MY ADVENTURES IN AND AROUND ST. LOUIS!!

 I will call this ADVENTURE ONE .. but it's actually ADVENTURE TWO .. I didn't have a camera with me on my first Adventure!!   Can you imagine that .. ME without my camera!!!  I have a  new friend in my life and he's a pretty terrific guy  .. his name is Ken.   Actually I've know Ken for several months .. he's been in my classes at the Y for a good while.   We recently  became acquainted and started drinking Coffee and visiting together in the lobby area after class .. along with several other friends.  Ken has lived around this area his entire life and has been EVERYWHERE!!  He talks about various places he has been and when he asks me if I have been there and I say "nope" he is astonished .. LOL!!  I think he forgets I immigrated here from Illinois .. I'm just a newby to Missouri!!  I believe he has made it his mission in life to show me all the things I have missed in this beautiful state!!  

Our adventures started out on my birthday!!!  With Ken I had my first Latte at Starbucks .. Pumpkin Spice Latte .. Yummmmm!!  And then we went to the Great Escape theater where we watched "Pitch Perfect".   The Great Escape was also a FIRST!!  It has the most comfortable seats .. AND .. you can lean back and make them rock!!  After the movie we went to "Red Robin" for supper .. this was a FIRST for both of us .. he hadn't been there before either!!   

Yesterday we embarked on another adventure .. 

What a great day we had  .. the weather was beautiful .. it was a bit chilly but the sun was shining  .. a great day to be at the Botanical Gardens!!  

We started out about 10:00 .. First stop was Starbucks for my Pumpkin Spice Latte .. Ken got a Salty Caramel Mocha Hot Chocolate .. the Salty part of the name makes it sound like it wouldn't be very good .. but it was!!  I may just get one of those next time!!  

From there we headed for Best Buy .. where Ken bought a wireless mouse for his computer and I bought an external hard drive for mine.   I decided it's time I get all my stuff backed up somewhere just in case this computer of mine decides to take a nose dive!!  

And then we headed for  Gringo Jones Imports and The Bug Store!!!  These were definitely FIRSTS for me .. LOL!!  

 

Both stores were a hodge podge of interesting "treasures"  but verrrrryyyyy expensive and I didn't find anything I absolutely could not live without .. LOL!!!  But it was fun looking!! 

 Then finally we were off to the Botanical Gardens!!  What a lot there is to see!!!!  It's amazing that there would be something like that in the middle of a big city!!!  As beautiful as it was in the Fall I'm really looking forward to seeing it in the Spring!! 

 This beautiful fountain was the first thing we saw as we walked through the doors of the Gardens!!  You just get in the doors and it's awesome!!! 

There were young people in several huge flowerbeds planting bulbs for next Spring!!  They had a beautiful day for doing it but I'm sure their bodies were very sore by the time their day was done!!!  I'll have to remember when we get back there in the Spring to take a picture of THIS flowerbed to see the flowers that bloom from these bulbs!!!
 

 

The Climatron was our first destination once we got inside the gardens!  

Their is beauty everywhere inside the Climatron but it is verrrryyyyy humid!!!  

A Cacao (CHOCOLATE) plant .. Woooo Hooooo!!!  

These are Koi fish .. swarming up to get feed that people are tossing over the side of the bridge!!  I didn't know Koi were such huge fish!!!  

On the other side of the bridge is a Duck swimming around trying to catch some of the feed!!!!

The Botanical Gardens were beautiful .. even in the Fall!!  I can't wait to see how beautiful they will be in the Spring!!!  On our way out Ken stopped to smell the Roses!!!  Uuuummm .. they smelled as beautiful as they looked!! 

Are you ready for another FIRST????  Schlafly's Bottle Works!!  It's a Brewery but also a Restaurant!!  

 We had our supper in the Restaurant.  I had 1/2 a Turkey Bacon Lettuce Sandwich on Briache Bread (or something like that) and a cup of Soup.  I don't remember the name of the Soup but it had Kale floating in it.  This was definitely a FIRST also .. Soup with Kale floating around in it .. believe it or not .. I actually LIKED it!!!  Ken had a Salad and a cup of Soup.   

And another FIRST ... 

This is the first time I have ever felt the need to take a picture in a bathroom .. BUT .. I could not resist!!!  Look at the flush handle .. and read the sign below .. 

 

Never ever have I seen one of these before .. LOL!!!  

And we have yet another FIRST coming ....

Ken was really surprised that I had never been to the TED DREWES CUSTARD STORE!!   This is a MUST if you want to be a true Missourian!!!  As the story below tells you .. Ted Drewes is a St. Louis Tradition!!!  Ken had a plain old Chocolate "Concrete" (that's what they call Blizzards here in the hills of Missouri!!) .. I had a Southern Delight Sundae .. Custard, Butterscoth and Pecan Pralines .. Yummmm!!!  I'm thinking these "Adventures" just might be a little hard on a girl's figure .. LOL!!! 

A St. Louis Tradition

Ted Drewes has been selling frozen custard and Christmas trees for decades, with an attention to quality that has made his trees and custard the finest in St. Louis.

It all started when Ted Sr. opened his first ice cream store in Florida in 1929, followed the next year by an other store on Natural Bridge in St. Louis and the South Grand store in 1931. In 1941 the family opened a second south side stand which is the current Chippewa location, old route 66. By 1958, the south side stands were all that remained.

According to Ted Jr., the success of the operation has brought it nationwide attention in the form of offers to franchise the stands. He said such offers pour in quite frequently. However he has never agreed to franchise and he says that he never will.

"It is a matter of quality. Franchising could lead to mediocrity," Ted notes with a shake of his head.   

Ted credits much of his success to his father. Ted Sr. was a St. Louis attraction, winning the tennis Muny championships each year from 1926 to 1935. He also won the National Public Parks title four straight years in the middle 1920's.

"I remember just before dad died, that was nearly 31 years ago, I asked him then if he was ever mad that I didn't become a tennis star like him," Ted said. "He said, how could you? You were always working."

And it is work that brings Ted to Nova Scotia each fall, where he personally selects the best Canadian balsam Fir Christmas trees to bring home to St. Louis.

Like Ted's Frozen Custard, a Ted Drewes Christmas tree has become a St. Louis tradition for many, and he's happy about that.

"We have people buy their trees from us year after year, and they don't even know we sell ice cream!" Ted exclaims. 

That was the end of  yesterday's adventure into the unknown around St. Louis  .. I hope you enjoyed it!!    Ken seems to really enjoy being my tour guide so I'm thinking there will be many more adventures in the future .. I sure hope so anyway!!!  Thank You Ken for a FANTASTIC DAY!!!!