A Family First

Back when the kids were very little, our family vacations were pretty simple.  Clear Lake to play in the sand and in the water.  A drive up to the Dells and some time there at the water parks.  There were other road trips that maybe one of the kids went on but nothing huge with all 4 of us.  We hadn't really got to go out and see the world.  I was waiting for them to be close to all being old enough to enjoy the trip, and also where I could afford it and plan it.  

My goal with our vacations is to get them out to see things that I never saw as a kid.  My vacations where like theirs.  Clear Lake, had a trip to Chicago, Mt Rushmore and Florida a few times in there.  So we kinda mapped out places we wanted to go and that were drive able.  Our first destination would be St. Louis in 2015 and the Gateway Arch.  We had picked out places to go see such as the City Museum, the Zoo, Science Center, and of course the Arch.  I also checked the calendar out to see if we could hit up a Cards game too.  Lucky enough, they were in town hosting the Reds.  (Was hoping for the Cubs - that will come later)

We packed up the family truckster and shot down early in the morning.  In all our vacations I request that there aren't any electronics brought along.  They read, journal or do activity books in the car or just enjoy the ride and do what i did, watch out the window.  For the most part it has worked well.  Along the way we hit up roadside stops of the American Gothic House, Lover's Leap and Tom Sawyer's Cave.  The game was the first night of our trip, so I wanted to give us time to get there early to walk around the Arch and Busch Stadium.  

The area around New Busch is pretty cool, and this is coming from a Cubs fan.  Ball park village was fun venue to grab some kind of a supper.   It reminded me of Power and Light District almost in Kansas City, but more indoors.  The Cardinals have had a lot of legends pass through St Louis and you see that with all the statues around the outside of the stadium.  Jack Buck, Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith, Dizzy Dean, Stan Musial, Bob Gibson and Rogers Hornsby. Shockingly in 2020 2 of those have passed on.  (Brock and Gibson).  It's always cool to see the history like that around the stadiums.  

The view with the Arch in the background is one of the better ones in a stadium I've been too.  The way it opens up right to that view.  I never was at the old Busch, but the cookie cutter stadium seemed like you couldn't see the Arch as clear.  

My son had already been to a MLB game with me, but as a family and for the girls, this was their first baseball game.  Sadly about the game I really don't remember a lot of the details.  I think we picked the hottest night, and it seems on vacation that happens.  The kids went through big drinks and ice cream.  I think I spent most the night just trying to take in their reactions.  The area we were in seemed to have a lot of families too, which I thought was a good pick for the kids first game.  There were a couple of moms that had brought their kids to the game and we talked to them for a few innings.  As for the game play, the Cards won 4-1 on a Kolton Wong grand slam.  They really didn't do to much but for that.  

The rest of the trip included our trip up to the top of the Arch, a full 8 hours in the City Museum and then a trip to the zoo and the Science Center.  I think that the kids favorite stop was probably Fitz's on the way out of town for root beer floats the size of their heads.  

That was my first trip to St Louis along with the kids and something must have clicked on that vacation because Ryleigh has since asked to go back to St Louis and to the Arch every year since, and also to a game.  This past July her and I were supposed to have a little get away vacation there and had tickets to watch the Cubs in St Louis; Covid-19 and 2020 cancelled that.  I have promised her that we will get it done in 2021.  

Up Next : An Unforgettable Father's Day