - WG Public Library
September 8 - Schlafly (Movie night - Coco)
September 15 - Kingshighway
September 18 - Carpenter (NEW!)
September 23 - WG Library
October 2 - Carpenter
October 6 - Schlafly (Movie Night - Death Becomes Her)
October 16 - Carpenter
October 20 - Kingshighway
October 28 - WG Library
October 30 - Carpenter
November 3 - Kingshighway
November 10 - Schlafly (Movie Night - Practical Magic)
November 13 - Carpenter
November 17 - Kingshighway
November 25 - WG Library
December 1 - Kingshighway
December 8 - Schlafly (Movie Night - Last Holiday)
December 11 - Carpenter
December 15 - Kingshighway
December 23 - WG Library

Tightwad Tips - Bean Me Up Scotty

2025-07-24T23:04:00.000-05:00

This post contains affiliate links that support our Little Free Library.

This is not a recipe blog, so I'm not going to bury the recipe like it's the nuclear codes. Francis and I have just been talking about how we can spread money-saving tips to the younger generation that didn't come of age with the LiveJournal poor_skills community. One of my most fun thrift scores of the past couple years is The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn, a compilation of an old-fashioned newsletter from the late 1900s. A lot of the tips are outdated, like mail order stuff, ancient computer tips, and day old bakeries, which don't seem to exist anymore. (Though we do have Too Good To Go!)

What is timeless is the tightwad mentality: every saved penny adds up. You're not meant to use every tip in the book, you're meant to change your entire way of thinking. And the more your thinking changes, the more fun it is, and sometimes the funnier it is to be a tightwad. So without further ado, here is my tightwad bean salad. There's not a print version for this because remember, it's not so much a recipe as it is a way of life.

Take any 3 cans of beans, and rinse them well. We used black beans, kidney beans, and garbanzo beans (chickpeas).

Add one small diced onion.

If you have something else around, like a cucumber or zuchini, dice that up and add it too. Cherry tomatos also work. I saw a recipe that added capers but that seems pretty highfalutin'.

Look around in the fridge and see if you have a good dressing that will work with beans. Suggestions: honey mustard, any kind of vinaigrette.

If this was a real recipe blog, I would give you a recipe for homemade honey mustard dressing. It's not, so I will tell you a tightwad tip I came up with. Average moms know that even when you're trying to save money, Happy Meals happen, especially when your kid is involved in sports. My kid does not care for sauce with her nuggies, but sauce is included. Don't let the store keep that sauce! Take it anyway and save it up for something else. In this case, honey mustard for your bean salad.

You can also add some seasoning, like oregano, thyme, or parsley, plus salt & pepper to taste. A little squeeze of lemon juice wouldn't go wrong but again, the goal here is to be cheap, so I'm not going to send you out to the store for fresh herbs and lemon zest when the dried herbs are sitting there getting dusty on your spice rack and your have lemon juice from concentrate in the fridge. Use whatever you have/sounds good!

The important thing is that this recipe, with 3 cans of beans and an onion, is 11-12 servings for about $5 when the rest of the ingredients are things you have on hand, plus it's low fat, high fiber, high protein, and even a good amount of iron. The key to cheap eats without running up medical bills for scurvy and gout is to make sure you're still getting good nutrition.

Bon appetit!

Remember St Louis 250 Cakeway to the West?

2025-07-24T18:31:00.005-05:00

St Louis celebrated it's 250th anniversary in 2014 with an art installation of over 250 fiberglass cake sculptures decorated by local artists. One thing about me is that I love a checklist, a spreadsheet, and earning badges, and I got it into my head that I was going to photograph every single cake. I enjoyed driving around to places I'd never visited before, so much so that I would say Cakeway to the West contributed to me quitting my job that year. Ironically, my 25 or so posts about the cakes are the least viewed posts of all time on this blog.

Recently, my friend Deanna sent me a Facebook Marketplace listing for a STL250 Cake painted by Mark Swain. Instantly, I knew this was not an original. I would have remembered cartoon characters. I ended up going through all my photos to confirm. Still, Mark Swain did paint a couple of the original cakes! So where did this one come from??

After the STL250 celebration ended, each host location got to choose what happened to their cake. Some remained at the original site, some were auctioned off. Some of the auctioned off cakes that were purchased were then donated for public displays! The one above was originally the KATY Trail cake, and Mark Swain repainted it in 2016 due to wear & tear. As of today, it's still listed on Facebook Marketplace for $450. (check before posting) I do still want a cake for my yard, but I want an original.

Seeing all the cakes was a labor of love at the time (some of them were a stretch to call the St Louis area) and to commemorate the return of CC&G, I've spent the last few weeks compiling ALL the cake pictures into one post, now in alphabetical order with alt text. Yes, I have learned to embrace my spicy brain over the past 10 years.

1. Aerie Winery in Grafton, IL

2. AKC Museum of the Dog (relocated to NYC in 2019)

3. Alton (IL) City Hall

4. Alton Visitor's Center/Lincoln-Douglas Square

5. Ameren

6. America's Center/Edward Jones Dome

7. America's Central Port (Granite City, IL)

8. Anheuser-Busch Brewery

9. Annie Malone

10. Ashley Street Powerhouse/Riverfront Trail

11. Babler State Park

12. Barretts Elementary

13.Basilica of St Louis, King of Francis (Old Cathedral)

14. Bellefontaine Cemetery

15. The Bevo Mill

16. Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Eastern MO

17. Black Madonna Shrine & Grottos

18. Blue Owl Restaurant & Bakery - Kimmswick, MO

19. Blueberry Hill

20. Bonhomme Old Stone Church

Return to Alton, IL

2025-07-12T11:06:00.001-05:00

This was originally posted on a different blog I was using before I decided to bring back CC&G. We have now been talking about moving to Alton for about 2.5 years. This post includes our affiliate link to Bookshop.org. Using our link helps support the blog!

We've been tossing around the idea of moving to Illinois for a while now. Missouri is just getting worse and worse, like it's trying to win the most hateful state in the union prize or something, and just across the river we have the Metro East. Whatever you may say about downstate Illinois, it is protected by Chicago and will probably be forever, and that's fine with me. We like our house a lot, and could live here many years, but if we wanted to get some things on our wish list - big front porch, bigger yard, fewer gunshots, etc - we may as well move to the suburbs that are in a sanctuary state.

I've spent a lot of time on Google Maps, picking various towns and mapping to our parents, dance studio, Costco, all the important places. We visited a couple areas, but nothing really clicked. At some point, I mentioned Alton, where I spent a lot of my 20s and 30s, and Francis said something silly like, "I always figured Alton was your destiny." Hmm... Maybe it is? I always said I would live there if I didn't have to commute to work, and neither of us has had a commute for 10 years now.

Alton was truly love at first ghost hunt for me. I love the history, the historic preservation, the spooky weirdos it attracts, the fact that it's a small town but is so eclectic. It's about the size of Webster Groves, where I grew up, but so much more diverse, and with such a wide variety of businesses. Plus, I have wanted to live on the Great River Road since I first discovered it! Looking at water is one of the few things that gives my brain any peace.

