Road Trip Day 2 - St Louis MO

Gateway Arch

Oh my gosh!  I could spend another 2 or 3 days here in St Louis and still not take it all in!  What an amazing city!

It was a bit rainy this morning so I decided to start the sight seeing with the Budweiser brewery tour thinking it was an inside kind of event.  Well it was inside.... and outside but the rain was really minimal and the tour was terrific.  First stop was the stables with the Clydesdales. 

Budweiser Clydesdale horse

The harness for each horse weighs over 150 pounds and it takes 4 to 5 hours to hitch up the team of horses to pull the wagons.  

Harness weighs 150 lbs!

Delivery!

After the stables we headed back into the brewery and got a lesson on how beer is made.  Best of all we got a sample!  Yes!  Beer before lunch!
When we got back to the main building we were given another tasting.  Wow!  2 beers before lunch.

While we are touring I met a new friend from Texas, Kara Coburn.  She is here in St Louis for business and had a free day to get in some sights before taking off for Dallas at 4.  So Kara hitched a ride with me on the Residence Inn van to the Gateway Arch.  

I had talked to a lot of people about the trip up the Arch.  Most were not that enthusiastic for all sorts of reasons - claustrophobia, too hot,  smelly people in the pod, etc.  Don't care.  Had to do it!  And it was fabulous!! 

Kara with me at the Arch

The old courthouse where the Dred Scott case was tried.

Illinois on the other side of the mighty Mississippi.

Busch Stadium from the top of the Arch.

Two sights down, two to go.  Next stop was for real food for dinner at Pappy's Smokehouse BBQ.  I was told it was THE best ribs in the world!  So I ordered pulled pork.  Silly me.  And sweet potato fries and some of the very best baked beans I have ever tasted.  Way too much food but very yummy. One of the gentlemen there said he had driven all the way from Nashville, TN, for some Pappy's ribs. He had a big carryout bag and was heading back to TN.  Wow.

 it was definitely time for some dessert.  I really wanted to try Ted Drewe's Frozen Custard but it was too far away for the courtesy van to take me so I opted for the Fountain on Locust.  I cannot imagine better ice cream.  I had Ship Wreck ice cream with salted caramel and peanuts.  And, to top it all off, a raspberry lemon drop ice cream martini!  Bet I could not have gotten the martini at Ted Drewe's....

Fabulous!!

Tomorrow I am off to Hamilton MO to check out the Missouri Star Quilt Company and then on to Kansas City for the night.

Westward HO!!!