St. Louis Travel Guide
12/07/2007 at 2:00 PM
Tags: Ice Skating, Active Travel, Christmas, Winter Travel (all tags)
We've told you where to ice skate in New York and in LA, but that hardly helps when you're stuck visiting the relatives in the Midwest this holiday season. Fortunately, St. Louis' Forest Park--also home to the zoo and science center--has one of the country's largest outdoor ice rinks.
While beginners are more than welcome, you'll also see a good amount of talent at Steinberg Rink. Speed skaters love the large surface, and athletes with local connections have appeared in every winter Olympics since 1968. If you still need a little practice before you go to the Games, admission to the ice is 6 bucks and skate rentals are $2.50.
One more thing: Locals say Steinberg is one of the most romantic spots in the city, and it'll be open late for lovers on Christmas Eve. But don't swoon too soon if your date asks you to a post-skate dinner at Lucas Park Grille.
Related Stories:
· Steinberg Rink [Official Site]
· Steinberg Skating Rink: A St. Louis Tradition [KWMU]
· Ice Skating coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Herkie]
by pbb
10/23/2007 at 4:00 PM
Tags: Haunted-Travel (all tags)
St. Louis may be known for its Budweiser, but back before "beechwood aged" there was Lemp Beer. Named for the German immigrant Johann Adam Lemp, his family soon took over the town with a steady supply of lager. He put some of his profits toward what's now one of the nation's most haunted homes: Lemp Mansion.
After a long run at the top of the city, the Lemp family tumbled into decline after its heir apparent, Frederick Lemp, died a mysterious death in 1901. His father, William, still stricken, shot himself in 1904. As Prohibition closed the family brewery in 1919, the remaining Lemps started killing themselves in an almost systematic manner. In 1970, Edwin Lemp, with his family gone, died of natural causes at the age of 90.
The mansion itself, built in the 1860s, is now a restaurant and inn, where paranormal investigations regularly take place. Tours happen on Monday nights, and you can rig up your own ghost hunt by booking one of the four guest suites. If previous guests are to be believed, you'll want to watch for flying glassware, orbs of light, doors slamming shut and apparitions of Lemp family members who still haunt the halls.
Related Stories:
· Lemp Mansion [Official Site]
· Account of a Night at Lemp Mansion [Your Ghost Stories]
· Haunted Travel coverage [Jaunted]
by pbb
9/06/2007 at 1:00 PM
Tags: Live Music, Airports, Music Travel (all tags)
Waiting in security lines is bad enough without enduring that canned remix of Piano Man playing over the airport PA. So Lambert-St. Louis International Airport has just fired up a classical music series in its main terminal.
Set up above the concourse C/D security checkpoint, local harp maestra Sue Druckenmiller serenaded passengers yesterday afternoon. More piano and harp are on the schedule for the future to provide "soothing music for the passengers in line," a spokeswoman says.
So far, concerts are happening twice a week, but the airport hopes to schedule more shows, particularly during the holidays. Hey, if the flights aren't leaving on time, at least you can catch some live music.
Related Stories:
· Lambert-St. Louis International Airport [Official Site]
· St. Louis Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: mattdork]
by pbb
7/23/2007 at 8:49 AM
Tags: Tourist Attractions, St. Louis Gateway Arch (all tags)
After an electrical failure on Saturday night at the famous Gateway Arch in St.Louis, 200 people were trapped inside the structure for over two hours until evacuation was completed.
Reports indicate that the failure was due to a fuse that blew after one of nine cables pulling the south tram apparently failed and came in contact with an electrified rail. No passengers were injured (2 needed medical attention) but most were left stranded without lights and air conditioning on a scorching summer night.
About 40 people in each tram were stuck, as were another 100 at the top of the Arch and others in loading zones. Most remained calm and tried not to panic. The good news? Everyone got refunds when they eventually got to the base. One tram remained out of service yesterday.
