Lions and Tigers and...Clydesdales?

Oh what a week. I returned from Chicago and headed straight to St. Louis. I didn't plan on doing a whole lot, just the usual gorging on pasta and custard, but managed to squeeze in a trip to Union Station, the arch, the brewery and the St. Louis Zoo.

The arch was pretty amazing-- a $10 fee gets you a spot in a tiny pod (see me cramped, below) and a five minute trip to the top of the structure which is, according to M. Freebersyser, "as wide as it is tall." The view from the top includes Busch Stadium, the mighty (brown) Mississippi River and the St. Louis skyline. It's quite a view, but the trip is not for the claustrophobic.

The brewery was like a Willy Wonka Factory for adults. The grounds and buildings were immaculate and beautiful, and it smelled like grain. The famous clydesdales have a pretty good life there. They usually stand about 6 1/2 feet tall, and weigh in at a ton. At the end of the tour you get to sample any two kinds of beer they produce. And not just dixie cups, we're talking pint-sized cups. They are not stingy. While on the tour someone asked who owned the company, and the tour guide replied, "We do!" Not true, perky blode tour guide who laughed at way too many of your own jokes, Anheuser-Busch was just purchased by Belgian company InBev Inc.

The zoo! I haven't been to the zoo in years. It was a last minute decisioin to go, and what a great last minute choice it was. Freebs and I booked it (when we weren't lost) through the winding trails, but managed to see the monkeys, reptiles and amphibians, rhinos, bears, elephants, girrafes, lions, tigers, some filthy birds, penguins, crocs and gators and lots and lots of children. If I was a babysitter, I would definitely dump children at the zoo and just have them meet me at the gate when it closed. This is probably why I'm not a babysitter. Check out some cool photos below.

We were sooo close to what are, in my opinion, the best argument for creative design.

Ok, so kinda immature, but a cool picture, don't you think?

This is my mom's name. Interestingly enough, the chimp's nickname was "Smarty Pants."

Just taking a smoke break.