Part 4

[OCT. 7, 2000]  ST. LOUIS: Whether you want to try your luck at one of six riverboat casinos, shop for antiques or dance the night away, St. Louis has all this and more. It’s hard to get bored in this city on the Mississippi River.

[Part 2: Soulard Market, Anheuser-Busch Brewery, St. Louis Zoo, Grant’s Farm, St. Louis Art Museum, The American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog, Busch Stadium, Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House and Education Center, Union Station.]

[Part 3: Entertainment/music]

If it’s not a smoky jazz club or a game of blackjack you’re after, a nice option for evening entertainment is to take in a movie at the Tivoli Theatre, at 6350 Delmar Blvd. in the University City area. Built in 1924, this beloved theater features the finest in independent film and foreign language cinema. The theater building is the most prominent structure in the University City Loop area of the city, both architecturally and historically, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The owners of the nearby Blueberry Hill bought the building in 1994 and brought it back to its original splendor at a cost of $2 million. Everything from its lush burgundy curtain and ornate ceiling with recessed domes to the terrazzo floor and 29-foot vertical sign makes watching a movie something special.

There’s no place better to see a live concert than in the fabulous Fox Theater, located in an eight-block, 53-acre national historic district known as Grand Center. A one-year, $2 million restoration program brought the magnificent building back to its 1929 condition. The work included removing and repairing the 4,500 seats, cleaning the 2,000-pound chandelier in the auditorium and bringing the opulent smoking lounges back to life, using original photographs.

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For late-night owls who like to gamble the night away, there are several options.

The Alton Belle Casino, located in Alton, offers an ultra-modern riverboat gambling casino just 20 miles north of the Arch and airport. The boat cruises every two hours from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 4 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. There is free admission.

The Casino Queen, located at 200 S. Front St. in East St. Louis, is across from the Arch, with slots, video poker, keno, blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat and fine dining. The boat offers 11 cruises from 9 a.m. to 7 a.m. daily. There is a $2 admission fee.

Harrah’s Casino at Riverport Casino Center, located at 777 Casino Center Drive, includes a luxury 291-room hotel.

Players Island Casino, at Riverport Casino Center, offers four casinos, a hotel, restaurants, shops, ballrooms, meeting space and entertainment. There is free admission.

The President Casino on the Admiral, located below the Gateway Arch, offers a dockside casino with slots, blackjack, craps, roulette, live poker and restaurants. There is a free downtown shuttle and parking. It’s open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 a.m., and there is a $2 admission fee.

Station Casino St. Charles, located at I-70 at the Missouri River, offers slots, video poker, craps, blackjack, roulette, live poker, video keno and dining. Free parking and admission are offered all day, every day. Hours of operation are from 8 a.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 24 hours a day on weekends.

(To be continued)

[Penny Zimmerman-Wills]

*A total labor force of 1.3 million people with an unemployment rate of 4.1 percent.

*Regional population of 2.5 million, making it the 18th largest metro area in the U.S.

*12 colleges and universities

*Ranked third in terms of lowest cost of living of all U.S. major metropolitan areas

*Three professional sports teams

*Forest Park, site of the 1904 World’s Fair, is larger than New York’s Central Park

*Home to 20 Fortune 1000 companies, such as Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc., Monsanto Company, Ralston Purina Company and Trans World Airlines Inc. St. Louis ranks fourth in the U.S. as a headquarters location for Fortune 500 companies.

*Ranked second in the U.S. in Entrepreneur magazine’s list of top places for small business. Hospitality is the city’s second largest industry, employing more than 46,000 people who serve over six million visitors a year and bring $8 billion into the local economy.

*Ranked second for most affordable housing rates among major metro areas.

Part 3

[OCT. 6, 2000]  ST. LOUIS: Whether you want to try your luck at one of six riverboat casinos, shop for antiques or dance the night away, St. Louis has all this and more. It’s hard to get bored in this city on the Mississippi River.

