Mister and I had decided to only give each other stocking gifts for Christmas and then take a trip afterwards. He had booked a sleeper car on Amtrak and we left Dallas and were off to St. Louis --- I was so excited as I had never been there before and he said it had been 30 years since he had. Our cabin was perfect and we settled in for the evening.
We arrived in St. Louis early in the morning and took the transit rail towards Delmar Loop where our hotel was hoping for an early check-in. We were lucky and I found out that Mister had gotten us the "Shelley Winters" suite. It was beautiful and we were certainly spoiled.
After dropping off our things, we were off to check out the city. The weather wasn't all that great, but we were hopeful that it wouldn't last the whole weekend. We rode the trains, took cabs, and walked, never seeming to have any trouble finding our way around. The first evening found us checking out a couple of micro-brews, shopping in a little boutique (I got a new purse!!!), and finding the most wonderful little romantic spot all based on chocolate. At around 10 that evening we headed to the City Museum which opened late on Friday nights for adults and for two hours you could wander and play with the aid of a little tiny flashlight only --- no lights. A must see for anyone going to St. Louis. I don't have any pictures of the cave (it was DARK) but at one point we wandered through it and climbed 7 stories to ride a slide back down. Add in the climbing we did outside and after two hours, we were exhausted --- and very sore for a couple of days, lol. This was truly one of the greatest times I have ever had --- I have talked about it time and time again since we returned.
We slept in a little the next day -- go figure huh. Our hotel was right on Delmar Loop and that day the entire street was having an ice festival and so we were able to explore the shops and take in the festival atmosphere. From ice slides, ice putting greens, ice sculptures in front of each shop and ice games for kids at all the stores to various street acts and music, it was festive indeed. 
After spending the morning there and enjoying a Thai lunch, we headed for other parts of the city. Next stop was the Cathedral Basilica and all I can say about that is "Oh My Gosh!" I have been in some of the most beautiful religious buildings, but this was beyond anything that I had ever seen. The ENTIRE place was done in mosaic pictures -- tiny tiles that showed absolute detail and beauty. They didn't leave any space untouched and the walls, ceiling, pillars, etc. showed that beauty in abundance. We both stood in awe.
We wandered down to the waterfront that night for a stop at another micro brew and then off for dinner and the end of the day. After last nights late night, we were beat. The next day the sun was shining. YEAH!! We had waited to do the Gateway Arch hoping that we would actually be able to see the city from it. We quickly headed down there, even forgoing breakfast and walked the grounds and got out tickets, picked up some hot cocoa, and visited the museum that is below the monument. As you can tell, we had a bit of a wait, but it was oh so worth it. This was one of the most incredible views for me and I was still in shock that I could even go up in the arch. That was news to me. Mister and I took the time from the top of the arch to call Raef and sing happy birthday to him as we looked out over the city. What a great memory.
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