Tag Archives: bronze statues

St Louis, Missouri

Posted on by kathousekelli70

The Anheuser-Busch Brewery, in other words Budweiser! Amongst other brands they produce or own.

What a way to finish off the afternoon, arriving into St Louis, Missouri and taking the 4.10pm tour of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, in the historic Soulard area.

We booked the Day Fresh Tour that takes you on the 'Seed to Sip' with other bits in between. Visiting the Clydesdale paddock and stables, the beechwood aging cellar, the historic Brewhouse and the packaging facility.

 

Upon arrival, where would we be without a visit to the Biergarten while waiting for the tour to start?! I chose to sample the Blue Point, Toasted Lager and Jack the Hoegaarden (the lighter coloured one)

 

The Budweiser horse team consists of 70 Clydesdales, 50 of which are located here at St. Louis. Grants Farm, just a short distance away, is where the Clydesdales are raised. They eat around 20-25 quarts of grain feed a day but I think he's had a bit too much beer today!

 

Into the stables we go, an old building trimmed in red and green against the beautiful red brick exterior with its stained glass windows.

It takes about 5 hours to prepare the hitch for parades etc. and they first performed in 1933.

 

The Dalmatians were introduced in the 1950's to protect the deliveries on the hitches.

 

The beautiful chandelier, all 600 pounds of brass was installed after being acquired at the 1904 World Fair.

The smaller stalls are original to the beautiful 1885 building. I am blown away and we are only on the first stop of the tour.

Next we headed to the aging cellars. A pleasant to cool 50F/ all year round.

Beechwood chips are procured from the local areas, cooked up to remove any other flavours and then used 3 times over before removing, washing and mulching.

These aging tanks, if you drink a beer every 24 hrs would take you 137years to drink one tank. 1.2 billion 12oz beers per tank!

 

On to the process – Barley, rice, hops, water and yeast. Your 5 main ingredients to making a bud!

The rice gives the beer the crisp clear colour we see in our first sample for the tour.

The recipe today is the same as it was in 1867, in particular the yeast recipe, guarded with only 5 individuals having knowledge of its full potential.

To give you an idea of beer strengths, Bud Light stays in the mashing process for about 4 hours where normal Bud is only in for 2 hours. This is the process of breaking down the carbs and sugars, more calories in the short, less in the longer process obviously.

Next was up to the third floor of the brew house. Oh my god, the chandeliers, tiled artwork and architecture in here are exquisite! The 3 storey chandelier is all hops flowers.

 

During the prohibition era, the 'elephant' atop the pillar, was actually the logo for their yeast product on the back there was a warning about what not to use it with and how not to brew beer. Lol! During the prohibition time, to keep the company running they produced everything from barley malt syrup, bakers yeast, soda to ice cream! In fact 20 different products kept their company running during that time.

 

Opposite the brewery was an elementary school building until they decided that perhaps it wasn't a good idea to have a school opposite the brewery. It was their headquarters office until they outgrew it.

 

'Bevo' the fox featured on all 4 corners of the packaging warehouse is based on the fox from Grimms fairytale, who always knew where to find good food and drink at all times!

 

Up to the 3rd floor of the packaging warehouse. After rinsing and sterilising, the bottles are filled within 1/10th of a second to ensure purity and crispness to each.

750 bottles per minute!

At 24 beers per case, all cases are sent down to Mississippi River for storage. Housing half a million cases at any one time, say production was stopped and STILL, it would only take the whole Mid West to drink the whole warehouse dry in a mere 18hrs!

 

At the conclusion of the tour we received the freshest bottle of beer you'll ever get, bottled this morning around 3am! Room temp at moment so needs to go in the fridge.

Two free beers on tour plus a free ticket for a 16oz beer in the beirgarten after.

 

Luke and Allie were our tour guides. On their summer break this was their first year of tours, rotating between the different tours and the gift shop. If you're over 21 they can work the bar as well. They were sensational! What a job, 4 days a week, I think I could handle that easily! Although you wouldnt get any samples!

$10 bucks, holy hell, was so worth it! If you are ever in St.Louis, you really must do this tour!

Ahhh, life is good, cheers!

Kat xo

http://www.budweisertours.com

 

Meandering Through The Sculptures

Posted on by kathousekelli70

It's a beautiful Monday and an expected top of 21C/70F but already it's feeling rather warm.

I've been waiting for a gorgeous day to come and take photos of the bronze statues that adorn downtown Edmond. Before venturing out today though I wanted to try and find out more about them and locations first.

