Gateway Arch National Park

A funny thing happened on the way to the arch from our home.  My husband John got off highway 64 and could not find the arch!  My sister Linda (from Atlanta) was his copilot, I was sound asleep in the backseat.  John ignored the signs for downtown and thought there would be one specific for the arch, and doing so missing the exit which would get him to the arch.   My sister feels very certain that there is no highway exit signs for the arch grounds.  Yes, I know, the arch is big enough that you can not miss it.  And we did get there fairly easily once we got off the highway.

It was an overcast day, just great for walking around a park where there is no trees and little hope of finding shade.  We had not been here for at least 20 years.  There was a grand opening of the park this past summer- it was built between 1963 and 1964, but major changes were made to the grounds and entrance to the museum in the past two years.   I thought that those changes would mean shaded walkways, benches and picnic tables.  Boy was I wrong, and we had packed a picnic lunch.

 

  We parked in a garage north of the arch down by the river (quite fortunate at finding that place, our daughter parked west of the arch and paid double the amount we paid).  Anyway, as we walked toward the arch along the river we did come upon some picnic tables.belonging to various food carts which were not open for business the day we were there.  Pictured above is a view of the Mississippi River from the arch steps.  By the way, the riverfront is part of the national park.

Paved paths took us over a large grassy area to the entrance of the underground museum- I was intrigued- not a park bench in sight.  If one got exhausted climbing the many steps up from the river and then hiking across the arch grounds, there would be no place to rest!  Or else, to avoid that,  pay for a more expensive parking garage close to the entrance of the underground visitor center and museum.  Pictured above is the Old Courthouse, which is also part of the national park.

Above John is looking at decals which has recently been placed at the entrance to the arch by the Maplewood artist Margaret Keller.  It is a temporary exhibit.  Her artistic work represents 735 navigable miles of the Missouri River from St.Louis to Sioux City, Iowa.  The river is the longest in North America.

 

The new entrance into the visitor center and museum is quite impressive.  Coming down the escalators we saw a large map of the United States with all the major rivers shown.  It brought back many pleasant memories of the rivers we have crossed while traveling in the past ten years- the Ohio River, Mississippi, Missouri, Columbia, Colorado, Brazos and Rio Grande- to mention but a few.
Despite the cloudy, warm day there were many visitors to the arch, and the lines were long for the tram ride to the top.  Changes that have been made to the museum and grounds are good and long over-due.  I still think, however, that the grounds are a bit austere.

. 

Grant's Farm and Other Touring at our old Haunts

This summer has certainly flown.  John and I have been busy not only helping our daughter and her husband get settled in their home, but we also have set up housekeeping in an apartment near our daughter.  Our mobile home is currently in storage.  I  would love to spend the winter in it in Florida, however John feels that it would be too much work to move back into it.  That issue is as yet unresolved.  For now I am quite happy to have roots once again.
Our granddaughter has turned two years of age.  Family came in for the occasion, and I must say she was a bit over-whelmed by her whole birthday party.  At two years of age little tots just do not get the birthday celebration activities.  However, a pretty pink car and a cupcake almost put a smile on her face!

Two days after her birthday we went to Grant's Farm.

Who is not familiar with that beer king's logo?  President Grant once owned the property on which most of Grant's Farm now sits.  It was known back then as White Haven.  August A. Bush purchased it in 1903, and opened it to the public in 1954.  It then became an exotic wildlife park as well as home for the famous Clydesdale horses.  Talk about exotic animals, checkout the Silver Laced Crested chicken pictured below.

That is one strange creature!  We went to this park on Labor Day, it was quite a warm day but we made it there by mid-morning when it was still comfortable in the shade.  We immediately took the tram ride through part of the park where foot traffic is prohibited.  Already that early in the day the elk were seeking a cool spot in a small lake.

