#255: Six Flags St. Louis

One of the happiest, funnest (and farthest) places to be in St. Louis is Six Flags! And has been, for 43 years and counting. I would usually make it out there once a year, or maybe every other year since I was about 10. There's never a dull moment there, unless you're like me and getting older, riding those thrill rides seems to suck your energy and wear you out! Nah, not trying to be a downer. But its the closest to Disneyland any St. Louisan can be, and there's always some sort of happy spirit in the air for all ages. It also took me long to get this cake, and had to wait nearly the last minute (see explanation below).

It was the third Six Flags theme park, and it opened near Eureka in 1971. This was the ultimate getaway for any family who wanted to spend the day at the amusement park. It was not, however, the first to be in St. Louis. There are a few smaller amusement parks that once existed before (and now long-defunct). One notable park is the old Chain of Rocks Park which existed for 50 years (1927 to 1977) which provided a carnival-like experience with its own thrill rides, just along the Riverview bluffs. Not surprisingly, Six Flags put them out of business. But Six Flags continues to thrive, year after year, adding (and sometimes subtracting) rides and attractions in the process. There were a few bumps in the road, however, one of them being the Sky-Way ride accident (3 people were killed and 1 was seriously injured when their car fell off the now-defunct ride).

I wish I can describe the full history of the theme park on here, but Wikipedia does it just greatly. Some of the years when certain rides opened surprised me on how long they've been there. I can't believe its been 25 years since the Ninja has been there! And I still can't believe they took away Tom's Twister! Everyone probably has their own memories of riding the rides over the years. I know I sure do. For the record, every time I'm there I always make it a priority to ride the Batman and Mr. Freeze rides at least 3 times both! And yes, I do enjoy going upside-down and going fast and high on those rides. Plus, those two rides usually have the shortest lines, at least when I'm there.

Hurricane Harbor is also a fun part of Six Flags, which was a water park added in 2000. Lots of good food are in sight, including those turkey legs and those 1904 World's Fair-style ice cream cones! You'll also see the shameless plugs of all the Warner Brothers-owned brands and characters. First, you got the Looney Tunes characters, then all the Detective Comics team (hopefully you know who I'm talking about!). In fact, it has already been announced there will be a special Justice League ride for 2015, possibly to coincide with the new movie that will come out at the same time.

The Six Flags company as a whole was founded in 1962 in Texas. The six flags represent the six nations that have governed the state of Texas: Spain, the United States, France, the republic of Texas, Mexico and the Confederate States of America. Today there are Six Flags theme parks all over America, from Chicago to New England, from California to Maryland. Six Flags St. Louis was known as Six Flags Mid-America from 1971 to 1996.

Batman riders are about to go down (what I call) the death spiral drop!

I tried to get as much as I could in the background, not just the fountain. You can see the Colossus there for a bit

This was the third time I attempted to get this cake. Unfortunately on my part, I skipped out on going inside the park this year, as I was trying to limit my budget all year. But I'll be back next year. Anyway, I tried getting the cake twice back in August, after they closed during the week. The guards would not let me in, even to see the cake. I thought it was very shady on their part, as I've heard others have had success stories about getting in while they were closed. So I finally made it all the way out there in late October, during Fright Fest season.

The sides of the cake, which have an animal/zoo-like celebration theme:

Right side of the cake

Back side of the cake

Top of the cake

Left side of the cake

For some cool, vintage photos of Six Flags circa the 70s/80s, I highly recommend checking out this page!

Six Flags St. Louis on FB
Wikipedia link
Official website

NOW: Currently being fostered to take part in a future 'Cakewalk'!

