I am very lucky to have a daughter that wants to spend time with me and travel! Karen’s work schedule is always last minute so many of our travel plans are last minute too! What to do with 3 days off? And…let the suggestions fly…
Speaking of flying, we landed on heading to St. Louis to visit Karen’s dear friend, Alisa, who recently moved there with her 3 boys, one who was recently promoted to Colonel in the Air Force. It’s been a few years since these two have gotten together in person. Usually it’s sporadic long distance phone calls to touch base. Alisa presented us with a Welcome to St. Louis bag full of local flavors including soda, beer, chocolate and a decadent slice of gooey chocolate chip cake, complete with cutlery, plates and napkins. What a nice treat!
Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA)
Literally in our back yard, this is our airport of choice for U.S. based travel. A short Uber ride from here to there is all it takes. It’s a small airport that services narrow-bodied aircraft. For larger aircraft and international flights we use Washington Dulles (IAD) about 30 miles away. As we headed into the blue skies recently we were treated to a great aerial view of the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetary, which is also near us. Unfortunately on the return flight our seats did not have a window suitable for pictures, but we flew by the Washington Monument and National Mall area.
Grant’s Farm
Grant’s Farm is a historic farm and long-standing landmark in Grantwood Village, Missouri, built by Ulysses S. Grant on land given to him and his wife by his father in law Frederick Fayette Dent shortly after they became married in 1848. It has also served as a residence of various members of the Busch family.
This is a very interesting farm and home to a few Budweiser Clydesdales, young, old and retired. We participated in a behind-the-scenes tour and started the day with a Bud beer and water. When you see these large 2000+ pound beauties pulling the wagon, know that they all started out the same way. Being born at Warm Springs Ranch in Boonville, transporting to Grant’s Farm at about age 6 months and start their journey with learning barn manners. What are barn manners you ask? Well each horse has a report card with 20 things to accomplish before being sent back to Warm Spring Ranch to start learning how to pull the hitch. But before any of this, all Budweiser Clydesdales must have approximately the same markings – white blaze down the nose, 4 white ‘feathered’ legs and be male. There are 3 coat colors that will determine if the horse is on an East coast hitch team (darker coat), a West coast hitch team (lighter coat) or the St. Louis hitch team (more of a red coat). Lots to learn about these magnificent gentle giants. The gear (reins, collar etc.) that they wear weighs about 150 pounds. It takes the handlers – who always wear red shirts – about 5 hours to groom and dress the team of 8 horses before each appearance. There are two dalmation dogs that are also part of the team and live and travel with the horses. There are always 10 horses sent with the hitch, but only 8 that pull the hitch. This is in case one or two of the horses don’t feel like working that day. These horses are pampered and never forced to work. The line up at the hitch is tall and big near the wagon, with shorter, show-offs high-stepping and setting the pace at the front. The story of how Anheiser-Busch came to be is definitely an interesting one!
The Bavarian Village area is a great gathering place to eat, rest and relax with a complimentary beer or three, visit with a Clydesdale, see the Carriage House or use the rest room facilities. Adjacent to the Village is a petting zoo and carousel. The tram ride takes you from the front gate through the wilderness park with lots of animals and returns you to the front gate at the end of your visit.
Grant’s Farm is totally handicap accessible for walkers, strollers and wheelchairs. The pathways are smooth with no steps and a few gentle inclines/ramps. There is a tram that is also handicap accessible. Grant’s Farm is a free park courtesy of Anheiser-Busch. I love that they provide this to the community at no cost. You only pay for parking which you can save $3 if you purchase the parking online.
Meet Pete – a very large Clydesdale at 2100 poundsAdam grooming Pete. Pete is tethered and trained to stand still while being groomed. Jonathan grooming Pete. He said it was the best part of the day.6 month old baby Clydesdales. They stand about 3 feet tall and weigh about 125 pounds at birth. Gestation is 11 months.
Alisa, Karen, Diane, Jonathan, AdamGrant’s CabinOne of many beautiful carriages in the Carriage HouseDoor Hardware on the Carriage House
Gateway Arch
The Arch is the tallest monument in the U.S. at 630 feet in height. Its complex and subtle design based on a weighted catenary is unique in architecture and its structural system had never been attempted on such a large scale.
Although designed in 1947 and not built until between 1963 and 1968, its symbolic architectural expression is of such simplicity that it remains modern.
Our resort-style hotel is set along the banks of the fabled Mississippi River in the heart of downtown’s entertainment district, just steps away from our most recognizable landmark: the shimmering Gateway Arch
fourseasons.com/stlouis
With 14 previous Four Seasons visits in the U.S., I can definitely say that this was not my favorite stay however, the view from our 14th floor room was pretty great as we had a view of the Gateway Arch and pool area. The chocolate arch amenity was my second favorite amenity, right behind the choclate Welcome to Las Vegas sign received on our visit there.
St. Louis Fun Tours
Meet Charlotte the Trolley! We decided to take this tour last minute and enjoyed the bouncy trolley ride through and around St. Louis, seeing many local sites. We stopped for a brief time at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis.
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Lous
The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis is a one-of-a-kind work of art. With its lofty vaults and radiant mosaics, the sheer scale of beauty is a thing of awe. More than a dozen architects’ and artisans’ concepts and works have coalesced in a magnificently well-integrated and harmonious whole. From top to bottom, front to back, the Cathedral Basilica draws one’s thoughts and emotions upward toward the contemplation of something transcendent.
The museum and tours of the Cathedral Basilica offer any visitor a guided overview of just how much there is to see and learn about the historic site. The museum offers a glimpse at the history of the breathtaking church, its community, and events that led to its completion. Tours offer visitors the ability to learn more about the symbolism of many elements of the building while learning more about its rich history.
In 1912, installation of mosaics in the interior began. Completed in 1988, the mosaics collectively contain 41.5 million glass tesserae pieces in more than 7,000 colors. Covering 83,000 square feet (7,700 m2), it is the largest mosaic collection in the world outside Russia.
Tiring of the Four Season food choices, we decided to have a chicken parm dinner from the Old Spaghetti Warehouse nearby, complete with soup/salad, bread, chicken, pasta and dessert. I need to remember to bring Rolaids our next trip!
Until next time…
I’m a travel addict on the road to recovery. Just kidding…I’m on my way to the airport!
Twenty Steps at a Time 