We drove up to Alton this weekend to see what is new, what has changed, and if we still feel like we vibe with it. I am happy to say, yes, if anything it has improved. There are great new businesses on Broadway like Brown Bag Bistro and Funky Planet Toys & Gifts.

If you went on ghost tours with me back in the day you might remember there was a little beef between that group and the Mineral Springs. All that is water under the bridge, I'm guessing as people got over themselves. The Mineral Springs has changed ownership, and Troy Taylor himself now operates American Oddities Museum inside the historic hotel. We haven't yet had a chance to tour the museum, since our kid is not yet into the spooky, but I did get to visit the gift shop for a T-shirt and some American Oddities Ghost Hunters loose-leaf tea. (For real.) The photo below is from before Troy took over the Soul Asylum museum.

We've been back to Alton several times since I originally posted this blog, always checking out what's new at Mineral Springs, and also visiting the Brown Bag Bistro a few times. Alton also have a fantastic Farmers Market with weekly themes, music, and demonstrations that we would probably join if we lived closer. There's a newish food truck park called Flock that has a space shuttle cafe, which is on our future blog list. They even have a great cat café called MeowTown! And I also have to give a shout out to our favorite Irish pub, Morrisons. Thank you to the blog reader who originally told us about that one!

We also cannot leave out Francis's favorite reason for visiting Alton: Playing Barge Simulator at the National Great Rivers Museum at the Melvin Price Lock & Dam. This is a great little museum with lots of special events, and you can sometimes tour the lock & dam as well.

There is so much more to show you in Alton! I still have a deep and abiding love of State Street, and I hope we manage to buy a house on Christian Hill some day! Make our dreams come true by supporting the podcast shop and Bookshop.org.

Taking the Tuberculosis Cure At Lemp Mansion

2025-06-23T10:51:00.000-05:00

This is one of those posts I have updated several times since 2010, partially because digital photography and cell phone cameras keep improving, and partly because Sunday Chicken Dinner is still one of my favorite special treats in St Louis! We always called this "taking the tuberculosis cure," because as we have learned at Enos Sanitarium, back in the day they thought the cure for tuberculosis was plenty of rich food and fresh air.

I am really hard to impress when it comes to chicken, and it is always my last choice at restaurants. Lemp fried chicken is my FAVORITE. Sundays are fall you can eat served family style, which means they bring all this food to your table and refill your dishes as much as you want for ~$27 per person. in addition to fried chicken there is a roast beef in gravy, and pineapple ham. The sides are all exactly the same as they have been for the last 15 years: Mashed potatoes and gravy, mac & cheese, corn, German-style green beans, corn, cucumber & tomato salad, coleslaw, dinner rolls and Hawaiian rolls, and applesauce.

This was Lilly's first visit, and she was thrilled to eat nothing but dinner rolls and mac & cheese. When your mac & cheese gets the Lilly stamp of approval, you know you're doing it right. We also brought our friend Deanna with us, and she had a little birthday present for me.

The Lemp Mansion is, of course, our most famous haunted mansion. Personally, I have dined there many times, and have even spent the night, and have never had any paranormal experiences. Lilly quizzed our waiter, though, and he said that while he started out a skeptic, working there has made him a believer. Take that as you will!

The bar is still one of my favorite rooms in the house, I think because I lived in a 140 year old house for 10 years, and I like to see how they used the existing space when it was turned into a restaurant and Bed & Breakfast. The stained-glass windows are Lillian Lemp and William "Billy" Lemp Jr, and are modern (early 2000s) additions.

Something interesting that I didn't notice until I was working on alt-text for both this post and the one about our overnight stay in 2013 is that they moved the portrait of Lillian Lemp to the spot next to the fireplace, instead of across the room. I think it looks much better here. I've heard the light blinks if you talk to her, but she lived in a different house for 60 years after she and Billy divorced (QUITE the circus sideshow in the media in the early 1900s). This room was originally the Ladies Parlor, and later Billy's office, where he committed suicide, so maybe it is he who has something to say about her.

The room above was the gentlemen's parlor back then, and epitomizes the agony and the ecstasy of renovating an old house. After Edwin Lemp, the last son of Billy, died in the 1970s, the house became a boarding house, and was sorely neglected until the current owners purchased it. All the wood trim had been repainted countless times, and a significant percentage of renovation in this house has been stripping wood, something that was eventually too daunting for us when we owned an old house. But the ecstasy part is this ceiling, which was discovered when a canvas ceiling was pulled away. Can you imagine? We had nothing so amazing to keep us going at Franceth Manor.

This room is my very favorite: the former aviary. Back before we had a kid, Francis and I often had dinner here on Friday nights, which is murder mystery dinner night, and this is where they seat you if you're not part of the mystery. We're not murder mystery dinner theater kind of people, but it was fun to listen to. I had many Lavender Lady martinis in this room. I would love to know more about what this room was like when it was an aviary! I haven't had any luck finding details online.

Who remembers the STL250 cakes? There are still quite a few of them around St Louis. I'm happy to see that Lemp still has their cake, though it's looking a bit weathered. The photo above is from 2014, when it was fresh. I visited 250 cakes back then (if I recall correctly, there were close to 270 at the end of the project)! Deanna recently brought my attention to a STL250 cake for sale on FB marketplace and I immediately say, "that's not an original cake." I was correct, but that's a story for another day! My next project this week is going to be to combine all of my STL250 Cake posts into one post. They are still fantastic summer inspiration for exploring the St Louis Metro area!

Lemp Mansion Overnight

2025-06-09T18:16:00.000-05:00

I love Lemp Mansion at Christmas. Sure, it is one of the most well known haunted houses in this area of the country, and it has seen its share of misfortune and tragedy, but it's still a lovely old house. We were lucky enough to spend the night here last Friday, something I've wanted to do for ages.

The history of the home, in a nutshell, is that it was built in the early 1860s and later purchased by William J Lemp, whose father, John Adam Lemp, started Lemp Brewery. Lemp Beer was the king of the St Louis beer market at the turn of the century, and the mansion was a symbol of the family's success. The house is said to be haunted by numerous spirits - some who died in the house, some who died elsewhere, and some who are urban legends.

This room, above, was originally the ladies parlor. Later it became the the office of William "Billy" Lemp Jr, and is the room where he shot himself in 1922. A portrait of Lillian Lemp - known as Lavender Lady because she dressed exclusively in lavender - hangs on the front wall, and I've heard the portrait light blinks if you talk to her. The Lavender Lady's divorce from Billy in the early 1900s was quite the circus sideshow in the St Louis media, but she died in 1960 at the age of 83, so I'm not sure why she would haunt this house.