4900 Six Flags St. Louis Railroad, EUREKA, MO, 63069
Cake artist: Don Strohmeyer

#254: Columbia Bottom Conservation Area

It's a sad feeling, and a happy one at the same time. As I write this post on October 25th, today was the celebration of the final stl250 cake placement. About 100 people showed up for the unveiling of the Columbia Bottom cake, not far from the Visitors Center. Several cake-hunters and enthusiasts, the media, Erin B., and the artist (Rich Brooks) attended the event. I didn't get to go, so it was quite a bummer (video may come on here soon! stay tuned...). After getting off work, I did arrive about 3 hours late from when it started. Still, it's the first (and last) time that I visited a cake the day it was placed. But from what I hear, it was a very cool gathering for everyone.

I thought it was even cooler that they put it in at least one of the confluence parks in the northern part of the St. Louis area. To me it would either have been between Columbia Bottom and the Edward & Pat Jones Confluence Park. (I actually visited the latter two days ago and I must say, it was very nice and peaceful) It's great to pay tribute to one of the things that made St. Louis what it is, and that's the meeting of two major rivers in the United States.

Alright, now...here are the facts about Columbia Bottom:

• The land was purchased in 1997 to create an urban conservation area. It is 4,256 acres.
• The land includes a 110-acre island, and about 800 acres of bottomless forest.
• A village/town once existed on the land, called Columbia, which later became St. Vrain. Probably due to obvious reasons (that it was on a flood plain), the town was no more by 1870.
• One of the missions of the Missouri Department of Conservation (which manages the area) is to help restore the habitat and scenery which matched the voyage of Lewis & Clark.
• Several activities can be done by the visitors. Hiking, fishing, horseback riding (seasonal) and bird watching are just a few to name. 
• Many trails can be accessed in this area, and several markers contain information about either history and/or the habitats that venture on the land.

The sign off the road

Visitors center

Just a look inside the Visitors Center

A map of the place (and the cake in the background!)

And did I mention you can access the confluence point between the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers?! It is about a few miles from the Visitors Center, but the seemingly long drive to the point is worth looking into. After all, it is one of the very few places in the US where two major rivers meet. I took several pictures of the place, and I wish I can post them all. But here's 3 you may enjoy:

Across from the viewing area is the Edward & Pat Jones Confluence Point State Park

This is an amazing pic of where the Missouri River visibly flows into the Mississippi. If you look very closely you can see the Confluence Tower (on the other side of the river(s)).

The cake sides, which fittingly, feature a Fall theme:

Right side of the cake

Back side of the cake

Left side of the cake

Top of the cake (that is Nancy Raymond in the background, in case you're wondering!)

Columbia Bottom Conservation Area on FB
Wikipedia link
Official website (through the Missouri Department of Conservation website)

NOW: Auctioned off for $505 from biddingforgood.com. On private property.

801 Strodtman Rd, ST. LOUIS, MO, 63138  (it is close to Spanish Lake)
Cake artist: Rich Brooks

#233: Lone Elk Park

Along my journeys into the outer parts of St. Louis County lies this park. Not just a park - Lone Elk Park! This one involved a lot of driving...but it was well worth it though! Especially if this is all stuff that I don't see everyday. I did see some animals, which I believed were bison or buffalos of some sort.

• According to its Facebook page, it is a wildlife management area, which consists of deer, bison, turkeys, waterfowls and of course, elk.
• Lone Elk Park is 546 acres.
• During WWII, the land belonged to the Tyson Valley Powder Plant. After the war, it became a county park and herds of bison and elk were established here. However, years later in 1958, the herds were destroyed.
• One lone elk survived, hence its present name
• The park was named Lone Elk Park in 1966 and was opened to the public in 1971
• Even though this is an animal-friendly place, no other animals (like personal pets) are allowed, even inside vehicles.

