Columbia Bottoms

The Three R's Reading, wRiting, and River Cake

Columbia Bottoms is a wild life area on the Missouri side of the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. It is a vast and open space and is a great place to enjoy wild Missouri close to St Louis.

 

I enjoy it because most of the times that I go there the place is empty. The cake is at the front of the trail by the nature center. Take the ride to the end of the trail, there are many stops along the way to enjoy the natural beauty.

 

The day I went to look at the cake there was a school there exploring nature and eating lunch at the river lookout. What a great way to spend a day at school, I guess tomorrow they will crack the books. Pay attention kids there is a essay do by the end of the week. Compare and contrast the Big Muddy to the Father of Waters. 

 

Cake artist - Rich Brooks

Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing

Railroad Crossing Cake

If you are walking along the Greenway by the river in St Louis you will come by the Mary Mechum Freedom Cake. If you are driving a car, the way to get to the cake is through an industrial terminal. I have to admit I was more impressed with the industrial part than the greenway part.

When I got to the area were the cake was there was a sign that said no motor vehicles. I was not sure if there was a cake down there but then I seen a car come down the path and the driver said my car could make it to the cake. I felt better about going down the path and when I got there some more cars were there. I have to say thanks to the person that said I could drive there. I am also glad I did not see any bicyclist going down the bike route. I am sure that they would get upset seeing me in a car going down their path.

The Mary Mechum crossing was an under ground railroad crossing which I celebrated by being stuck at the railroad crossing watching a slow moving coal train pass by and enjoying the wonderful melody of the crossing signal.

Cake artist - Rich Brooks

Lyon Park/ United States Arsenal

Ammunition cake

The park is named after the commander of the Union arsenal, General Nathaniel Lyon who fortified the St. Louis Arsenal. He was the first Union general to be killed in the American Civil War and is noted for his actions in the state of Missouri at the beginning of the conflict. 

The St. Louis Arsenal is a complex of military weapons and ammunition storage buildings owned by the United States Air Force. During the American Civil War, the St. Louis arsenal's contents were transferred to Illinois by Union Captain Nathaniel Lyon, an act that helped fuel tension between secessionists and those citizens loyal to the Federal government.

Cake artist -  Rich Brooks

Youthbridge

Bridging the cake

Youthbridge helps St. Louis area nonprofits become stronger and more sustainable, to help donors maximize their social impact and to help professional advisors administer their clients’ charitable funds. They particually help those nonprofits that are focused on children and youth causes.

YouthBridge was founded in 1877 as the German General Protestant Orphan’s Home. It is in partnership with Washington University and created the annual YouthBridge Social Enterprise and Innovation Competition.

It also provided funding to help launch HavenHouse St. Louis that provides affordable lodging, care, and support services for out-of-town families with a loved one in a St. Louis hospital.

Cake artist - Rich Brooks

One hundred-seventy-nine down 71 to go.

SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center

Children's cake

SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center is named after John Cardinal Glennon, the Archbishop of St. Louis from 1903 to 1946. It was the Archbishop's mission to see a health care facility open to all children in need of medical care, regardless of ability to pay.

Cardinal Glennon also serves as a teaching hospital affiliated with the neighboring Saint Louis University Schools of Medicine and Nursing, and nine other education institutes.

The sun displayed prominently atop the SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center name has been the hospital's symbol for many years. It represents hope, warmth, caring, commitment, and excellence.

Cake artist - Rich Brooks

One hundred-fifty-four down 96 to go.

St. Louis Art Museum

Meet me at the cake

The Fine Arts palace was one of the few buildings constructed for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair that was meant to be permanent. The Cass Gilbert building remains as the St. Louis Art Museum.

The patron saint statue of King Louis IX of France, sitting high on his horse stands before the museum. Originally it was designed by sculptor Charles H. Niehaus for  the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. In 1906, the statue was reproduced in bronze and placed sitting ontop of Art Hill.

Cake artist - Rich Brooks

One hundred-forty-three down 107 to go.

Old Courthouse and Old Post Office

Old Cakes.

Old Courthouse

In 1816, August Chouteau and Judge John B.C. Lucas donated land to St. Louis County for a courthouse. The original courthouse was completed in 1828. However, St. Louis grew so much during this time that the courthouse was outgrown within ten years. A second courthouse was designed and incorporated the original courthouse as the east wing of the building.