This room was the gentlemen's parlor back then, and epitomizes the agony and the ecstasy of renovating an old house. After Edwin Lemp, the last son of Billy, died in the 1970s, the house became a boarding house, and was sorely neglected until the current owners purchased it. All the wood trim had been repainted countless times, and a significant percentage of renovation in this house has been stripping wood. That's my most dreaded task, as the owner of a 130 year old house. But the ecstasy part is this ceiling, which was discovered when a canvas ceiling was pulled away. Can you imagine? I've already checked under all the false ceilings of Franceth Manor. We have nothing so amazing.

The entire first floor is now a restaurant, which is why you see tables and chairs in every room. The Sunday Chicken Dinner, served family style, is what we like to call "taking the tuberculosis cure", after the misguided notion in Olden Times that rich food helped cure consumption. The room pictured below also has an ornate ceiling, and is the original dining room.

The next room, originally the aviary, is my favorite, and also the room we always dine in because we always seem to end up there on Friday nights when the Murder Mystery Dinner Theater is going on in the rest of the dining rooms. We're not really into participating in dinner theater, but it's fun to listen to. Do yourself a favor and get yourself a Lavender Lady martini and some of their house-made toasted ravioli!

Speaking of the Lavender Lady and drinking, check out these amazing stained glass windows that were installed in the bar in modern times (early 2000s).

Mural from the Museum & Gift Shop

Down the hall from the bar is the Museum & Gift Shop, located in one of the old vaults. Yes, one of. There's a vault above AND below this one. Everything from money to artwork to brewery plans and formulas would have been stored in these three vaults. Today you can buy Ouija boards and tshirts in the first floor vault, as well as view many family heirlooms and details of Cherokee Caverns, located under the mansion and brewery complex.

Before 1-55 cut through this area, Cherokee Caverns was a tourist attraction, and the section of cave under Lemp Mansion had a theater and swimming pool instead of the traditional ballroom in the house. Access from the mansion has since been sealed up. Landmarks Association has had a raffle for a tour in the fall the past couple years, so become a fan on Facebook and watch for future opportunities. I will say this: I've heard it's pretty unpleasant down there. Don't think this is some nice show cave tour with concrete paths and lights.

I can't show you the caves but I can show you upstairs! Some of upstairs, anyway. Here is where I admit that booking this overnight on a Friday was a big mistake on my part. I get up at 6am, and we ate dinner at 8pm. After several Lavender Lady martinis, t-ravs, prime rib, and cheesecake, I was toast. I totally squandered the opportunity to befriend our housemates and see their suites and ghost hunt all night long. BLOGGING FAIL.

Here is the hallway between the Lavender Suite and the William Lemp suite, and here is where I tell you about more Lemp family tragedy. Frederick Lemp, the fourth son of Julia and William Sr, had been expected to take over the family business, but died of heart failure at the age of 28. William Sr, despondent after this loss and the death of his best friend, Frederick Pabst, killed himself in one of the bedrooms in 1904.

We spent the night in the Elsa Suite. Elsa Lemp was the daughter of William Lemp Sr and was the wealthiest heiress in St Louis at one time. She, too, committed suicide, but not in this house. According to wikipedia, she separated from her husband in 1918, divorced him in 1919, and then reconciled and remarried him in 1920, and then shot herself in their bed that very same month. One of the stranger Lemp stories, to be sure.

In any case, this suite, along with the Frederick and Louis suites on the third floor, are only named for the family members. They would have been servants quarters. I'll not give it away, but this room has a very fun secret, and is also rumored to be the most haunted room in the house, as well as the room where the legendary "monkey faced boy" lived. Urban legends will have to be saved for another time. We didn't have any ghostly experiences, but I can tell you, when I woke up in the middle of the night and was trying NOT to listen for noises, I worked myself into such a state that I almost fell out of bed when Francis snored. I'm still laughing about that.

2025 update: I CANNOT BELIEVE that I did not include the "Yo Bro Ghost" video, which we have laughed about for 12 years, in this post. Please enjoy Francis's impression of Zak Bagans.

I have to end this somewhere or it will turn into a novel. I'll tell you about Cragwold, Edwin Lemp's estate, and Alswel, Billy Lemp's summer home, another time. I hear the Lavender Lady haunts that one, too. If you've been to any of the houses, caverns, or mausoleum, share your stories!

Das Bevo Murals

2025-06-07T11:51:00.003-05:00

One of the reasons I wanted to resurrect my blog is to set an example of curiosity and pursuit of knowledge for Lilly, because that's our homeschooling vibe. What is that? Let's find out! Bevo Mill is the structure and Das Bevo is the restaurant/event space/biergarten. It's in our neighborhood, and kids are such a great way to remind yourself of the sights you take for granted going about your daily tasks. I remember coming here for Easter brunch when I was a kid, and how fancy it felt. It did not disappoint on fanciness when we visited! After we ate, she asked me to just sit on the couch with her, soaking it all in.

These hand painted ceramic murals are in the Mill Room. They were created at Berlin Porcelain Works in 1890, and we're originally installed at Tony Faust's Oyster House downtown. When Faust's closed in 1916, August Busch, Sr paid $50,000 for the pair! Thanks to the Schuchards for being the current caretakers of this beautiful piece of St Louis history!

You can often find us as vendors at their vendor events, like Galentines, Buses at Bevo, and Holiday Markets, as Peppers Ghost Tales/What a Hell of a Way to Dad.

Disney Wanyama Safari Review

2025-06-05T09:54:00.001-05:00

Note: This was originally posted May 21, 2013. Wanyama Safari is no longer offered at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, but there are several other new & special animal related experiences at the resort and at the Park. Animal Kingdom Lodge is my favorite resort to this day, and if you have an animal lover in your life who is interested in more behind-the-scenes keeper/veterinarian experiences, I'd love to help you plan a trip!

Thanks to Disney's Armed Forces Salute, Francis and I were able to spend a full week at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, a deluxe resort with an African theme, for our honeymoon. Animal Kingdom Lodge has two buildings, Kidani Village and Jambo House, surrounded by savanna. We stayed at Jambo House, and thanks to a very nice cast member, we were upgraded to a savanna view room. It is super cool that the animals of the savanna have pretty set routines, and we saw giraffes outside our balcony around 4pm every day.

Animal Kingdom Lodge is a fantastic hotel with some of the best restaurants on Disney property. Two of the most popular are Jiko: The Cooking Place and Boma: Flavors of Africa. We at breakfast at Boma one day and it was a nice mix of American breakfast foods, as well as a carving station and several African specialties, as well as American favorites. Breakfast pick of Boma: goat cheese and chive scrambled eggs. The chocolates are a "celebration" gift.

