The Week in Photos

The Blister Tour - Highlights

Michelle! The first to arrive! She came complete with a magazine about Ireland and baggage delay from Delta. Our first stop? Mexican. What else?

 

Andrea! A-Sizzle! The second to arrive! Our first stop? Mexican! What else?

Last week was a week of amazing friends and travel. What might have been most amazing about the week was how having friends visit from other cities can cast your own in such a different light. I've lived in St. Louis for 22 years of my 24 year life, and in the course of those 22 years I've gotten to the point where the awesome things of this city lose some of their shine and uniqueness. Take for example the Arch. As a resident of the "Lou" I've seen the Arch SO many times and it's become synonymous with the city. Every tourist wants to see it, and I'm not always so prone to ushering them to Laclede's Landing when the Loop and Forest Park are at my door step.

This trip however, Michelle and Andrea both requested, nay, demanded that we make it down to at least get a photo spread of the Arch and Michelle needed to get to the top. Apparently getting to St. Louis and not going is like going to Philly and not getting a cheese steak, or going to Seattle and not wearing plaid or getting coffee. Arriving at the Arch, I was reminded at how cool the city actually is. How neat the view really can be and how epic some monuments really are.

The above shot of the Arch looks like it was taken in bluescale but it wasn't. That was the actual color of the sky and Arch that day. It's one of my favorites.

As we rolled in to Minneapolis, I was fully expecting to be swept off my feet for some culturally epic moments. While I was astounded by IKEA (seriously, I'm designing houses around that store), I'd already spent a weekend in the Mall of America and we chose to make this trip a touch less tourist and more everyday Minneapolis. We stopped at the local awesome coffee shop, the amazing ice cream place and while we're finding the similarities between Minneapolis (Izzy's Ice Cream) and St. Louis (Ted Drewes Frozen Custard) we stumbled upon things that we over look in the every day, like Taystee's Bakery Outlet.  

Still a trip to the Midtown Global Market (actually in Minneapolis - thanks Andrea) left us in full appreciation of the things that are every day awesome, and completely tourist worthy. The Midtown gives a very local feel to some very international stores. It is truly a mosaic of America's immigrant history and is a reminder of the cultures that have blended to create the culture of America.  Here we found our similarities and our differences (Andrea and I are both Swedish and German -we're the flip flops of intensities- and Michelle is Czech. ) The differences make our friendship richer, and honestly make the world a better place, particularly when we're willing to embrace them with our similarities. 

This shot was of the truffles at the Swedish and Nordic sweets shop. Yes the Peanut Butter Truffle was worth the million calories.

I would be remiss if I didn't tell you about the concerts. We made it to the Hanson shows in St. Louis and Minneapolis. We met up with my mom and friend Jen in St. Louis. The venue was (as usual) amazing, and the Pageant impressed as it typically does. The set was amazing and the opening act Darren Raser was pretty good. Not the same as if it had been This Is Energy but he didn't take us out of the mood so... (maybe I'm biased... ). Rooney was amazing and the fact that it was Taylor's birthday just made the set all the better.   Hanson's set was fantastic! Old songs that we never hear (Madeline! Strong Enough To Break! Minute Without You!) and an extended medley of songs that evoke audience participation. Sigh. I was eleven again for a night. The audience broke out into the TBS dance (well what we knew of it) and that was a fantastic moment that solidifies St. Louis as being the home of some of the best fans in the world.
Minneapolis' show was amazing for different reasons. We were almost rained out.  The rain abbreviated the set and Rooney was canceled. We got Hanson for an hour and a half before we finally rained out. We were rained on long before that. Dancing to "And I Waited" in the rain was some how magical, and the chorus of "If Only" seemed only so much more fitting as the rain fell closer and closer to Isaac's guitar pedals. (Please don't go, 'cause I need you!)  I would gladly sit through the rain for a show like that again. Taylor has said it before and it's still true, the reason why Hanson and Hanson fans are willing to risk illness and broken gear for each other is that "They love us and we love them. It's as simple as that".  Minneapolis proved it again. Where's the love? Right there, on that stage, in the front row, and in the back dance group and along the bar in the back of the house.

Song for the trip: Pink Moon by Nick Drake