It's not an "arc"...
DocWhiskey said:
The baseball stadium looks like it was abandoned years ago. The Gambling Boat on the Mississippi river looks like it's going to sink, and the Mississippi itself is brown and dirty. Not to mention their "arc" looks like it going to collapse into itself anyday now and the people were quite cranky.
Are you sure it was two years ago? Nevermind: You said "a few years back."
Anyways, it's an "arch", not an "arc". It's gone through some renovations over the past few years, and looks far more sprightly than it probably did. The previous ballpark was a sixties relic, and needed to be improved; it was subsequently demolished. The third Busch Stadium was opened in April of '06, and will host this year's MLB Allstar Game. I have not yet been, but some of my friends say it's a pretty nice ballpark done up in the retro-mod fashion that's all the rage these days in professional sports.
No comment on the "dirty" aspect of the Mississippi, but it's supposed to be "muddy". The current stirs up the silt from the bottom, and mixes in with the water creating it's color. Around St. Louis, however, it's especially so because the even muddier Missouri River (it drains the Midwestern Plains) joins the Mississippi just North of the St. Louis.
Samuel Clemens' Boyhood Home is in Hannibal, Missouri, about two-hours from Columbia and St. Louis. It's definitely worth a visit if you're in interested in the man who would become Mark Twain. Be sure to allow yourself some extra driving time since its hours of operation aren't that great.
Jesse James' legend is scattered all-around Missouri. From the Bank Museum in Liberty, MO to his cave hideout in Stanton, MO to his tomb in Kearney, you won't have too much problem finding something to see.
Just across the border from St. Louis is Illinois, where you'll find the Cahokia Mounds. These are the burial mounds of one of North America's greatest tribes who at their height in 1240 had a larger city than London.
Oh, and St. Louis isn't known so much for its contributions to jazz; that's Kansas City. St. Louis, however, has made decent contributions to the Blues. You can hear both at
BB's Jazz, Blues, & Soups or the
Broadway Oyster Bar. Food's only okay in my opinion at BB's, but I would definitely recommend the fare at the Broadway.
Check out Soulard, The Landing, and the Hill for other entertainment options. The Hill is known for its Italian fare.
Watch this to help get you to
St. Louis, MO!
Finally, St. Louis has a unique take on barbecue. While I haven't spent enough time in St. Louis to eat in enough of them,
Pappy's Smokehouse and
The Shaved Duck are both exceptional.
Oh, and Gus' Pretzels on Arsenal St. in the shadow of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery are pretty rad.
Okay. That's it. G'night.