a night in the city

     30 hours. That's all the time we had in St. Louis, but we were so busy exploring that we didn't notice. Charlie and I met his family for a weekend of festivals, restaurants, picnics, climbing trees and drinking lemonade. Here's what we did - (in chronological order):

Strange Folk Festival: 
http://www.strangefolkfestival.com/
I never knew a September afternoon could be so hot! But the festival was worth it, and we stayed hydrated with water and frozen cheesecake. We were surrounded by hipsters, intricate craftsmanship and music. Flowers, carpentry, photography, painting, clothing and jewelry filled the streets of Lafayette Square - it was a haven for art lovers.

Crown Candy Kitchen: 
http://crowncandykitchen.net/
This quaint candy/ice cream shop was opened in 1913 and is still owned by the same family. It was a time portal to the 1950's complete with soda fountain, jukebox and coat racks. My chocolate banana malt was dee-vine! I felt like I should be wearing full skirts and bright red lipstick.

Art in the Park: 
http://www.artintheparkstl.com/
Another festival inundated with arts and craftsmanship. There were also old ladies wearing bulky jewelry, little boys begging for ice cream and pleasant, tall pine trees. It was hard not buying everything in sight - I saved ideas instead - for my future craft projects. The next arts I want to try: screen printing and pottery.

Murmuration Festival: 
http://murmurationfest.com/
This was a "must" on our list because some of us are interested in entrepreneurship and innovation. We visited the Tech Shop and took a tour of their expensive equipment including a 60,000 psi water jet, sewing machines, vinyl cutters, metal lathes and other impressive machines that I didn't understand. Vendors were showing off the newest inventions, 3D printers and robots. It was mind-blowing what cool things people come up with!

Hispanic Festival: 
http://www.hispanicfestivalstl.com/
Soulard Park was the perfect green spot for this quaint fiesta. The music was loud, the dancers were having fun and lemonade was only 50 cents. We walked about, talking to some vendors, admiring the bright colors and taking pictures, but only for a short time - the group of us was pretty bushed.

Mission Taco Joint: 
http://missiontacojoint.com/
Our little weekend vacation ended at this cool place. It had a west coast atmosphere with patio lights, bumper stickers and industrial interior decorations. Plus, the tacos were out of this world delicious. I had a South Beach burrito and about 5 baskets of tortilla chips. Someday I'll be going back :)

     The trip was a lovely reprieve from daily life - Charlie and I were so happy to be with family. We love seeing new things and experiencing the big city every now and then! And being with loved ones always brings lifetime memories. But we are glad to be back in our humble apartment where we can be cozy during long autumn nights.