Out and About in St. Louis
While your in St. Louis, why not check out some area attractions:
Crystal Springs Quarry Golf Course. Spread over
more than 200 acres, Crystal Springs Quarry Golf Complex offers fun and relaxation for every taste. Located in
Maryland Heights, MO the complex offers an 18-Hole Golf Course, Pro Shop and Golf Center.
St Louis Arch and Riverfront. What is more symbolic of
St. Louis than the Gateway Arch? Afraid of heights or don't want to make that trip to the top then visit the Museum of
Westward Expansion or watch one of the movies being shown at the Odyssey Theatre. Nearby are riverboats to cruise the
Mississippi, helicopter tours, and bike rentals.
Anheuser-Busch Brewery. The largest of the Anheuser-Busch breweries
is located only a few minutes from the Gateway Arch and Busch Stadium. At the 100-acre brewery guests can discover
first hand how the family of Busch beers are brewed. Follow the tour with a visit to the Hospitality Room for a
sampling of your favorite beer or check out the Gift Shop for the latest merchandise.
Grants Farm. This farm is over 280 acres and is the ancestral home of
the Busch family and is located in south St. Louis. It is home to more than 1,000 animals from six continents.
Trolly car tours provide a scenic view of the park. Grant's Farm is operated by Anheuser-Busch. The Farm takes its
name from President Ulysses S. Grant who farmed a portion of the area in the 1850s. It is also home to approximately
35 Clydesdale horses that are maintained in the nearby stables.
Missouri Botanical Gardens. First opened in 1859, the Botanical Gardens
offer spectacular scenery that can be viewed from the numerous walking paths or from one of the tram tours that run
every 40 minutes during the summer. The Gardens also host various music festivals and art exhibits throughout the
year.
Union Station. Union Station opened for business in the late 1890s
and was restored to its original grandeur in the early 1980s. Union Station now boasts a hotel, many restaurants, and
several shops while maintaining much of the unique aspects of the old rail station.
Forest Park. Home to the 1904 St. Louis World's
Fair, Forest Park was founded in 1876 and is home to the St. Louis Zoo, Missouri History Museum, St. Louis Art Museum,
The Muny Opera House, McDonnell Planetarium, St. Louis Science Center, a lake for boating, and two public golf courses.
Historic St. Charles, MO. The second oldest city west of the
Mississippi, St. Charles was founded in 1765. It was the last civilized town that the
Lewis and Clark Expedition were in before departing for the wilderness
in 1804. St. Charles' Main Street takes you back to the bygone era of the 1800s with cobblestone streets and quaint
shops.
Missouri Wine Country. Missouri was the second largest
wine producer by state prior to prohibition. The first wine was produced in the region in Hermann, MO in 1846.
Today there are several vineyards in the St. Louis region that produce some excellent wine.
And how about some St. Louis trivia:
How much do you know about St. Louis? Most of us know that St. Louis is called the Gateway to the West and that the Gateway Arch
is the world's tallest monument. Another well known fact is that St. Louis is also home to the world's largest brewery, Anheuser Busch.
Did you know that peanut butter was actually discovered here by a St. Louis doctor? Enjoy these St. Louis fun facts and learn a little
more about our great city.
1. St. Louisans consume more barbecue sauce per capita than any other city in America.
2. The first lung cancer operation and first lung transplants were performed in St. Louis.
3. The soft drink Dr. Pepper was introduced at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. 7-Up also was invented in St. Louis.
4. St. Louis was the site of the demonic possession treated by a Jesuit priest from St. Louis University Theological, that inspired the book,
and later the movie, "The Exorcist."
5. The ice cream cone was invented at the 1904 World's Fair. So was iced tea. Hot dogs and hamburgers were popularized to a wide audience at the Fair.
6. St. Louis was once the largest shoe-manufacturing center in the world--home of Buster Brown and other famous brands.
7. The largest collection of mosaic art in the world graces the walls and ceilings at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis in the Central West End neighborhood.
8. St. Louis is home to the oldest institution of higher learning west of the Mississippi--St. Louis University.
9. Hawken Rifles and Murphy wagons, used by the western pioneers, were made in St. Louis.
10. The cocktails, Planter's Punch, Martini, Bloody Mary, and Tom Collins, were invented at a St. Louis hotel, the Planter's House.
11. The custom of placing chocolates on hotel pillows begins here when the actor Cary Grant stayed at the Mayfair and used chocolate to woo a woman friend.
12. The first Jewish congregation west of the Mississippi was founded here as was the first library west of the Mississippi.
13. Famous writers including T. S. Eliot, Maya Angelou, William Gass, Tennessee Williams, Eugene Field and many others were from St. Louis.
14. The Missouri Botanical Garden is among the top three botanical gardens in the world.
15. The first ironclad boat was built by James Buchanan Eads in the Port of St. Louis. Eads also invented the diving bell to salvage steamboat
wrecks from the Mississippi River and built the first bridge using steel truss construction--the 1874 Eads Bridge.
16. St. Louis offers more free, major visitor attractions than any place outside of the nation's capital, including the Saint Louis Art Museum,
Saint Louis Zoo, Cahokia Mounds, Museum of Westward Expansion, St. Louis Science Center, Missouri History Museum, Anheuser-Busch Brewery, Grant's Farm and more.
17. The first kindergarten in the U.S. was founded in St. Louis by Susan Blow.
18. Peanut butter was invented here on a visit from George Carver.
19. Famous musicians including Chuck Berry, Tina Turner, Miles Davis, Albert King, David Sanborn, Michael McDonald (The Doobie Brothers) were
from St. Louis. Missouri native Sheryl Crowe taught school in St. Louis.
20. St. Louis was the first American city to host the Olympic Games (1904).
21. Famous contemporary actors including John Goodman, Kevin Kline and Scott Bakula were born in St. Louis. Other famous actors and entertainers
including Josephine Baker, Betty Grable, Vincent Price, Buddy Ebsen, Redd Foxx, Shelly Winters, Virginia Mayo, Marsha Mason and many others also called St. Louis home.
22. The Mercury and Gemini space capsules were built in St. Louis by McDonnell Douglas--now Boeing.
23. The world's first skyscraper - Louis Sullivan's Wainwright Building - was built in 1897 in St. Louis.
24. Charles Lindbergh flew mail routes into St. Louis and named his plane "Spirit of St. Louis" to thank the businessmen who provided financial
backing for his solo Atlantic flight in 1927.
25. The nation's first interstate highway was constructed here.
26. The Gateway Arch - at 630 feet - is the nation's tallest man-made monument.
27. The Mississippi River runs 2,350 miles from Lake Itasca in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. The word "Mississippi" comes from the Anishinabe
people (Ojibwe Indians). They called the river "Messipi" which means "Big River." The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains a navigation channel
nine feet deep in the center of the river.
28. The bread slicer was invented here circa 1900.
29. The 2nd professional fire dept in the USA was started here in 1850 (Cincinnati started the first two years prior).
30. Generals Grant and Robert E. Lee both served as new West Point officers at St. Louis.
31. Pork steaks were invented in St. Louis.
AND the most interesting of all--
32. Corkball was a St. Louis sport.
| 