[Part 2: Soulard Market, Anheuser-Busch Brewery, St. Louis Zoo, Grant’s Farm, St. Louis Art Museum, The American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog, Busch Stadium, Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House and Education Center, Union Station.]

Sure, this Missouri town offers the same opportunities for visitors as many large metropolitan areas — arts, culture, entertainment and shopping. But St. Louis provides more than just an abundance of places to eat, be entertained and spend money. This city has soul, history and enough grit to give it a down-to-earth charm. From its red brick, tree-lined cobblestone streets to its modern, stainless steel Gateway Arch recognized around the world, the city has a look all of its own.

The city is comprised of many distinct neighborhoods, all with a set of unique personalities and history of their own. From the downtown area along the river — where restored warehouses which once held cotton, tobacco and other steamboat cargo now house clubs and restaurants — to the modern casinos and shopping malls, there truly is something for everyone.

Entertainment/music

St. Louis has firm roots in American music. W.C. Handy made the city famous in his song "The St. Louis Blues," one of the world’s most recorded pieces of music. Scott Joplin was a regular in the city’s music scene during the time of the 1904 World’s Fair — and created some of his most important works while playing in the city’s clubs. Jazz influences from New Orleans blended with Joplin’s established ragtime, and the combination became what is now known as the St. Louis blues.

St. Louis is the gateway to America’s Music Corridor, the blues, jazz, ragtime and rock-and-roll tour that links the musical heritage of the lower Mississippi River region from St. Louis to New Orleans. Winner of the Travel Industry Associations’ prestigious Odyssey Award for best cultural tourism program in the country, the corridor explores the history of American music at sites such as the Scott Joplin House in St. Louis, Sun Studios in Memphis and the Jazz Museum in New Orleans.

Some of my favorite places to hear live blues and jazz include the Broadway Oyster Bar and Mike and Min’s. Broadway, located at 736 S. Broadway, is not a place to wear your Sunday finest — the shabby interior decor is a proud part of its charm, and no apologies are made for the layer of dust. Despite the tacky seafood-themed objects lining the walls, this local watering hole is packed when local and national bands perform. The food, which includes Cajun-style sandwiches and raw oysters on the half shell, is very good for a casual night on the town. When the weather is nice, most people prefer sitting outside in the enclosed patio area.

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Mike and Min’s, located at 925 Geyer, is another local favorite place in the Soulard neighborhood to hear live blues bands. Established in 1937, the relaxed atmosphere and walk-in cooler have been a hit with customers for many years.

Turvey’s on the Green, in the DeBalivere area close to Forest Park, is also a great place to hear live jazz and Motown music on Friday night. It’s not too crowded and offers a very mellow atmosphere — it’s more like sitting in your own living room.

For a more lively atmosphere and a trip back in time, try Polly Esthers, a retro disco club with an illuminated dance floor and Partridge Family bus.

For more standard fare, try Blueberry Hill, at 6504 Delmar. This St. Louis landmark, filled with collections of pop culture trinkets, is a total tourist trap but still a fun place to have a hamburger and learn a little about music history while listening to music.

It’s also worth your effort to stop and stroll around the Loop neighborhood, a short drive west of Forest Park, where sidewalks are sprinkled with brass stars and biographies honoring the most famous people who once called St. Louis home, including Chick Berry, Tina Turner, Miles Davis and many other music legends.

Although the Laclede Landing area is packed with places offering live music, the customers tend to be very young, and the bars are crowded and very noisy. If it’s a quieter brand of blues you’re after, the Soulard area is a better bet for those who actually want to be able to have a conversation with their companion. Located just five minutes south of the Arch, the music clubs are housed in old brick buildings.

For an updated list of what’s playing in the area at any given time, pick up a copy of The Riverfront Times, which can be obtained free at the Visitor Information Center at America’s Center at Seventh and Washington streets, or at many local restaurants, clubs and public buildings throughout the city.

(To be continued)

[Penny Zimmerman-Wills]

[click here for Part 4]

Part 2

[OCT. 5, 2000]  When you think of St. Louis, certain images immediately come to mind: the Arch, Cardinal baseball and Budweiser.