A couple of weeks after that excursion we made it to an apple orchard, we just had to do that for our grandchildren.  It is always exciting for the younger set to ride a farm wagon and pick apples.
John and I also made a trip last week to Farmington for a visit to his sister.  While there I decided that John and I needed to take a hike- never mind the very warm and humid weather.  Pickle Springs Natural Area has always been a favorite place of ours for hiking and is not far from Farmington.  It has been designated a "National Natural Landmark", and is noted for its unique rock formations, shallow caves, bluff overlooks and one seasonal waterfall.  It seemed to have changed since we were there last, parts of the trail have since been  eroded.  And this time that we had to do a bit more rock scrambling, and frequently stumbled over exposed tree roots.  The whole trail is only about 2 miles and in the past seemed very easy- not the day we were there!  I really think the hot weather had something to do with the fact that the trail seemed long and difficult.  I still would  say that it is a very beautiful park and well worth the effort for everyone to discover it for themselves!

Missouri Botanical Gardens

When my sister Julia suggested the gardens as a place to take my grandchildren I at first thought that was a crazy idea.  But she reminded me that there was a splash park for the children as well as a great playground for them.

Nathan and Clarissa are certainly Florida raised children.  They are usually fairly cooperative with hats and sunglasses, at least for awhile.  It was a pretty warm day the time we were there.  It seemed as though the weather is not much different than the weather we had experienced in Florida.

Every season in the garden seems to have its own beauty, and this Saturday in July proved that to be true again.  The water lilies were all in bloom.  Nathan excitedly pointed out every blooming pant to his Nana and then demanded that the sign next to the plant be read so he could learn the name of said plant.  That got a bit tiresome after awhile.  We did not make it through the whole park by any means.  We thought the Climatron would spark their interest, but Claire got especially fussy there.   So what a pleasant surprise that, upon exiting the tropical rain forest, we found ourselves in a room designed with children in mind.

It was while they were playing that I roamed the room and found an interesting botanical display.

Pictured above is the whistling thorn acacia tree, the thorns of which contain stinging ants.  The ants swarm over the tree when they feel the tree is being attacked. The tree can be found on the Serengeti plains.  Even at my advancing years I continue to be fascinated and in awe of nature!

We were able to move the children from that playroom with the promise of a playground and splash park.  And that was about our day in the gardens.  We may come back another day with the little ones and still have a lot to show them, including the children's garden.  So if your are looking for something to do on a hot summer day with your children, consider the botanical gardens here in St.Louis- it is sure to be a winner for all!

A Trip To Michigan

Yes, we had just made the trip from Florida to Missouri and now we were on the road again a week later.  There was to be the 65th reunion of the Hensler clan in Freeland Michigan (always held the second week-end in July) , and seven of my siblings had plans to attend.  It seemed to be an important trip to make.

On Saturday there was a gathering of just the Hensler cousins at the old family homestead and farm.  I did write of this place when we were there about seven years ago.  Two Hensler families still own and live on this land- but not much going on anymore as far as our family farming the land because renters are now doing that.  There are a few cows in the barn.  It would be nice to keep this farm in the family as it has passed the century mark and holds many memories for all of us.  In the picture  above is the old homestead,  where my mom was born.  A total of 11 children were raised here.  There are 50 first cousins and about one-half that number gathered at the farm Friday evening.  A few more showed up for the main event on Sunday, at which one hundred and sixty-five attended.  Hard to believe that some of us first cousins now have great grandchildren!

A trip to visit family in Michigan always includes a trip to Frankenmuth, a town which still today celebrates its German heritage.  John and I, together with all my siblings, ate at the Bavarian Inn restaurant for lunch on Saturday.  A roaming musician dressed in lederhosen certainly contributed to the German ambience of  the restaurant.  And on the walls are displayed the coat of arms of many of the original families from the area, one of which we found belonging to our mom's side of the family- our Rau heritage.

Saturday afternoon we visited the Saginaw History Museum, which use to be the old post office built in 1897.  John and I have visited this place in the past and enjoyed it because the history displayed there has a lot to do with my Mom's history before she married our Dad.  As a young adult she had worked at Lufkin Rule Company, which was founded in 1892 back in the day when Saginaw was a booming lumber town.  The company manufactured steel, wood, and cloth rulers and tape measures. . Also on display in the museum is  information concerning the Herzog Art Furniture company founded in 1899- the Herzogs are part of Mom's family.

Pictured above is the Bavarian Inn and Cass River which runs through Frankenmuth.  The weather was perfect for our week-end of outdoor activities, a nice break from the 90 degree temperatures which we had experienced both in Tampa and St.Louis.

