what to do: st. louis, mo | forest park

When my parents first moved to STL in 2006 they bought a condo right across the street from Forest Park.  And since my first visit, the park is somewhere I like to see each time I am there.  

Forest Park opened in 1876 and spans a little over 1300 acres of land - larger than New York City's Central Park - and hosted the 1904 World's Fair. The park is free and home to the St. Louis Art Museum, the St. Louis Science Center, the Missouri History Museum, The Muny, and the St. Louis Zoo.  Admission to the different museums and the zoo is free with the exception some of the special exhibits.  The Muny even offers free tickets to shows on a first come first serve basis.  I mean how awesome is that?  

Also, meandering throughout the park is dual path that is welcome to both leisure walkers and serious workouts.  It does not matter what time of year it is, hot or cold, there is always someone walking, running, or biking the paths.  Since my parents have moved a bit further - a whole 2 or 3 miles away - we don't go as much as I would like.  I do, however, want to make it a priority next week though. 

^panorama of the Grand Basin from the hill/Art Museum on a beautiful afternoon. July 2013. 

^Instagram of the Art Museum from the other side of the Grand Basin. December 2012. 

^Saint Louis statue in front of the Art Museum.

^wine, apps, and books with the family on the hill.  April 2012. 

^World's Fair Pavilion.  December 2013. 

You could seriously spend hours wandering around the park.  With all of the free options, everyone is bound to find something to do.  

Have you heard of Forest Park?

Do you have a park like it near you?

Linking up with Bonnie and Tiffany today!

what to do: st. louis, mo | travel tuesday

Since we are heading to STL for Thanksgiving to be with my family in a couple of weeks, I thought I would share some "what to dos" if you are ever in the STL area.  Today: The City Museum.

I think the word museum doesn't accurately portray what it really is.  Like I have mentioned before, I am not a fan of museums, so if you are anything like me then the word museum could possibly scare some people away.  In fact, the husband was not too thrilled when I made him go.  He ended up loving it though.  It is more like a giant playground - for all ages - with wire tunnels to climb through and 10 story slides to go down.  It is a place where everyone in your family will enjoy.

***WARNING: poor quality, grainy, iphone photos ahead***

 Source via Google Images
^view from the parking lot. 

 Source via Google Images
^when you first walk in. 

^Flying and heights are not my favorite thing.  If it seems like I am a little tense it is because I was. 

^circa May 2011. my mom and I pretending to be little kids.

^Instagram circa Dec. 11.  View from the bottom of the 10 story slide. 

^Instagram via December 2011.  Sliding partners.

I guarantee your family will be talking about the fun you had while climbing throughout and exploring The City Museum.  It is kind of place I wish we had in Pittsburgh (and would totally get a membership to for unlimited access).  As far as I know there is nothing like it anywhere else. 

What is your favorite museum you have been to?

 Have you ever been to The City Museum?

Linking up with Bonnie and Tiffany today!

destination dreaming: portland, me | travel tuesday

My Dad has been sending me emails with links to beautiful photos of Fall in the Northeast from USA Today recently.  It's pretty cute.  He got me my first big camera so he knows how much I appreciate it. I have always wanted to hop in my car and spend a week or two - giving myself time to stop and capture the beauty of course - driving up the East coast in October.  The links he has been sending me only increase that desire. 

Source: Stiletto Escape via Google Images

Give me a cup of coffee surrounded by nature and I'll be happy.  I mean with views like this one how could I not be?! 

Have you ever been to Maine?

Have you ever driven up the East coast in October?

Linking up with Bonnie and Tiffany today!

destination dreaming: amsterdam | travel tuesday

Amsterdam is a place I have wanted to see for a while but after seeing Casey's Instagram feed from her recent trip there makes me want to plan a trip there next Fall.  Vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds lining the city's canals with a coffee and my camera in hand sound like a great way to breath in the fresh Fall air.  

Source | Bryan on Flickr via Google search

Have you ever been to Amsterdam?

Where are you wanting to go these days?

Linking up with Bonnie and Tiffany today!

st. charles, mo | travel tuesday

One thing I did hope to do during my trip to visit my parents was to find a sunflower field to photograph.  Once I realized sunflowers were in bloom when I was visiting I did some research and happened upon some recent photographs taken in a sunflower field in St. Charles, Mo., the next county over.  However, after further investigation and research by both me and my Mom, we were not able to pinpoint an exact location.  But we decided, after some lunch and rest after our trip back from the lake, that we would give it a go and ask around when we got to the area.  

However, we were unlucky.  We did stumble upon a roadside market with fresh fruits and vegetables though.   The fresh tomatoes, corn, and fruit we bought made the trip worth it.  As we were leaving we spotted these amazing fields of corn (pictured below) that were so tall that I would not have been able to see over them if I stood on my mom's car.  I kept waiting for Shoeless Joe Jackson to walk out. 

St. Charles is an adorable little town with cobble stone streets lined with shops and restaurants that look like they are straight from the Wild West.  My mom and I spent the rest of the afternoon walking around, stopping in the different shops to cool off - and to buy a few things - and taking in the scene.  We ended the afternoon with some drinks at a bar while we watched the Cardinals play.  

pose

^check out that pups face!  totally posing too. 

^view of the Missouri River from one of the pathways to the park behind the main street.

As always, the night ended with wine and a game of rummy.  I have already asked my mom if we can visit St. Charles the day after Thanksgiving when we are there.  I think it will be so cute all lit up for the holidays.

 What are some of your favorite places to revisit?

Do you have parents/relatives that live away that you enjoy visiting with?

