May 23-June 2: Wichita, KS

We arrived in Wichita yesterday, driving in bright sunny skies, no rain, just a bit of excess wind.  But safe and sound, here we are. 

We will spend a week or so here visiting with kids and grandkids, Susan, Nicolas and Caroline.  We are looking forward to a relaxing week of movies, shopping, talking. 
 And playing some serious card games....

Bailey supervised all the games.

Nick , Caroline, Linda playing gin.








 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrating Nick's birthday

 

Bailey and Mauzy had a great time playing together.
Bailey liked to play with his toys and Mauzy was a good host and shared.

May 21: We are still in St. Louis

We returned to St. Louis from Bonne Terre in order to visit with friends and family.  Our intention was to just stay 6 days.  We managed to see most everyone, which required that we have either lunch or dinner with someone every day.  At the end we felt like gluttons but we glad we saw so many people.

In addition to visiting, we used this time to load up the car and motorhome with those items from our previous condos that Carolyn has been storing for us.  We will be returning to Apache Junction with some of the artwork and sculptures that we have saved.

Our intention to leave several days ago was delayed by the developing storms that have plaqued the Mid West along tornado alley.  We are waiting until the storms subside. Hopefully we will be leaving tomorrow.

May 10: Visit to Bonne Terre, MO

Our next trip was to Bonne Terre, MO, which is 60 miles south of St. Louis.  Our friends, Linda and Nancy, live there so we took the rigs and went for 3 days.  It was fun to see them.  Linda fixed some wonderful gourmet meals for us.

At the site of the campground where we stayed, there is a facility that is for rent called The Cave House.  It is actually built into a cave with the garden and pool area in the cave and the rooms, kitchen and bedroom, just above. 

 

 

We also went to the furniture store where Linda and Nancy work.  It is most fascinating and unusual In addition to every kind of furniture , there are antique cars, bikes, boats, etc.  All part of a collection of the owner of the store.

 

Notce that the Showroom sign is hanging from a canoe.

Barb had fun riding the Wells Fargo wagon

         Some of the other items on the floor



 

 

 

 

May 8: Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site

Cahokia was the largest prehistoric Indian community in America north of Mexico.  It is so close to St. Louis and yet Barb and I had never been there to visit.  We decided to take Co and Flo there so the four of us could check it out.

Carvings on front door to museum

This mound was the highest and was the location of the chief of the tribe.  From this vantage point, he could overlook the entire community.

 

Below are some of the museums depiction of their way of life.

May 5-9: St. Louis, Forest Park, History Museum, Cathedral

We arrived at the Casino Queen across the river from St. Louis on Sunday May 5 with Co and Flo.  We have spent the last several days showing them the sites around the CWE area, The Cathedral Basilica, Forest Park, St. Louis History Museum, and Laumeier Sculpture park.  Today we go to Cahokia Mounds in Illinois.

We discovered a great consignment shop called the Women's Closet Exchange.  It had this great mural on the side wall.  Yes that is a mural not actual doors, windows, plants, etc, but Flo is real!!

Touring Forest Park and the History Museum

The Lake in front of the Art Museum, originally built for the 1904 Worlds Fair

 The History Museum was originally called the Jefferson Memorial Museum but over the years the name has changed.  Much of the history is about the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904

Barb is modeling with the other women who wandered the World's Fair grounds.

  This trolley reminds me of the one I took in high school to go to work in the downtown area after school.  We lived in what was called the Delmar Loop and I took the Loop Trolley

St. Louis Baseball fans will remember the St. Louis Browns...Loved that team

Women fought for the right to vote.  I loved the statement on this placard.

 

We all remember the Five and Dime counters

 

A model boat club was floating their boats in the Lake.   All the boats were hand made by the participants and were remotely controlled.

 

 

   Some of the flowers in bloom in the park

 

   The Cathedral Basilica is one of the most beautiful churches in the world.  There are more pieces of mosaic than in any other church including the one in Rome.

 



  This photo is a close up of the mosaic on the ceiling.  If you look closely or click on the photo, you will be able to see each tiny piece.



 

May 7: Laumeier Sculpture Park

We met our friend Carolyn at Laumeier Sculpture Park.  It is one of our favorite places to go to see very unusual and unique sculpture.  Carolyn brought the four of us a picnic lunch which we enjoyed immensely.  Then we proceeded to just wander arount and view the sculptures.





This tower high rise is one of severeal that are meant to be housing for pets.