Vintage Vinyl

Cake Spinning

Vintage Vinyl started with 2 guys who love music and collected hundreds of records before renting a booth at the Soulard Farmer’s Market.  Since  then, they have rented 3 different store fronts until settling into the current one.

At first they only sold used records. That's because CDs were not invented yet. As their business grew they added new records and then eventually CDs to their stock. Music lovers will not be disappointed in their hunt for the out of print songs to the new releases. If it's not in stock, the knowledgeable staff will find and  order your tunes for you.

With the store stocked with records there is room for local artists to show off their "music" art work and to have bands play for a new release party.

Cake artist - Mark Tillman

Seventy-four down one hundred seventy-six to go.

Creve Coeur Lake

Cake of the Lake

For some reason I never warmed up to Creve Coeur Lake. To me it is always too crowded. When I first saw it I thought it was channel off of the Missouri River that formed a bay but it is really a lake.

 

Maybe there are too many dogs there, I am not much of a dog person and the place is full of them. I seem to find a lot of dog treasures there too.

 

Walk on the path and it seems to be Tour de France coming at me. People seem to like the lake and on this day there were kids flying kites, boats in the water and many people having a picnic lunch.

 

The artist of the cake caught the youthful spirit of the place because there are children flying kites on the cake. Also remember there is no lake in Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park

 

 

Cake artist- Deb Stroh

 

Guest blogger - Rich

 

Seventy-three down one hundred seventy-seven to go.

Lewis and Clark State Historic Site

Cake Journal

The Lewis and Clark National Historic Site is the number one site on Lewis and Clark. You can visit and see a replica of the 1803-04 winter  encampment, Camp Dubois. President Thomas Jefferson proposed the expedition westward to the Pacific Ocean, stressing the importance of discovering commercial opportunity.

But there would be much more discovered.

Lewis and Clark and their crew kept entries in journals of their discoveries. They maintained a weather diary for noting weather and climate observations and also included astronomical observations.

They wrote about the land forms, people and tribes they met and the plants and animals they saw. The cake has animals and plants that Lewis and  Clark 'discovered'. 

I wonder what Sacagawea thought about these new discoveries when she lived with them all her life.

Cake artist - Mike Ochonicky

Seventy-two down one hundred seventy-eight to go.

Confluence Tower

Meeting of the cakes

This impressive monument was built in 2010 and marks the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.

This location is also known to  commemorate the Lewis and Clarks’ historic expedition to the west in 1804 to 1806.

There are 3 platforms at 50, 100 and 150 feet each offering  progressively more impressive views of the surrounding area.

Cake artist - Jean Ponzi

Guest blogger - Rob

Seventy-one down one hundred seventy-nine to go.



 The confluence in the background.

National Great Rivers Museum

Dam Cake Dam Elevator

One of the best bargains in St Louis has to be the tour of the Melvin Price Locks and Dam. There is a free tour of the massive structure and there are great views at the top of the dam.

We received a little extra tour when the elevator door would not close and we had to walk down the stairs.


Good thing it was at the end of the tour because the next tour did not get a chance to go to the top of the dam.

Cake artist - Danielle Corelle

Guest blogger - Rich

Seventy down one hundred eighty to go.

Robert Wadlow Statue

Tallest cake ever.

Robert Wadlow is in the Guinness World Records to be the "Tallest Man Ever." He was last measured on June 27, 1940 and was 8 ft 11.1 in tall.

Here are some more TALL facts about Mr. Wadlow:

• shoe size was 37AA, they were 18.5 in long
• hands measured 12.75 in, from the wrist to the tip of the middle finger
• ring size was 25
• arm span was 9ft 5.75 in
• consumed 8000 calories a day

And...

At the age of nine, he was able to carry his father Harold F. Wadlow, who was once Mayor of Alton, up the stairs of the family home.

He died at the young age of 22 from a septic blister on his right ankle caused by a brace, which had been poorly fitted only a week earlier.

His coffin measured 10 ft 9 in long, 32 in wide and 30 in deep.

Cake artist - Screwed Arts Collective

Sixty-nine down one hundred eighty-one to go.

The Piasa Bird

A bird that devours cake.

The Piasa Bird is a local legend in the Alton, IL area. It’s actually pronounced pie-a-saw unlike pi-az-za like I thought. This legend dates back to 1673  when Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet were on their journey down the Mississippi River. They described the Piasa as a birdlike monster painted high on the bluffs along the Mississippi River, where the city of Alton, Illinois now stands. According to their findings, the Piasa “was as large as  a calf with horns like a deer, red eyes, a beard like a tiger’s, a face like a man, the body covered with green, red and black scales and a tail so long it  passed around the body, over the head and between the legs.”