Sanaa is another restaurant on the property that does not get a lot of attention, but is kind of a hidden gem. You can usually get in without a reservation far in advance, and there are many windows that look out over the savanna. (Note: In 2025, Sanna is pretty well known and reservations are recommended.) Sanaa's menu is African with Indian flavors, and there are many tandoori, masala, and curry dishes (and a glossary on the menu). Pick of dinner at Sanna: the spicy steak with tomato chutney, and this banana kulfi sundae:

While we did receive a room upgrade, there are plenty of opportunities to view the animals all over the property. There are floor to ceiling windows at regular intervals along the hotel corridors that look out on the savannas, plenty of seating areas with binoculars, and a central viewing area at both Kidani Village and Jambo House staffed by savanna guides who are actually from Africa and can tell you all about living with these animals. That's one of my favorite things about Disney - they employ people who can truly represent their country and culture.

Since we got such a good deal on the room, our one major splurge of our honeymoon was the Wayama Safari. This is a private tour only available to guests staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge. You get to go out on the savannas with two of the animal specialists for 2-3 hours, take a bunch of pictures and learn about the animals, and then have a 4-course dinner with wine at Jiko: The Cooking Place. Our safari included 4 other couples, and the safari is never more than 12 people.

Here's something fun we learned: All the ostriches on the property are female, so that means no baby ostriches. However, they do lay eggs, and they are saved for education and craft projects. My Googling turns up many projects over the years, including Christmas ornaments, Easter Egg decorating, and staff contests, all to raise money for Disney's Worldwide Conservation Fund. A portion of the proceeds from the Wanyama Safari also go toward the Conservation Fund.

Disney borrows and loans out animals just like any other zoo, and has staff who are in charge of the "studbook" for certain breeds. This is kind of like a family tree that lets zoos keep track of breeding. One of these giraffes is about to go to another zoo, and the other is keeping her company.

Gratuitous zebra. Animal Kingdom Lodge has mountain zebras and common zebras. I am 98% certain this is a common zebra. Mountain zebras are more grey.

So let's talk about dinner at Jiko! It would have been really gauche to take pictures of every course when we were dining family style with 8 strangers, but here is the menu. Family style means you get to have a little of everything on the menu.

A fun note about the wines: a couple of our dining companions mention that they had participated in the Wednesday wine tasting at Jiko, and the sommelier was telling them about how big a presence Disney is in the South African wine market. When you figure that Jiko and Sanaa have dozens of South African wines on their menu, plus Jambo House has the Victoria Falls Lounge and both gift shops sell wine, you can just imagine how much Disney must import! I must say, I am wishing I brought home a bottle of The Den Chenin Blanc.

Everyone got their own plate of tiny desserts. Plus you get a gift bag at the end with the menu, cookies, seasoning and a recipe for Jiko scented rice, and a Wayama Safari pin! If you know anything about Disney pin trading, you know this is a Big Deal.

South Grand Ted Drewes

2025-06-03T10:04:00.001-05:00

It's "other Ted Drewes" season! I have now lived in the general area of the South Grand Ted Drewes for more than 20 years, and a stopping here is a summer tradition. This week we had our first trip of the season in our ~*~new minivan~*~ and got to sit in the back. I still go for a Big Apple concrete and Francis is a cookies & cream (Oreo) person no matter where we are. Our very vanilla child has decided there's nothing better than a one-scoop cone.

The only other, and more famous, Ted Drewes is the big one on Chippewa (Route 66), and they see most of the tourists. We still see folks from all over the place who stumble on this one. I remember one year talking to a Baptist high school youth group who was in town for a service project. This most recent trip there was a family speaking a languange I didn't recognize (maybe Greek) and I remarked to Francis that they ordered milk shakes, which never even occurred to me. I imagine "concrete" (frozen custard thick enough to turn upside down) doesn't translate.

Thank you, Ted Drewes, for continuing to open the small store every summer! The neighborhood wouldn't be the same without you!

Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center

2025-06-01T15:24:00.001-05:00

One of the reasons we wanted to bring back Craves, Caves, & Graves was to update some of the most popular blogs with fresh photos and information. The Weldon Spring Interpretive Center, dubbed "Nuclear Waste Adventure Trail" by RoadsideAmerica.com, really deserved a less flippant treatment. I am 47 now, but I started this blog when I was 30 and still kind of a turd. As so many Francis Howell graduates have pointed out over the years, it really is not cool that they went to school right next to an unmitigated pile of radioactive materials and that so many of them, the workers who cleaned up the site, and the National Guard members who trained in the area, got very sick over the years. The government often does not do enough to admit fault and repair damage to communities, that's a fact.

We first visited this site in 2008, and then again in 2013. Since then, an ENTIRELY new interpretive center has been built, and I am pleased to say it is built to serve the community. There are many indoor classrooms and outdoor educational space available for community groups and non-profits to use free of charge. When we were there, a Garden Expo was taking place, and we saw signs for the weekly farmers market in the summer. They have STEM and historical field trip/educational programs for pre-K through collegiate level, and a 150 acre planted prairie surrounds the disposal cell & interpretive center.

Does it do enough to admit harm? Well, if you are one of the folks affected, probably not. But I hope you will read on to understand why this site is crucially important.

If you're not familiar with this site from our past visits, Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center is a Superfund site with a 41 acre, 71 foot high disposal cell for radioactive waste. During World War II, they needed a site near a railway that could be used to manufacture explosives. This actually ended up erasing the towns of Howell, Hamburg, and Toonerville, and part of the interpretive center and a plaque on the cell commemorate these towns.

1940s: The site was used to manufacture the explosives DNT and TNT for WWII.
1950s: The site was used to process uranium ore ("yellow cake") and a nearby quarry was used to dispose of radioactive waste.
1960s: The military considered using the site to make Agent Orange, but never got past some initial cleanup efforts, and no Agent Orange was actually produced here.
1970s: The US Army used the site for military training. My dad trained here with the National Guard back then.
1980s: The Department of Energy took over and started the cleanup process, and cleanup continued through the 90s.

By 2001, the toxic stew was piled up and buried under what I like to call a Post-Apocalyptic Cahokia Mound, and then a museum was built to tell us all about radiation and 21st century mound building. All together, there are almost 20 layers to this containment system between the base & the cover!

The reason we have visited this site 3x over the years is because Francis and I are interested in long term nuclear waste warning messages. Nuclear waste will remain dangerous for ten thousand years or more. Humans ten thousand years ago did not speak any of the modern languages we have today. How do we warn humans 10,000 years in the future that this area is STILL a hazard?

One such proposal was to have messages of varying complexity warning of the danger, like the one above. Another is hostile architecture, like giant spikes, a huge black slab of concrete or basalt, and one of my favorites, forbidden blocks, described as "a network of hundreds of house-sized stone blocks, dyed black and arranged in an irregular square grid, suggesting a network of "streets" which feel ominous and lead nowhere." (wikipedia)

For the present, there are concrete pillars at the top (none as big as a house) with bronze plaques describing the history of the site in English. No warnings of the danger to the body up here.

A family favorite is the Ray Cat idea, which suggests that since cats are likely to live domestically with humans indefinitely, maybe some cats could be bred to change color when they are near radiation. To accomplish this, there would need to be myths, fairie tales, and songs to pass down the message that color changing cats = danger. Emperor X even got that party started in 2014.

