Escaping the Cincinnati Weather

I just returned from a whirlwind trip to St. Louis. I say whirlwind because we were actually in the city less than 24 hours. Despite the brevity of the trip, we managed to pack in a lot of action. First stop was Pere Marquette Park in Illinois. St. Louis, unlike Cincinnati, was experiencing some gorgeous weather, so we had no option but to get outside and enjoy it. Pere Marquette fronts on a lake and then the Illinois River which are apparently the winter habitat for bald eagles. In the winter people come from far and wide to photograph the bald eagles hanging out on the frozen water. (Will, I think you need to get us some pictures of some eagles this year!)
After our "hiking" we caught a movie I've been dying to see - A History of Violence. Warning: do not go see A History of Violence. It's not worth $9. It's just not. After the movie, we cleaned up and hit Blueberry Hill for dinner. It's a cool club/restaurant in the Loop near WashU in St. Louis. They serve great beer and apparently attract some decent acts, though we didn't catch the music while we were there. The owner of Blueberry Hill must have an "in" on the music scene - the walls of the hall leading the the bathrooms are lined with pictures of him with pretty much any act you can name. Steven Tyler, Bob Dylan, Cher, the White Stripes, Jakob Dylan, Sarah McLachlan ...hell, I even found a picture of him with Jeff Tweedy tucked way back in a corner. I pointed out this picture to my cousin and gushed that Tweedy is the hottest "celebrity" I could think of (Why did I say this? A. Because I had consumed 2 Schlaflys and 1 Fat Tire and B. Because we had been discussing our personal picks on the "hot" list earlier at dinner.) Maggie's response was quick and decisive - "I don't understand you. You're weird. He's no Tom Cruise."
There's no accounting for taste, people. No accounting.
Anyway, the trip was great. Even the drive was great. I drove each way in a trance, listening to good music and watching the golden and crimson trees fly by. Does tomorrow have to be Monday?