This creature was given the name, “The Piasa”, by the Illini Indians. It means a bird that devours men.

Cake artist - Jennifer Gays

Guest blogger - Diane

Sixty-eight down one hundred eighty-two to go.

Lincoln-Douglas Square

The Lincoln-Douglas Cake Debate.

 

In 1858, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas were running for one of Illinois’ two U.S. Senate seats. In July of that year, Lincoln, a little known lawyer, challenged Douglas, who had held that seat for ten years, to a series of debates. There were seven total debates, one for each of the seven Congressional Districts of Illinois. The seventh and final debate was held in Alton, Illinois on October 15 in front of City Hall. This Alton debate drew national attention and about 6,000 people from Illinois and neighboring states came to see the debate. Douglas won the Senate seat that year however, Lincoln beat Douglas in the race for U.S. President in 1860.

Cake artist - Genevieve Esson

Guest blogger - Diane

Sixty-seven down one hundred eighty-three to go.

City of Alton, Illinois

Over the river and through the woods, to cake hunt we go!

Alton Visitor’s Center

Alton is a city on the Mississippi River in Illinois, 15 miles north of St. Louis, Missouri. Alton was developed as a river town in 1818 by Rufus Easton. Easton ran a passenger ferry service across the Mississippi River to the Missouri shore. Alton is also located among the confluence of three rivers, the Illinois River, the Missouri River, and the Mississippi River.

Alton is rich in history and points of interest such as the Lincoln-Douglas square, the Piasa Bird, Robert Wadlow statue, The National Great Rivers Museum, the Confluence Towers, and the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site.

Alton is also a great place to see bald eagles. As you can see, Colin and Andrew didn’t have any problems finding one.

Cake artist - Renee Bearden-Williams

Guest blogger - Diane

Sixty-five down one hundred eighty-five to go.



Alton City Hall

The City of Alton is a Home Rule municipality that was incorporated in 1837. A Home Rule municipality means that the city is given the right to draft and amend its own charter and to regulate local matters without interference from the state legislature.

The City Hall was actually closed when we stopped by but I was still able to get a good picture of the cake.

Cake artist - Screwed Artist Collective

Guest blogger - Diane

Sixty-six down one hundred eighty-four to go.

Extra slice

Bonus cake

Everyone loves a bonus. It is unexpected and is a welcome extra.

Found this cake in the Soulard area of St Louis while hunting down the 250.

This cake might not be there after a heavy rain. Enjoy it while you can.

Guest blogger - Rich

Soulard Walk

Clemintine's

 

Voted the number one gay bar in St. Louis. There is an attached restaurant called the Oh My Darlin' Cafe that has a menu of steaks, ribs and other entrees. It is known for its wild contests and fun for all parties.

 

Cake artist - Earl Miller

 

Sixty-three down one hundred eighty-seven to go.









 

Soulard Restoration Group

 

The Soulard Restoration Group is a neighborhood organization that  promotes, preserves, and enhances the historic character of the Soulard neighborhood, as well as improving the quality of life for all of the community.

 

Cake artist - Rich Brooks

 

Sixty-four down one hundred eighty-six to go.

 

 

Historic Trinity Lutheran Church

The Historic Trinity Lutheran Church is the oldest Lutheran congregation west of the Mississippi River. The first services were held in the basement of Christ Church Cathedral.

 

Their first building was on Lombard Street, was consecrated in 1842. 

 

In 1864, the cornerstone was laid for the church at the present site. Here, there is a Gothic-style pulpit and three of the church's four bells were cast in 1866.

 

 

This year the church is celebrating their175th birthday.

 

Cake artist - Mark Hurd

 

Sixty-two down one hundred eighty-eight to go.

The Sweet Devine

Made from scratch cake

  

The Sweet Devine started as a cupcake truck. You can still spot it out on the streets, check out their Facebook or Twitter for locations. Not only do they offer cupcakes but also cookies and whoopie pies and more!

 

Then in 2012 they appeared on the Food Network's Cupcake Wars. Their winning cupcakes were featured at a kickoff party for the Angry Birds Space app in Seattle.

 

After Cupcake Wars they closed the Kingshighway location and set up a new shop in Soulard.

 

Cake artist - Linda Kurdi

 

Sixty-one down one hundred eighty- nine to go.

