Some help for this Friday :) (St. Louis, Cape Girardeau: fit in, crime, houses)

[Creo]

Hi,
I am a native of the Chicago area who will be able to get to St. Louis for the first time this Friday. I am driving through on my way to Cape Girardeau, so I cannot stay very long. It seems like I will wake up very early to try to get to St. Louis by 10:00 or so, and I will probably leave by 3:00. What can I fit in? What is typical of St. Louis foodwise or drinkwise (I only know that Ted Drew's is a source of pride)? Is there anything specific to this time of year or specific to a Friday morning/afternoon that I should take advantage of?

I will post it in the Missouri forum, but what about C. Girardeau? Is there anything I should do there or in that area? I will be meeting a friend who recently started working there. Is there anything I can do that my friend (who is carless) would appreciate?

Many thanks in advance for all input.

[BoomBoxing]

That's not much time but we usually recommend travelers stop by Pappys Smokehouse on Olive for some BBQ. The line will be long but it will be worth it.

Pappy's Smokehouse | St. Louis BBQ | Memphis Style BBQ | Saint Louis Barbeque | Welcome To Pappy's Smokehouse

Attraction wise, I recommend stopping by Forest Park and maybe spending a couple hours at the zoo/art museum/science center/history museum or whichever sounds most fun to you. Afterwards you can head south on Hampton and get your ted drewes before hopping on I-55 south to Cape.

[stlcitygirl]

^
Good call, I was also thinking you may be interested in the Anheuser Busch Brewery Tour in Soulard, St. Louis Brewery Tour.

[stlcitygirl]

You also may want to get lunch at Blueberry Hill on The Loop, it's very much a STL thing.

[moorlander]

Grab a map or navigation and exit downtown.

Drive around downtown and the landing to catch
1. the arch
2. The Wainwright,
3. Washington Ave.
4. Busch Stadium,
5. City Garden
6. Union Station

Then head south to Soulard to see
1. Soulard Market and the
2. A-B Brewery
stay off broadway so you actually see the neighborhood.

The hit up lafeyette square
1. circle the park and drive down Park Street.

The head west down russel to Hawthorn/Longfellow in Compton Heights.

then South on grand, and drive through Tower Grove Park... There is a great walkable strip on Grand just south of the park.

Then North on Grand to Lindell...Drive through SLU campus west to the Central West end
Don't miss the Basilica or the building on Lindel near kings Highway.
Circle aroudn the CWE, don't miss Maryland and Euclid.

Take Lindell west along Forest Park to Skinker, Then enter Forest Park to see the Zoo, Art Hill, and the rest of the best park in America...
Then hit skinker north to Delmar, drive west to Jackson and head south to dt Clayton. Wydown from Hanley back east to Skinker is one of the most beautiful streets in america. Check out Washington University.

There you have it. Without stopping this drive can be done in an hour or two.

Enjoy StL is a magnificent city!

[ShadowCaver]

moorlander has excellent suggestions, as are some of the above. Might also check out this thread, if not seen it yet: https://www.city-data.com/forum/st-lo...-st-louis.html Me, I'd stay not take the time for an AB tour, but use the opportunity that you have to drive and experience more area, greater diversity. One bad about tomorrow though is that forecast is for rain, steady rain. Good luck, drive safe, and hopefully enjoy. Please repost back as to what you enjoyed, what you saw amiss also.

PS: when going south on Grand... one of my favourite sites: Compton Hill Water Tower (http://stlouis.missouri.org/comptonhill/tower.html - broken link) Of course, on Grand further north is one of many other treasures: The Fabulous Fox Theatre - St. Louis

[DespicableMe]

The water tower was supposed to be open sometime for visit. Not sure if that was last weekend or this one.

[Creo]

Thanks for all the input! Had a good time in St. Louis today and will go back for more time on Sunday on my way back to Chicago. Will report back later.

[STLExpert]

Originally Posted by stlcitygirl

^
Good call, I was also thinking you may be interested in the Anheuser Busch Brewery Tour in Soulard, St. Louis Brewery Tour.

On your way back, if time permits, why not take a tour of a local brewery that produces quality beer (compared to ****-poor American lager) and is still committed to the St. Louis Community:

Welcome to Schlafly Cyberspace

The Bottleworks is a VERY neat place to visit, and it's much better paced and more festive than ABInBev. Plus, there is an excellent menu of appetizers/dinners to enjoy with your beer selection.

[Creo]

Many thanks to all who shared their thoughts. I really enjoyed my 3 days in Missouri.

First day: walked down Market (I think) past CityGarden, the courthouses, etc.- lots of open space for a downtown (things not as dense as Chicago). City Museum: a place to return with little kids and/or friends. Very unique, nice layout. Passed through Union Station, Bubba Tea, Left Bank Books, Culinaria (gooey butter cookies... a start), to the Arch- taller than I guess I imagined. Into the old cathedral, already time to leave for Cape Girardeau.

Ate on Main at the cajun place, quick walk, caught up with my friend. Next day, pictures of the murals by the river, a tour of SEMO's campus, to Hoeckele Bakery and Stonie's Sausage Shop (prefer the latter), the cave winery near 55, Ste. Genevieve, and stuff in Cape Girardeau like Andy's Frozen Custard.

Last day: Pappy's (liked the meat/BBQ but the highlights was the serving of sweet potato fries), the Arch (not impressed at the top- prefer walkaround types of structures like the Empire State Building), Ted Drewe's (excellent), Gooey Louie Butter Cake shop (nice), and Forest Park- what a gem. I love the fact that there are different planes to it- I can't think of Chicago parks that look down on anything. Into the art museum, drove around Wydown and Lindell- beautiful homes. Mass at the cathedral-basilica, already time to leave. I wanted to stay longer but had to work the next day.

I didn't see the crime-ridden areas but didn't have a crime feel at all my whole trip. The city was cleaner than I think I had imagined, it had fewer empty storefronts than many places I've seen this summer, and I would recommend it without hesitation for someone who wanted to go somewhere new.

Thanks again for your input.