Sunday in St. Louis

Even slower and weather's even drearier than Saturday's (about a thirty degree drop from the fantastic Friday) and I will just note this: the bar we impulsively chose on the way back from Small Business Saturday shopping for a quick dinner, local institution the Bleeding Deacon, turned out to be having its second to last night before an indefinite hiatus? closure? closure before relocation? that night. I am so glad I went: good beer menu and impressive food menu (vegetarian and non-, gourmet touches, probably lower prices than a similar place in Chicago--and embarrassingly, I couldn't think of an equivalent place in Chicago). And I'm glad I took a few photos, even if I can't upload and post them yet. So I will take the extremely rare step of posting someone else's photo, since I actually got to ask permission in person and all. Here's one Darren took two and a half years ago:



Flickr link to it here. I also recommend his other photos of the bar, including him hugging the jukebox, an entry in the GroupHug St. Louis photo contest earlier this year.

Saturday in St. Louis

Was a somewhat quiet, drizzly day here in St. Louis. Observed Small Business Saturday in a few neighborhoods. Again, since I can't get new photos uploaded yet, here's a shot from one of my first visits in 2011, for a nice corner grocery, Gustine Market. I've seen this sign out on every trip this year.



Link to this on Flickr

Thanksgiving

Brief post from the road, from the unexpected trip mentioned late Wednesday. I made it to St. Louis all right and on time (a little early). I had a relaxing morning and a great day of taking photos of mostly abandoned/vacant things in suburbs I hadn't seen before. In between the photo opportunities, a pleasant afternoon watching the National Dog Show on NBC (a Thanksgiving tradition I haven't done before) and then eating at a restaurant with my host Darren's parents. (I was the only one who ordered a Thanksgiving-type meal; couldn't resist.)

Relaxing in the evening (looking at Black Friday ads in the StL paper, though I didn't intend to shop much this weekend), then a house party at his friends' where we probably consumed more calories of snacks (so much cheese!) than during the afternoon meal, and I bravely tolerated watching some of the Cardinals World Series 2011 commemorative DVD surrounded by Cards fans (reliving the infamous Game 6, which I got to watch with my parents on my most recent Iowa visit and the one kind of substituting for visiting for Thanksgiving, wasn't bad).

I've had good Thanksgivings with my family and good ones going on adventures around Chicago--seeing what stores were open on Thanksgiving one year; my first visit to the great Korean grocery store Chicago Food; my then-longest-ever bike ride in Chicago (about 50 miles on what I've told everyone was a 60-degree day, but from the forecasts this week saying Chicago was about to have its first 60-degree Thanksgiving in 13 years, I guess I was off a little); an excursion to an abandoned trade school in 2007 (one of my all-time favorite posts here)...This was a chance to do something a little different, and I'm glad I took it.

the abandoned Googieesque gas stations of East St. Louis

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oh, I know you've been waiting for this one...if you're one of the few people I mentioned this to over drinks, if I ever even did that, maybe I just imagined it. but I've been wanting to post it for a while. really just a photoblog entry, since the history of gas stations is something I haven't learned yet. I certainly could on Flickr, but I'm trying to learn more about trains and transit (and as always, architecture), so I haven't put much effort into learning the history of gas stations, chain restaurants, motels, department, discount, and grocery stores, etc. I imagine when I post more of these on Flickr I'll get some help.

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photos of this first place were taken mid-June 2008:

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flowers that go rather well with the fallen sign:

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yes, another large symmetrical shot looking out! the rest are from my trip on September 9. 2008:

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okay, this one isn't Googieesque, I just thought it had interesting signage, and it was across from the previous station:

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both these trips were on absolutely gorgeous warm sunny days, when I took the Metrolink from St. Louis by myself and wandered around downtown East St. Louis for the afternoon, including into several abandoned buildings. the followup will be the terrazzos of downtown East St. Louis (and I should post the abandoned buildings eventually!).

(okay, that was three new posts in three days, but I'm not locking myself into a daily format here--hopefully several posts a week, though)