Traveling with Young Children

We moved our home on wheels on June 22 and drove northward.  Or I should say that John accomplished that on his own for this journey.  I helped my daughter finish up with last minute packing- finally emptying their rental home of last minute items which either needed to go in her van or be pitched.  It was not until about 6PM that we (my daughter and I) headed north for St.Louis, with a very loaded car and children aboard. 
I had expected the worse traveling with a twenty-month girl and a four-year old boy.  The first two days of the trip went well- they were contended playing with toys, paging through books and just looking out the window.  Nathan is trying to understand the concept of states. On the last day of the trip he wondered if we had left "Tuckys" yet ( we understood that as Kentucky).
Two hundred and fifty miles a day was about all they could take.  Evenings and nights were all right with them staying in our rv.  Everything was even better when there was hope for a  pool at the end of a day.  A visit in Atlanta with family also helped the children cope with everything.
But it was on Monday, the last leg of our journey, that we entered into crisis mode.  We were about fifteen miles outside of Belleville, Illinois.  A fly had the audacity to land on the baby's leg!  Now first of all recognize that she has a bad skin reaction to a variety of insect bites,  I am referring here to big red welts, so it is very appropriate for her to react hysterically when any flying creature approaches her.  I quickly unbuckled myself from my seat belt and turned around to comfort her, soon discovering that I had to almost completely throw myself over her body to protect her.  I saw the fly about a couple of feet away but could not reach that far to swat it.  No implement near me to swat it with!  I hung over her for fifteen miles, until we reached Target.  Getting out of the car we opened doors hoping that the offending fly had the sense to get out.  Melissa had an appointment in St. Louis in a couple of hours so we did have some time to kill.  We wandered around the store and Clarissa happily forgot her crisis- a pretty hat helped also.  We bought a black fly swatter.
However,  getting back in the car, Clarissa espied a fly -was it the same one, probably not-thought that one had flown out!  Nathan swung the fly swatter, nearly hitting his sister.  That caused more tears.
We entered downtown St.Louis with me hanging over the baby- I soon learned that she was happiest when I kept my hands over her eyes.  I tried to describe to Nathan all the exciting sights of St.Louis as we entered it on Highway 64-40- like the Arch and Cardinal Stadium.  However, all my joy at seeing everything again was marred by trying to comfort a screaming little girl.  We stopped at Ted Drewes, but happiness there was short-lived for Clarissa.  She was still hysterical.  We stopped at St.Francis park in south St.Louis where Melissa left us for her appointment to complete final papers for the house they were buying.  Clarissa forgot her woes and happily climbed around on the playground with her brother.
However, getting back in the car, there it was again- The Fly.  Fortunately we did not have far to go for our final destination.
John and I are now settled in our usual rv park in St.Charles.  Future plans for traveling are now on hold until our daughter, husband and child get fully moved into their new home.  I am hoping to find an apartment and finally have a permanent place to live- John would like to keep traveling, but he is starting to think that my plan is not so bad after all.  We shall see...

Busch Gardens

It seems I should have done some research on the gardens before we even went there!  I have since learned that the 335 acre park is African-themed.  Sections of it include the Congo, Nairobi, Jungala, Stanleyville, Edge of Africa, and Serengeti Plain.  We initially took the park's train, which enabled us to see a bit of the latter.

We probably could have seen more of the Serengeti had we chosen to pay the extra fee for a safari ride, but we were quite satisfied with the number of animals we saw from the train.  There were zebras, rhinoceri, a variety of deer and antelope, and birds.  I wrote in the last posting that it seemed to us that there were not many animals in the park, but in reality there are more than 2,700!  We probably needed another day in the park to have seen more than we did.

We found a bit of the exotic in the park at a section called Pantopia.  Originally this area of the park was called "The Dark Continent", then Timbukta in 1980.  It was later called Pantopia after the malls
and bazaars of  Africa.
Several rides were enjoyed by our daughter Melissa and husband Spencer.  Nathan, our four-year old grandson, enjoyed the Stanley Falls Flume- even though he got soaking wet!

The best part of the park for our young children was Sesame Street, where they were able to explore a variety of playground activities.  A large enclosed trampoline area was a big hit with them.

Some of the botanical offerings of the park were fascinating for me.  Fortunately they have identifying signs located near them.  Pictured above is the acacia tree, found in the lowlands of Africa.  It is a fast-growing tree with smooth bark and 3-inch thorns- once thought to cause sleeping sickness.

