grandgirl

Cake No. 1

Ted Drewes

Our first official picture of the hunt! Audrey's friend Alyssa came (it was her first time there!). This was Gus' second visit and I think this was our third time seeing the cake. My family really loves custard!

Cake No. 2

Missouri Botanical Garden

My niece Madeline spent the day with us. The girls recreated the poses of the statues throughout the garden. It was a fun and silly day.

Cake No. 3

St. Louis Art Museum

Going to the art museum was on my list of things I wanted to do this summer. Most importantly, I wanted to take the free one hour tour the museum offers in the mornings. The tour was superb! Our docent was engaging and passionate. She asked our group (of only five people!) what we wanted to see. Ava chose Egyptian art and another guest chose impressionism. What a great experience! She gave us all an amazing history lesson. She even used Ava as a model when explaining how a body was prepared for mummification. So fun!

Cake No. 4

Mastodon State Park

We live right by this park. We spend a great deal of time here. The park has multiple springs, the remnants of a spring house, trails, a creek, caves, wildflowers, a museum... We've even participated in water quality monitoring at the creek and it is very healthy!

Cake No. 5

Blue Owl Restaurant

This is a favorite by many. We like to come here for breakfast on the weekends. The levee high apple pie is one of their best known desserts. If you get there early in the morning, the servers carry platters of gigantic cinnamon rolls with different toppings to each table trying to entice customers. We always cave!

Cake No. 6

Missouri Civil War Museum

We spend a great deal of time at Jefferson Barracks Park. The park offers so much! We walk and bike the trail, go to the Mississippi River overlooks, sled ride, watch fireworks and concerts... There is a lot of park to explore!

Cake No. 7

Laumeier Sculpture Park

This is such a unique park. I love that the girls have grown up coming here. They have their favorite sculptures and never tire of exploring the grounds. We have to bring Gus next time.

Cake No. 8

Schlafly Bottleworks

The Bottleworks and Tap Room are great! Next time, I will order the sardine sandwich. It's so good!

Cake No. 9

St. Louis Science Center

This was on Ava's "Must do Summer List". I'm so glad to get it marked off! We've been here plenty of times and I could go a long time without going again. Luckily, Eric came and he answered all of Ava's questions and the two of them had a special time together.

Cake No. 10

Steinberg Skating Rink

We love ice-skating at the outdoor rink...and also the Balloon Glow.

Cake No. 11

The Jewel Box

Audrey spied this cake from the road. I've never taken the girls to the Jewel Box before. I think I've only been inside once or twice. I thought this cake was very beautiful. One of my favorites so far.

Cake No. 12

World's Fair Pavillion

Eric dropped us off for this picture. There was a wedding party on the other side of the lawn goofing off and unbeknownst to the girls, there was a homeless man directly behind them with a large duffle bag on the bench next to the flowers. I snapped two quick pictures and hustled the girls back to the truck. I felt conflicted-the man and I made eye contact... I should have waved and said hello. Isn't being friendly by offering a simple greeting to your fellow man really the way life should be? I hate that fear kept me from doing so. I've had a variety of encounters with homeless folks. Most have been fine exchanges, but not all. The whole scene seemed kind of ridiculous-a jovial wedding party with a mega bus waiting to whisk them away for more celebrating, my family going around Forest Park taking pictures with cakes?!, and a weathered homeless man with a scraggly gray beard carrying all of his possessions around with him. It was certainly a moment that took me out of a moment.

Cake No. 13

Forest Park Forever

We accidentally came across this cake. I'm not familiar with Forest Park Forever. Archery and hunting is depicted on the top tier-both of which I like.

Cake No. 14

Missouri History Museum

The museum was already closed by the time we made it there. The last time we were here was a year ago on the Fourth of July. We need to go back.

Cake No. 15

Jefferson Barracks Historic Site Visitor's Center

On a gorgeous breezy Sunday evening in July we set out to add two cakes to our collection. Across the parking lot from this was a large grassy area. The girls quickly spotted a doe, buck, and fawn. I think this is such a pretty cake. I'm a sucker for flowers.

