Decided to drive up to St. Louis after Christmas and spend the rest of the holiday up there....stayed downtown, and traveled to wine country as well, and drove by some other places on the way back.
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Pic of the Arch towards the Mississippi
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St. Louis is a great place to visit, although downtown is a little sketchy in some places. All brick buildings (due to a devestating fire 100 +/- years ago due to a steam ship explosion) and some interesting architecture. Not the best public transit, but not bad for the US. We were able to get just about everywhere by walking or taking the light rail to Forest Park or E. St. Louis for the casino (don't bother). Forest Park ..well, sucked for New Years. Too many people and huge lines for beer and food. We ended up going back downtown in the hope fireworks would happen around the arch. We got chased away by the Park Service of course. But it was cool down in the old riverwalk area nearby, and not crowded. Wine country, in particular, is really pretty and worth visiting. Just an hour drive or so.
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| Favourite spots: |
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Union Station filled with many shops and restaurants and a beautiful hotel w/stained glass windows
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DT in general is nice, at least the touristy spots. Wine country, great, not too pretentious and if you had to pick a place, go to Stone Hill. It's in a German area. The whole route is nice, and the exit from the Interstate 44 has a cool art shop. Hermann is the area you are headed for. Lots of non-chain restaurants abound, which I like. There is a brewery in St. Charles that's great for food and beer, on the way back from Hermann. Also a casino that I didn't visit. St. Charles also has lots of shops and antiques stores if you like that. Also, on the way up (from the South), Port Cape Girardeau is cool and has a nice restaurant and lounge near the waterfront. The street that dead ends into the arch is a nice walking area. Check out the big train station a few blocks away, it's beautiful. City hall as well.
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| What's really great: |
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Stone Hill Winery
Used to be a mushroom farm after prohibition
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The area in general, the restaurants, the brewpubs, the architecture, and of course the arch. Lots of history too, if you have the time, you really ought to check out the museum at the arch. And, the wine country. Union Station was beautiful also.
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| Sights: |
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The confluence of the Ohio and the Mississippi rivers
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The arch (duh), the Laumeier sculpture garden, the wine route, the Mississippi, older buildings (city hall, Union Station, et al)
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We stayed in the Wyndam Mayfair. Very nice, a little old, and perhaps haunted.
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Didn't really visit any.
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Many, many...Schlafly's was overrated, plus they were busy. Route 66 was good also. Plus, if you can get to Houlohans during happy hour, they have a heck of a deal. Some of the places in the historic district (Laclades Landing) aren't bad either. There's also a sports pub NW of the Arch also.
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Soulards, of course, and take some dressing home if you can (it's near the Bud brewery). Port St. Girardeau Rest. is good too in that city. We had some fried ravioli at the sports pub NW of the arch and the Museum of Westward Expansion, you gotta try that somewhere. It's a local specialty. Rest of the food at that place was passable. St. Charles brewery was good too, a little further north.
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Published on Sunday September 26th, 2004
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Mon, Sep 27 2004 - 01:24 AM
 by ravinderkumarsi
hii cris,
nice report indeed and nicely written too..
keep it up
ravi |
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9 votes