And of course, as in most parks of Florida because of the tropical-like climate, I found a beautiful displays of orchids. 
For our supper we ate at the Zambia Smokehouse, not very good food as we had expected.  Our dining pleasure was ruined by the noise of the Sheikra Skyride which towered above our table.  As I said in my last posting, it seems that Busch Gardens is for the younger generation.

Last Days in Florida

Yes, it is our last days- and the same holds true for our daughter Melissa, husband Spencer and two little ones.  Spencer finally landed a job in St. Louis Missouri, so John and I are not planning on setting down roots in Florida, at least for now.  And certainly have no set plans as yet for the future.  We do want to follow the sun, especially during the winter months.

It seems that starting in May the colorful foliage here in Florida has really popped out.  Pictured above is the pink hibiscus tree located by our daughter's driveway.  The winds of Hurricane Irma caused it to lean over very precariously and it was necessary to prop it up.  Then in January cold weather stopped it completely from blooming.  I was thrilled then to see it start blooming again in May- in the past it never failed to produce its colorful pink flowers.   We had held Clarissa as a baby under its colorful foliage- she and the tree have an interesting history together!

I thought our daughter and her husband's rental home looked quite beautiful this June.  In the foreground is a white lilac; by the mailbox on the left is a plumbago bush with blue blossoms, and in the background is the pink hibiscus.  Unfortunately it was quite a bright day and the camera was not able to pick up the colors very well.

We made it to Busch Gardens before leaving Florida, thanks to an offering of the park for veterans and their families to visit it for free.  Spencer and John both qualified for that, and it would have been a shame to pass that up as it is quite expensive (about $100.00 a day admission price).  I think that I would have regretted spending that amount of money on a park which mainly caters to the younger generation- I was expecting large gardens and a variety of animals, but surrounding what little there was of the latter were many carnival-type rides-  the immensity and noise of which certainly over whelmed what beauty I found in the park!

There is some natural beauty in the park which I did appreciate, as the two floral butterflies pictured above.  And, as we were leaving the park at sunset a flock of flamingos were a welcome diversion for Clarissa and Nathan who were getting quite cranky and tired.

Despite what I have said regarding the park, we did have a good day; there was enough there to keep us older ones and young ones happy.  The hot and humid days have started here in Florida, most fortunately we went to the park on a day which was overcast and humid.  But not the hot rays of sunshine!  I will have more to show and tell on the park in the next posting.

It Pays to Walk

One of the reasons John and I traveled to D.C. and Gettysburg was just to get out and see forests- the type of flora different than Florida, which is usually sage brush and palm trees.  Fortunately by Sunday the sun was out and, after leaving our cabin, we drove over to Pine Grove Furnace State Park.  Ostensibly we stop there because our son Dan wanted to show us the iron furnace which has been preserved there. 

The furnace pictured above was built in 1764.  It was the age before railroads when iron production needed to be done where there were nearby resources of iron ore, limestone and charcoal.  Near the furnace was part of the Appalachian Trail which just beckoned us to hike down its tree-line path.

 

  The part of the Appalachian Trail in this park is located half-way between Georgia and Maine.  The park is also home to the AT Museum, which we did not see.  Maybe another time.  We were quite happy to be outside and walking!

Spring is well on its way in this part of the country.  Many wildflowers are now in bloom, including mayapples and buttercups.  Unfortunately we did not hike as long as we desired as we were on a bit of a time constraint, needing to get back to D.C. by evening.

Monday morning I was on my own to walk around the Brookland neighborhood where our son Dan and his wife reside.  John and I had already done one walk with them several days ago.  The homes in this area now have beautiful blooming bushes of azaleas and roses surrounding them, as well as flowering magnolias,  I just had to get out and walk some more to see them.  Just around the corner from their house I came upon this very colorful building.  It is the Pink House, home of a grassroots organization led by women to end U.S. wars and militarism.  They would rather us to direct our resources for health, education, green jobs- putting our resources toward life-affirming activities. 
Back at our son's home I had to take another picture of a spring beauty, which is the columbine.

