We then looped around to trailhead 205, Gray's Arch Trail. This lead you down to Rough Trail, which is the longest continuous trail in Red River Gorge (8 miles one-way). We probably did about 2 miles of Rough Trail, which was down in a valley and then lead you back up to a different ridge. That's where the junction of Rush Ridge Trail was and we took that back 2 miles to our bug. I really like the Ridge trails because that's where all the scenery is.
After this, we headed up to Auxier Ridge Trail, which was gorgeous because you could see many different arches and notable rocks. We took that down in the valley to Auxier Branch Trail and then to Double Arch Trail. The loop was 5 miles. After that, we were hungry so we headed to Kathy's Diner for some grub and strawberry shortcake - delicious!
We then had to say goodbye to the Red River Gorge and headed to Louisville, Ky. I don't know why I've always wanted to go to Louisville, but I have, so we did. We got a hotel about 3 miles from downtown. We first hit up The Highlands, which is a 3 mile stretch of bars and restaurants. We went to a few bars there and then grabbed a cab and headed to 4th Street Live. 4th Street Live is kind of hard to explain. It's loud and there are lots of bars there (mainly more corporate type bars). You need to be 21 to get into the blocked off area, and then you can buy drinks in the street and go to lots of different bars. Some have covers, some don't. We went to a place called Sulley's, which had a DJ and all of that. So we did some major dancing and luckily, didn't have to pay for many drinks. Anyways, after that, it was off to St. Louis.
So, far St. Louis is pretty cool. There are lots of different areas we want to hit up. So far, we've been out in Delmar Loop - there's a walk of fame there like Hollywood's, with different stars laid on the sidewalk. There's a star for Miles Davis and Chuck Berry and other St. Louisians. We also got lunch on Cherokee St., which is where lots of art galleries and Mexican-type restaurants are located. We've been to the St. Louis Union Station. It used to be the train station, but it's been turned into a mall complex with restaurants, shops and hotels - no trains go through here anymore. The original architecture has remained for the most part, so it's a gorgeous building to see. We also had a spectacular hamburger there and left with some Hickory Seasoning, which I'm excited to have to cook with.
We've also purchased some used bicycles from a store called Bicycle Works. They are an organization that allows kids to come in and learn how to fix up bikes and then in turn, earn a bicycle and helmet. They sell bikes as well to keep the store running. We purchased a bicycle for $20 each and are going to return them before leaving. I may go back and trade my bike in next week because it's a little small (as in I think it's a boys bike). Yesterday, we rode them all around Forest Park, which is a huge park just west of where we live with multi-use trails. It also houses the Art Museum, Science Center, History Museum, the Muny (largest operating outdoor theater is the US - they claim), and the Jewel Box, which is a conservatory. They bikes are nice to have around because then we don't have to drive after we're done working.
Lastly, we've started "school". We trade on and off two days a week between taking GIS classes online and learning Spanish. We've come to a slight halt with the GIS classes because we're waiting on some additional software from our company. But the Spanish classes are going to be helpful for life and for our trip we're taking in the spring to South America.
Today, I think we're hitting up the Farmer's Market in Soulard, which is another cute neighborhood and home to the 2nd largest Mardi Gras festival in the US. We are excited to go out there as well at some point. Alright, well I think that's all for now. Hope everyone is doing well and staying warm!
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