Exploring and Reconnecting - Day 8 - Alton and St. Louis Area

We decided to stay at the Alton Marina for a few days and use it as a base to explore St. Louis and meet with our good friend Mike Maglione.  The weather AS ALWAYS (well I can hope) was perfect.

Local history.  The final Lincoln Douglas debate took place in Alton on October 15, 1858 and drew large numbers of people for the neighboring states.  Lincoln also responded to John Shields' demand for a duel and actually showed up (1842).  For details click here.  Neither party was hurt as Shield and Lincoln called it off at the last minute and adjourned to a local bar for drinks.  shielded later served as a general in the Union Army and was praised by Lincoln.  The raid on the arsenal in St. Louis, one of the first battles of the Civil War, was launched from Alton and, finally, the Alton Prison on an small Island, that has since disappeared, held 11,764 Confederate prisoners, 1574 of which died from small pox.  The island was just south of the Argosy Casino.

Diana and Kodi in front of the hotel where Lincoln stayed

Historical Marker - The Duel

Historical Marker - Smallpox Island



Walking down East 3rd Street



The Argosy Casino. Notice it's comprised of two riverboats

Con Agra Mills - A key part of Alton's economy

We then walked north to explore the city.  The area we saw had river views and the home while modest were well kept.

Overlooking the Mississippi

A GTO and a Nash Metropolitan - Posed



A unique mural captures the old times

At 12:00pm Mike Maglione joined us and off we went to explore St. Louis

We had a wonderful brunch at a Oceano in Clayton, Missouri and caught up on old time.  Recall that Mike and I co-wrote a 55 minutes sales training video in 1985.  It was shot on location in St. Louis when he was working for a Circuit City look-alike called CMC.  Mike later worked for Ryan Insurance on the ServicePlan program and then left to pursue a career in the travel industry.  Mike and I dined and played pool together during his frequent rather visits to Chicago.

Mike and I also share a love of protein shakes, which we both started doing 13 years ago.  Those who know me well, know that I have a shake for breakfast and lunch EVERY day and sometimes for dinner. 

How we got there is quite a story.  Here's the short version.  Mike and I met with Mike Stevenson and Joe Dillon at the Marriott Hotel on November 15, 1997.  My role was to write a training program for their newly formed company and Mike was to one of the early participants in the multi-level marketing plan.  The training program, which I named "EnergyFirst," dealt with nutrition, exercise and supplementation, three subjects that were well outside my are of expertise.  What Mike Stevenson wanted was my training expertise.  Specifically, what he wanted was an interactive training program written under the Guided Discovery method (which is the subject of my book and, not co-incidentally, the name of our boat).  Joe Dillon was my subject matter expert.  He furnished the knowledge and I translated it into a teachable form. 

Joe is a genius and I can say that what I learned from him changed my life.  If you want to learn about nutrition, supplementation and exercise from the best, just click here.  you will not be disappointed.

Side Note: The name of my training program "EnergyFirst," ultimately became the trade name of Mike and Joe's company.

Lunch at Oceano in PERFECT weather

We then toured Forrest Park, which is St. Louis's equivalent of Chicago's Grant Park.  This 500 acre park is actually bigger than Central Park in New York.  Located in the park are The Muny Opera, a zoo, Art Museum, History Museum and Science Center.

And then on to Whole Foods to restock.  The photo below is particularly significant.  Notice the LaCroix.  We bought seven 12 packs and would have got more if the had it.  My favorite drink, which I've been enjoying for the last 13 years is LaCroix and lime.  Another thing I learned for Joe Dillon.

Note: St. Louis did not have a Whole Foods in the late 90s and early 2000s.  So, when Mike visited Chicago, we would take him to Whole Foods to pick-up healthy foods to support the Joe Dillon healthy lifestyle.  It was fitting then on our visit that he took us there.  What goes around, comes around.

Dians and Les at Whole Foods in St. Louis

What a day.  Stay tuned for our next chapter, Trouble in River City.