St. Louis and the Gateway to an upcoming trendy mid-western town

by admin

After spending a long weekend in St. Louis, Missouri, I felt like I was taken back to Pleasantville, but with a contemporary twist.  The city of St. Louis was quiet on the weekend, however I got a chance to roam around and check out Busch Stadium, home of the Cardinals.  As a photographer, I was mesmerized by the infamous Gateway Arch, the phenomenal stainless steel structure standing 630 feet tall on the edge of the Mississippi River.  Being from New York, I couldn’t help but think that the Arch was the Statue of Liberty of the Midwest.  The City Museum was another outstanding attraction which I was able to see on the way out of town. The museum, founded by artist Bob Cassily, repurposed a number of industrial objects and equipment for artistic design, including old cranes, airplanes, busses and bridges.

St. Louis also had its fair share of trendy bars and attractions including one vodka bar I visited called Sub Zero.  While they are known for the largest selection of Vodka in the country (over 300 choices from around the world), I was instantly drawn to the Sushi Mary, a 4-pepper infused Bloody Mary served with ginger, wasabi and soy sauce.  Of course, it was garnished with shrimp and cucumber.  Words cannot begin to describe how delicious this zesty drink was. This drink, alone, was worth the trip! Did I mention they also serve a fresh variety of Sushi until about 1 a.m.??? Amazingly delicious considering St. Louis is landlocked in the Midwest.

There were a number of hot spots to visit for entertainment.  The Four Seasons Hotel sports a spacious rooftop bar overlooking downtown St. Louis and the Arch.  The views were extraordinary.  Like many cities in the Midwest and the South, St. Louis boasts casino life.  The Lumiere Place Casino (connected to the Four Seasons), however, was unlike many of the casinos I’ve visited in Louisiana, Connecticut and Oklahoma.  The Lumiere was less touristy, young and vibrant.  There were great bars and clubs throughout the casino as well.  This casino was definitely on the top of the list, and not just because I had a great run at the blackjack tables!!

Nearly everything in the city is free to do and visit, including the Museums and the Zoo, which in part was nicer then the Bronx Zoo. However, the highlight of this trip (besides visiting family) was my visit to the Anheuser-Busch factory.  I somehow knew this tour would be the highlight of the trip, so I planned it for the very end of my trip.  It was great to “tap” off my long weekend with a free beer tasting of my choice, especially considering it was over 100 degrees out nearly every day I was in town.  However, I have to mention you can smell the aroma of hops in the air up to a mile away from the factory, so that helped stave off some of the heat!!

All in all, this was a great trip and I’d highly recommend you spend some time in St. Louis.  Given my being accustomed to such a New York fast passed way of life, I never expected to find St. Louis so eventful and fun, but it is definitely an outstanding city and without a doubt worth another visit someday soon!

Want to go to St. Louis, make sure to check out some Cheap Flights !!

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