And finally, our 3rd favorite is the Atomic Priesthood Project, "an ongoing multidisciplinary project illustrating the relationships between humans and deep time, through the culture of nuclear waste stewardship." I hope that when you read this it's apparent that we fully understand how horrifying it is that we, as humans, have created something that is dangerous to life for 10,000+ years, and it's a huge undertaking to want to warn humans of this danger basically forever. So, while the things we make may give those of us with a dark sense of humor a bit of a chuckle, it's also always an opportunity for us to pass along that oral history.

Link to Shop: https://whatahellofawaytodad.com/collections/radioactive-deals

Listen to Francis's interview with Nuclear Anthropologist Martin Pfeiffer about the Cold War era nuclear weapon system, the Davy Crockett.

Check out What a Hell of a Way to Dad Slideshow with Dad if you'd like to watch this in video form with Francis.

Route 66: Ship It On the Frisco!

2025-05-26T15:00:00.001-05:00

When you've lived in St Louis all your life, it's easy to overlook or take for granted our many Route 66 landmarks that are still preserved today. I love the oft-overlooked historical markers, and especially love this little viewing platform you may only notice if you shop at the Shrewsbury Aldi, or are a hardcore Route 66 aficionado.

The sign reads:

Historic Shrewsbury, Missouri
"Frisco" Railway Crossing at Historic Route 66 in Shrewsbury, Missouri

The "Frisco" Railway Crossing & Trestle crosses historic Route 66, "The Mother Road", in Shrewsbury, MO. The highway was established on November 11, 1926, and spanned from Chicago, Illinois to Los Angeles, California. This spot is located 304 miles into the 2,448 mile journey westward.

The deck plate girder was originally built in 1931 by the St Louis-San Francisco Railway (SLSF), which was incorporated in Missouri on September 7, 1876. On November 21, 1980, SLSF merged into the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway, which currently owns the rail line and trestle.

This trestle is unique in that it displays the original slogan in common usage in the United States: "Ship it on the Frisco" and coule be seen by all traveling westward on Route 66. The original finish has been preserved on this trestle.

This location marked a notable crossing positioned between the inn to the West, Coral Court Motel, and the world-famous frozen custard purveyor to the east, Ted Drewes. To the northeast, one may still view the Rigali Center Tower, and to the northeast, the Kenrick Glennon Seminary Tower, the latter of which became the iconic symbol of Shrewsbury throughout the 20th century.

Piasa Bird

2025-05-21T15:00:00.001-05:00

We have a new friend on road trips. What should we name him? If you want your own Martian Around Town, I make these and have sold literally hundreds of them. You can pick on up here!

While we're at it, I just ordered my Missouri Caves license plates. What should we put on them?

If you've ever driven up the Great River Road and wondered, "What is that weird bird thing?" when it was too late to turn into the parking lot, it's the Piasa Bird! Yes, this is why so many things in the Alton area have Piasa in the name. Here is the Legend of the Piasa (pronounced "PIE-a-saw") from the monument at the park, but there are many, many versions out there:

    Many thousand moons before the arrival of the palefaces, when the great magolonyx and mastodon, whose bones are now dug up, were still living in this land of green prairies, there existed a bird of such dimensions that he could easily carry off in his talons a full grown deer. Having obtained a taste of human flesh, from that time he would prey upon nothing else.
    He was as artful and he was powerful, would dark suddenly and unexpectedly upon an Indian, bear him off into one of the caves of the bluff, and devour him.
    Hundreds of warriors attempted for years to destroy him, but without success. Whole villages were nearly depopulated, and consternation spread throughout all the tribes of the Illini.
    At length, Ouatoga, a chief, whose fame as a warrior extended even beyond the great lakes, separated himself from the rest of his tribe, fasted in solitude for the space of a whole moon, and prayed to the great spirit, the master of life, that he would protect his children from the Piasa.
    On the last night of the fast, the great spirit appeared to Ouatoga in a dream, and directed him to select twenty of his warriors, each armed with a bow and poisoned arrow, and conceal themselves in a designated spot.
    Near the place of their concealment, another warrior was to stand in open view, as a victim for the Piasa, which they must shoot the instant that it pounced upon his prey.

    When the chief awoke in the morning, he thanked the great spirit, and returning to his tribe, told them of his dream.
    The warriors were quickly selected and placed in ambush, as directed, Ouatoga offered himself as the victim. He was willing to die for his tribe.
    Placing himself in open view of the bluff, he soon saw the Piasa perched on the bluff, eyeing his prey. Ouatoga drew up his manly form to its utmost height, and planting his feet firmly upon the earth, began to chant the death song of a warrior.
    A moment after, the Piasa rose into the air, and swift as a thunderbolt, darted down upon the chief.
    Scarcely had he reached his victim, when every bow was sprung and every arrow sent, to the feather, into his body.
    The Piasa uttered a wild, fearful scream, that resounded far over the opposite side of the river, and expired.
    Ouatoga had held an invisible shield over him.
    In memory of this event, the image of the Piasa was engraved on the bluff.
    Such is the Indian tradition.

The original Piasa was a petroglyph on a nearby cliff, which has since been destroyed. The current Piasa is a painting done by the American Legends Society and volunteers in 1998. This park is located is about a mile outside Alton and has a big parking lot for cyclists who are biking the Great River Road.

We're still obsessed with Alton and talk about moving there all the time, so stay tuned for updates on what Mid-America's Most Haunted Town has been up to in the last 10 years!

St Louis Tornado - How You Can Help

2025-05-18T19:44:00.004-05:00

A devastating tornado tore though the St Louis area on Friday, May 16, and it caught us off guard because a tornado hasn't hit the city since 1959. We got complacent with our jokes about the Arch being a weather machine that protects us. To make matters even worse, despite testing on Monday, May 5 and Thursday, May 15, most City residents report not hearing any sirens. North City was hit particularly hard, and being a lower income area, the lost of housing, belongings, and food is hitting them harder than some wealthier areas. Truly, the way St Louis treats North City and allows absentee landlords and developers to leave buildings to cave in is criminal, and I ask that you really focus your attention on the folks that need it the most.

I have spent a lot of time on news & socials today putting together a list of ways you can help right now. It's no Fish Fry map, but I hope it helps!

Monetary & Hands On Volunteering

Urban League of St Louis - these are the folks doing the work 365 days a year. You can donate through that link or contact them if you want to volunteer.

Action St Louis - "Action St. Louis envisions a region where Black people are empowered to take bold action towards transforming our own communities, making St. Louis a place where every Black life is valued and affirmed. Through organizing, we envision building communities that are free from oppressive institutions and all forms of violence." They are out providing community aid in person right now.

All Among Us, Inc - "When you donate to All Among Us, you help men and women escape the revolving doors of homelessness and poverty. With your one time or monthly donation, you join us in coming alongside to build meaningful relationships and empower participants to thrive and enjoy fulfilling, self-sufficient lives. With your generosity in giving, you make a lifelong impact." Another boots on the ground option right now.