The Old Courthouse was the site of the first two trials of the Dred Scott case in 1847 and 1850. Also in the 1870s, it was the location of the Virginia Minor case for a woman’s right to vote trial. The Old Courthouse is also listed in the National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.

Cake artist - Henryk Ptasiewicz

Old Post Office

In 1865, after the Civil War ended, five grand Federal Buildings were ordered to be built in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, and St. Louis. These were the fastest growing cities in America at the time. The Post Office opened in 1884 and hundreds of millions of mail were handled all by hand, in the first year alone. By 1942 all of the other buildings in the other cities had been demolished, except for ours here in St. Louis, The Old Post Office.

Guest blogger - Diane

Cake artist - Rich Brooks

One hundred-twenty-three and One hundred-twenty-four down 126 to go.

Kiener Plaza

Pep Rally cake

Centrally located downtown St. Louis, Kiener Plaza is the place home opener pep rallies and victory celebrations for the St. Louis Cardinal, Ram and Blues.

You can find quiet seating areas, paths and lawn areas for leisurely walks. The plaza provides a peaceful retreat for downtown workers who frequent the plaza during lunch. The park’s centerpiece is a pool and fountain containing a statue known as “The Runner” by sculptor William Zorach.

Cake artist - Rich Brooks

One hundred-twenty down 130 to go.

Citygarden

Oasis cake

Citygarden is an urban park and sculpture garden that takes up 2 square city blocks and is in the city's "Gateway Mall" area. It is home to 24 sculptures, six rain gardens, a 102-fountain "spray plaza" in which you can play,and a pool with a waterfall. The fountain's water is recycled, and filtered rainwater is also used.There is a long, granite-topped "meander wall" which runs through the park for seating.

Visitors to Citygarden can use the Citygarden iPhone App to take guided tours with GPS navigation and audio.

Cake artist - Rich Brooks

One hundred-eighteen down 132 to go.

Meramec Caverns

Cakes of The Mound City and The Cave State.

Missouri is known as the Cave State. There are many caves underneath the city of St. Louis so much so that a local brewer used the caves as a natural holding and cooling area for their beer. Probably the most famous caves around here are the Meramec Caverns.

Try driving down the highway without seeing a sign for the caverns, it can not be done. The caves have served as everything from a Civil War gun powder factory, The James Gang hide out, a honeymoon hide away, and a live action set for Lassie. I was a tad disappointed that I did not see any bats and I think my grand children were waiting to see Batman but he was a no-show.


A patriotic song and light show was the high point of the tour. I must be getting old because the caves did not seem all that cool to me and I found it a bit hard to navigate along the pathways. I am sure that there were a few places near by to do some hard-core spelunking but the caverns was about as adventurous as I get.

Guest blogger - Rich

Cake artist - Rich Brooks

One hundred-ten down 140 to go.

Mastodon State Historic Site

Ice age cake

Mastodon State Historic Site is an archaeological site that contains the Kimmswick Bone Bed. Bones of mastodons and other now-extinct animals. The area is one of the most extensive Pleistocene ice age deposits in the country. The first solid evidence of the coexistence of people and these giant prehistoric beasts was when scientists excavated a stone spear point made by hunters of the Clovis culture (14,000 - 10,000 years ago)



The museum has on display a full-size replica of a mastodon skeleton and tells the story of the oldest American Indian site that you can visit in the park.

You can touch a real
mastodon's tooth

When you exit the museum there is the trail to go to the bone bed. First you have to go down some steep steps. A sign said there were 139 steps. I really didn't count them as I was concentrating on walking down them,as Colin and Andrew were already at the bottom waiting for me. We walked along the trail and came to another set of very steep steps. They reminded me of the steps at Niagara Falls. It was a really hot summer day and I didn't have any water or first aid kit with us. I told the boys this hike would be best to do in the fall season.

Cake artist - Rich Brooks

Eighty-nine down 161 to go.

 

Maritz / Fort Belle Fontaine

Paranoia strikes deep into your cake it will creep.

