We chose to divide and conquered this holiday since Azure and a heat index of 101 don't exactly mesh. On July 4th the eldest four and I headed to a small suburb of St. Louis. We found a street where the town parade was scheduled to end and sat ourselves down for a fun time. They had great bands, beautiful horses, and amazing floats. They even handed out candy and flags. It just happens that directly across the street they were also having their annual fair complete with food, rides, and entertainment. When the parade ended I decided instead of fighting crowds and traffic we would play for a bit and allow everyone to empty the area. The idea worked perfectly and the kiddos had a blast. That evening we headed toward the arch in hopes of being lucky enough to catch some fireworks. At the exact moment Steven reached the bridge the fireworks began. We continued back and forth over the bridge for the next thirty minutes while they put on one of the best displays we have ever seen.
The next day some new friends introduced us to the Botanical Garden's. They were absolutely gorgeous, and we only made it through a few exhibits. While July temperatures here are quite toasty it was still an enjoyable experience thanks to the random fountains they've placed throughout so that kids can cool off. With various days being free we can take our time, enjoy a few hours, and plan a trip back for the following week. It's perfect!
The arch is illuminated to the left.