St Louis Early Childcare Tornado Response - Childcare is infrastructure! They need LOTS of volunteers and donations to get these childcare centers cleaned up so that the kids have a safe place to go. Volunteer sign up here

United Way Tornado/Storm Relief Fund

STL First Responders Canteen - this is a group of volunteers that rolls out to emergency calls to feed First Responders. You can donate funds for them to buy food. I learned about this from Mann Meats food truck, so show them some love as well.

Donate Supplies:

Sikhs of St Louis/Missouri - follow their social media, they are out in various locations!

Food City STL - 4343 W Florissant

Sikhs of St Louis -

Work & Leisure STL - 3015 Locust

STL Style (any day but Monday) - 3159 Cherokee

Carondelet Rec Plex (930 Holly Hills), Ofallon Rec Plex (4343 W Florissant), Urban League (Kingshighway & Page), and 4 the Ville (4144 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd) are collecting donations of building materials (drywall, tarps, plywood, wood screws, caulk & caulk guns)

If you need assistance:

The United Way has a separate website set up for disaster intake forms, a resource list, and volunteer sign up.

Carondelet, South City, & Mid-County YMCA, and Brentwood Rec Center are all open to folks who need water, A/C, showers, etc.

St Louis County Libraries are open for wifi, A/C, electronics charging

Red Cross Shelters:

Grace United Methodist Church, 6199 Waterman Boulevard
Friendly Temple Outreach Center, 6356 Martin Luther King Drive
12th & Park Recreation Center, 1410 S. Tucker Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63104

Metro Transit will be picking up folks starting at 8pm at the Save A Lot on Natural Bridge (The Ville neighborhood) to take them to the 12th & Park rec center shelter every evening this week and will return everyone to the neighborhood in the morning. Stay tuned for updates from the Red Cross on changes to this shuttle location.

U-Haul is offering 30 days of free storage to storm victims. Contact your local U-Haul for more details.

Non-Englilsh language emergency support: Contact Gilberto Pinela at pinelag@stlouis-mo.gov (I bet this guy could use some volunteers if you're fluent in any of the many languages spoken in the STL area)

Annie Malone Crisis Center for families: 5355 Page, 844-803-7233

RF Home Co is offering office space to small businesses in need. Contact them on Facebook

Review: Too Good To Go App

2025-05-15T16:02:00.003-05:00

Last week I got an ad for this app, Too Good To Go, which bills itself as a way of reducing food waste by offering "surprise bags" from local restaurants for half the price (or less). Did you know we waste 30% or more of our food supply in this country? I immediately downloaded the app and found a lot of options around us all day long: the local donut shop, the Ikea restaurant, a variety of convenience store grills (popular in our neighborhood), most of the area Circle K's, and, of course, bougie restaurants and delis. I was impressed to find it wasn't JUST the bougie spots, it was all the places you can find food in our neighborhood.

The first place we tried is Eddie's Southtown Donuts, in our neighborhood. Our child believes simultaneously that Donut Stop is the best donut, while also accepting that any donut from anywhere is still better than no donuts. But until we got this surprise box, she didn't want to risk Eddie's not being as good as Donut Stop. I'm not here for donut wars, but Eddie's donuts are EXCELLENT, and the kid agrees. Eddie's passed muster and is much closer to our house. Our surprise box had 7 donuts, for $5.50!

The second place we tried is Garbanzo, in Clayton. I've seen this place in some of my reward apps for awhile, but hadn't had a chance to try it yet. Francis went to pick this one up, and said they added extra rice bc there wasn't a lot of proteins left at the end of the night. We snacked on the meats, falafel, and pita when he brought it back, and then the next day he refreshed the rice with some butter and scrambled eggs. This was also a $5 bag!

Today I snagged Park Place Market over by the History Museum, and we got an incredible cold pasta salad, croissants, lemon bars (or possible a lemony gooey butter cake?), and a drip coffee, also for $5! SO. GOOD. This spot is super cool, with a wine bar, coffee shop, live music, board game night, and Sunday brunch. We will definitely return to this one!

When Francis posted about Too Good to Go on BlueSky, there were a couple random people (not followers) who had to give the unsolicited opinion that we need to "learn to cook" because this isn't "worth" $5. Look, I get it, some of you have only been working at home since 2020. We have been working at home, and homeschooling, for 10 years. When I worked in an office, I went out to lunch most days. You can't possibly know how much we appreciate a little cheap, random variety in our day. It's always worth $5 to us, no matter how much rice is included. Not only are we trying new places, we are also saving food from ending up in the trash at the end of the day!

Restooms of Merit - Bellefontaine Cemetery

2025-05-12T12:18:00.002-05:00

Back in the heyday of CC&G, one of my favorite things was the annual Cintas America's Best Restroom contest, which is still going strong in 2025! Notable winners back then were the Shoji Tabuchi (RIP) Theater in Branson, MO, and The Fountain on Locust in St Louis, MO. When you travel a lot, have a young child, are sensitive to smells, and are in your 40s, you truly appreciate a quality restroom.

Yesterday at Bellefontaine, I was inspired to create this new series the moment I stepped into the gatehouse restroom. How magnificent is this building? What a serene space! And the serenity continues into the ladies room.

This should be the BARE MINIMUM standard for restroom stalls in the United States. Did you know the European standard is floor to ceiling stalls with no gaps? Americans will come up with all kinds of reasons this is "not practical" and then have a fit about who's in which bathroom bc there's no privacy in the average restroom. Of course you're going to be worried about "pervs" when the is a gap in every restroom stall. Call this out for what it is: cheap and lazy. The "vacant/occupied" style lock solves so many problems. (Note: transphobic comments will bring down the banhammer.)

And on the other side of the building, behold! A true family/unisex bathroom with everything you need, including changing table, all in one room with a door that locks. Again, eliminating all sorts of arguments.

Bravo, Bellefontaine Cemetery. Clean, comfortable, inclusive, impeccable design, and with thoughtful touches like the orchids.

On this visit, we also got to see the first mausoleum at the cemetery in 70 years, which has a mystery owner! More on that soon!

The Triumphant Return!

2025-05-10T17:46:00.004-05:00

Howdy, strangers! It's the 10 years anniversary of me thinking that I would "learn WordPress" and have a "professional blog". Turns out WordPress sucks all the joy out of everything! We've tried a lot of different writing projects and all the social medias in the past 10 years, and nothing has been as satisfying as CC&G on Blogger. All the kids today are on Neocities, so why not reboot blogging?

Wondering what we've been up to the last 10 years? Well, we have a kid who is almost 10! We're about to buy a minivan to replace the stinky old hatchback no one wanted to road trip in, and we have recently discovered we can get the kid to go anywhere if we let her play Pokémon Go.