Eisenhower Naational Historic Site

Dwight Eisenhower, our 34th president, in 1918 was appointed commander at Camp Colt, the army Tank Corps training center in Gettysburg.  He and his wife Mamie loved the area, located in the Appalachian foothills, and searched for rural property there.  They bought a farm in 1950.

He was elected president in 1952 but he and his wife planned to relax on weekends at the farm.  In November of 1955 their country home became a temporary White House while he recovered from a heart attack.

Much of the original farm house had to be gutted, there is still a brick part of the original  building located to the left side of the house pictured above. A park ranger greeted us outside of the home, then left us to explore the home on our own.

The home has many of the Eisenhower's own furnishings still in it.  Pictured above is a mother-of-pearl inlaid, black lacquer coffee table gifted from the Republic of Korea.  It was in appreciation for the work done by President Eisenhower in bringing about the Korean Armistice in 1953.

Fortunately the rain had stopped when we toured the Eisenhower farm.  Besides touring the house we also visited the outlying buildings of the farm, as the show barn pictured above.  President Eisenhower was proud of his prized Angus beef cattle.  He also proved knowledgeable in his farming methods, using crop rotation and contour plowing.  He is quoted as saying " I shall leave the place better than I found it".  The Eisenhowers gave the farm to the federal government in 1967.

A Trip North to Washington D.C.

Maybe it was a case of too much sunshine here in Florida, John and I felt a trip was needed.  Not sure what exactly drove us, but we then made plans to visit our son and his wife in D.C.  We had taken a long road trip to Texas a few months back, so this time we thought we would leave the driving to Amtrak.   The first day on the train we encountered clouds and rain.  Also an awesome rainbow.

 Our son Dan and his wife also felt the need for a trip, so the next day after John and I arrived we drove northwest out of D.C. to Gettysburg, staying at a cute cottage in the woods.  It remained cloudy and wet for the next two days- also a bit cool.  Strangely, I did not long for the sunshine of Florida!

John and I had been to the Gettysburg Civil War battlefield a couple of other times in the past, but we had no issue with seeing it again.  Friday afternoon it was misting and cloudy but we still tramped out to a section of the battlefield where there was a ranger talk scheduled.  The ranger discussed the events which took place on Cemetery Ridge, where we stood, on the third and final day of the confrontation at Gettysburg.

While standing on the ridge the ranger pointed out a farmhouse on our left in the distance.  It was the home of Lydia Leister, a widow.  Her home became General Mead's headquarters on July 2nd and 3rd.  Twelve thousand soldiers were brought by General Lee to break the Federal line (lead by the Union General Mead) on Cemetery Ridge.  The battle started on July 1, 1863 and ended two days later at Cemetary Ridge with the South loosing.  A total of 51,000 soldiers were killed over the three days.  The Confederates had initially gained control of the town of Gettsyburg, but were gone by July third. Not only the countryside, but also the town had been horribly impacted by the battle.

Quite by accident on Sunday we walked by Christ Lutheran, one of the churches in Gettysburg which opened their doors to the wounded.  We saw a historic marker at the church and stopped to read it.  On July 1st, while the South had control of the town, a volunteer Union chaplain from Pennsylvania was entering Christ Lutheran when he was "cruelly shot on the steps" by a Confederate soldier.  Quotation taken from a memorial to the man which is located in front of the church. 

Too say the least, it must have been a frightening time for the townspeople of Gettysburg.  Churches of the town opened their doors immediately after the battle begun to receive the wounded- Christ Lutheran was one of them, as well as Gettysburg Presbyterian (the latter church was attended by Lincoln and joined by the Eisenhowers).  During and after the battle dead people as well as animals lay everywhere, and even after the dead and wounded were removed, blood stains could be seen inside as well as outside many buildings.  War is hell, no doubt about it.

Within 4 months of the battle Governor Curtin of Pennsylvania commissioned local attorney David Wills to buy land for the Union dead.  His home is pictured above.  It was at this home where President Lincoln stayed the night before he gave the Gettysburg Address for the dedication of the Soldiers National Cemetery.  That was in November of 1883.
 We do hope to return to Gettysburg again sometime in the future.  It has many historic buildings built pre-Civil War.  Some of our time over the weekend was also taken at the museum in the Visitor's Center, as well as touring President Eisenhower's farm outside of Gettysburg.