Cake No. 16

Mississippi River Greenway-

Trailhead in Jefferson Barracks Park

I like this cake! Silhouettes, heavy use of black, detailed... nicely done! This cake was within walking distance of cake no. 15. I drove over while everyone else enjoyed the short walk. After taking a few pictures we found ourselves on a new trail that took us to the Mississippi River. It was a lovely walk that included a bridge with great ironwork that went over railroad tracks. The sun was setting and the sky over Illinois was pink, blue, and purple. While we were there, a barge came down the river. The girls waved and the captain came out and waved back. He disappeared for a second to blow the horn. This hunt for cakes is getting us out and we are having such fun and interesting experiences. I can't wait for the next one!

Cake No. 17

Lyon Park/United States Arsenal

We parked in front of the St. Louis Arsenal which I read is an active United States Air Force facility. It was clearly restricted with security gates and men in blue camouflage speaking with drivers wishing to enter the facility. This sparked a funny conversation with the girls about what kind of fabric their uniforms are made of (it was a warm afternoon). We all agreed that military uniforms should be functional AND comfortable. Also, blue camo? Nice.

The 28 foot tall obelisk behind the girls is made of Missouri Granite. It is a monument to Brigadier-General Nathaniel Lyon who was the first Union general to be killed in the American Civil War. The monument was dedicated in 1874. The park is under renovation.

Cake No. 18

Lemp Mansion

I've never been here before. I know people say it's haunted and when I told the girls, they became very interested. I'm sure we'll be looking up information about this soon!

Cake No. 19

Chatillon-De Menil Mansion

The DeMenil Craft Guild hosts craft nights in the museum's basement. I've attended a few and the girls came to one with me. Wedding receptions are held in the courtyard. Audrey said this is her favorite cake.

Cake No. 20

Historic Trinity Lutheran Church

Finding a parking space in Soulard was a bit of a challenge. We ended up parking in an area I don't normally frequent. As we were walking to see a different cake, we came across this one. We never would have ventured on the church grounds if it wasn't for this cake. It was a pretty area with a nice flower garden surrounding the building. Also, you can't go wrong with a pink and gold cake!

Cake No. 21

Soulard Market

After taking this picture, we walked through the crowded market. The mini donut machine is one of my favorite things. Now Ava loves it, too! The girls want to start shopping here. I wish I would have brought a cooler with me. Next time!

Cake No. 22

The Sweet Divine

The cupcakes were calling us! This is just down the street from our family's bar. We hadn't been here in a while and loved having an excuse to "have" to come back. What we had: Audrey-salted caramel, Ava- ice-cream cupcake, me- vanilla ecstasy. Yum! Ava is having a major fleur de lis moment, this cake got her attention!

Cake No. 23

The Venice Cafe

Today was an unexpected day off. Mom was in the hospital to get a new g-tube. We woke up to a wonderful thunderstorm that soaked Eric, so we brought him a change of clothes and had lunch together. Our plan was to snap a quick picture with the cake at Anheuser-Busch, but it was crowded so we didn't stop. On our way to the highway, we found ourselves looking at this cake. I was hoping to plan this picture so that our friend, Chad, who works at Venice Cafe, could be in the picture too. Maybe we'll have a redo with him. I like that a slice is missing. The cake's bloody intestines was a gross surprise for the girls!

Cake No. 24

The Muny

Our first full family cake picture! Seeing a show at the Muny is one of my favorite family traditions of summer. I let the girls choose the show and tonight was the night for Grease! It rained all day and again on the ride home, but not a drop fell from the sky during the performance. It was a crazy perfect St. Louis night in August. The show was terrific and Eric and I liked that the its mature theme wasn't watered down. Thankfully, a lot of it went over Ava's head. After the show, we took the girls to the Courtesy Diner on Kingshighway for the first time. I love introducing them to new places and things!

Cake No. 25

Citygarden

I'm embarrassed to say that this was our first trip here! I've wanted to go for such a long time, but for one reason or another, it never happened until I woke up this morning and announced we were going. What a treasure! We explored the gardens, sculptures, and played in the water. Downtown was quiet and felt intimate. It was a great day to explore our fair city.

Cake No. 26

City Hall

After a short walk from the Citygarden, we found ourselves at City Hall. This building is gorgeous. Beyond gorgeous, really. All of the window sill planters spilling over offered beautiful contrast to this historic building. There is a lot to take in!

