Awesome Day
We had an awesome day. We woke up to the temperature of 53 degrees and got up to 78 degrees. We slept with the fan going and the heater running in the morning. Great sleeping weather.
I got up around 7:30 and got dressed. Then we had oatmeal for breakfast. Today were going back to the Saint Louis area to visit a few sites.
After breakfast we got ready to go by putting things away. Our first stop was 27 miles away. We had to drive the interstate through St. Louis. Because it was rush hour it was very busy. There were a couple of bottlenecks but at least traffic didn't stop. I was glad Larry does the driving and we have a small rig.
Our first stop was the Saint Louis Art Museum, which is located in Forest Park. Forest Park is a gorgeous park, that covers 1,326 acres. It opened in 1876 and host several significant events such as Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904 and the 1904 Summer Olympics. It has a hugh fountain in the center of the park by the parking lot. In the park you can visit St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis Art Museum, the Missouri Historic Museum and St. Louis Science Center.
Forest Park fountain
The Saint Louis Art Museum is in a huge three-story building and has a dramatic entrance. Admission is free but the special exhibit cost $20.00. The museum opens at 10:00. People say you need to get there early to get a parking space in the two lots, that are free. They have a parking garage at the museum but it cost $15.00. We couldn't take the Minnie in the garage so we had to get there early. We arrived there at 9:30 and had no problem finding a spot.
Entrance to the Saint Louis Art Museum
After parking the Minnie we walked through the park to the museum. The fountain was breath taking, it was so hugh with grassy hills surrounded it. The hillsides were a great place to have a picnic and relax, which people did when we were returning to the Minnie. There was a large bronze and limestone sculpture of King Louis IX of France (1214-70). We were early so we walked around the grounds and looked at the sculptures. When the museum opened we climbed the stairs to enter the museum on the second floor. The lady, who gave us the map and information about the museum was very friendly and explained where to go and how to read the map. The level we entered on was Level 2, which had exhibits of European Art, Asian Art, Ancient Art and Rotating Exhibit. Level 1 had exhibits of Decorative Arts and Design, Arms and Armor, African Art, Oceanic Art, Ancient American Art, Islamic Art, Contemporary Art and Textile Art. Level 3 had exhibits of Native American Art, American Art, Egyptian Art, Decorative Arts and Design, New Media and Ancient Art. The exhibits were of painting, sculptures, cultural objects and ancient master pieces around the world. They also had works from European masters Matisse, Gauguin, Monet, Picasso, Corrado Giaquinto, Giambattista Pittoni and Van Gogh. Kehinde Wiley had Ashley Cooper pose like Charles I of England. This was cool to see art from 1633 and 2018. It took us over two hours to walk through the museum and look at the art. I was surprised to see a lot of school kids at the museum. It was amazing to see how well preserved the art was. We were disappointed with the sculpture garden because it only had a few sculptures and they were dark in color. We had a great experience.
King Louis IX sculpture
Clacs Oldenburg (Giant Three-Way Plug)
George Rickey (Two Open Triangles Up Gyrator II)
Italian Plate c. 1500-1520
French Lancet Redemption Window about 1220
Piero di Cosimo Madonna and Child Enthroned with Sts. Peter, John the Baptist, Dominic and Nicholas of Bari (1481-85)
Daniel Mytens I Charles I 1633
Sioux artist Possible Bag (1890)
George Caleb Bingham (Jolly Flatboatman in Port) 1857
Giovanni Paolo Panini (Interior of St. Peter's Rome) 1731
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (French) and Richard Guino (Spanish) Venus Victorious 1914-16
We had lunch at the Panorama Restaurant. It was a formal restaurant with a fresh tulip on each table. We sat by the window to get a view of the outside. The staff was very friendly and the service was excellent. We shared a burger and chips. The chips were homemade and burger was cooked perfect. The food was delicious.
Panorama Restaurant
Lunch
After touring the Saint Louis Art Museum we went back to the Minnie. Larry programmed the GPS for our next location. It was Faust Park and on the way home. It's a very nice park with the Saint Louis Carousel, Butterfly House, Historic Village, Playground, Trails and more.
Larry thought I would like to ride the carousel. The Saint Louis Carousel was built by the Dentzel Carousel Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1927. It was installed in 1929 at the Forest Park Highlands amusement park. In 1960's St. Louis Community College purchased the land for their new campus. Before the agreement was made a fire broke out on July 19, 1963 and destroyed all but the swimming pool, observation tower, and five of the rides including the carousel. A businessman Howard C. Ohlendorf purchased the carousel and donated it to St. Louis County. The county operated it outdoors at Sylvan Springs County Park in the summertime through 1979. By that time the carousel was in bad shape and needed to be restored. The St. Louis County Historic Buildings Commissions and Faust Cultural Heritage Foundation raised money and restored the carousel. They installed the carousel inside a building in Faust Park in 1987. It now cost $2.00 to ride the carousel and I rode it twice. The lady, who ran the carousel was very friendly and made it fun. We counted to three and said Giddy up at the beginning. At the end we counted to three and said whoa. The first ride I rode a horse and the second ride I rode a deer. The second ride another couple joined me. I had a super time.
The Saint Louis Carousel
Climbing on the horse
I made it
Waving at Larry
After riding the carouser we walked over to the Butterfly House. It was a cute area with a enclosed atrium the butterflies fly around. Before entering in this area an attendant would give you a chart to see what butterflies you see or you can download it to your phone. Then he guided us to the entrance and explained if the butterfly would lands on you just relax and let the butterfly fly away. When he let us in the atrium we were free to wander around looking at the butterflies and the plants and flowers. They had a small waterfall surrounded by flowers, that attrack the butterflies. When you were finished the attendant would have you turn around to make sure no butterflies were on you. Then you walk through a beautiful garden with flowers and other plants. It was a pretty little walk. As you walk around they had some butterflies with a stick for you to play a tune on the butterfly by tapping each wing. It was very nice.
I'm a butterfly
Entrance and exit sign
A giant caterpillar
Little black and yellow butterfly on the green leaf in the middle
A blue and black butterfly to the left
The waterfall surrounded by flowers
Little white butterfly on the yellow flower at the top right
Afterwards we went back to the Minnie and went back to the campground, which was 15 miles away. We stopped by the visitor center so I could take a picture of the CCC Worker. By the time we got back to our site it was 3:00.
Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park Visitor Center
CCC Worker statue
I played the Daily Challenges of Solitaire and Mahjong. I also played the Daily Challenges of Mahjong from yesterday. The event today was Event: Two Game Tango of 6 games (3 Spider and 3 Tri Peeks). It took me 17 minutes and 34 seconds, which put me in 24th place in my group. Then I played Angry Birds.
While I played games Larry read. He started a book yesterday and finished it today. He had checked the book out of the Houston Public Library. It was the second book of Guncle called Guncle Goes Abroad.
I made leftover for dinner. After dinner I walked around the campground for an hour and a half for 3.75 miles. By the end of the day I had done 16,000 steps.
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I would love to hear friendly comments on anything at all. Ruth