St Louis - Part II

St. Louis Zoo

On day 3 of our stay in St. Louis, I met a friend and her son for a zoo visit. It was a VERY large zoo, so we got tired well before we explored the whole place. What a treat that the zoo was free!

Ted Drewes

We were told by many that eating custard at this signature shop was a must. The large throng of people outside the shop confirmed its popularity. Thankfully, we got through the line quickly and enjoyed our tasty Ted Drewes. 

The Old Courthouse

The next day, we went to the heart of downtown and toured the Old Courthouse. Jaden and Cody each received a booklet that they could complete to earn a Jr. Ranger badge. 

 

We explored all parts of the courthouse in order to complete the booklet questions. The boys even had to learn the various components of a courtroom.

The hardest part was trying to find turtles in the courthouse architecture. We finally discovered them on the fences and gates outside!

After completing the required number of sections in their booklets, the boys turned the booklets in to the park ranger. They recited the Jr. Ranger pledge and earned their first ever badge!

The Gateway Arch

And of course, a visit to St. Louis just wouldn't be complete without a visit to the Arch.

Jaden and Cody watched the tourist video about how the Arch was made (I thought this was fascinating!) and completed some questions towards their Jr. Ranger badge here too. 

We spent a little bit of time in the visitor's center and then...

 ...rode up the elevator (mock ones seen below) to the top of the Arch.

Such amazing views from the top!

I had been to the top of the Arch as a young girl but had forgotten just how narrow the windows were!

The park ranger who gave Cody and Jaden their Jr. Ranger badges was the funniest man! He made the boys promise not to be "goofy spider monkeys" and had all kinds of other lines to make the boys smile. 

 

by the Mississippi River

 

Recognition Day at the Sem

On our final morning in St. Louis, we accompanied Jason to his closing chapel service at the seminary. The kids and I enjoyed seeing the beautiful campus where Jason has been doing his studies over the past 2 years.

At this chapel service, all of the SMP students in Jason's cohort were recognized because they have now finished enough coursework to be ordained as pastors. We enjoyed meeting the guys in Jason's cohort and were so proud to watch him be recognized for all of his hard work!

What a special day! How exciting to have another Pastor Schleicher in the family! It was a great culmination to our full week in St. Louis.