Today we stopped at Fortel's Pizza Den, and the Reuben pizza reminded us of the old days of Happy Joe's BLT pizza, and all the weird shit we ate in the name of a blog (the original doing it for the 'gram). The Reuben Pizza is just like the BLT pizza in the sense that the memory will make your mouth water and your stomach hurt, and I think it would be perfect with half as much sauce. Also now that we're in our 40s, all the adventurous eating requires Tums.

Remember back in the day when CC&G was invited to be part of Niantic Field Trip? Can you believe that turned into Ingress and Pokémon Go? Talk about life coming full circle! We can't wait to hit the road again this summer!

Scenes From Citygarden

2014-12-30T08:00:00.003-06:00

Inspired by others' 12 month landscape projects on Instagram, I decided to take on a 12 month project of my own for 2014. I didn't want to take 12 pictures of the same thing, but I wanted it to be something I really love about St Louis, and Citygarden fits the bill. I love downtown St Louis, and I love that this sculpture park exists in the middle of high rises, and I love how the food trucks gather here at lunch time, encouraging people to come out of their offices. So I will be "bumping" this post to the top every month with a new feature on a Citygarden sculpture.

January - Big White Gloves, Big Four Wheels by Jim Dine

The other reason I chose Citygarden is that this project will be replacing a post I did a few years ago that may have been my only post in the history of this site about something that I didn't like. And even though I mentioned that the event was not what I hoped it would be, I turned it into a positive and talked about Citygarden instead. The head of the company that runs the event I mentioned emailed me a long time ago with the worst non-apology I've ever received, asking me to remove my post simply because it hurt their Google search results. I refused out of spite.

February

When I was brainstorming locations for this 12 month project, I thought about that post, and how truly blessed I was to have such great adventures in 2013, and I want my "Google street cred", as he called it, to be 100% about fun things to do. I hope that my readers will always trust that if I take the time to post about something, it will be because I loved it and I had fun, not because anyone asked me to write about it (or not write about it). Here's to 2014 being filled with the best sort of adventures!

March - Untitled (Two Rabbits) by Tom Classen

April - STL250 Cakeway to the West Cake by Rich Brooks and Aesop's Fables by Mark di Suvero

May - Eros Bendato by Igor Mitoraj

June - Big Suit by Erwin Wurm

June heralds big news, as it is my last month working Downtown! It won't stop this series, though, because now I will be self-employed! I will have more time for blogs, crafts, and travel, and I am ridiculously excited. To mark the occasion, I give you Big Suit, by Erwin Wurm. Big Suit always makes me think of Elvis Presley, and that's a good thing.

July - Tai Chi Single Whip by Ju Ming

August - The kid doing a handstand is on an unnamed installation that sounds like chimes.

September - Bird by Laura Ford

October - Voyage by Jean-Michel Folon

November - Untitled (Ringed Figure) by Keith Haring

December - Door of Return by Kan Yasuda

I am so glad that I set out to do this project at the beginning of what turned out to be one of my best years to date. It is really satisfying to look back at all of these photos, and to see what I learned and how my goals were accomplished. I highly recommend trying something similar!

Thomas Howell Cemetery

2014-11-04T13:24:00.001-06:00

If you're a St. Louis native and asked the "Where did you go to high school" question from anyone who grew up out west, you've probably heard the name Francis Howell. The Howell family traces back from Whales, before there was a United States of America, but still plenty of new land to discover. The family traveled down from the east coast and settled just south of the Missouri river.

There are a few families with a number of plots. The Bowman family has nine, though Archie has the most impressive. The inscription reads: Died of wounds received while serving in France November 17, 1918. Body brought back April 10th, 1921. He gave his all for democracy.

The cemetery is also next to the Nuclear Waste Adventure Trail, so you can make a day of visiting both sites. The Weldon Spring training area is currently used by the Army Reserve, but in past days the area use used for TNT and atomic processing. Hence why there is now a giant nuclear waste dump nearby.

The Thomas Howell cemetery is located on Highway 94 about two miles from I-64. There's a small parking lot in the front for visitors.

Grant's Farm

2014-10-28T14:00:00.001-05:00

Grant's Farm is one of the greatest treasures we have in the St Louis area. Once the property of President Ulysses S Grant, it is now owned by the Busch family, of Anheuser Busch fame. Admission is FREE and even includes two free beers for visitors over 21! Above is Grant's house, Hardscrabble, the last remaining structure in the US that was hand-built by a US President. Across from the house, bordering Gravois Road, is a fence built from 2,563 rifle barrels as a Civil War Memorial.

It is located in the Deer Park, which is toured by tram as you make your way from the front entrance to the Tier Garten and Bauernhof areas of the park. The Deer Park has all kinds of animals besides deer, including wild mustangs, zebra, and Galloway (aka Oreo Cookie) cows. There are about 1,000 animals across 100 species living at Grant's Farm! There were not a lot of animals visible in the Deer Park on my last visit, but it was just SUCH a gorgeous day that I have to share the scenery.

The vehicle below is for Private Expeditions, which tour the Deer Park, Grant's Cabin, and Clydesdale Stables, have special animal feeding encounters, and include beverages and parking passes. Click Here for more information!

The Tier Garten area includes many different kinds of animals and interactive experiences. The Animal Encounters show includes audience participation, and my favorite was this this snake. Check out the adult lady's (middle) expression, and the little man next to her doing his part to hold up the snake.

Onward to the goats!

This is Deanna, not me.

This may seem absurd, but feeding the goats at Grants Farm is like a St Louis sport. You absolutely cannot go there without dropping a couple dollars on some milk bottles and risking your clothing and personal items in the goat pen. They used to even sell tshirts at the General Store that said, "I Survived Feeding the Goats." So bummed they no longer sell these in adult sizes.

No big deal, right? How about some more action cam (this is from 2010). You'll notice one goat is climbing my leg and I mention one behind me who is chewing on my jeans. Everyone who grew up in St Louis either has a traumatic or funny story about feeding the goats. For example, I remember my cousin getting all the bows chewed off her dress when we were kids. Good times!

The last stop on our tour is the Bauernhof. This is the complex of buildings surrounding the courtyard, where you will find the food, hospitality (beer), and carriage collection. People confuse the Bauernhof with the Tier Garten (where the animals are), probably because it sounds so much like Beer Garden.

Bauernhof is German for "farmstead" and this was the first building built on the estate. Most people probably think of Grants Farm as a place to take the kids, but think about this: You can literally walk in for free AND get free beer. It's an excellent spot to just chill with friends on a nice day.

Hospitality! The best part of being an adult at Grant's Farm. On this outing, there were several seasonal options available. I tried Johnny Appleseed cider and was particularly excited about Red, a brew crafted specially for Grant's Farm's 60th Anniversary. Three of my favorite things in life are beer, limited edition anything, and tourist attractions.

Inside the Bauernhof is the Busch family's world-renowned carriage collection, along with a ton of hunting trophies.

On our most recent visit, a lot of the riding trophy areas, and some of the horse stables, were set up for Halloween with dioramas from movies.

