Not as old as I thought

I lived in St. Louis for two years after college. Somehow I never found time to go up.
K-

I've never been up, either. Some day.

We always took a different route so I think we probably only hit St. Louis two or three times. Once the Interstate system was in place, we would drive the entire length of Illinois, going past Chicago and on up to Wisconsin and over to Minnesota. We always got lost in St. Louis. Every time. And as we approached, I liked to caution Daddy to watch where you're going, pay attention, remember last time. That always put him in a good mood.

I predate the arch. That surprises me, too.

I'm so glad to hear your elbow was easily fixed, Rob!! :)

So, Mom, when did the trips start and why do I remember St Louis so vividly? I also remember that Robinson Crusoe campground. That was in Des Moines, wasn't it?

Yes, Kim, it was the best possible outcome. It's still a little funny feeling but I think it went well.

The trips started in December 1957. Grandpa built a playpen in the back seat for you, aged 10 months, where you were able to walk around, crawl around, flop backwards when we braked, or sideways when we turned a corner, and sleep for long periods. Certainly nothing anyone would countenance today, but lovely then because the alternative would have been holding you till you slept, and then putting you in the back seat to finish your nap, hoping I would catch you before you rolled off as you woke up. You were a good traveler and people admired you all the way up there, especially as we got closer to Minnesota where brown eyes and brown hair and olive complexions weren't seen very often. I learned two things about baby tending during that trip: the paper diapers sold at the time and recommended for travelers, turned into Kleenex once used and had to be scraped off the behind with a fingernail; Hydrox cookies, the Oreos of that time, were not good comfort food for a baby, even though highly enjoyable. They messed up the exterior pretty much and then a few hours later, they messed up the interior even more.

After that, our next auto trip was in 1961. We used Grandpa's brand new Oldsmobile, which was very elegant and caused us to believe we were superior to others on the road.

I may have misjudged how many trips took us through St. Louis. It could have been quite a few more than two or three, now that I'm thinking about it. That first trip I mentioned took us directly through the city, and we hit a detour which took us through the deepest and darkest areas and threw us out at midnight into East St. Louis where we found a cabin court that was open and would let us in. Quite unsavory, but at that time of night, I was even looking at "ROOMS" signs on old mansions that we were passing as we wound our way through St. Louis. We had long ago lost the detour directions and were just sort of floundering along, hoping we were headed north still.

That fine park was in Waterloo, Iowa, and that was your last family trip in 1972. I think you were entering high school in the fall and the next time you showed your face up there would have been in 1988 (I think) at the Glencoe reunion. I think I'm right on this, but if I'm not, you can set me straight.

The end. (I just don't think anyone is up to a rehash of each and every one of our many trips from south to north, although they were all fun and I'm so glad we were able to make them.)

We went to that park more than once. I'm sure we went on the 72 trip but there was at least one trip there before that because we were looking forward to it. I went on the 16yr plan after 72. 16 years later in 1988 and then 16 years later in 2004. I hope its not 16 more before I go back.

I think not. The reason we were in Waterloo was because we had been invited to spend the night at my childhood friend's house, Sallie and Dick Melchior. We never went that way again. For recreation when you were little, we stopped at country schoolhouses because they always had playground equipment that was pretty neat. After you had run and jumped to your heart's content, we ate a picnic lunch. There were no fast food places in the 60's and we probably couldn't have afforded them even if there were. Plus, I think we always had enough snack foods in the car, or if not enough, more than you were used to getting at home.

Don't forget, my memory of bygone days is long and very sharp. Don't quiz me on yesterday.

Sorry, Mom. We went there at least twice. I think we stumbled across it the first time but we looked for it the second time.

Thank you! You made my day and it's been a difficult one.

I'm glad the elbow thing went well and was relatively minor.

My family lived in St. Louis in 66/67. I dimly remember going up in the Arch when we were there, I was five or six. They also did riverboat cruises from that area if I remember correctly and we did a few of those also. I can't think of the name of the boat but it was a three or four deck monster (meaning huge to a little kid) and the lowest passenger deck was right on the water. How none of us (five kids) ever fell in I'll never know.

Thanks, Dave.

Riverboat cruises, particularly at night, are a blast. I don't know why I don't do it more often. Our 7th and 8th grade field trips were riverboat cruises taken aboard the aptly-named Mark Twain.

Meryl -- Just curious. Why thank you? Why was your day so awful? You left us hanging in the air with your cryptic comment. Let us hear from you again. Thanks.