we're so cool we already have guests...

After just a few hours of sleep, I drove to our future apartment in Columbia, IL and signed the papers. I started moving things into the apartment, and later, after checking out of the extended stay (and sneaking Baxter out the side door), Kraig and I finished moving the rest of our things. Right now, the only furniture in our apartment is an air mattress, a card table with chairs, and a camping chair. We plan on buying a bed, but other than that we are going to be living a very utilitarian lifestyle for the next 6 months!

Early in the evening Kraig's sister Sarah and her family (Rusty, Zachary, and Adam) arrived. See how cool we are? We just moved in, and we already have guests! Kraig had to go to work so I took them out to dinner in downtown Saint Louis. I felt bad because I know absolutely nothing about the area yet except that there is an arch! They didn't seem to mind though, and they enjoyed exploring it along with me... except when we went the wrong way! oops, oh well!

When Kraig and I were in Seattle, we discovered a restaurant called The Old Spaghetti Factory. We really liked it, and proclaimed that they serve the best meatballs that we have ever had! I found out that there was one in St. Louis, so I decided to take everyone there for dinner. The restaurant was huge and was a lot like the one in Seattle- even the meatballs. They were awesome, so I was not disappointed. Kraig and I will have to go there at a later date!

After we ate, we walked along the Mississippi River. It is huge, and looks even bigger right now because it is flooded. My nephews and I stood in it. They were screaming and running around because the water was so cold. Okay, well they were right it was really cold.. but I told them that if their aunt (a girl) could handle it that they had better get back in it and pose for a picture!! :)

We ended the evening by going shopping at The Galleria Mall... I found an H& M (yes!) and Sarah found some sandals that she had been trying to find for 2 years! So, I would say it was a successful day.

Unfortunately for them- we have no furniture- they all slept on the living room floor on blankets and pillows- kind of like camping, I guess. Baxter may have terrorized them a little, but they loved it! They said that they would be babysit him anytime. Rusty (who usually hates cats) even likes Baxter. He says it is because Baxter has personality. He is right, Baxter is not lacking in the "personality" department!

On Tuesday morning, Sarah, Rusty, my nephews, and I went to Meramac Caverns in Stanton, MO. We went on a cave tour. The cave was really cool, and the gift shop was actually underground. The cave was pretty long and had a lot of different formations (speleothems). Some of its more famous ones are the Wine Table (a ragonite formation which is so rare that there is only one other one in the world), the Stage Curtain, and Onyx Mountain (the third largest active stalagmite in the world). The Wine Table was cool even though some high schoolers a few years back actually broke it. Way to go morons. The formation was also surrounded by some other really cool formations called "grape clusters." I liked them because they can only be formed underwater. The cave also had tons of other stalactites, stalagmites, and soda straws. I love soda straws, and I even learned something new about them. They are actually just precursors to stalactites.

Despite all of the cool cave formations and awesome science in action... my nephews were preoccupied with some of the history surrounding Meramac Caverns. We visited the cave in the first place because my nephews are obsessed with the outlaw, Jesse James. He used this cave as a hideout and to outsmart the police back in the day. We got to see some artifacts associated with Jesse James, where he actually stayed when he was in the cave, and his escape route out of the cave. It was actually pretty cool.

After the cave, we headed back to the apartment. On the way back we stopped at Bandana's BBQ, and Kraig met us for a late lunch. The food and service were great, and my nephews charmed the waitress so well that they each got souvenir bandanas! I was a little bit proud of them in that moment, I must say. I have a feeling that the BBQ shacks in "this neck of the woods" will become our restaurants of choice as the crab shacks were back in Maryland! I have already found some BBQ places with some really funny names, so we will be checking them out for sure!

After lunch, Kraig had to leave for work. Unfortunately, he had to be responsible and he wasn't able to do very many touristy things with his family. He did as much as he could though. After he left, the rest of us ventured on down the road to Union Station. It is filled with shops and restaurants and seems like a pretty cool place. My nephews did some trampoline harness activity, and we looked through all of the souvenir ships. I hope to go back with Kraig. We pretty much just hung out the rest of the evening and went to sleep so that we could get an early start the next day.

On Wednesday morning, Kraig and I, along with everyone else, went to the Gateway Arch. We rode to the top in a little pod-like elevator. My nephews and I think that there should be a water slide for the ride back down! I have been to the arch before, but I still enjoyed going up there with Kraig. We got an excellent view of the city. Also... I want to point out that we have barely been in the St. Louis area for a week and I have already made it to the top of the arch. Obviously it likes me better than the Washington Monument! ha!

After going up in the Arch, we walked through the Museum of Western Expansion. One of the exhibits featured excerpts from journals written by Lewis and Clark and followed their journey westward. I loved it because I find them very interesting. After that, I took Kraig home, and Sarah, Rusty, and the kids continued sightseeing in St. Louis for the day. They went to the Cardinal's stadium, ate at the Hard Rock Cafe, rode the subway, and went to the children's museum before coming home so the boys and I could play a little basketball. I can't believe that they rode the public transportation before me!

They left on Thursday, and I was left to my cat and my furniture-less apartment. It was fun sharing their spring break with them and was a good way for me to start my time and my sightseeing in this new place.