29.6.2012 – 29.6.2012  43 °C

After our long driving day yesterday we started a little later than normal. Our first stop here in St Louis this very hot morning, was down to the Mississippi river in order for us to go on a paddle steamer! We’ve been trying at nearly every river town to find a paddle boat and now that we are at the end of our Mississippi trek we’ve finally found a paddle boat.

Our trip took us up the river past many of the old industrial buildings that line the banks of the Mississippi. This town has always been an industrial hub and is still one of the many river ports along the Mississippi. The trip up the river was actually not very scenic (due to the industrial-iness of the city) but it was pleasant being outside with a coolish breeze blowing on you… (Coolish being about 40 deg!)

From the river we headed a few blocks west to the City Museum. The City Museum in St Louis is a must for any visitor coming into town with kids. It is the maddest, craziest museum I’ve ever been into! It was built by the guy who just wanted to build a museum that was fun! As you arrive you can see a bus hanging off the roof of the museum, the outside is one big jungle gym!! Actually, the inside is one big jungle gym come maze.. Every part of the museum has bits that kids can climb into and out of and up and down! Just tops if you are about 10!!! Actually it is tops for adults too but we’re just too big to do some parts of the museum.. D and I went crawling thru this big white whale and did ok for some of it until I went down this cool little hole and all of a sudden I got to a spot where I actually couldn’t get out of! I had to squeeze my way under this over hang and crawl out of this small opening to get out!! I shocked this old guy who was standing right where I came out… Must have been pretty funny for him to find an adult suddenly lying at his feet. We kept wandering thru this mad house come slippery dip come fun park come maze until we couldn’t cope with the squealing and noise anymore!

Our last stop in St Louis was at a small (but super popular) ice cream joint in the south of St Louis that is a real St L institution. The shop has been here for almost a hundred years and sells frozen custard that you can add “bits” to it to make your own frozen custard concoction. The name for the frozen custard with your choice of bits is called a Concrete! So yep! Today I took my cup of concrete and I hardened up (well cooled off a bit anyhow!)

The last part of our day was us driving up the western side of the Mississippi up to Hannibal. Hannibal is the home of Mark Twain and therefore Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer! The most interesting part of our drive was when D got pulled over for speeding! 45 in a 30 zone… naughty, naughty! The cop let him off with a warning because ‘you will be home before you get the ticket’.. If only he knew…

Anyway, our super duper hot day is finally over.. we’re heading to Chicago tomorrow where it is supposed to be slightly cooler…. Here’s hoping!

Song of the Day– Creedence Clearwater Revival, Proud Mary