Last weekend my girlfriends and I visited one of my
*new* favorite places in all the world; Missouri's first state capitol,
St. Charles.
Brick streets & sidewalks, antique lampposts, horse drawn carriage rides, historic buildings, seemingly endless quaint shops, fine dining, a marching band that periodically marches through the street-all of my favorite town characteristics-all in one place. It was a very good day, to say the least.
Our trip began with a McDonald's breakfast at 6am. I got my favorite treat; a cinnamelt and a caramel frappe. We won't talk about the excessive calorie or sugar intake-this was a special day.
We arrived at around 10:30 am., took a good look at our surroundings, and began our shopping adventure...
At 11:30, we enjoyed a beautiful, outdoor lunch at
Little Hills Winery.
They seated us right next to the tranquil pond!
(It's the little things in life that make me happy.)
The food was delectable, the service exceptional, but the company was by far my favorite part...
We had some live aviary entertainment while we waited for our meal to arrive. A crow helped himself to a patron's unwanted fries...
A tiny bird took full advantage of a giant bird bath opportunity...
We had the most fun in "
Thistle and Clover"; a Celtic shop.
It was here that we all fell in love with an irresistible Irish man.
He and Angie hit it off right away...
Seconds earlier, she made his hand fall off. Clearly, he was not amused....neither were the shopkeepers.
I never knew a man in a
skirt, big fur hat, and purse could look so handsome! Maybe I should have purchased some Irish garb for Dale...
Heidi, you naughty girl!
He brought out Rebecca's
wild side...
By this time, Tressa was wondering how she ever got herself into this crazy mess! She seems to be thinking,
"Who ARE these woman!?"
My friend Angie and I discovered that we have the same taste....in everything! Our favorite shop was called, "
European Accent".
It was here that we bought matching red scarves and set our eyes on the most adorable black, wooden wheelbarrow with wicker basket carrier.
She was able to purchase it for $30 less at a different shop, but here, it was love at first site for both of us.
I can't wait to help her decorate her front porch with it!
And finally, we arrived at the little shop I've been dreaming about since discovering it last September....
Cobblestone.
It was filled with all sorts of primitive eye candy.
I purchased a plaque I had been searching for for over eight years. It says,
"Give us this day our daily bread". I've found the perfect spot for it in my kitchen.
Last but not least, we enjoyed a twenty-five minute horse drawn carriage ride through the town.
This is another thing I can mark off of my list of "Things to do before I die". The horse's large, heavy hooves made a soothing, methodical sound against the brick street. The slate blue, velvet seats were soft and luxuriously plush after a long day of shopping. "Madi" trotted steadily past all the adorable shops, past the scenic Missouri River, past the black, shiny statue of Lewis and Clark, past the old train station, bringing us back to where we started.
I think we counted five separate weddings on our trip around the city. The weather could not have been more perfect for those blessed couples.
Farewell, St. Charles. We hope to visit again very soon!
Juliette is showing off her missing bottom tooth. She just lost it, her first, last night.
Doesn't Richard look like an angel in this picture? Let me assure you, the boy is no angel! Rock throwing, letting beach toys float down the River, walking all over the blankets with sandy feet, taking his shorts off and running around neck-ed on a public beach, throwing dry towels into the river...these were just a few of his many naughty pleasures. It felt like he was being punished every fifteen minutes!
and below the surface of the water.
and below the surface of the water.
