Glide St. Louis Monday

(Click on the title above to link to Glide St. Louis)




Monday, October 5th, we got up early and hit the street. A busy schedule this morning before we leave for Branson. Sally found a Segway tour outfitter, called Glide St. Louis, and arranged for us to take a tour. She also booked passage for us on the riverboat "Tom Sawyer".

So, at 8:00 we headed to the Marriott, the square block on the other side of the street across the bridge.

There on the right by the fancy street lights is the Marriott entrance.



This is the very stylish Marriott Hotel lobby. The tour meets in the lobby of the Courtyards by Marriott at 8:30. Since we are about a 1/2 hour early Sally calls to verify our tour time. Oops! Wrong Marriott!


I won't do the "I told you so." Back on the street, head west, about a block the other side of our hotel. Now we can just make it. That worked up a good glow and got some exercise.


The Segway tour was not without problems in the booking. We originally discussed whether we preferred the Downtown St. Louis City Tour, the Forest Park Tour or the Historic Soulard Neighborhood Tour. Sally and I decided on the Downtown St. Louis City Tour.


Sally called to book Sunday afternoon a week in advance. Monday Joe called back and apologized, his partner had booked Forest Park for Sunday afternoon. We could do the Forest Park Tour Sunday afternoon. Then he called back Wednesday, the tour was already full. Joe was really sorry and we can do any tour we would like on Monday morning. It would be just the two of us and because we had so many changes it would be 1/2 price. Sally said the only problem is we have a riverboat cruise at 11:30 Monday morning. Joe said that wasn't a problem. We could start early and he would get us back in time.



Sally stepped right on without a problem. Joe steadied the stick and she followed directions well. I had the advantage of hearing everything described by Joe then seeing it executed by Sally.


Okay! She can stand! Now the instructions on how to move. No comedy filmed. She went without a hitch.

We maneuvered in the parking lot for a few minutes to get the hang of going, turning, stopping and backing. The comedy was me when I went up the sidewalk ramp and turned. The sidewalk is sloped side to side after the turn and I was staying upright on the Segway. Well, that made me move the stick and I turned too sharply. There was a drop off of a couple inches and I turned more and sped over the curb. I just bent my knees like skiing and rode it down.

Like in the commercial, "I'm good."

We're off! I'm in back so I can take pictures. So maybe you don't realize that after 15 minutes of training and practice I am taking pictures WHILE driving. This is just that easy to pick up and go. And it is fun. You have to try this some day. You can donate to my Segway Fund then apply to ride mine.

We went by the FBI office. I didn't get to ask about the Epps brothers.

The post office has a part in my past. This is where I reported for the draft.


The Kiel Opera House is right next to the Auditorium and was a performing arts Mecca in central Illinois.

This is the Scottrade Center, home of the NHL's St. Louis Blues. A very modern building next door to an old one.

The Sheraton Hotel City Center is beautiful trompe l'oeil. This is in reality a flat facade, totally unremarkable. If you click on the photo and look at the "obelisk" on the right, there is a painted falcon. The story is that birds were fooled and kept trying to land on the obelisk so the falcon was painted to keep the birds away.

St. Louis City Hall is modeled after the Paris City Hall. It had become black from the air pollution of an industrial city. When it was cleaned it was determined that some stains were deeper within the limestone and could not be removed without damage to the stone. So today it is a mottled pattern of stone and discoloration. The architecture is still grand.

The mayor's office is still on the third floor.

This is the Thomas Eagleton U. S. Courthouse, the largest courthouse in the United States. It opened on September 11, 2000.

Thomas Eagleton was a candidate for Vice President with Eugene McCarthy. He was force to withdraw because he admitted to having received treatment for depression.


Cupples Station is one of several warehouses that have been re purposed and "saved" as a part of St. Louis History.


On to Busch Stadium. This is the third stadium in my lifetime, so far. I saw Stan Musial play in the old park. Then they tore that down and built the white one that I found reminiscent of the Colosseum in Rome. Now that too is gone and we have this park. This park has a good 'feel' to it. It is done in the red brick that is famous in St. Louis. The statues in front are of Cardinal heroes. Down the street on third base side is a plaza in the bleachers.

The red brick building is the first skyscraper. It isn't very tall by today's standards. It may not be true as told. It may be the only remaining one on 'Real Estate Row'.

This is Kiener Plaza situated directly West of the Thomas Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.

The Morton D. May Memorial Amphitheater is a favorite for weddings.

These arches were like the Chicago bovine of a few years ago. Various entities bought and decorated these arches that were then distributed around the city. They were then auctioned for charity.

This reflection on the UMB Bank contains the old courthouse. It is famous as the site of the Dread Scott case was argued here.

Citygarden is a Park full of artwork that people can touch and sit and enjoy and kids can interact with.

The walking animation is the art. The sound is ground keeper's equipment.

The "World War Memorial" commemorates WW I.

