Plan: five days of rest and leisure in St. Louis, the "Gateway to the West." Possibly visit St. Mary's, KS on the way back. Go to the top of the Arch, visit old Catholic churches, sample local European American food, and maybe even swim a bit in an indoor hotel pool. Such was the dream!
Five plus days later, back here in T-town sitting in my Okie Armchair, I can testify to the veracity of Murphy's Law. "If anything can go wrong, it will." Or rather the hallowed truth that this earthly adventure we call Life is a Valley of Tears. But also a blessing. Looking back on our adventure, we definitely experienced both sides of the same coin.
Hanging over I-44 in Northeast Oklahoma is an actual McDonald's which used to be considered the largest McDonald's in the world. The cashier who served us our breakfast told me the largest is now in Russia. Over eggs, sausage, and pancakes, we enjoyed the first signs of sunrise greeting us from the east.
The ride was uneventful, but we did see some nice scenery in what I think were parts of the Ozarks. The thirty minutes you approach St. Louis is especially hilly and scenic. And you know you are transitioning from a more Evangelical Protestant area to a more Catholic area when many towns are named after a saint, and a number of steeples decorate the sky.
Our first day went fairly well, though not exactly to plan, as can be
expected on any major road trip. Turns out Union Station was closed for renovations, a rail road station which also serves as a mall and location for hotels and restaurants. So our lunch plan turned to finding some parking downtown, walking several blocks, and eating calzones at Sauce on the Side. Not bad.
Next on our To-See List, the St. Louis Catholic Cathedral Basilica.
Probably the most beautiful church I've ever been in. When you first walk inside, the size and height of the main vaulted ceiling, covered in Byzantine mosaics, highlighted with sparkling pieces of gold, really hits you, and you are instantly transported into a sacred building. We sat in the back to pray, just mesmerized.
As I had only slept six hours the night before, if that, after working over time days before leaving, by now I was ready to check into a hotel for a nap. The plan was nap for an hour, then go to the St. Louis Busch Brewery for a tour and tasting before dinner. No such luck. We crashed until 6:30 then headed to a restaurant that sticks out fondly in my childhood memory when our family visited St. Louis. The Old Sphaghetti Factory. Historic restaurant in a historic district of the city, surrounded by cobble stone streets, blocks from the Arch, all underground with a kind of nineteenth century, candle-lit New Orleans-style atmosphere.
And that is where it all went down hill, in my later estimation.
I loved the atmosphere which drew me into the history of the area, the food was decent, and the service fair.
But twelve hours later I was doubled over in bed in the fetal position with a stomach ache straight out of H-E-Double Hockey Sticks, and for the next 24 hours I literally had to jolt to the toilet 24 times (my wife counted).
The likely culprit? Well, the kitchen had forgotten to add my chicken to my plate, and made it quickly after I told the server. So that's at the top of my list. (Mental note to self: the next time a restaurant kitchen forgets your chicken and makes it quickly, carefully inspect before ingesting).
It's now Monday, and I'm still having GI symptoms and residual weakness. Thursday was a blur spending the whole day in bed.
But Friday signs and symptoms subsided enough to check out of our motel and spend a slow, easy day at the free St. Louis Zoo, which was really nice. The layout made for a continuous, curving walk past various animal exhibits, and even more food areas. There must've been two dozen areas to sit and eat. I didn't eat (very much), but often I would sit in the shade to rest sipping away on Gaterade. I could really tell I was majorly dehydrated.
The Penguins: Our Favorite Exhibit
Later we (I should say I) had enough energy to visit another Catholic church, this one listed as the 6th highest church in the US, once given by now Cardinal Burke to the Institute of Christ the King priestly society for the exclusive offering of the Traditional Latin Mass. We arrived around 4:45, and the doors were locked. Looking up at the French Gothic steeples, I was dizzy.
That night we decided to treat ourselves to a 3 star hotel, the Pear Tree Inn near Union Station, which looks directly down the street downtown to the St. Louis Arch. I'm more a Motel 6 kind of guy, but this was a welcome reprieve.
That is until about 7 am the next morning when a second wave of GI distress hit. For about 3 hours I got treated to abdominal cramps hitting every thirty seconds, to the point I finally went to the toilet, got down on my knees, and stuck my fingers down my throat. What a relief. Oh and for fun, I also had a major rash break out all over my body. I crawled back into bed for another 24 hour suck it up, this is life, until the next morning things finally subsided and I got some energy back.
Enough to go to the St. Louis Arch just before leaving town. You have to again find a parking garage, and hike a few blocks. Unfortunately it was a three hour wait to go to the top, so we just saw the museum and movie, and bought some souvenirs, before hitting the road for the six hours back to Tulsa.
Anyway, my energy levels are normalizing and I'm back to the daily rhythm. I feel a bit like Chevy Chase's character in one of the National Lampoon Vacation movies. Looking back on our little trip, it had its real rough spots, but I have a smile on my face. We did get some rest, got to take a dip in the hotel pool, and saw some beautiful sites. Deo gracias.