Friday, November 21, 2014

Cakeway to the West, Part 20

5 more weeks to go! My personal count today stands at 204. Check out my progress on the STL250 Cakes tab at the top of the page!

Central Institute For the Deaf
CIC@CET/Cortex
Dogtown
Harris Stowe State University
Heritage House
St Louis Children's Hospital
The Arena
The Grove
TOKY/Locust Business District

5 more weeks to go! My personal count today stands at 204. Check out my progress on the STL250 Cakes tab at the top of the page!

Friday, November 14, 2014

Cakeway to the West, Part 19

It's crunch time, people! Six more posts to go! A fellow cake hunter made an excellent point the other day, that they are not going to the Greenville Library because it's too far away, and they signed up for 250 cakes, and now they are 253. What do you think about those "outlying" cakes? How far is too far?

Chase Park Plaza
Gaslight Square
Gaslight Theater
Jewell Box
Left Bank Books
The Muny
Old Cahokia Courthouse
St Louis Art Museum
St Louis Zoo
World's Fair Pavilion


Thursday, November 13, 2014

(Mostly) Free Winter Activities In & Around St Louis

Our roommate, Roy, has a couple weeks off and is looking for free stuff to do, and as I was making a list of ideas, I thought I might as well share them with you! Here are some good, affordable activities for your winter breaks:


1. Anheuser Busch Brewery Tour - Of course we all know that the brewery tour is fun and free! They also just announced that the holiday lights tour will return this year, and they have really expanded the dates! I have done this a few times and it's one of my favorite holiday activities. Click here for dates and times.


2. Bellefontaine Cemetery  - I'm a cold weather wuss, but Roy specifically asked about this one. Free public tours are conducted on the second Saturday of the month, and you must make advanced reservations. You can also pick up a map at the office and explore solo. Details on the website.


3. Missouri Botanical Garden - Garden Glow is back this year and starts November 22. Admission for this special event is $16 for adults and $10 for children, but general daytime admission to the garden is only $4 for adults and FREE from 7-9am on Wednesday and Saturday! The Climatron is a little dome of summertime in the winter!


4. St Louis Science Center - Admission is always free! Check out First Friday for a fun and free Friday party with a free movie screening. I can't want to check out the International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes! This is a special exhibit with admission price of $13.50 for adults.


5. The Newman Money Museum - Located in the lower level of the Kemper Art Museum at Washington University, the Newman Money Museum was built with a donation from Eric and Evelyn Newman, and gives scholars access to their world renowned collection of US Currency. It also has St Louis's only Spokes Mannequin! This is one of the best hidden treasures in St Louis and if you haven't been, you really need to check it out. The Kemper Art Museum is pretty awesome, too. Admission is free.


6. Faust Park Carousel - only $2 per ride! The Sophia M Sachs Butterfly House is also at Faust Park, and admission is $6 for adults and $4 for kids.


7. Cathedral Basilica (New Cathedral) - Check out one of the largest collections of mosaics in the world! It's really an incredible place. There's a museum, too.


8. Lincoln's Tomb - Abraham Lincoln is buried only 2 hours away from St Louis, a fact I never fully grasped  until I finally visited a couple years ago. There are a ton of other things to do in Springfield that are cheap or free. Plan your trip here!


9. Vacuum Cleaner Museum - Another  great road trip! The  Vacuum Cleaner Museum is truly one of the best museums in the great state of Missouri. We need some new vacuum cleaner bags for our Riccar Pizzazz (which we bought on our second visit) and I am tempted to drive down there to buy them at the factory outlet just for fun. Admission is free!


10. Jefferson Barracks Park Museums - The link is to the Old Ordnance Room Museum, and you will also find the Powder Room Museum, Visitor's Center, and Laborer's House, which are all free (donations accepted). Click here for hours. Also in the park is the Missouri Civil War Museum, which is top-notch and only $7 for civilians (free to veterans and current members of the military).

Friday, November 7, 2014

Cakeway to the West, Part 18!

Getting close! I'm going through all the past Cakeway posts to add all relevant blogs today. Check them out on the STL250 Cakes tab at the top!

Cathedral Basilica
 Cathedral Basilica has one of the largest mosaic collections in the world! Tour here.

Church of the Holy Family
Express Scripts
Fountain Park/Martin Luther King Statue
Lincoln Park
Mercantile Library
Payne Gentry House
Sky View Drive In
YMCA of Greater St Louis

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Thomas Howell Cemetery




If you're a St. Louis native and asked the "Where did you go to high school" question from anyone who grew up out west, you've probably heard the name Francis Howell. The Howell family traces back from Whales, before there was a United States of America, but still plenty of new land to discover. The family traveled down from the east coast and settled just south of the Missouri river.



There are a few families with a number of plots. The Bowman family has nine, though Archie has the most impressive. The inscription reads: Died of wounds received while serving in France November 17, 1918. Body brought back April 10th, 1921. He gave his all for democracy.




The cemetery is also next to the Nuclear Waste Adventure Trail, so you can make a day of visiting both sites. The Weldon Spring training area is currently used by the Army Reserve, but in past days the area use used for TNT and atomic processing. Hence why there is now a giant nuclear waste dump nearby.


The Thomas Howell cemetery is located on Highway 94 about two miles from I-64. There's a small parking lot in the front for visitors.