Getaways to work or play

While I was at a convention in St. Louis, I had the opportunity to go see a couple of iconic places. My interest peaked to go to the Budweiser plant as they were sold to a Belgian brewing company. The tour is free and the guides gave me the sights and sounds of St. Louis beer as we walked the floor. Beautiful buildings, landscaping, followed by a beer sampler made this hot afternoon a great experience.

Cardinal Stadium is a short walk from the Arch, so I looked at 2 sites in 1. The baseball game was underway and I didn’t see the inside of the stadium. The sound of the game was enough for me. They played the Dodgers and they won. Then the noise from the stadium was deafening. It was too early to get in for free and too late in my opinion to pay for the game, but the street vendors were there ready to freshen me up with a cold one while I looked at the scoreboard.

The Arch is a great site in itself. The trip to the top on a sunny day will allow you to see the river and the fluvial casino. I have the rare experience of saying “I’ve seen Illinois but I haven’t been there.” If you need a record of your trip, you can find it in the gift shop and in the small shops in the city center.

A short stroll down Broadway are numerous small bars and restaurants to help you enjoy a “taste of St. Louis barbecue.” The pulled pork and ribs with a sweet spicy sauce is my favorite. A lot of blues and bones can be enjoyed in small venues until the wee hours of the morning.

My suggestion of getting a hotel near the venue was very important on my last trip to St. Louis. Yes, it was July in St Louis! Are you kidding? Everyone told me that it was not the time of year to go there, but I was pleasantly surprised. The temperatures were in the 80s and the humidity was low.

I chose a hotel across the street from the convention center and the dome stadium so I could be a part of it all and avoid melting when walking from place to place. The hotel had a weekday happy hour at the bar, so be careful. There is no happy hour on the weekends. The short getaway for me was great, the sights and sounds of St. Louis were exciting and the people were genuine. My next article will focus on the port city of Vancouver, BC.