While this outdoor market may not make the top 10 tourist attractions on some lists, there is no better place to get a real sense of the history of St. Louis than a stroll through this outdoor market, located in a charming, restored 19th-century district of town. The market is in one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods, lined with restored red brick homes and townhouses. Soulard, named after a Frenchman who surveyed the area for the king of Spain, has been home to the Soulard Market since 1779 and continues to provide local residents and visitors with fresh produce, baked goods, spices, meat and flowers. At its current location near downtown since 1838, it’s worth a treat to your senses just to stroll among the fresh tomatoes, melons, corn or whatever is in season. And you might receive an added treat by striking up a conversation with one of the 70 local vendors, many of whom have been selling their products at the market for many years.

What’s a trip to the city of "the king of beers" without a trip to the historic brewery that started it all? Located at Interstate 55 and Arsenal Street, the world’s largest brewer also owns the world’s most famous horse team. Free tours includes a look at the century-old brewhouse, aging cellar, bottling and canning process, and Clydesdale stables. Adults get a few samples of cold beer.

It’s hard not to have fun at a zoo, and St. Louis offers one of the best. Considered one of the top 10 zoos in the nation, this attraction is home to 6,000 animals and is located on 83 picturesque acres in Forest Park. The zoo also includes a railroad, movies, restaurants and gift shops. New features of the zoo include the first phase of the River’s Edge animal discovery area, where the Lords of the Forest exhibit is home to Raja, the zoo’s popular young elephant. Other naturalistic habitat areas for the rest of the elephant family, as well as for cheetahs, hyenas and dwarf mongooses, have also been added. A newly expanded Children’s Zoo is the place to take the kids to interact with animals, watch otters play and feed colorful birds.

This Busch family estate was once owned by Ulysses S. Grant. Located at 10501 Gravois, the farm now has animal shows, a petting area and a tram ride through the wildlife preserve. A newly opened Clydesdale Arena features a show on the Clydesdale breed of horses, its history and relationship to Budweiser, as well as an explanation of the breeding and training facilities and a working hitch. A portion of the show is devoted to the Dalmatian dogs that live at the farm. The Budweiser stables are home to approximately 35 horses, and the Anheuser-Busch company is the world’s largest breeder of Clydesdale horses, owning approximately 250 horses nationwide. The farm is home to one of the breeding operations for the world-famous Clydesdales, and as many as 15 foals are born at the farm each year.

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Fans have been flocking to the stadium since 1966, but plans are now in the works to demolish the stadium and build a new $370 million arena. Many people who don’t even follow the game now know the city’s famous Redbirds because of home-run king Mark McGwire.

Located in Faust Park, the new center is a three-story crystal palace conservatory — home to hundreds of species of exotic butterflies gathered from rain forests from around the world. The park also features a 1920s carousel with more than 60 hand-carved animals, and Faust Historical village, a collection of 19th century buildings including Thornhill, the home of Missouri’s second governor.

Once the world’s largest and busiest railroad terminal, the Union Station on Market Street is now a popular destination with tourists because of its cluster of more than 20 restaurants, unique shops, free outdoor concerts by the lake, a variety of festivals and special events, movie theater and comedy club. It’s an entertaining place to stroll around and enjoy, rather than do serious shopping, although specialty shops offer everything from ties and flags to pewter and perfume.

After window-shopping and eating dinner, you can rent a paddleboat to work off some calories, or ride the carousel and Ferris wheel if you prefer a less stressful form of exercise.

And if you actually want to learn something about the historic landmark’s 100-year history, an interesting collection of letters, memorabilia, exhibits and a self-guided tour are available.

A final stop for many is the Fudgery, a popular candy business with singing employees who improvise and entertain customers as they roll out slabs of homemade, creamy fudge and pass out free samples.

(To be continued)

[Penny Zimmerman-Wills]

[click here for Part 3]

(Note: This is the first in a five-part series on St. Louis, Mo. Look for the next four installments, to feature entertainment, shopping, dining and neighborhoods of St. Louis.)