Visitor's center at Lone Elk Park

Deer display inside the Visitor Center

Lone Elk Park entrance

In order to get the cake, you must do a bit of driving on the one-lane road. Be cautious, of course, for the wildlife that roam. You will see a lake and then a visitor's center. The cake is directly behind it. The cake, which like some of these cakes in parks, celebrates an outdoorsy theme:

Left side of the cake

Back side of the cake

Right side of the cake

Top of the cake

Lone Elk Park on FB
Wikipedia link

2 South 4th Street, ST. LOUIS, MO, 63102  (it is actually located near or in Valley Park but the address is St. Louis)
Cake artist: Alissa Shoultz

#230: Laumeier Sculpture Park

I knew I was in for a real treat before visiting here for the first time to get the cake. I love looking at sculptures, after all. Actually, statues - even though they're not the same thing. But I really like to check out people's amazing talents on building things and their creativity behind it.

First, a little history:

• Land was purchased in 1835 by James Sutton from the U.S. Government.
• Real estate developer Henry Laumeier and his wife purchased the property sometime in the mid-20th century
• Henry died in 1959, and his widow, who passed in March 1968, left the land in her will to be gifted to the people and residents of St. Louis County.
• In 1975, there was discussion about turning the property into a sculpture park, and the dream became a reality in 1977.
• Today, there are over 60 sculptures found all over the park. It just keeps on growing.....

Unfortunately I didn't get to go in the indoor gallery (pictured below). But I took several pictures all around the park. Here's a few I'd like to share:

Man with briefcase sculpture, done by Jonathan Borofsky

'The Way' sculpture, which was sculpted by Alexander Liberman in 1980. It is made up of 18 salvaged steel oil tanks

The eyeball sculpture

One of the few '3-D' cakes put out there (rumor has it that this was frowned upon the stl250 organization as it was considered breaking the rules). I'm sure Laumeier didn't mind. This one I believe represents not just the outdoors but the tools for the perfect sculpture:

Right side of the cake

Back side of the cake

Left side of the cake

Top of the cake

Hey, what's with the bomb-looking thing?!

Laumeier Sculpture Park on FB
Wikipedia link
Official website

12580 Rott Road St., ST. LOUIS, MO, 63127 (it is actually located close to or in Sunset Hills and Kirkwood but the address is listed as 'St. Louis')
Cake artist: Nick Lang -or- the Laumeier team (according to its stl250 profile page)

#225: Shaw Nature Reserve

• Formerly known as the Shaw Arbortreum
• Opened in 1925 to protect the plants that were in the collections of the Missouri Botanical Garden, because of city pollution and smog
• More than 14 miles of hiking trails exist within the reserve
• Also featured at the reserve are historic homes, including the Joseph H. Bascom House, and a large wetland blind featuring herons, which are man-eating carnivorous birds.
• There are many things to do around the reserve for visitors, including the obvious - exploring nature. But you can also take photos, play in the creek, paint and even ski.
• The reserve was recognized by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National Environmental Education Landmark in 1972

The visitor's center

And now, a look at the cake, which is 3-D!

Back and left side of the cake

Right side of the cake

Wikipedia link
Official website

307 Pinetum Loop Road, GRAY SUMMIT, MO, 63069
Cake artist: Elaine Taylor

#222: Black Madonna Shrine and Grottos

One of the most 'far out there' places lies outside the historic Route 66 community of Pacific, Missouri. I had to drive nearly 15 miles from I-44. But it was worth the drive to explore this unique outdoor gallery. If you're in for something breathtaking and a bit offbeat, this is for you.

When you look around the place, you can't help but notice several rock sculptures and grottos. And now here's the kicker: it was all put together by one man. That person was Brother Bronislaus, who was a single Franciscan monk from Poland. He did all this in more than 20 years. 100 years ago it was all forestry and woods. It was all torn down and by 1938 Bronislaus went to work and used the tiff rock to create his masterpieces.

I took several photos while I was there, but here are some:

The Shrine Chapel

The entrance sign

The cake,

UPDATE: The cake is reportedly still there as of 1/25/2016. It was reportedly removed for awhile in 2015, but brought back in public view.

Wikipedia link
Official website

100 Saint Joseph's Hill Road, PACIFIC, MO, 63069
Cake artist: Craig Downs  (he also decorated the Fort San Carlos/Ballpark Hilton cake)