We joined a group of people to do a group tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright house in Kirkwood, MO. It…read moreis well worth the $20 tour fee. Anne was our docent. She was very knowledgeable about Wright and Russell and Ruth Kraus who the house was built for and the only residents. The Kraus house is one of the very few Wright houses that have not been remodeled and contains the original furniture designed by Wright. It has a cozy feel from the time you walk inside. I was intrigued by the esthetic design throughout the home.

I've been to about 150 Frank Lloyd Wright homes and have been lucky enough to have been inside…read morearound 30. We didn't know if we could get on the tour that day so we first stopped by to see it and take some pictures. We met an intern and found out that we could get in on a tour about 2 hours later. So we paid our fee and went to see Frank Lloyd Wright's mentor, Louis Sullivan's Wainwright Building in downtown St. Louis. I believe this is one of Sullivan's best work still standing. When we returned for the tour I was stunned. This is a great, late house by Wright that has many magical and playful elements to it. It's has most of the original furnishings and something totaling unexpected in a Usonian house--art glass windows. The tour guide was new and did an excellent. Everyone involved in this project should be very proud of the work they've done, and continue to do.

We visited for lunch at 12:15 on a Wednesday. We were 15 minutes early for our reservation. We…read morewere politely offered our choice of tables throughout the house. We chose a table in the room which was ultimately the music room. We each ordered wine from a very nice server and then perused the lunch menu. We were served our beverages within 15 minutes. My partner ordered the Tuna Melt sandwich. I ordered the Chicken Salad sandwich. The restaurant gives the kitchen enough time to customers to finish the first glass before your food order arrives. That's okay, the restaurant caters to casual lunch customers.

Cute venue in Chesterfield which has expanded my options for places to host future event. First…read morething that came to mind was I am walking into a Hallmark movie setting. I say that as a compliment because I enjoy these movies and the festive cozy set up. Live Music was fabulous on the day we went. Also got a tour of the venue and I am already thinking of hosting a future Galentines day or lunch gathering in the spring time. Reasonable food selection options including for vegetarians. Appreciate the venue allowed us to bring our own cake without restrictions in place. Only concern is parking which worked out for all but maybe a sign on the venue instructing how guests can park so guests are not concerned about towing / ticketing. Until next time.

An adorable, rustic log cabin in the midst of a modern-day subdivision, the Bacon Log Cabin is…read moreworth a trip. The cabin is open May-October on the 1st & 3rd Sundays from 1pm-4pm and maintained by the Old Trails Historical Society. 2015 marks the 180th anniversary of the cabin, which was built by William Douglas Bacon. Unfortunately, the structure contains little to no actual bacon (boo) but it has been restored as a pioneer cabin. The stone fireplace is original as are the logs, beams, and some fireplace bricks. The cabin houses period furnishings and a museum display of West St. Louis County historical memorabilia. The docent, Irene, was highly knowledgeable and extremely spry for 86. In addition to giving tours, she helped fund the preservation of the root cellar on the property, cans her own raspberry preserves, and quilts. I felt as though I had taken a step back in time to a simpler, but definitely not easier, way of living. There were a lot of things to take in during the walk through the cabin, including a kitchen, bedroom, working gun above the mantelpiece. In June 2015, the Forget Me Not Garden Club dedicated a Blue Star Memorial byway marker, honoring service men and women, that can be found near the front entrance. The dedication that members of this historical society have shown to restoring this structure and open it to public viewing is inspiring. A must see, underrated historical attraction for anyone with an interest in historic houses and Americana.

Docent lead tour of an amazing and well loved house. So well maintained with commitment and love…read more Our docent was so knowledgeable! No doubts about her love of this house and keeping this beauty around for all to enjoy!

Santa House Starts tomorrow. Get the perfect Holiday spirit at Oakland. Their Santa, puppet show…read moreand Mrs Claus' cookies send you off singing Christmas songs. 11 am until 2:30 pm Dec 7,8,14,15. Two weekdaysDec 11 & 12, from 9 am until noon. Only $7 each.

This is a smaller movie theater, located within Plaza Frontenac. Please note there are several…read moresteps to get into the theater but they do offer a wheelchair elevator, but that may require assistance from a staff member. One thing unusual about this theater is there is not a concession stand. Bring your own snacks and fill up your water bottle before you go in because the bathroom and water fountain are not within the theater complex. Many of the movies that are shown here are independent films and more of the art house variety.

I can no longer recommend this cinema until the current renovation is done, (which they are open…read moreduring this process). Considering ticket prices, hard, flattened out seats, uneven sound, no fresh popcorn and a bathroom across the mall is not a desirable movie going experience. In the past this was a pretty good place to see some of the non mainstream movies but my recent visit here Dec 2023 made up my mind, I'll pass until thing get resolved.

Beautiful trail with great access and not crowded in early May. Many birds (including a turkey.)…read moreRent bikes right on the trail in St Charles from the Bike Stop Cafe.

