Oklahoma & Tennessee

The boys and I started our road trip with a couple of nights in Tulsa to see my grandma and my uncle there.

TRUE STORY. Boys playing together - not fighting!

The boys with my grandma and my uncle

We broke up the next part of our trip, to Alabama, with a stop in Memphis to see college friends.

The Arch

The last time this friend came to town, it was pouring down rain when we went to the Arch. So we didn't go up to the top.This time, good weather was here, AND the renovations had been finished. The updated museum opened its doors in July. I loved the old museum, but they did an amazing job with the new one!

The new museum, with a new entrance, includes some of the older artifacts, interspersed with new displays and interactive exhibits.

We walked by the Old Courthouse on our way to the Arch.

Great-looking new entrance!

Really cool full-size models of typical houses.

Eero Saarinen's two claims to fame.

And now, the Old Courthouse, from 630 feet up.

We also stopped by the Old Cathedral.

We read about the Mississippi River Overlook (Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park) online, so we stopped over in Illinois to see the St Louis skyline from the overlook. Nice! (Even nicer if someone could talk St Louis into burying the power lines...)

St Louis Science Center

A good friend came to spend the week with us in St Louis, so we showed her some of the great things the city has to offer… starting with the St Louis Science Center. In past years, it had been getting a bit run down, but they've recently made some great additions and improvements, including the new(ish) agricultural section outside. 

Still have to keep them… can't afford to send them to the moon.

Somehow, I don't think we did this quite right.

Benjamin made some great flying & floating machines - this was new since we last went.

Noah's favorite part of the science center

The Butterfly House

We redeemed the Butterfly House trip the next day. It was still quite an accomplishment herding 13 people (us, my parents, my brother & his family, other niece & nephew, and friends) out of the house, into cars, and to the same place, but we did it! 

Castlewood

The boys came back from camp, and less than a week later, they and I took off for the US for a month.

We started out in St Louis, where we stayed with my parents. When we realized the Butterfly House closes mid-afternoon, we changed our plans and went to Castlewood instead.