[OCT. 4, 2000]  When you think of St. Louis, certain images immediately come to mind: the Arch, Cardinal baseball and Budweiser.

Facts about St. Louis, Mo.

*Founded in 1764

*Nickname: "Mound City," because of earth structures built by early Indian civilizations

*The stainless steel Gateway Arch opened in 1965 as a monument to the important role the city played in America’s westward expansion.

*The abundance of red brick, iron and other ornate features seen on many historic homes and buildings is due in part to a steamboat fire in 1849, which destroyed one-third of the city. An ordinance passed later required future buildings to be constructed of non-flammable materials.

*Population: 993,000

A listing of events, attractions and hotels can be obtained from the Convention and Visitors Commission’s website: www.explorestlouis.com

[Copyright 1999 Bi-State Development Agency]

While growing up in central Illinois, I traveled to St. Louis occasionally and even more so as an adult to visit my college roommate, who has lived there since graduation. But I must admit I’ve only been to the top of the Arch one time. I’m not really a big Cardinal fan — although taking in a game at Busch stadium is a pretty pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon. It’s not that these popular attractions aren’t worthy of topping just about any list of city highlights, it’s just that there are so many other interesting and fun things to do.

For starters, if you’re like me and take advantage of the city’s close proximity to Lincoln every chance you get to do some power shopping, see a concert or spend a day at the botanical garden, you just never have time to play tourist. And there’s really no excuse, since one of the best things about this metropolitan city with a small-town atmosphere, in my opinion, is that it’s so easy to drive in and find your way around.

But even if you’ve been to this city’s top tourist spots before, or like me, it’s been a while, there are certain things worthy of a second look to see why this river city is such a popular destination.

You can’t miss it. Whether you enter the city by land or air, it’s the first thing you see. The Midwest’s most famous monument is indeed a welcoming sight and impressive no matter how many times you’ve seen it. Designed by architect Eero Saarinen in 1965, the piece of steel is recognized as a gateway to the Midwest and symbolizes the westward movement inspired by President Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase.

The 630-foot arch is the nation’s tallest man-made monument and can be reached by a tramway which carries visitors to the top for an expansive view of the city and Mississippi River. The arch is the centerpiece of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, which also includes the Arch Odyssey Theater, which shows two feature films on its four-story-high Imax screen. I think it’s time for my next visit.

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One of my favorite places to visit in St. Louis, the garden is located at 4344 Shaw Blvd. Because there are so many distinct garden areas to explore, which change throughout the growing season, it’s a good idea to visit the garden several times during the spring, summer and fall seasons, because there is always something new to see.

The 79-acre garden features the largest traditional Japanese garden in North America, which is a favorite among visitors not only for of its beauty and serene, perfectly manicured landscaping, but also to watch and feed the fish in the huge koi ponds, which are interesting if not unsettling — the way the koi graze the surface of the water for food with their large, gaping mouths.

The garden also features the Kemper Center for Home Gardening, a Climatron rain forest, a Chinese garden, herb garden and a formal rose garden enclosed by white fences covered in climbing roses. The home gardening center is comprised of more than eight acres, and its 23 demonstration gardens are an inspiration to any home gardener. Among the display gardens are a city garden, secret garden, backyard garden, terrace garden, children’s garden, bird garden, vegetable garden, Missouri native shade garden, fruit garden, fragrance garden and butterfly pavilion.

A stroll or guided tram tour through the garden is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. It’s also a peaceful place to eat a light lunch at the cafe’s outdoor terrace, near the garden’s entrance and next to the rose garden.

The arboretum is an extension of the botanical garden and includes 2,500 acres of natural Ozark landscape and managed plant collections. Located 35 miles southwest of the city in Gray Summit, Mo., it was founded in 1925 when coal smoke from the city threatened the living plant collections housed at the botanical garden.