It was during this particular day that I noticed something. I frequently experience the city by car: drive to destination, park, go inside, leave. I have had experiences that have left me feeling guarded and uneasy when just walking from my car to my destination. Even driving around I've seen things that have made me speed through stop signs because I felt my safety was in jeopardy. I wish this wasn't so. I would love to venture out downtown and other areas of the city boldly and confidently. Today we did just that. It was an all around positive experience. It has made me want more!

Cake No. 27

Busch Stadium

Great cake! Perfect location. Go Cards!

Cake No. 28

Anheuser-Busch

Third time is a charm! Eric dropped us so we didn't have to deal with parking. I haven't been on a tour since Audrey was a baby. AB has kind of lost its appeal since they sold to InBev. BOO!!!

Cake No. 29

Centene Plaza

As we were parking at Pastaria, Audrey saw this cake. It made me notice an area that I hadn't paid attention to before. You can't go wrong with cake and flowers.

Pastaria is one of our favorite places to eat. We discovered lunch at 2 pm on a Saturday in Clayton is smart. We always start with risotto balls. My very picky eater, Ava, gobbles them down. The rest of the non-picky eaters shared the shaved kale salad and I had the chilled zucchini soup because I love chilled soup in the summer! Eric and I shared the pizza of the day which was: corn puree, fior di latte (cheese), peaches, thyme, arugula, chili oil, and prosciutto. We enjoyed it so much!

When the chef came over to chat (he and Eric know each other), we asked him how the pizza came to be. He said it took 3-4 tries before they perfected the recipe. He explained how it was the sous chef's idea to create a pizza with peaches as they are in peak season right now. Corn is also in season and after creating a mushy unpleasant puree with creme fraiche, they simplified it and now it's great. He said they use a lot of chilies at the restaurant and they come packed in oil. The entire staff is crazy about it, so they put a little on the pizza and it balances everything so nicely! I loved learning about the process that went into creating this dish. While I was away from the table, Eric ordered me the watermelon lime sorbetto because I've been having a love affair with watermelon all summer long. I'm so glad he did!

Cake No. 30

Shaw Park

Because we couldn't end the day with number 29.

Cake No. 31

Soulard Restoration Group
I've been looking so forward to this day. After a particularly grueling summer, Eric (kind of) managed to take a day off from work to spend with us. Our plans didn't go quite as expected, but I think the day actually turned out better this way. I thought we'd see two cakes. By the end of our day, we had seen ten!

I had tried to take the girls to see this cake a few weeks ago, but somehow missed it. The entire area around the cake is lush, vibrant, and in full bloom. The triangular garden in front of the building is diverse and full of plants and trees of varying heights, textures, and colors. This was a great start to a great day.
P.S. Ava got bangs yesterday! I think she rocks them!

Cake No. 32

Lafayette Park
As we approached this cake, Ava declared she loved the colors. There was a ladybug on the tip of the candle. It seemed like every cake we encountered was facing east-the girls did a lot of squinting. Blowing out the candle spared them a little.

Cake No. 33

Lafayette Square Plaza
The girls first response, "Is that food all over the cake?". Yep, a food themed cake.

Cake No. 34

Ameren
Eric told us he had a top secret surprise. This was it. This cake wins the prize for the tallest base. The girls had fun climbing it.

Cake No. 35

Scottrade Center
I love that our city is crazy passionate about our sports teams!
There is so much that divides us; sports unifies us and that feels good.

Cake No. 36

St. Louis Post-Dispatch
We just happened to pass by this cake, and after some quick and questionable maneuvering, Eric pulled over for this picture. I am so happy we got this cake. I had seen pictures of it and liked it. This was our first shady location of the morning. The police officer in front of the building was friendly and talked with us a bit. "You here for the cake?" "Yes! We are cake hopping!"

Cake No. 37

Crown Candy Kitchen
Having lunch here was part of the plan. The line out the door has caused us to drive by without stopping before. Today we came with the intent to commit to standing in line-and we did! Cory met us and we all indulged in malts. I had chocolate marshmallow, the girls had chocolate, and Eric and Cory had chocolate banana. It was insanely good.

I actually had reservations about coming here today. There has been rioting in our city for the past two days. A few days ago, a police officer killed an unarmed black teenager in an area nearby. There is a lot of anger. It is a sad and confusing time. We want to know what happened, why it happened, and why things are so fucked up that part of the response to this tragedy has been violence, looting, and the destruction of property. The polices use of force during the protests is alarming. There is so much brokenness here and really all over our country and world. Is it fixable?
Power to the people.

