Route 66 - Day 3 (St. Louis to Springfield (MO))

This morning, Kate took me to the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis because she wanted me to see the incredible mosaic work -- it reminds me of St. Mark's in Venice in terms of the detail and how long it must've taken to create it all. Then we went to brunch at a beautiful Home and Garden Shop that also has a cafe called Cafe Osage -- in addition to selling plants and gardening tools, they also have their own garden and pretty much everything on the menu is centered around it. After that, we went to the Missouri Botanical Gardens and then on to the free tour at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery where I got to meet the famous Clydesdales. I met Lloyd, Bruce, Scott and Annie. :) I left St. Louis and headed west towards Springfield MO, stopping off at Meramec Caverns which was Jesse and Frank James famed hideout when they were on the run for bank robberies. Missouri is known as the 'cave state' and these are definitely the largest, deepest and most intricate caves I've ever been in. Driving through the northeastern Ozarks, I was struck by how lush they are. I don't know what I was imagining, something more 'prairie-like' but the rolling green hills and waterways are beautiful. Continuing west I stopped in a town called Cuba to check out their murals and Route 66 museum before heading into Springfield MO for the evening.

Lloyd, one of the famous Budweiser Clydesdales.

The Clocktower of the Brew House at Anheuser-Busch