The arboretum provides workshops and natural awareness walks for adults and children and serves as an outdoor laboratory for developing interpretive programs. Recently, the arboretum has become a focus of fire ecology and habitat restoration.

Visitors can walk through the Pinetum, a 55-acre expanse of meadow studded with plantings of conifers from around the world; the Whitmire wildflower garden, a five-acre concentration of native wildflowers; or an ecological reserve with 13 miles of hiking trails through a full array of Ozark border landscapes, including a floodplain forest, oak-hickory woods, glades, bluffs, tall-grass prairie and marsh wetlands.

(To be continued)

[Penny Zimmerman-Wills]

[click here for Part 2]

[SEPT. 27, 2000]  The festivals of fall continue, with New Holland's anniversary celebration this weekend and the Barry Apple Festival. There are many more to come in this area, including scenic drives where thousands of visitors are expected

Parade, entertainment, carnival, antique machinery/autos, combined church service on
Oct. 1.

217/732-8687

Celebrate the apple, as thousands of people do each year at this event. Enjoy the fall fruit, made into cider, dumpling, fritters, pie and a host of other treats. An apple-theme quilt will be raffled, and activities include a parade, entertainment and queen contest.

217/335-2108

The third annual event offers a real treat for music fans, with a line-up of bands and jam sessions, plus arts and crafts, food, pie-eating and cutest pumpkin "baby" contests.

www.tuscola.org

800/441/9111

Events for kids and adults, food, live entertainment, pumpkin-decorating contest and craft show.

217/422-7300

Oct. 7-8

Enjoy the autumn air and beautiful surroundings, while sampling food and listening to live entertainment. Crafts and children’s activities are also on the schedule.

An intertribal powwow where you can test your tomahawk throwing skills, eat some fry bread and pick your own pumpkin. Also featured are Native American dance, arts and crafts, an appearance by "Cody" from the movie "Dances with Wolves," stories about the white buffalo, a corn maze test your skills, pony rides and petting zoo.

Fulton County’s 33rd annual fall festival is along more than 130 scenic miles, through the towns of London Mills, Avon, Middle Grove, Farmington, Bernadotte, Table Grove.

More than 100,000 people are expected to pack the traditional event, so be prepared for lots of traffic. Flea markets, entertainment, historical sites, good food and beautiful fall leaves are all part of the fun. Watch apple butter made, eat butterfly pork chops at Mount Pisgah or a plate of chicken and noodles at Smithfield’s Red Brick School. Re-enactors encamped on the grounds at Dickson Mounds Museum will recreate the life of colonial Illinois in habit, cooking and eating, blanket trading, and demonstrations of black powder shooting and knife throwing.

www.spoonriverdrive.org

www.misslink.net/scenicdrive

309/647-8980

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Get both your face and your pumpkin painted at this event, which includes the Wildlife Prairie Park traveling zoo, a bungee run, a bake sale, magician, puppet shows and plenty of food. Admission is $1.

309/347-YWCA

Pick-your-own pumpkin patch, arts and crafts, pony rides and entertainment.

217/854-3514

Pick your own pumpkins, take a hayrack ride, enjoy live music, play pumpkin games and eat pumpkin treats.

309/ 243-1012

Native American Living History, hot air balloon rides, chili cook-off, flea market, craft fair, old time music, Halloween window-painting contest, car cruise.

217/438-3405

Come and see who wins the apple pie bake-off, and enjoy the crafts, entertainment and food available.

217/245-9917

Pet Clydesdale horses, walk through three-acre corn mazes, take a horse-drawn wagon ride, have your own broom made while you wait or tour the 100-year-old Pike County Courthouse at this event. Hundreds of crafts and antiques are for sale at booths throughout the drive and demonstrations include doll making, basket weaving, chair caning, stained glass and rope making. More than 25,000 visitors attended the popular event last year.

217/335-2670

Take a step back in time and watch villagers prepare for Thanksgiving, by making apple butter and shucking corn. Parade and demonstrations.

217/632-4000

[Penny Zimmerman-Wills]

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