St. Louisans or still Tourists?

We have now lived in St. Louis for 2 weeks and I think it is high time we call ourselves St. Louisans, but there is only one problem: we are still acting like tourists!

After we settled in and our family left, we stayed at home for a few days and unpacked. I quickly found a sports radio station that talked about Cardinal Baseball all day and that became my best friend. And although most of you thought the next sentence would be that talk radio only lasts for so long, that is not how this story goes. In fact, with school not starting for another few weeks, I have grown to enjoy listening to all the interviews (as well as the whining and complaining) about a professional sports team where they can really criticize as opposed to the college stuff I was used to in Knoxville.

However, my radio interests will not carry you all through the rest of this, so I will move on. Erica and I quickly found the Brentwood Public Library and checked out some books and movies to entertain ourselves. We also got internet and cable and we were officially "moved in."

Erica and I began to research the city and find out what we could do here to entertain ourselves. It didn't take long to realize there would be plenty to do. Last Friday night, Erica and I went out to eat at Pappy's. Pappy's is a Memphis style Bar-B-Q place that we attempted to eat at when the Rockwells were in town, but were not able to since it was closed due to selling out of food. We later learned that it is so popular that they often sell out of pork and are forced to close, so if you want to go there, you have to go early! It was worth it.

Our night did not end there as we finished our date by going to the City Museum. I'm not normally one for a museum full of art, but this is not normal art. In 1997, the city bought an old building that housed the International Shoe Company and went out and got a bunch of old "junk". They then used the junk to make a huge adult playground of cages, slides, and tunnels. Included is an old airplane, school bus, the world's largest pencil, and a mini circus. After being on our hands and knees for about 3 hours climbing, sliding, and exploring we didn't even have to pay for souvenirs to say we had gone as we clearly had the bruises, scrapes, and aches to prove it.

Over the past week, Erica has gotten settled into her new job, and I have now read 2 books and watched several movies (oh how I will miss these days in a few years when I'm working all the time...). Erica and I also discovered Forest Park as a great place to walk. Forest Park is located just outside of WashU and it was the location of the World's Fair in 1904. All but 2 buildings from the Fair were temporary and were torn down, but they converted the rest of the park into one of the Nation's largest urban parks, which happens to be about 500 acres larger than New York's Central Park. Although we have enjoyed it, the heat is as unbearable here as it is anywhere else in the South and the grueling 105 degrees has made it hard to take too long of walks.

After a week of recovery, the following Thursday we went to went to see a play at the Muny. The Muny is a giant outdoor theater located on the grounds of Forest Park. The theater was built in 1917 and when it opened they had a section in the back where the seats were free. Today they still have 1,500 free seats and although they seem about a mile away from the stage, of course I was cheap enough to only want to sit in them. So Erica and I went to see the musical Showboat, which interestingly made it's premier outside of New York at the Muny in 1930. The musical was one neither Erica and I had seen before and so neither of us recognized the songs. Although it might not rank as our favorite, the experience of watching theater at the Muny is very exciting.

This weekend, we are attending our first Cardinal baseball game in the New Busch Stadium, which happens to be Erica's first Cardinal baseball game, and my first Cardinals game when they are playing the evil Cubs. So, as you can see, although we now call ourselves St. Louisans, we are still acting like tourists.