For my thousandth review, I had to pick somewhere special and to me, there's nowhere more special…read morein the state of Missouri than the Katy Trail. My friend and I rode this trail in its entirety; just over 240 total miles of trail spanning Clinton, MO to Machens, MO east to west, and the three and a half days out here were paradise. The trees recently bloomed (mid-May) and formed a shaded tunnel for several miles along the ride. Aside from the occasional rural highway to cross, you'll ride free of cars in peace on this classic rails-to-trail state park. I don't know if it's the constant endorphins from riding, the unique sights and smells of nature, or just the unknown adventure of heading across the state by bike, but this equated to one of my favorite trips I've ever taken in my life. For the next trip, we're taking Amtrak straight to Sedalia so we don't have to get dropped off, plus, who doesn't love traveling by train? I want to break it down day by day below, as well as shout out to some great local spots that we found along the way. But first, trail details if you're planning a trip: It's crushed limestone, which can be dry and dusty some years, or a bit sloshy during others. I have a road bike but opted to take a cross bike for this one with 35 mm tires. While the trail packs down very well and is ridable from nearly any bike, I highly recommend at least 30 mm or wider tires. No need for mountain bike tires, but at least something wide enough to be more comfortable as you log miles. Day 1: We were dropped off at Clinton and had a destination of Boonville; all told it was around 78 miles with a break halfway in Sedalia. The Clinton stretch is a bit boring compared to the rest, with looser gravel and not a ton of scenery. Sedalia was a nice change of pace and we broke from the trail to find Kehde's BBQ in an old MKT train car, along with Ozark Coffee which is by far the best cup of coffee in Sedalia. There's a stretch after Sedalia with no trailheads, no water, no nothing, so plan accordingly. We finished our first day by staying in the historic Hotel Frederick in Boonville, ready to set out and get river views for day 2. Day 2: By far the most epic day. The bluffs as you approach Rocheport are towering and unlike most of Missouri's somewhat limited scenery. The Rocheport tunnel is amazing and you've got to get a photo there, and then shortly after you'll find Meriweather Cafe... the best spot along our trip. Not too far after that is the landing with music, Thai food (Chim's) and scenery. We dodged some thunderstorms in mid-May, but were able to get into our hotel at Jeff City right before the skies opened up. Day 3: Jeff City is not my fav, so we waited out storms and headed through a workmanlike, dodgy part of the trail. It got better as we got further away from Jeff City, and the sun popped out and the trail met the river again. Scenery slowly changes as you approach Hermann, MO, famous for all their wineries and festivals. Crashed at an AirBNB in the middle of nowhere that night, and got up before the sun to finish the trail on the final day. Day 4: My friend and I were up and out by 5:45 a.m. so we could make our train back to KC. Beautiful early morning ride through the country, then into Weldon Spring and a nature preserve just outside St. Louis. This was a beautiful stretch, but it starts to feel more suburban the closer in you get which feels weird after nothing but nature. We made it to St. Charles, took photos with the Lewis & Clark statues, and crushed some food at Bike Stop Cafe. All that was left is a somewhat odd 13 miles of loose track out to Machens, a total map dot. Not sure why the trail goes here, but we had to finish it all so we did it just this once. It would be a much more natural ending, or beginning, to situate in St. Charles as there are tons of places to stay and eat, plus a classic river landing. We got picked up from a scheduled shuttle with Bike Stop Cafe and they took us out to the Kirkwood Amtrak, about 45 minutes away for $80. We hopped aboard the train (only an extra $10 per person for bikes, but they can only accommodate 4 per train so make reservations) and took it back to Union Station back home in KC. This place is a win-win-win: A major win for cyclists/hikers/nature enthusiasts, a win for cars who hate cyclists on the road (c'mon man), and a win for Missouri as it showcases the longest rails-to-trails conversion in the entire US. They take good care of it overall, but I'd love to see some more water stops along the way as you really need to ration it at times. The Katy really is a special place, and whether you set out to do the whole thing, ride a day with friends to a winery/brewery, or take the fam to explore, I cannot recommend it highly enough. Typically when I take trips, I want to get AWAY from the state I live in, but having this one in my back yard makes for an unforgettable trip and one I'm hoping to make into an annual tradition.

River's Edge Park is an amazing place to get a workout in. This beautiful park has both gravel and…read moremulch paths for walking and running. Dogs seem to love this park. The lake has plenty of benches around the perimeter for viewing the scenery or taking a break. There is even a path to the river which makes for good photos. This Summer and Fall were both beautiful at River's Edge. I am looking forward to getting pictures of all four seasons at this park!

signage could have been better for those of us wanting to see the river. A word of caution though…read moreif you have kids or pets the bank is steep and can be slick and the river is unforgiving. Be careful!

I recently visited EdgeWild Restaurant & Winery with some out-of-town colleagues, and overall it…read morewas another solid experience. Our server was very attentive and did a great job taking care of our group. The only hiccup during the visit was timing--we arrived shortly after a busload of guests, which slowed down the kitchen a bit and led to a longer wait for our food. That said, the service remained strong throughout. For lunch, I ordered the combo with a Green Apple Cashew salad and the 1/2 World Traveler Reuben, made with house-smoked turkey, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, Thai Thousand Island, and black Russian pumpernickel. Both the salad and sandwich really hit the spot--fresh, flavorful, and well-prepared. This was my eighth visit over the past three years, and I can honestly say I've never had a bad meal here. Even with the slight delay this time, the consistency in food quality and service keeps me coming back.

I've been here many times and they never disappoint! I appreciate coming to this restaurant because…read morethey are willing to accommodate my large party. It's very hard to find a restaurant nowadays that will take large parties. I have to recommend the pizza! It's always so fresh and great tasting. We always get the crab chowder as well. It tastes so good and you have to get it as an appetizer.