Linking up with Bonnie and Tiffany today!

St. Louis, MO | travel tuesday

Back in July, I visited my parents in St. Louis.  It is still one of my favorite cities to spend time in and explore.  Since I have already done the whole arch thing I never want to really do anything but relax and play games (with drinks of course) when I visit.  This time was no different.  However, I was thrilled when my Mom called a few days before my trip to tell me to pack my swim suit because we were heading to my dad's friend's lake house for the night.  Since my parents sold their lake house in Arkansas a few years ago I have missed lazy days on the water so I was pretty pumped.

^view from the window seat:)

^Charlie, my mom's cat, chillin' waiting to be fed.

^morning sunshine in University City.

^morning sun from my parent's front yard.

^Charlie's morning photo shoot.  

Our morning was pretty lazy, as pictured above, so we didn't get as early a start as we had hoped.  Which is pretty  typical and not really a surprise.  The first order of business before hitting the road was to stock up on beers for our lazy afternoon on the lake.  We hit up Craft Beer in Clayton.  Heaven for any beer lover.  And the staff were so helpful and friendly.  They found me a good gluten free beer to get. We then hoped back in the car and were on our way.

^there are few things better than a good book, a hammock and a sunset.

After a day of water biking - yes there is such a thing - and a delicious dinner of Mexican and giant Margs the intention was to play shuffle board.  However, the Cardinals were playing so my parents had to watch some of it. Of course my Mom fell asleep on the couch while watching the game so there was no shuffle board.  So I headed out to get some photos from the dock and the cool moon.  A beautiful night to end a great day on the lake. 

Are you a lake or beach person?

Do you have a favorite place to visit in the Summer?

Linking up with Bonnie and Tiffany today!

new river gorge, wv | travel tuesday

 Check out for our Airbnb was 9 so we got an early start to the day for the trip back.  We knew we wanted to break up the trip on the way back so we chose to stop at a good halfway point - New River Gorge, WV.  

We first fell in love with New River Gorge in 2008 when we rafted the New River and Gully with friends.  We have visited a few times since but have never made the commitment to spend more than a few hours there.  It's only a 3.5 hour drive for us so it would be a perfect weekend getaway.  Perhaps next year.  

Anyway, we stopped at Subway for lunch then decided to take a little hike to the edge of the cliffs to stretch our legs and get the blood pumping before the last 3 to 4 hours home.

Every year, tens of thousands of extreme sport enthusiasts gather from around the world to watch people BASE jump from the 876 foot tall New River Gorge Bridge.  The event is called Bridge Day and is held every October.

^view from the drive the under the bridge.

I am not a huge fan of heights, especially open heights, so getting too close to the edge makes me extremely nervous.  However the views from the top are stunning so embracing my fear is the only way to capture the views that I did.

^views of the New River from above

^Boy am I going to miss the brilliant green in a few months.

Husband and I are already talking about returning to Asheville one day.  Heck, we wouldn't even hate to live there.  When we do return, I want to explore more of the trails along the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee.  I loved exploring the city of Asheville, but in nature is where I belong.  

Do you have a favorite place you like to stop during road trips?

Have you ever been to New River Gorge?

What about West Virginia?

Linking up with Bonnie, Nicki, Tori, and Tiffany today!

biltmore estate | travel tuesday

As I mentioned in my last Asheville recap, we were not sure if we wanted to tour Biltmore Estate but we decided to pay the $60 (per person) (when in Rome, right?) and do the tour.  We bought tickets online before hand, which I recommend because it saved us $10, grabbed some coffee, and headed back to Biltmore Village.  

^gorgeous bloom in Airbnb's garden

When we first got to Biltmore Village, we did what any 21+ year old would do at noon on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.  We hit up the bar for a few Bloodys before heading over to the estate.  Of course I cannot remember the name of the bar, but we had a great experience over delicious chips and Guac.  

Biltmore was completed in 1895, after taking 6 years, for George Vanderbilt.  He lived there alone - among 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces - until he married three years later.  The grounds to the estate are immaculate and go on for what seems like forever. The views of the mountains in the distance are just stunning.  For someone who has only been across the big pond once, I have never seen a castle/mansion of this caliber in person before and it was quite impressive.  It is pretty amazing what people used to be able to create and build without today's modern technology (AND made even better than most homes are today).  We had a 3:00 house tour so we had an hour or two to walk around the beautiful gardens.  We had just missed the flower festival by one weekend but the flowers were still beautiful.  The boys meandered through the paths while I busied myself with taking photos.  

^Imagine taking a walk on a lovely Sunday afternoon and seeing lush green mountains for as far as the eyes can see. 

^the detail. 

^fountain, ivy lined path, and Biltmore from the Tennis Lawn. 

^i loved the lily pads with beautiful pink blooms.  

^the only photo I got of the inside

I am not much of a museum-y type of gal.  I mean, don't get me wrong, I appreciate history and a good piece of art.  I just don't like the idea of walking around from one piece to the next in a crowd - the older I get the less tolerance I have for crowds - with everyone getting in your way of what you are trying to see.  But I loved walking through the immaculate rooms with the style of clothes displayed in each room.  There is something about being in a place that has been around for over a 100 years that makes you feel as though you are part of history just standing in it.  I think my favorite part though was seeing the servants' quarters in the basement.  Ever since watching Downton Abbey, my interest for that time period and the servants/owners relationship has grown. 

Have you ever been to Biltmore Estate?

If so, what did you think?

Would you play $60 for the tour?

Linking up with Tiffany, Tori, and Bonnie today!