Around St. Louis

[jcorb2d]

I am not sure if this is the right forum. I am sort of guessing.

I have been reading a lot around RTA lately and maybe I have just been unlucky, but the only thing I see mentioned regarding St. Louis is the Arch and the trip up it. I do have to say that I have lived here for 13 years now and have never actually gone up in the Arch. That being said, here would be my suggestions for the St. Louis area beyond the Arch:

The Cahokia mounds

Ted Drewes Frozen custard (the one on old 66)

An Italian-American meal on The Hill. Many choices here. My personal favorite is Zia's, but that is largely because it is across an intersection fromthe Missouri Baking company and some excellent canolli

The Budweiser brewery tour

If you have kids, there's the zoo (free admission and, if you're a cheapskate like me, free parking either on the streets nearby or at the Art museum), the Magic House, and Grant's Farm

There is a hiking/biking path across the Mississippi River just North of town at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge.

Everyone talks about the old river town of Hannibal a ways north of St. Louis. I see little talk around of either Ste. Genevieve to the South or of the winery region (Hermann, Washington, etc.) West along the Missouri.

Also, if you are looking for homestyle meals which make no pretense at being low-calorie along with some very good pies in a tourist-y (some would say kitsch-y) small old river town, there's the Blue Owl Restaurant and Bakery in the town of Kimmswick just South of St. Louis.

And this all is just really just scratching the surface.

All the best,
Jon

[AZBuck]

Jon, thanks for the insights. Actually I have often recommended Ste. Genevieve and more recently the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial of which the Arch is just a part. I agree that there is much more to St. Louis (my wife's hometown BTW) than this, and your list is a great reminder of all that this city has to offer. Just a few more:

Museum of Transportation
Mastodon State Historic Site
Lewis and Clark State Memorial Park (IL)
Forest Park, home of the 1904 World's Fair (St. Louis also hosted the Olympics that year!)

AZBuck

[Mark Sedenquist]

I have been reading a lot around RTA lately and maybe I have just been unlucky, but the only thing I see mentioned regarding St. Louis is the Arch and the trip up it. I do have to say that I have lived here for 13 years now and have never actually gone up in the Arch.

Jon, Well then, it is high time. Seriously, at some point the park service will close the contraption that carries folks to the observation platform and that will be a shame. Also, be sure to watch the movie in the visitor's center -- the fact that the arch was completed in the manner that it was makes for a very compelling movie. I trust that you have "done" 4th of July at the Arch? I love sitting on the steps adjacent to the hotel and watching them fire the massive fireworks from the barges.

The Cahokia mounds

Absoutely, I like visiting these in winter, when the trees are bare -- it is mush easier to see the shapes!

Ted Drewes Frozen custard (the one on old 66)

A standard for many years -- here is a gravity defying photo of some of this frozen custard:
Thanks for the rest of the recommendations!

Another place we have enjoyed for years is Vivian's in St. Charles although the previous owners are now living elsewhere and we haven't checked there in a while. And although not really close to St. Louis, this classic navigational sign has remained a favorite for a while....

Mark

[PNW Judy]

That navigational sign is hysterical!

I'm curious, why do you think that the passenger transport up The Arch will eventually close? Is it unsafe or rickety or something?

I'm hoping to make that a stop on my Route 66 trip next summer. Hope it's still open then, rickety or not.

[Mark Sedenquist]

That navigational sign is hysterical!

Have you looked around at the rest of the collection recently? There are 371 signs in the current collection. Here is this newest one and some other featured ones are listed here.

I'm curious, why do you think that the passenger transport up The Arch will eventually close? Is it unsafe or rickety or something?

Your US tax dollars at work -- it is currently safe, but it hardly matches OSHA standards. I am six foot tall and the cages one rides are in a little small... It really is an amazing contraption!

Mark

[PNW Judy]

I especially like the Buffet - Crap one.

Sounds like The Arch ride is a bit of an adrenaline rush. I'll definitely have to do this!

[momof3east]

This was a helpful post.
Still, it's 4 years later and I want to know about your additions and corrections to these suggestions.

We are going for a weekend in early August, including a Cards game and want to know what else to do.
I have 3 kids 14 and under.
We probably will skip zoo, 6flags, and science museum because we have excellent versions by us.
We like quirky; we like history, music, local eats and flavor.

[glc]

A tip for parking if you go to a Cards game - park in the Arch garage for 6 bucks and walk over to the park. It's about 8 blocks. See the Arch and the Museum of Westward Expansion and the old courthouse.

If you like good BBQ, go to Super Smokers in Eureka.

[Gerald Thurman]

I had fun walking over the Mississippi River from Missouri to Illinois via the Old Chain of Rocks Route 66 bridge.

[momof3east]

• Lunch at Pappy's Smokehouse, arriving BEFORE opening for shorter line (shhh...)
• The Grant Home NATIONAL PARK-- NOT the farm owned by Anheiser Busch
• If we had time, would've done Crown Candy Kitchen OR Iron Barley
• We ate at Cards game-- game & stadium were good, expense of food was not
• Next day, did Arch at 8 am on a summer Sunday. At that time, crowd was small at bottom & top. Family really enjoyed, even the "rickety" tram--it does rattle but safety so far is okay (google st louis post dispatch for August 2010 relevant story).
• Did the Museum of Westward Expansion, which had a Baseball exhibit
• Did the "riverboat" trip right near Arch; probably okay to skip
• Shoulda done instead the Park Ranger tour at 10 am summer weekends
• Did the Old Courthouse, which was a sobering and wonderful stop
• Had lunch/dinner at Sweetie Pies, so WELL worth the wait
• Had frozen custard and Concrete at Ted Drewes

We then drove up to Springfield Illinois to stay a few days for Lincoln sightseeing, an awesome experience about an hour away.
All restaurants were chosen based on info from Travel Channel and other sites.