Winter/Spring Activities in Florida

Just not sure how much traveling we will be doing anymore, we do have some trips in mind for further into the year.  So whether I will continue to write on this site remains a question.  Sometimes the idea of settling down here does not seem too bad-  given especially the news we have heard about the brutal weather up north in the past weeks.  However, we still have the hot summer and hurricane season facing us in the months ahead.  There is no heaven on earth, maybe just pieces of it!

In March our son Michael visited us and we visited the Museum of Fine Arts in St.Petersburg with him.  A most beautiful sight we encountered outside of the museum was a blooming kapok tree.  It was fully covered with bright red blossoms.  An Asian tree, the kapok is a gigantic tree of the tropical forest canopy.  Also known as the Java Cotton tree, it is known for its cotton-like fluff from its seed pods which are buoyant and used in the filling of life jackets.

We have learned to avoid crowds and festivals down here because of the large numbers of winter visitors who attend, and the distance required to get there.  A few weeks ago we decided to try again and visited a parade in the town of Oldsmar, a municipality near us.  Parking was no problem, and we had close seating to the parade, as you can see in the picture above of Clarissa watching the floats passing right in front of her.  Our grandchildren did not have to work hard either, to get the beads and candy thrown to them. 

We also visited the Lowry Zoo in Tampa.  Pictured above is a Marabou stork, sitting on her nest with her chicks.  Even though we are in Florida with its tropical-like weather, signs of spring can be seen without too much searching.  We are now seeing osprey high up on light poles building their nests, and the Tampa Bay Times posted a beautiful picture of two horned owl chicks cuddling in their nests on Honeymoon Island.  Also heard at night are the whip-or-will singing out to their mates.  I am certainly wishing for you people up north that the beauties of spring will be coming to you all soon!

Our Easter weekend was a bit cool with some rain coming down (at least we did not have snow).  The weather did not stop the many Easter egg hunts from happening!  In one of the eggs, which our grandson Nathan found, was a prize ticket.  He won an Easter basket which contained a water gun that he so badly wanted.  Strangely enough, playing with that gun in our park pool seems to improve his swimming skills!

Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig

John was itching to go on a road trip.  For a variety of reasons we needed to visit my brother Jared in Texas, so a road trip  seemed possible.  This was not a one day trip, because it just takes one day to get out of Florida!  As we traveled north we saw quite a bit of the signs of spring, which has already started in Florida.  From the road we saw yards displaying many colorful azalea bushes, and in the forests an occasional blooming redbud or dogwood tree.

John and I have toured a variety of mines, caves, battleship and prison museums- to name a few.  However, I do not believe that we have been on an oil rig.  On one of our train trips across the country I met a gentleman who worked on an oil rig and the description of  of his life and work on the rig certainly caught my interest.  On the Ocean Star, which was decommissioned in 1984, we toured the drill and pipe decks, as well as the recreation, galley, and sleeping quarters. As battleships, the men living on the rigs are there for months at a time and all of the staff's needs have to be accommodated.

Pictured above is the Galveston Port, and off in the distance are oil rigs which are need of repair.  After being repaired they are then loaded by a hydraulic system on barges to be used again.  The Gulf of Mexico has a prolific petroleum system, according to the Ocean Star museum 100 billion barrels of gas and natural gas equivalents have been discovered on offshore and onshore portions of the Gulf ( this covers the United States Mexico and Cuba).  Apparently there are still 50 billion barrels still to be drilled.  Since 1918 over 56 wells have been drilled in the United States part of the Gulf.

Pictured above are the layers of bedrock which have to be drilled into for access to the oil.  Core samples are initially removed for analysis.

And in the picture above are the pipes reaching down to the oil, a drill bit can be seen at the end of one of the pipes.  There are a variety of drill bits which are used, depending on the type of rock is being crushed or scraped.  The bits are pictured below.  Once an oil well is completed and started up it may produce oil or gas for many years, flowing through pipes to a refinery. Or the product may go into a floating storage system.

 What I am relating to you here regarding oil production is just a little smattering compared to all the information on the subject provided by the Ocean Star Museum.  My brother Jared and I completed our tour of the museum long before John.  My brother and I were quite content wandering around the Port of Galveston and checking out the bird life.  Both brown and white pelicans could be seen resting or feeding in the water near the museum.