Soulard Farmers Market

The market began as a flat meadow that farmers could come to, to sell their locally raised fruit, vegetables, dairy, and livestock.

 

Soulard Market is one of the largest and oldest farmers market's west of the Mississippi. It was started in 1779 and is the St. Louis original farmers market.

 

The current building is modeled after a 1419 foundling hospital in Florence, Italy and was built in the Renaissance style. It currently houses the Grand Hall Shops on the first floor and gymnasium/theater on the second floor.

 

We made our first trips to Soulard Market last summer excited to get produce bargins. This time I same something for the first time. Some vendor was selling chickens and rabbits. It was a little late for Easter so I don't even want to think about where they will end up.

  

Cake artist - Kathy Koerper

 

Sixty down one hundred-ninety to go.

Daniel Boone

American pioneer, explorer of cakes.

Ok, maybe Daniel Boone wasn’t an explorer of cakes, but today we were explorers of cake and found one at the Historic Daniel Boone Home and Heritage Center. I remember visiting here when I was in fifth grade. I don’t remember too much though. I thought about actually doing a tour but I was a little weary of Andrew not having a good time so I passed. There are two different types of tours. One is a guided tour for an hour and the other is a self-guided tour but you are not allowed to go into the buildings. I wanted to go into the buildings but didn’t think Andrew would keep interest for an hour. Maybe the kids will go on a field trip there when they are in fifth grade.

The lady at the gift shop told me that all the houses on the property were actually different houses from 5 to 10 miles away and were brought there to be set up to look like a village from the 1800s. I always assumed that Daniel Boones home was here, hence the name Daniel Boone Home and Heritage Center, but come to find out, the property is actually of his youngest son, Nathan. Daniel’s home was 4 miles away. Daniel spent more time at his son’s house than his own. That’s because it took several years for Daniel’s home to be built since it was four stories tall and had limestone walls that were two and half feet thick.

Cake artist - John Troy

Guest blogger - Diane

Fifty-nine down one hundred-ninety-one to go.

Taille de Noyer

Passed down through generations cake

 

Taille de  Noyer was built by a French trader on a 350 acre walnut grove. The original log cabin was purchased by John Mullanphy, St. Louis’ first millionaire. It was just a cabin in the woods and became a 22 room mansion, serving five generations of the Mullanphy family for one hundred and forty years..

 

In 1960 the property was acquired by the Ferguson-Florissant School District for expansion of McClure High School. Taille de Noyer house was moved  from its original site to be a little safer from the speeding cars on the highway, close to its main entrance.

 

The cake sort of has a school theme with sports and activities painted on it.

 

I can guess why the school next to McClure is named Walnut Grove Elementary School.
 

Cake artist - Courtney Veszi

 

Fifty-eight down one hundred ninety-three to go.

Soldiers Memorial

Cake salute

 

Soldiers Memorial is a memorial to honor Missouri men and women who "made the supreme sacrifice in the World War." It has preserved a wide range of military artifacts in memory of fallen soldiers who served in the United States military. 

 

The cake celebrates The Spirit of St. Louis with Charles Lindbergh. It has painted images of Lindbergh flying The Spirit. Wrapped around one of the layers was some plastic material. As you walk around to the back of the cake you can see it was to represent Lindbergh's scarf.

 

I have heard others say that Charles Lindbergh did not serve in the military, well not only was he the first man to fly solo, nonstop across the Atlantic

Ocean, he was a U.S. Army Air Corps Reserve officer, was also awarded the nation's highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his historic

exploit.

 

Cake artist - Victoria Szulc

 

Fifty-seven down one hundred ninety-three to go.

City Museum

Up on the roof cake

 

The City Museum bills itself as an "eclectic mixture of children's playground, funhouse, surrealistic pavilion, and architectural marvel." It's a place where

you are encouraged to feel, touch, climb on, and play in the various exhibits and is housed in the former International Shoe building in the Loft District.

 

On the roof top sits bigger than life size metal praying mantis, an old-fashioned ferris wheel and a school bus hanging off the edge where you can walk in the school bus and open the door from the driver's seat. It is possible to climb a series ladders that are enclosed with metal that coils for your safety.

 

The cake is very representative of the Museum.

 

On top sits a praying mantis. There is a school bus hanging off the edge of the cake.

 

A slinky, like the coil protected ladders, wrapped around one of the layers as you can imagine the ferris wheel spinning in the background.

  

Cake artist - City Museum staff

 

Fifty-six down one hundred ninety-two to go.