On the other end of the parking lot is the Clydesdale Stables, and new additions include getting a souvenir photo with a Clydesdale, and the new (last year) Clydesdale Tours, which are a behind the scenes look at what it takes to raise Budweiser's world-renowned Clydesdale horses. Next year I am hoping to do this tour, as well as the tour of Warm Springs Ranch in Boonville, MO!

If you cannot make it this weekend, Grant's Farm will reopen mid-April 2015. Follow me on Facebook and I'll let you know if they are doing the Holiday Light display this year!

National Mall: Air and Space Museum Pt. 1

2014-09-30T14:14:00.001-05:00

The National Mall in Washington DC is a perfect place to spend a day on the East Coast. Not only are you able to visit monuments dedicated to presidents, soldiers and other assorted American heroes, but you can also extend your favorite rude gesture toward Congress.

The Mall is also home to most of the Smithsonian Museums, many of which I was able to visit. The first place I sent for was the National Air and Space Museum because childhood dreams of airplanes and rockets needed to be realized.

Yeah, it starts kinda weird...

The museum is split in half, one side dedicated to the history of flight and the other to space. Walking in, you'll see all manner of airplanes suspended from the ceiling. They have everything from single engine airplanes to parts of massive passenger jets. It's a quick look at the history of avionics.

Even freedom delivery devices

The layout of the museum guides you through different eras of flight, from commercial plane to military.

As always, Disney manages to find its way into everything!

War planes throughout the ages are showcased. The above photo is taken in a replication of an American aircraft carrier and gives examples of many of the airplanes we've flung off ships at sea.

In 1911, Eugene Ely landed an airplane on the USS Pennsylvania, anchored in the San Francisco harbor. Only a few years after the first flight, and already we were marrying air and sea.

Not quite the Red Baron. A German Fokker airplane used in WWI.

Not a replication. This is the original glider used by the Wright Brothers.

Entry into the museum is free, though the hours vary depending on the day. I would suggest you take at least half a day to appreciate this museum.

Black Madonna Shrine & Grottos

2014-09-23T12:50:00.000-05:00

The best part of STL250 Cakeway to the West, for me, is finally taking the time to visit and blog about some of the places I have been meaning to get to for years. Think about that the next time someone says this city is boring: I have been writing this blog for almost 7 years and still haven't run out of new things to talk about. I've been aware of the Black Madonna Shrine & Grottoes for as long as I can remember, but I had no idea what it's really about, or what to expect.

First of all, why is it called Black Madonna? Well, the answer is two-fold. A Black Madonna, in general, is a painting of the Virgin Mary that shows her with dark skin. Before the Renaissance, there were no pale, blond, blue-eyed depictions of Mary and Jesus. They lived in a hot climate and would have had olive or dark skin. THE Black Madonna, in the case of this Shrine, refers to the Black Madonna of Czestochowa, an icon that resides at Jasna Gora Monastery in Czestochowa, Poland. There she is known at Our Lady of Czestochowa, Queen of Peace and Mercy. You can see the Black Madonna of Czestochowa at the back of the shrine in the first photo, and a close-up above.

Why is there a Polish style Our Lady of Czestochowa Shrine in Eureka, Missouri of all places? Franciscan Brothers from Poland arrived here in 1927 to build a nursing home. The Shrine and Grottoes are the work of a single man, Brother Bronislaus Luszcz, one of those Polish Franciscans. He started the grottoes in 1937 and worked until he died, literally in the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Grotto, in 1960. When you look at all of this work as a whole, and know that it was the work of one person, it's pretty spectacular. I highly recommend visiting it to get the full scale of the place.

The grottoes are made from Missouri barite, a mineral that is also known as "tiff rock", that is commonly used today for drilling oil and gas wells. The sea shells and jewelry you see when you look closely at the grottoes were gifts from visitors or sent from foreign missions.

The Franciscan Brothers receive no monetary support from any parish or diocese to maintain this site. There is much, much more to see beyond what I have shared here. I hope that you will visit to see it for yourself! Admission is free but donations are accepted. Please visit their website for driving directions and hours of operation.

Baltimore's Star Spangled Spectacular

2014-09-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Today we have a guest post from Jennifer Bergantz, a very good friend of mine who lives in Baltimore. She wanted to share the Star Spangled Spectacular with you and I bumped her straight to the front of the queue when I saw the photos! ~Beth One of the highlights on living in a city with a harbor is watching the ships that visit. So, when the city of Baltimore planned a huge celebration to mark the 200th anniversary of the Star Spangled Banner, I was all about seeing the ships that were visiting for this event! Since I had a baby with me (and hence, a diaper bag), I could not go on any of the ships due to the security measures of the event, but I had a great experience walking the Inner Harbor and piers and photographing the magnificent ships. Sadly, I was unable to visit the military ships from other countries (Germany, Poland, Turkey, and the UK) because they were in a secure shuttle location that was diaper-bag free.

For the Star Spangled Spectacular, among a huge amount of other things (concerts, Presidential visits, air shows, and more), Baltimore’s plan was to get tall ships from all over the world into the Harbor. Plenty of other types of ships docked in Baltimore to join the fun, too.

One of my highlights was seeing the Okeanos Explorer, a weather ship. Check out that dome!

Of course, seeing tall ships in person can easily transport you back a few hundred years. This beauty is the El Galeon Andalucia, a replica tall ship hailing from Spain. Fun fact, this is the ship featured on the TV show Crossbones.

Another view of the El Galeon Andalucia behind the Harbor’s dragon paddle boats.

A parking lot of tall ships! We showed up right as the US Coast Guard was settling into their spot in the Harbor (2nd ship down in this photo).

The US Coast Guard’s tall ship, the USCGC Eagle, was so large that I could not get a good angle for a photo of the entire ship! Their Facebook page has some great photos.

Another great example of a tall ship, the Kalmar Nyckel, hails from Delaware. It has its own Facebook site, if you want to see more details. The wood work was beautiful and intricate.

Even tall ships are easy to ignore once a robot shows up. We’re all easily impressed by tech demos.

We visited on September 11th, so I stopped to take this photo of the American Flag flying in front of Baltimore’s World Trade Center. It is also a great photo of the USS Constellation, a Baltimore harbor permanent resident. She fires her cannons at noon every day which scares unsuspecting tourists and walkers.

Two US Navy ships: the USYP 705 and 707. I think they were just there escorting the USNS Choctaw Country, but they were giving tours to the public as well.

This by far was the most impressive ship in the Harbor, the US Navy’s USNS Choctaw Country. Docked in the Inner Harbor, it looked huge compared to everything else. This ship is a high speed transport vehicle that can carry 600 tons of troops or equipment where they are needed.

Finally, the USCGC Taney, is another permanent resident of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.

Visiting Baltimore soon? Come for the crab cakes, but dine on the Harbor so you can watch the ships! Most of these ships will be leaving after a week, but there are plenty of permanent residents to visit. We have another fun resident ship, Urban Pirates, a pirate ship that offers rides, dinner cruises, parties, and other revelry!