[Photo: webbmb]
Related Stories:
· Visitors trapped in Arch [STLtoday.com]
· St. Louis Hotel Reviews [HotelChatter]
by sedona
6/15/2007 at 9:27 AM
Tags: Missed Connections, Comedy Clubs (all tags)
Are you from "the Lou" and proud, or are you just passing through? We used to have relatives in St. Louis, and it is an exceedingly nice place to get dragged to, especially the part where it was still warm enough in October to get lost in the maze at the Missouri Botanical Gardens. But let's face it, you're not going to bond with your future significant other over lily pads and roses (unless he or she is a botanist!) Try these less kid-ridden places instead, and you'll have someone to go to the Ritz with:
Lloyd and Harry's -- This comedy pub hosts the creme of local talent, but if you're looking for love, don't drink the Bud Light. 208 N. Main St., St. Charles
MoKaBe's Coffeehouse -- Starbucks, schmarbucks. Locals value this South City cafe for its booths, its board games and for its vegetarian-friendly brunch. 3606 Arsenal St
JJ's Clubhouse -- Won't see any whippersnappers at this m-4-leather-jacketed-m bar with a weekend dance party (that's the Clubhouse!) A current special promises $2 long-necks and well drinks for whenever gas goes above $2.50 a gallon -- that's one way to wish for instability in the Middle East. 3858 Market Street
Related Stories:
· St. Louis Travel [Jaunted]
· Hotels in St. Louis [HotelChatter]
[Photo: sarannekanevsky]
by egw
4/26/2007 at 12:09 PM
Tags: Restaurants, Neighborhoods (all tags)
We found ourselves in St. Louis recently with a crowd of Italians. So we just had to take them to the city's own Italian neighborhood, The Hill. Entertainment? It was handled by an enormous meal at one of The Hill's best restaurants, LoRusso's.
The restaurant has a separate bar area where women of a certain age down dark liquor in snifters while chatting with friends. We loved it. After a cocktail, we moved into the main dining room, where the live piano player set the mood. (We did not ask to hear "That's Amore," thankyouverymuch.)
The thing to order is the Tenderloin Mudega, breaded and broiled steak with a mushroom sauce. It was knock-out Italian-American grub. We skipped the pasta bowl, but it's also a stand-by: a new recipe is developed each year, but Chef Rich LoRusso remembers 'em all. So if, say, the '03 pasta bowl sounds good, order it up.
Related Stories:
· LoRusso's [Official Site]
by pbb
2/28/2007 at 4:32 PM
Tags: Music (all tags)
Don't you even think about stepping foot in St. Louis and taking advantage of
Vintage Vinyl without doing your homework. Now that Jet Lag Magazine has made it online, you've got some reading to do. This old St. Louis-based fanzine bit the dust back in the early '90s, but it's risen from the dead and is ready to be justly preserved on the internet. There are only five issues online so far, but that small bunch provides a priceless peek into "the scene" as it was: the local bands, national bands, venues, and news that mattered to the people who laid at least part of the foundation for the STL you enjoy today. They've got some pretty famous graduates, too.
Related Stories:·
Jet Lag Magazine [Official Site]
·
When New Wave and punk were young [STL Post-Dispatch]
by djk
2/26/2007 at 4:28 PM
Tags: Airports (all tags)
Could an upcoming renovation of St. Louis' airport coincide with the arrival of JetBlue? Or is that too good to be true? The latter is still just a dream, but rumors of JetBlue's arrival into STL have been swirling for a while. The renovation, however, is real, though whether it will really be completed within five years is questionable. Plans for a little $105 million nip/tuck were announced yesterday. To be fair, STL does its job just fine, however the aging is evident, and the environment did depress us quite a bit on our last trip through. As one traveler commented to the Post-Dispatch, "They're going to need more than $100 million to upgrade this piece of crap." As the plans don't yet indicate any major interior overhauls, that could well be true.
Let's say you don't agree with the price tag and think the $105 mil should go somewhere it's really needed. St. Louis could do worse than to donate it to Honolulu, whose '70s time warp airport will truly play tricks on your mind. Not only does HNL make us see disco balls, but we have yet to get the
Foghat out of our heads since our last visit there. That part--the Foghat--may not be such a bad thing, depending on who you are.
[Photo:
mattdork]
Related Stories:·
Travelers cheer plans for airport renovations at Lambert [STL Post-Dispatch]
·
Lambert-St. Louis Int'l Airport [Official Site]
by djk
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