Cake No. 38

Eads Bridge
We came across this cake as we were driving to park the car. I love the colors, theme, and detail of this cake. I stood on the cobblestone street and dodged a car or two in order to take this picture.

Cake No. 39

Gateway Arch
This was not part of my original plan. We were supposed to go to the City Museum. We thought three hours there would be great. Then I looked at the price of all of the admissions. It would have cost one hundred dollars! I wanted to go, but we would have to spend an entire day there to justify the expense.

Ava had recently started talking about how she has never been up in the Arch. The decision was made! The Arch fit our day and budget perfectly. The clouds dotted the sky, the August breeze on the riverfront was amazing, and it wasn't crowded at all!

The last time I was here was when Audrey was a baby. Cory, and her boyfriend, Rob, were in town from Oregon. I remember sitting on the circular bench in the museum. Audrey was in a sling, snug against my chest. She was teething and was chewing on a toy. An Asian non-English speaking gentleman sat down next to me. He made eye contact with me and nodded as he looked at the sling concealing my baby. I gently pulled the fabric down so he could get a peek of her. He said, "Awww" and smiled at me. It was such a sweet exchange.

Ava was nervous about the ride to the top of the Arch. Four minutes up, three minutes down. We went up the north leg and down the south. She was brave! Once to the top, we bounced from window to window and side to side. The view really is so breathtaking! Looking west, we enjoyed the buildings that make up our city landscape. We even looked into Busch Stadium. Looking east, we were greeted by the mighty Mississippi River and the state of Illinois. The Arch is such a unique treasure. I want to go back more frequently.

This cake hunt has really rekindled my love of the city. Eric and I lived in the city for seven years and only left because when we were ready to buy a larger home, we couldn't afford to stay. I mourned the city for years. I eventually learned to enjoy living on the outskirts of town. When I would find myself in our old neighborhood, all I would see is concrete and bricks. The space was all filled in.

It took a while, but I gradually grew accustomed to living in the county. We live next to a state park. The creek, springs, and the rocky rooted trails we hike have become my home. One of my biggest complaints when we moved here was that I couldn't walk "anywhere" anymore. At times, I still miss being able to walk to restaurants and shops, but now I have the woods that constantly change with the seasons and weather.

While I'm very content living in my valley away from the city, traveling about the city cake hunting has reawakened the beauty of my once home. I've thoroughly enjoyed becoming a sightseer in my own city. There are still over two hundred cakes to visit! I can't wait for more adventures!

Cake No. 40

Broadway Oyster Bar
It was rush hour by the time we left the Arch. I couldn't leave the count at thirty nine. Forty must happen before the day was over. Eric circled the block around the Old Courthouse, but the crazy construction and traffic made stopping too complicated. As we were driving to Hammerstone's to pick up Gus Gus, he asked if there were any cakes on South Broadway. Before I could answer, we were here and so was the perfect parking spot.

Cake No. 41

Fountain Park

We set out on Sunday, August 17th to visit ten cakes. We ended up with thirteen. It was my birthday and of all the cakes I wanted to see on this day, this was at the top of my list, so it made sense to start here. This is the only stature of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in St. Louis. I thought that was interesting.

Our city is still dealing with protests in Ferguson because a police officer shot and killed Mike Brown. This situation has really made me look at life around me differently. It has opened up a new dialogue for us as a family about racism. It is a terribly sad situation. Maybe this event will bring solid change for many.

Cake No. 42

Left Bank Books
I had to be in the picture of the forty second cake on my forty second birthday! I should have blown out the candle! Instead, at three minutes till midnight, alone at home, Eric sang me Happy Birthday in our dark kitchen as he held a solitary candle. I made my wish and blew it out.
Birthday complete!

Cake No. 43

Chess Center

Across the street from this cake is the world's largest chess piece. It is a king piece that is taller than a giraffe! It has been certified by Guinnes World Records as the largest in the world. St. Louis likes tall monuments!

Cake No. 44

Chase Park Plaza

This cake base is now the tallest one we've seen. Ava immediately set out to climb it. The girls added going to a movie at the Chase to their list of things they want to do.