Of course at that time they didn't know there would be another.

Aloe Plaza constructed 1936 to 1939.

Joe leading the way.

"The Meeting of the Waters." This sculpture represents the union of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers by the male and female forms in the center. The smaller water spirits represent the seventeen tributaries to the two rivers. It us 'anatomically correct' and was scandalous in the 1930s.

When it was completed, it was filled with water from each river and each tributary during a ceremonial opening.

An Autumn Day in St. Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri. Those from rural areas call it the city, located at the confluence of the muddy Missouri River and the mighty Mississippi River.

Famous for the Blues, Beer,Baseball, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the start of the Mississippi River's free flow to the Gulf of Mexico. Northward to Minnesota the river's flow is stepped by a series of locks and dams built and operated by the Army Corps of Engineers.

Today St. Louis is famous for the Arch. Much as New York is marked by the Statue of Liberty and San Francisco is marked by the Golden Gate Bridge, St. Louis has the arch as just a part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.



We stayed at the Pear Tree Inn - Union Station. The station is in the middle on the right edge of this photo. We are looking East from our room toward downtown and the river.


We walked to the station. From there one can take the Metro-Link light rail system. It is no longer a Union Pacific trans-continental station. It has been re-purposed as a shopping mall and what is now a Marriott hotel. It was the Hyatt until recently.


The Metro is NOT well marked; but, we found it and eventually figured out the ticket system. They have a machine like an ATM that you buy the ticket through. First choice was one way or round trip. Since we plan to come back we purchased round trip. Actually, it just spits out two tickets each.

We went down the steps to the platform and saw a sign stating that one should ONLY board trains with a validated ticket. There are no people working up there. How does one 'validate their ticket? I asked a man on the platform and he said, "Theys a red thing up there you put your ticket in."

Back up the stairs and there was a post about waist high that has a slot. Validated tickets are good to two (2) hours. Sally and I only validate one ticket each because we don't know how long we will be at the arch.


When the train pulled in it was full. We got on and held the overhead rod. Judging from all the red apparel we realize the Cardinals are playing a home game today. Twenty minutes later we get off at Lacledes Station. It is 2nd street and a short walk through the park to the arch.


I took a picture behind me as we were leaving the train. This is Eads Bridge. It was the first built across the Mississippi River completed in 1874. It combines rail and auto traffic. I didn't realize it at first but the metrolink uses that rail line. It is still an elegant steel arch bridge.


Our arrival was at an opportune time. I could step in the clearing and catch the sun atop the arch. It is as impressive today as it was in 1969.

What a great day to go up there and look out. Clear blue skies, warm day, great for walking in the park. The arch is 630 feet high and the base is 630 feet wide. The view on a day like this is sixty miles!

The balance of the park is this large expanse of lawn up to and including the historic courthouse. This is the courthouse of Dread Scott fame.

These steps lead up from Lenore K Sullivan Blvd. by the river. On the steps, at either end is a marker designating the height of flood waters in 1993. We were able to ascend these stairs, even in our state of advancing age.

This is a trolley in which they load five (5) people and send to the top. I guess the idea is for you to try it out in the hall. Before one buys a ticket and gets in line and discovers they are claustrophobic. It is very close quarters and would be "stuffy" on a hot day.

Here we are in line for door number 8. This is the roomy staging area to go up. There will be no such luxury accommodations to return to the earth.

This is the view from inside the trolley. As you can see, there is really quite a bit of room on the landings.

Whoa! This is our greeting at the top. I wonder how many they will send up. It is more crowded than it appears here. You can't see the folks I am bumping bellies with.

As we make our way across to the other side it becomes less crowded and we get to a window to look out. There's Eads Bridge!

There is the Becky Thatcher riverboat. And the cafe at the bottom had some good food. We are having lunch there when we get done here. I had catfish strips. They were breaded in corn meal and fried; really delicious.

Look! It's the Veterans' Bridge and Eads. Of course it is no longer called Veterans' Bridge; it was renamed Martin Luther King Bridge and called MLK.

The Veterans Memorial Bridge was built by the City of East Saint Louis as a toll bridge, opening in 1951. At the time, it was the 6th longest cantilevered truss bridge in the US, and the largest cantilevered truss bridge over the Mississippi River. It carried US-40 and US-66 from 1955 until 1967. When the Poplar Street interstate highway bridge opened as a free bridge in 1967, the toll revenue from the Veterans Memorial Bridge dropped off dramatically. Eventually, both the bridge and the City of East Saint Louis would end up going bankrupt. The bridge was renamed in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968. The structure continued to go downhill until it had to be taken over by the Saint Louis Port Authority and rebuilt in the late 1980's, opening again in early 1989.

Wow! Those steps are impressive from up here.

There is the courthouse and the park between it and the arch.


Looking to the West toward the horizon. That is the newest Busch Stadium at the bottom. They are playing there right now.

