On Sunday, September 12, we made a b-line for St. Louis, passing through Illinois and over the Mississippi River along the way. Most of the drive was pretty unremarkable (think fields and cow pastures, stretching out for miles and miles). But we did manage to catch a photo of a gigantic shining cross, towering over the highway in Illinois. We took it as a sign of all the prayers Josh's mom sent out in church that morning!
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| Tried to get all the Welcome to... signs as we passed by |
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| A Baptist's woman's work in action! |
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| Awww... I just missed the Welcome to MO sign... twice! |
We missed our exit and got turned around, but managed to arrive at our new host's townhouse just in time to join her for a CouchSurfing potluck in town. The 3 of us piled in Laurie's car and headed off to meet some other new friends while Peanut stayed behind to play with Laurie's dog, Diva (who was super-friendly, but roughly 6 times his size!).
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| Laurie's dog, Diva |
At the potluck, we met a couple dozen local St. Louis CouchSurfers who had some great stories (and edible goodies and local Schlafly beer!) to share. Abby, an energetic college grad was leaving in a week for AmeriCorps chainsaw and wilderness training! Stephen passed his amazing Dishpan Cookies around the campfire (see recipe below)! Laurie chimed in with the unbelievable (yet true) tale of how her daughter funded her round-the-world trip with her big win on The Price is Right!
The next morning, Laurie had to work, but she pointed us in the direction of the nearby and pleasantly paved Grant's Trail (http://stlbiking.com/Trail-GrantsTrail.htm). Josh chose to run while I headed out on 2 wheels past fun local attractions like The Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site and Grants Farm, where I could see the majestic Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales grazing just beyond a little white fence (www.grantsfarm.com). Too bad I didn't have the camera handy!
After our morning exercise, we cleaned up and drove down into the city for some sightseeing. Josh and I stood captivated near the waterfront in the shadow of the awesome St. Louis Arch, which stands 630ft tall and hovers above the city (www.gatewayarch.com). We made our way underground and paid $10 each to climb inside a tiny, egg-like capsule with 2 other tourists, hoping to challenge Josh's fear of heights with a harrowing ride to the top of the Arch. Unfortunately, there aren't any windows in the side of the building, so the only fear to face on the way up was claustrophobia. But the view from the top was worth the ride, a stunning portrait of downtown St. Louis! We could see the Capitol Building, Busch Stadium (home of the Cardinal's baseball) and the paddle boats on the Mississippi River far below.
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| A peek inside the tiny pod that climbs the Arch |
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| View of downtown St. Louis from the Arch |
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| Josh captured my perfect cartwheel under the Arch |
When we arrived back on solid ground, the afternoon sun was high in the sky, so we decided to stay below the surface and check out the Museum of Westward Expansion. There were beautiful displays of animals, vehicles and scenery that depicted Americans' journey across the Mississippi to inhabit the western United States. Josh was particularly fond of the baseball exhibit, which detailed the founding and development of the Major League teams across the US.
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| Looks real enough to saddle up and ride! |
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| Just call me Captain Meg |
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| Cheering on the team in the Cardinal's baseball exhibit |
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| The Arch, the Capitol Building and The Runner in the fountain |
There's nothing like CouchSurfing to make you feel right at home after a long, hot day of walking in a new city! That evening, Laurie, Josh and I worked together to create one of her favorite recipes from the Moosewood Cookbook, Zucchini-Crusted Pizza.
This was an amazing dish, bursting with veggies and flavor that all you calorie-counting, wheat-conscious, pizza loving kids should try! Here's the link to the recipe: www.molliekatzen.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipe=zucchini_pizza. But, Laurie wouldn't forgive me if I didn't provide the following caveat: Never use aluminum foil!
We shared a drink, toasted to CouchSurfing and to each other's good fortune and shared a great meal on our last night in St. Louis.
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| Laurie's signature zucchini-crusted pizza - yum! |
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| Laurie, Brett, Josh and I - To CouchSurfing! |
Delectable Dishpan Cookies
recipe by: CS Stephen
recipe by: CS Stephen
2 c. white sugar
2 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. oil
1 c butter (melted)
2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs (beaten)
4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 c. coconut
1 c. oatmeal
1 bag Heath toffee bits
4 c. rice krispies
1. Cream sugars, oil, melted butter, and vanilla.
2. Beat eggs together and mix into batter.
3. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar.
4. Stir in coconut, oatmeal, toffee bits, and rice krispies.
5. Bake at 350 for 11-12 minutes or until golden brown.
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