I happened across a video on You Tube by Edna Parrish which not only show many more sculptures but interviews and how the public art came to be. You can catch it at the link listed below.

Ms Parrish also mentioned the Edmond Convention and Visitors Bureau (see web link below). The ladies we met were lovely, gave us plenty of information and sent us on our way with an armful of maps and other Oklahoma places to visit in our travels across the country.

So the first bronze statue 'Las Brisas' was right across the car park at the Pelican Aquatic Centre.

 

Round we went into Hafer Park and found the 'Big Wish', that was easy to find. The 'Art of Peace' was eventually found after a walk around the duck pond and checking out a fat little squirrel moving in and around the trees.

 

Now some of them were a bit like a treasure hunt but we eventually got some sort of a system and sense of direction so we weren't doubling back on ourselves too much.

Next we found the OU Medical Center – handy to know where it was in case we ever need it – where 'Root and Wings' appears on the corner of 2nd and S Bryant.

 

Then 'Spirit of the Prairie' seemed like such a known location but we had never seen it and were trying to work out how we could have missed it. Well happens to be in a car park of one of the shopping outlets and have never driven in there. There they were, both elements 'The Thrasher' and 'Next Winters Bread' standing at the entrance of the building,

 

Onto 'Anglers', again hidden a little in a business park, such detail in his cute interpretation. Perhaps a little girl with her grandfather off to a nearby creek?

 

'First Star' is almost hidden by a hedge near the bank and again on a road that we travel almost every week! Although you could be forgiven for not seeing it.

 

This one is gorgeous! 'She Ain't Heavy', a little boy perhaps lifting his little sister or friend up to reach an apple on the tree. Looks like he has one in his pocket already too.

 

'Raven A and Raven B' are at the front of an OnCue gas station/service station on Broadway – passed it – have never seen it. Have now!

 

It's nearing lunch time so we head to the downtown area of Edmond. We parked near Edmonds first school where two statues of kids reading books reside. I didn't get a pic of the plaques and can't seem to find what they are called.

 

'Lady Liberty', a centennial celebration recast, sits on the median on Boulevard.

 

Further on down Boulvard and we find 'Journey II', a brief interlude of ducks or geese in the street median. I'm sure the Postman was wondering what I was doing running across the road to take a photo.

 

Down to Downtown Edmond and begin the walk to lunch via the bronze statues and back.

'Wishing Well' a bronze by an unknown artist.

 

'Jester' a bronze by Victor Issa.

 

Cross the road and 'Woman With Shawl', a bronze by Shirley Thompson Smith.

 

Up to the next corner and you will find 'Face Fragment II, III, IV. Wonder what ever happened to number one?! These are bronzes by Susan Evans, a little more on the abstract side.

 

We did see a couple of gorgeous murals, one over near the school and the other on the side of the building on Broadway. Gorgeous work, if I have it right, this one is 'Historic Edmond Mural' by Bob Palmer. (?)

 

Just around the corner and it's 'Paper Aeroplane', also known as Journeys of the Imagination. I really liked this one because of the little boy obviously daydreaming about his paper planes and the ability to fly and soar in the sky!

 

Side bar here, Ye old barber shoppe, they still exist! Shut today but a peek inside the window and it's like you've stepped back into the 50's with this little gem.

 

'Pastoral Dreamer' which makes me think of him lying in a field of tall grass gently waving in the wind.

 

Then it was time to stop in at Sweeney McGanns pub for a quick beer and half a hamburger each. Yes they are big enough to share. Sometimes we forget and regret. Today we remembered though and felt somewhat more comfortable for the afternoon!

What did we see next? Oh yeah! Many more, these are the rest of the bronzes we saw today just in this short space of time.

Did I tell you I hate frogs? There are frogs on the middle lilly. I really don't like frogs…..

The eagle was amazing, so much detail in his feathers.

These two are just in a side street but I remembered the 'Song of Songs' from when we signed paperwork at Keller Williams offices for our place.

This is only 35 of the some 120 statues located in and around Edmond. We did see some more Downtown but were a little abstract. Don't get me wrong I like some abstract art but I was really out to see the bronze detailed sculptures this time more than anything else.

Phew! What a day. If you ever get the chance or the inclination, go check them out.

Cheers

Kat xo

(Monday 9th February)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oXlZ76imhw Statues of Edmond OK by Edna Parrish

http://www.visitedmondok.com/publicart.htm