We went to see the cake at Maritz the other day. I did not know my way around the place and for some reason a bridge used by the company was not in use that day. Long story short I wound up driving around the place and going down one-way streets the wrong way making a general nuisance of my vehicle and myself. I was never at this place before and so I asked a few people for directions to the cake and of course, no one knew where it was. The whole time as I was bouncing about the company grounds of Maritz I was being followed by their security, some SUV was keeping an eye on me. When I stopped by the cake that I finally found the SUV pulled alongside of me and gave me the once over. I had the impression that I was not welcome there and the quicker I left the better. That is the way I am, I do not like being checked out.

I really got the once over at Fort Belle Fontaine. You have to stop at a guardhouse and state your business. I said I wanted to go to the Fort and check out the cake. I was told there is no port there. I said I want to see the Fort not port which brought out the head guard as she was taking back talk. I was asked whom did I want to see and I said the cake to take a picture of it. I do not know whose idea it was to put a cake in this place because it may be a historical site but it is also a youth detention center, to me this does not seem to be the best of ideas. This is why you had to state your purpose for going to this place. I commented on this fact after I was informed of it which on seemed to annoy the guards even more. On my own part, this also was not the best of ideas.  After signing the log, a quick check of my license plates, and an evil eye stare down I was given a pass and allowed in.  It was a hot soupy day so I did not explore the fort or take the stairs down to the river.  After taking a few pictures I headed down the road, which seemed to go nowhere except into a cluster of cottages on a torn up old narrow path. I turned my car around and went back the way I came. I am not sure if I was going the wrong way on a one-way street but I did see a black helicopter hovering overhead on my way out.

Guest blogger - Rich

Cake artist
     Rich Brooks
     Screwed Arts

Eighty-eight down 162 to go.

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.

 

 

Bakers dozen Part IV

Fifth stop

Rigazzi's

 

Rigazzi’s is a restaurant in the famous Hill district of St Louis.

 

If there is any dish that screams St Louis besides the ice cream cone it is toasted ravioli and the oldest family run restaurant on the Hill is the place to go and enjoy this St Louis staple.

 

Guest blogger - Rich

 

Cake artist - Deann Rubin

 

Thirty-nine down 211 to go.

 

 

Sixth stop

The Hill

 

The Hill in St. Louis is the city's traditional Italian American neighborhood.

 

One city block of the neighborhood is famous for hosting the boyhood homes of Baseball Hall of Famers Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola.  

 

About half of the 1950 U.S. soccer team that upset England in the World Cup is also from the area.

 

Colorful fire hydrants and fine restaurants also can be found on The Hill.

 

Guest blogger - Rich

 

Cake artist - Rich Brooks

 

Forty down 210 to go.

 

 

 

Downtown Cl-ake-ton, MO

Historic(ake) Hanley House

The Hanley House is the oldest dwelling in Clayton and was built by Martin Hanley in the 19th century.

The 2 story home with 8 rooms was typical on many Missouri farms back in the day.

When the city of Clayton took ownership of the house, they restored not only the exterior but the interior as well and its original contents.

Cake artist - Andy Cross

Patrotic(ake)

When the city of St. Louis and St. Louis County split up, the county needed a place to establish the County Seat of Government.

It accepted land donated from Martin Hanley and Ralph Clayton and the St. Louis County Courthouse was built.

Cake artist - Rich Brooks



Athletic(ake)

Francis Field was developed for the 1904 World's Fair. Events such as track and filed, tug-a-war and archery gave out gold medals to the top contestants.

It is named after David Francis, past St. Louis Mayor and Missouri Governor, who was president of the fair.

Tug-a-War

Currently the field is being used for Washington University's track and field, football and soccer teams.

Cake artist - April Morrision

Recre-ake-tion

 As I stood in front of the cake, at Shaw Park, I was a bit puzzled as I couldn't figure out what was climbing up the cake. I looked around and then looked up. I was looking at the diving platform and then realized it was on the cake. Its reflection is down in the pool on the cake as it would on a hot summer day.

The park offers year round fun as depicted on the cake; swimming, tennis, ice skating, hockey and more.

The park was named after Charles A. Shaw, Clayton's 6th Mayor.

Cake artist - Rich Brooks






Cake-oration

In 2009 Centene Corporation built its headquarters in Clayton, It manages the government services of Medicaid and related health plan services.

On the font of the cake are the states where they have offices. Can you name the states?

Cake artist - Rich Brooks

31-35 down 215 to go.