The round building is the Millennium Hotel. It used to be the Stouffer. The top is a revolving restaurant. You can eat and see the entire city in a little over an hour. If the weather is good.

This was the way up on the other leg of the arch. It us being refurbished.

In the museum of westward expansion they have a few dioramas and animatronic characters. Sally noticed that they all have a twitch in their left eye when they speak. It isn't Disney but it is okay.

This exemplifies transportation west in the 1800s. Many of the trails west originated in Missouri.

Longhorn steers were popular breed in the dry West.

The stage coach was sprung on a leather sling. These are about four inches wide and each is about a quarter inch thick.

It doesn't look very comfortable for a lengthy trip. But it does bring about a nostalgic dream of the romantic "old west".

This appaloosa seems like it could look up any second. There is a small plaque admonishing one not to touch. "Only a live animal can re-grow lost hair."

I love bison! They are so powerful and large.This one is beautiful. You won't see one this clean outside of a museum. They are covered in dung and mud or at best dust.

We validated our tickets and caught the train back to our hotel. It was virtually empty this time and we got to sit.

Walking back from Union Station, our hotel is on the right up there. it is about 5:40 now and will be dinner time when we get back.

Saturday Night, Saturday Night ...

As if Friday wasn't enough for 60 (or almost 60) year old folks, we all went to the
Lake Shore Golf Course Banquet Room for another night of revelry. When I was a kid there was nothing around Lake Taylorville. I used to go out Nokomis Blacktop on my Honda with friends and we would ride around the lake shore through the brush and jump hills and chase rabbits. Now it is a real road with real two way bridge, homes around the lake and a golf course.

There were several joining us on Saturday that did not make Friday at Langleyville. It was more spacious and easier to get around and talk to more classmates. Many I had not seen since the first reunion. Sally did manage to take a few pictures as I spoke to old friends.


John Abrell (in the yellow shirt) and his wife were among those I haven't seen in years. Seated behind me in blue is a fellow I couldn't put a name with until later in the week. And as it happens all too often, out of the clear blue came a name, "Bob Keen". I don't recall seeing Bob since graduation.


In black is Dave Beard, whom I've not seen since graduation. I didn't recognize him until he introduced himself. On the other hand, Dave Passoni and Paula Cox Waterman I would have recognized anywhere. They are the spittin' image of their high school days.


Dave and his wife, and Dave Passoni. Passoni still has the same mannerisms when he is talking. It amazed me how little most have changed.

In the center are me, Steve Turner and Dave Passoni. Seated is Bob Keen and Terry McClard.

Sally took a couple panned pictures of the group. Then when we got home I stitched them into this group shot.

That concludes my High School Class 60th Birthday Party. Hope we can get together again soon and stay in touch.

Class of '67 - 60th Birthdays Party

The class reunions had gotten smaller over the years. I missed the 2007 reunion because of my cancer surgery. I heard it only had about twenty some classmates attend. The folks who work so hard to put these together decided to try a 60th birthday theme to see if more interest could be generated. They also started making contacts on Facebook. We all maintained a lot of contacts through Spring and Summer.

Friday night the attendees gathered at Burton's Tap in Langleyville, IL. There were a lot of familiar faces; I could even name most of them. Many I had not seen in many years.


It is small tavern that we managed to pack full.


The couple on the left side of the picture were teachers. Mr. Monge was my sixth grade teacher his first year out of school. I could tell stories about that year.


Most of these were taken by Sally. She went out to the car to get the camera and took pictures as she worked her way back in.


Here Ron was telling me how much he enjoyed having me in class. I want to believe he was telling the truth. Ron left elementary education and went to the Junior and Senior High to teach industrial arts (shop) and coach football. I had him for shop too.

Two of these people are related to me.

Paula Cox Waterman and her husband Vic are farmers near Palmer. Vic had a close call this summer. Paula insisted he get his heart checked and they discovered severe blockage. He had it taken care of and is doing very well.

Paula worked for the Illinois Courts until August. She is now retired too. She needs to practice taking it easy. Between finishing work, grandchildren, competing in the State Fair, and the Birthday party she was very busy this Summer.

Another Brilliant Baby!

And she is a consummate entertainer as well. She is a happy, smiling, engaging little girl. She teases and she rewards as she pleases. Logan had Grandma and me laughing most of the day.


Logan was certain that something was under the refrigerator. I gave her an eighteen inch ruler and told her to stick it under the fridge and she did it. As if she does that every day. After a few sweeps back and forth, she was satisfied there was nothing and handed the ruler back.


Logan school went on. She is getting the idea here.


Video really tells the story much better. I can watch over and over. Every time I see something new and amazing in how she figures something out.

I don't have pictures of the best parts of the day. When I tell her Grandpa needs a hug, Logan will walk around the corner with a big smile. Then she will run back and give me a hug. Who has time to fiddle with a camera when that's going on?