Crazy people just have more fun

On Friday we got up early since we had a full day of activities planned.  After a simple breakfast of granola at our campsite we got an early start to try to beat the heat.  We went out to the Lewis and Clark trail at a nearby conservation area.  Our early start found us walking in the cool of the day surrounded by the glorious sounds of a forest at day break.   We saw a deer and really enjoyed listening to all the different bird sounds and identifying the ones we were familiar with.  Everything was so green in the forest canopy.  The trail went up and down the limestone river bluffs and ridges.  With clear pathways and spectacular views of the Missouri River this was definitely a wonderful experience. 

 

Exploring just like Lewis and Clark

I have always wanted to be a model for REI

After our hike we drove into St. Louis and went to the zoo.  Initially the zoo was a bit overwhelming.  We ended up walking around with a large groups of kids and the area felt crowded compared the the solitude from the trail that morning.  But eventually we were able to separate ourselves from other packs and really enjoyed walking around the grounds with many of the buildings from the 1904 Worlds Fair hosted in that location and enjoyed viewing all of God’s creation.    Our favorite animals were the penguins (maybe because it was freezing cold in that exhibit), the elephants, the tortoises, and the takin (what was God thinking when He created this interesting animal). 

Our next stop was the St. Louis Art Museum which I have previously written about here.  After eating in the museum café I looked forward to sharing with my beloved Alex this place that had inspired my imagination so much.  I was shocked at how quickly we ended up moving through the museum relative to my first time.  (Editorial note: It took us 2 hours to finish the first floor and a total of 5 hours for the entire museum which seemed like an adequate amount of time) It turns out Alex has no pathological need to read every card and description.  But that was all right.

 Somewhere in the Pacific Island art area we found a corner with a couch and coffee table with art books.  We sat down; Alex was tired from not sleeping well and we had already been on a 8 mile hike and walked around a zoo.  It didn't take long looking through the art books to drift off to a much needed nap.  Our read aloud book on this trip was a favorite from Alex's childhood-- From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.  In this book two children run away from home and live at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York for a few weeks.  The idea of living in a museum has always been fascinating and our nap on the couch was just a taste.   Alex was shocked at how well I knew where the exhibits were relative to one another in a large building I had been in once before, considering how consistently I need her help navigating to familiar locations.    By this time we had been on our feet the vast majority of the day and my poor Alex was very tired.  

 Our dining that evening was at Red Lobster.  After saving money by camping out for 2 nights we figured we could eat a really nice dinner.  We both picked a combination of items to try and shared our fish and shrimp dishes to experience as much as possible.  As we were sitting at dinner we discussed the day-- a beautiful 8 mile hike, a few hours in the heat at a zoo with all the 5 year olds in the greater St. Louis area, and 5 hours of seeing every artifact in the St. Louis Art Museum.  We might be just a little bit crazy for trying to fit all of this into one vacation but we were sure having a lot of fun on this trip.Thus with full bellies and tired feet we headed off to sleep under the stars.