J and I just got back from a short trip to Saint Louis. It was wonderful.
If you’re from Missouri, this might shock you. Or so I hear.
Apparently people from Kansas City aren’t too keen on St. Louis. After going this weekend, I seriously cannot imagine why.
It was so much fun. And free fun. Which makes it a whole lot more fun than just regular fun.
We went down to visit some of our close friends from college and they definitely hosted us well so I thought I’d do my first travel post.
Heading down Friday afternoon, I knew NOTHING about the city apart from the Arch and the Cardinal’s baseball team. Little did I know that I was about to be pleasantly surprised.
There’s a place in STL called Forest Park. It includes an Art Museum, History Museum, Science Center, Musical Amphitheater and Zoo…. all free. I literally couldn’t believe it. It also has biking/running paths, sports courts and so much more. It’s like it’s own little community all within a few square miles.
We didn’t make it to Forest Park but we’re planning to head back again sometime this summer and we will definitely be paying a visit. Well not paying… cause it’s free! Woohoo!
We did, however, visit the Budweiser factory. Just keeping our priorities straight.
This was a really incredible tour. Oh, it was also free. It was a walking tour of about 7 blocks of their factory, right in the heart of the city.
Strangely enough, the factory was beautiful… and it smelled delicious… the smell of baking bread drifted through the streets. I’m pretty sure at one point I was licking the air trying to get a little taste….
The smell of baking bread makes me do strange things…don’t judge.
At the factory they walk you through the history, brewing, packaging and marketing of their products. You also get to view the stables where the Clydesdale horses are kept… so worth the $0 we paid.
We headed to a little Italian community called The Hill for lunch. I would be lying if I said I didn’t leave Joey Tribbiani from Friends.
“How you doin’?”
There was an overabundance of Italian restaurants… actually, I take that back. I don’t think that possible.
There were a lot of Italian eateries. It was incredible.
We randomly picked one, knowing we wouldn’t be disappointed with any of the choices, and an hour and a half later we were rolling out of there stuffed.
Realizing that we were about to drift into a carb-induced coma, we headed straight for City Museum. This was seriously the best part of the trip…. if you’re an active person, you NEED to go here. I’ve tried multiple times to describe it to people and failed miserably… here is how the website describes it:
Housed in the 600,000 square-foot former International Shoe Company, the museum is an eclectic mixture of children’s playground, funhouse, surrealistic pavilion, and architectural marvel made out of unique, found objects. The brainchild of internationally acclaimed artist Bob Cassilly, a classically trained sculptor and serial entrepreneur, the museum opened for visitors in 1997 to the riotous approval of young and old alike.
Cassilly and his longtime crew of 20 artisans have constructed the museum from the very stuff of the city; and, as a result, it has urban roots deeper than any other institutions’. Reaching no farther than municipal borders for its reclaimed building materials, City Museum boasts features such as old chimneys, salvaged bridges, construction cranes, miles of tile, and even two abandoned planes!
“City Museum makes you want to know,” says Cassilly. “The point is not to learn every fact, but to say, ‘Wow, that’s wonderful.’ And if it’s wonderful, it’s worth preserving.”
I didn’t bring my camera because I knew I would be climbing, crawling, jumping, sliding, etc (and bruising my entire body)… so here are some pics I found of other patrons…
They had a 10 story slide… yes, I said STORY. See below…
Don’t be fooled, though. It’s not just for children. We spent 3 hours here… now, I’m bruised and sore and dreaming of climbing on anything and everything. Did I mention that there are no rules? It encourages creativity and discovery. I could go on and on. If you visit STL, this is a must see.
After a day of activity, we worked up quite the appetite and visited the Fitz’s ….A rootbeer and soda factory. On the server’s suggestion, I tried Cream Soda first… I was not disappointed…
They were packed so we watched the soda making process while we waited for our table… they are famous for their root beer floats. Knowing this, I couldn’t miss out…
So that’s St. Louis in a nutshell… Happy Monday Friends!
Totally going with you next time! Looks like you had so much fun!
Girl, you SO should. It was a blast and we barely did anything. You would LOVE it!