Soaring to new heights.
The famous Gateway Arch is a must-see for everyone. Whether you’re traveling for business, entertaining a sweetheart, or showing the family around -- make plans to visit the popular attraction. Trams for the top leave every 10 minutes and hold up to five people in each one. Once you’re at the top, feel free to shoot video or catch pictures. Best time to go? Early in the morning, before it gets busy.
Gateway Arch * Washington Avenue at the Riverfront * (877) 982-1410 * gatewayarch.com
Pair up your visit to the Riverfront with a stroll through Laclede’s Landing. This entertainment district north of the Arch is packed with interesting stores and restaurants and lots of events. Catch a ride in a horse-drawn carriage or walk the cobbled historic streets and investigate some of the many area venues.
Laclede’s Landing * North of the Gateway Arch * (314) 241-5875 * lacledeslanding.com
Relax at the Park.
One of the oldest parks in the United States, Forest Park is more than 500 acres larger than New York City’s Central Park. It’s home to many of the city’s

St. Louis Zoo * One Government Drive * (314) 781-0900 * stlzoo.org
Take a Romantic Walk.
A 19th century brainstorm from Henry Shaw, the Missouri Botanical Gardens is considered one of the top three gardens of its sort in the world.
Among its 79 acres you’ll find everything from a Japanese paradise to an English Woodland Garden; the Climatron, which is home to 1500 types of rainforest plants; and an extensive children’s garden full of places to play.
Missouri Botanical Gardens * 4344 Shaw Blvd. * (800) 642-8842 * mobot.org
What’s more romantic than a walk with butterflies? The Butterfly House in Faust Park celebrates
The Butterfly House * 15193 Olive Boulevard in Chesterfield * (636) 530-0076 * butterflyhouse.org
It may surprise you to find that everything inside the City Museum is recycled -- from the art to the materials used to build the exhibits themselves. But the fun is all brand new. Take the kids or be one yourself for hours of fun as you investigate living creatures, fascinating sculpture, and working machines in a facility run entirely on power from renewable sources.
City Museum * 701 N. 15th Street * (314) 231-CITY * citymuseum.org

You can’t miss out on a good time watching the 10 time World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. The popular Redbirds play at Busch Stadium, one of the newest in Major League Baseball, and they’ve been red hot these past few years.
Fans can splurge on great and unusual concessions like toasted ravioli, BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, stir fried Asian dishes with peanuts, garlic fries, and turkey legs. The park offers all sorts of pricing options from suites to seats, from solo tickets to family packs.
For the more comprehensive Redbird experience, take the tour. Stadium tours are available every day of the week (except during special events) on the half hour between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Be sure to check out the Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum.
St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium * 700 Clark Street * stlouiscardinals.com


St. Louis Rams at Edward Jones Dome * 901 North Broadway * (314) 342-5201 * stlouisrams.com
Hockey more your thing? Catch a game at Scottrade Center and hit the ice with the Saint Louis Blues. Jump in on the fun traditions -- like free tacos for attendees the day after a game where the Blues score five goals, or the “Towel Man” and the fist pump and towel throw every time the Blues score.
St. Louis Blues at Scottrade Center * 1401 Clark Avenue * stlouisblues.com
Land of 1000 Dishes
St. Louis claims dozens of original dishes that have become part of the culinary lexicon in America. Among the more famous:

Pork Steaks: pork butt sliced as a steak, often served with BBQ sauce
The Slinger: two eggs, hamburger patty, hash browns, and American cheese all topped with chili
St. Paul Sandwich: Egg Foo Young, lettuce, tomato, and pickle on white bread
Prosperity
Gooey Butter Cake: a very moist yellow cake topped with a mixture of cream cheese, eggs, and almond extract.
Peanut Butter: first packaged as a protein past in 1890 by George A. Bayle Jr.
The Concrete: A frozen egg custard mixed with candy, fruit, and or nuts that doesn’t come out of the cup when turned over.
Who says breakfast can’t be fun? At Soda Fountain Square, you can have any breakfast, any time -- with an ice cream specialty to boot.
The Lafayette Square eatery has all the great food you’d expect from a good local diner -- and lots of local specialties like The Slinger (two eggs, hash browns, cheese and a hamburger patty all topped with chili) and T-Ravs (toasted ravioli).

Soda Fountain Square * 1801 Park Avenue * (314) 241-0099 * sodafountainsquare.com
The restaurant lives up to its name, with oyster selections ranging from Shooters to Bienville to Rockefeller.
Catch a bite of gator or dive into a Muffeletta.
Broadway Oyster House * 736 Broadway * (314) 621-8811 * broadwayoysterbar.com

An American Place * 822 Washington * (314) 418-5800 * anamericanplacestl.com

Tigin’s Irish Pub * 333 Washington Avenue * (314) 241-8666 * tiginsirishpub.com
Route 66 enthusiasts will enjoy a step back in the past at Ted Drewe’s Frozen Custard Shop. The custard comes in any flavor you want -- as long as it’s vanilla.
Ted Drewe’s Frozen Custard * 6726 Chippewa * (314) 481-2652 * teddrewes.com
Planning a Visit?
The St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission is available to help you with your plans and destinations. Check out explorestlouis.com or call (800) 916-0040.

St. Louis is well known for beer makers, both the large (Anheuser-Busch) and the small (dozens of microbreweries). Take time out of your trip to check out some of the tours and pubs in the area.

On the tour, visitors are taken through the massive St. Louis complex, offered two free glasses of any Anheuser-Busch product in the Hospitality Room, and given a glimpse of some of the world famous Budweiser Clydesdales.
Tours are offered Monday through Saturday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and Sundays between 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Anheuser-Busch Brewery * 12th and Lynch Streets * (314) 577-2626 * budweisertours.com
Nestled in the heart of Laclede’s Landing, the Morgan Street Brewery has a fine and diverse selection of beer, ales, and lagers on tap for the connoisseur. But it’s a more than complete
Dishes are served up with “coniques,” mashed potatoes formed into cones, battered, and deep fried. Try the Brew Burger -- a half pound burger stuffed with goat cheese and topped with caramelized onions, cooked to order.

And try not to pass up the Crème Brulee Trio -- flavors change every day.
Morgan Street Brewery *721 North Second Street * (314) 231-9970 * morganstreetbrewery.com
Why venture out into the unknown when you can enjoy a top rated resort in the middle of a city? The Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis is a full-service resort with every amenity covered, every convenience offered, and every courtesy extended.
The hotel itself begins on the eighth floor of its building -- to take advantage of the incredible view of the Arch and the Riverfront unobscured by the Lumiere Casino next door.
Visitors are welcomed to an airy, contemporary lobby and open plan bar and restaurant, with a full wall of windows exposing cabanas and a fantastic pool.
Rooms are spacious and minimalist, utilizing light colors and glass along with pale wood and fluffy white linens. There’s original artwork in guest rooms, and in guest baths.
The bathroom is large with separate toilet closet, rain-shower head glass shower, and an 80 gallon deep and luxurious bath tub.
The house staff is very attentive, and notes are made about your preference -- whether it be for a certain morning paper, ice and drinks in your room, or a particular type of pillow.
Breakfast options cover almost any sort of diet -- from traditional country breakfasts to lox and bagels and even healthy hand mixed yogurts and granolas.
A wide selection of massages, facials, and ritual treatments are offered at prices comparable with other area spas.
The hotel also features a well-developed exercise room (with cold towels and refreshments available), a splash pool for children, and excellent concierge services.
Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis * 999 North Second Street * (314) 881-5800 * fourseasons.com/stlouis
Thanks, Kat!
ReplyDeleteMary