Trip Introduction
In fall of 2024, we took a long weekend in late September and headed to St. Louis, Missouri. The trip was planned around a concert on Friday night outside at Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardindals baseball team. We were excited for both the concert and some time away as we left the house Thursday morning.
Thursday, 09/26/2024 – Driving South
We left Des Moines driving east-southeast around 9:30a. Traffic was light and we made good time to Mt. Pleasant, IA where we stopped for lunch and our road turned south. Our plans included a stop at an outlet mall in the St. Louis area before heading into downtown to our hotel. After a couple hours of trying on shoes and looking at clothes, we arrived downtown and checked into the hotel around 6:30p. We walked by Gateway Arch National Park and the stadium on our way to find someplace for supper.
Friday, 09/27/2024 – A Rainy Day
Friday dawned and it was raining. As it turns out, Hurricane Helene ran just far enough north that the outer bands reached the St. Louis area. We headed out for a late breakfast before hopping in the car to travel about 30 miles southwest of downtown to visit The Puzzle Warehouse's brick and mortar location. We spent almost an hour looking at all the puzzles they had in stock before heading a little farther away from downtown to visit a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The Kraus House in Ebsworth Park is a Usonian style home built on a trapazoidal grid. The sharp corners create dramatic edges sticking out of the hillside. As we were leaving after our 1p tour, James received a notice in the Ticketmaster app that, due to the weather, the concert was being postponed from Friday to Sunday night. The drive back to the hotel was quiet since we both had obligations Monday morning and couldn't stay the extra night to see the rescheduled show. We initiated an insurance claim on our tickets before killing a couple hours napping and playing on our phones. After supper at a nearby bar, we watched TV until it was time to go to bed.
Looking out the hotel window Friday morning
Looking from the carport of the Frank Lloyd Wright House at Ebsworth Park
The entry and private side of the house
A custom light fixture above a table near the kitchen
Looking out the window wall of the living room
The patio outside the window wall
The beds had to be custom made to fit the angled wall configuration
Saturday, 09/28/2024 – Dine and Dance
Saturday started off cloudy, but the rain had passed. It was still breezy when we got in the car and headed south of the interstates for another late breakfast. The area where we ate has a weekly farmer's market so we walked through looking at the various offerings from fresh fruit and vegetables to t-shirts and custom jewelery. Our next stop was IKEA where James was looking to purchase some shelving for his home office. We spent the afternoon leisurely walking through Gateway Arch National Park and watching a little more TV. In the evening we headed to a burlesque dinner show. We returned to the hotel a little before 10p and shortly after turned in for the night.
The reflections in the stainless steel skin of the Arch blends into the clouds beyond
Looking at the Arch where it meets the ground
The Arch towers over the waterfront of the Mississippi River
Cars and trains use the bridge near the Arch to cross the river
The entrance wall of the Basilica near the Gateway Arch
The Arch is reflected in a downtown skyscraper
Sunday, 09/29/2024 – Returning Home
Sunday morning we woke a little earlier and checked out of the hotel. We headed north out of the St. Louis area stopping for lunch just before crossing the Missouri/Iowa border. We arrived home around 3p. While missing the concert was disappointing, we enjoyed our little break from "normal".