Cake No. 45

Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis

This cake is gorgeous!! Even though we aren't Catholic, the girls and I decided that we want to attend services here sometime in the future.

Cake No. 46

The Sheldon

Another must do: Attend a performance at The Sheldon (after saving up a lot of money!)

Cake No. 47

Fabulous Fox Theatre

I LOVE The Fox! The last show I saw there was Mary Poppins. I have also seen Rufus Wainwright play there-WOW! He needs to find his way back to St. Louis.

Cake No. 48

Nine Network

The base to the cake has the music and lyrics to "Twilight Time", a song made popular by The Platters.

Cake No. 49

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri

These sisters...

Cake No. 50

Centene Center

for the Arts and Education

I thought about planning specific cakes for particular milestones, but one of the things I've enjoyed the most about this cake hunting adventure is how each outing unfolds as it wishes. We choose the first location, and then things just happen. I like how the day is filled with surprises.

Cake No. 51

Saint Louis University
I almost attended college here. I was accepted, but because my parents were paying for my education, I felt guilty about the price. I chose to attend a less expensive university. I wish I would have gone here. Maybe one of my lovelies will attend this university.

Cake No. 52

Harris Stowe State University
Ava spotted this cake. It is a pretty campus. I spent two days here in my teens taking my GED test and haven't been back since.

Cake No. 53

Luvy Duvy's Cafe

Benton Park

What a great little cafe! We sat outside and I promptly ordered the Proud Mary. It was only so-so. Bummer.

After we placed our order, we saw a big cloud of smoke nearby. The girls and I headed down the sidewalk to investigate. Firetrucks with their sirens blaring came from all directions. We saw a house on fire. I think it was vacant and being restored. Thank God no one was hurt. We enjoyed being spectators and watched the firefighters tap the fire hydrants. Even though it wasn't a huge raging fire, all of the firefighters stood at the ready- some on retractable ladders connected to the firetruck and some in baskets raised high into the air.

We walked back to the cafe, ready to share pictures and stories about what we witnessed with Eric. Right after we sat down, our food was served. It was a good meal. I want to go back for the biscuits and gravy!

Cake No. 54

Carondelet Park

We've driven past this park many times. It is so much bigger than I thought! The cake was across the road from the Boat House. The lake is lovely. I would love to see pictures of it when it was new. It would be so much fun to be able to take a paddle boat out on it.

Cake No. 55

Tower Grove Park

I'm so glad made it to this cake. This park is where Eric and I were married all the way back in 1999. We took the girls to the Music Stand Pavilion where we were married. They had been here before, but a lot of time has passed since that visit. This is such a beautiful park!

Cake No. 56

Bevo Mill

From a distance, all the girls could see was the top blades of a windmill. Audrey wondered if we were going to a miniature golf course! I've only been here once before. We met Eric's grandma and family here for brunch when Audrey was a baby. I hope to come back soon!

Cake No. 57

Kirkwood Train Station

Eric had just returned home from his birthday weekend fishing trip on the North Fork of the White River. He wasn't on call, but still ran two that day anyway. We were in Kirkwood on one of those calls and had dinner at Five Star Burgers. After a greasy, delicious dinner, we made a quick stop at the train station. Add, "Take a train somewhere" to our list of things we want to do.

Cake No. 58

St. Louis Zoo

We've went to the zoo quite a bit over the summer. I loved sneaking it around 5 P.M. on the weekends, because they offered late hours. While most people were leaving, we were arriving. I rather go for a few hours when it's less crowded than spend an entire day there.

We don't usually enter the zoo from the entrance where the cake is located. That is why we never got a picture of this cake until now (late September). Ava's school has a family day at the zoo every year. Since Audrey had a half day at her school, we just let her skip school so we could all enjoy the zoo together.

It was a wonderful day. I particularly liked the native Missouri garden outside of the Insectarium. I had never walked through it before. I loved how wild and big the plants are at this time of the year.

The Herpetarium House is such a gorgeous structure. It is a true treasure! I also love all of the snakes it houses!

Cake No. 59

STL Style

During a quick trip to Sullivan to pick up a dresser for Audrey, Eric received a service call for an establishment on Cherokee Street. After a quick fix and lunch at Taqueria el Bronco (LOVE that place!), we hit a few cakes in the area.