Possible president Barack Obama drew 100,000 people to downtown St. Louis today, which doesn't prove he's going to win on November 4 but certainly shows there isn't much else going on in the city. (At least today!)

The rally was held at the Gateway Arch, which is officially part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, a national park created in 1935 by Franklin Roosevelt.

Seen in the background of this stunning AP photo is another part of the park that doesn't get nearly as much press as Eero Saarinen's gleaming arch. The Old Courthouse was home to two decisions that precipitated Dred Scott v. Sanford, an important decision on women's suffrage that led to Minor v. Happersett and it's the place that Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis was admitted to the bar.

Related Stories:
· Possible Presidents Map [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-10-18T16:05:46-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/10/2/12258/2932

Get ready for the big show! Tonight, vice presidential candidates Sen. Joe Biden and Gov. Sarah Palin go head to head on campus at Washington University in St. Louis for the only scheduled Veep debate. And the question everyone's asking is, "Can they prove the naysayers wrong?"

Will Palin show a higher level of preparation than she did in news clips released from her interview last week with Katie Couric? Will Biden keep himself from stumbling and accidentally (and repeatedly) inserting his foot in his mouth? We'll just have to find out. Either could happen, even in 90 seconds of answering time.]]> egw 2008-10-02T13:05:37-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/30/143328/356

A Harris poll last week found that 54 percent of Americans believe the economy is the most important issue in this election, with health care a distant second at 21 percent. (The war in Iraq took third.) So after Friday's national-security-themed debate, the candidates came out swinging with critiques of how their opponent might clean up this domestic mess in his first term.

Senator Barack Obama suggested to a Westminster, Colorado audience that his opponent's fondness for gambling may lead to a certain recklessness in not pushing for further regulations on the banking and mortgage industries. He heads to La Crosse, Wisconsin tomorrow before flying back to Florida (where he prepped for last week's debate) for two rallies with former President Bill Clinton.]]> egw 2008-09-30T15:45:37-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/22/7444/27861

If your Labor Day to Missouri don't inclue sumo wrestling, then you're probably headed to the 40th Annual Bluegrass Pickin' Time. (Hard to believe that it's already been 40 years!) About 130 miles outside of St. Louis, the small town of Dixon is definitely ready for this year's fun.

Things kick off on Wednesday evening before the holiday weekend with a fish fry, and you're even encouraged to bring a dish to share. Starting Thursday night, the festival will start kickin' with the Bluegrass Pickin' Time Band. After that, things start around lunchtime every day and don't stop until about 10 pm.

In addition to all the music, there will be craft vendors scattered about the park and even a quilt show. [Ed.: Now *that's* Midwestern.] Instrument workshops will also be held so you can get some tips and tricks from the pros to improve your own bluegrass skills. Tickets for the full four days will run you just $35.

Related Stories:
· Bluegrass Pickin' Time [Official Site]
· Labor Day Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of the 2007 Event: Bluegrass Pickin' Time]]]> kjb 2008-08-22T13:30:14-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/21/17123/7116

When you think about hotbeds of Japanese-American culture, St. Louis probably doesn't spring to mind. But it should, because the Gateway City is home to one of the largest Japanese gardens in America, the 14-acre expanse at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

And every Labor Day weekend for the last 32 years, the garden has hosted one of the premier Japanese festivals in the US.

The three-day Missouri Botanical Garden Japanese Festival, August 30-September 1, features a wide array of Japanese cultural activities, including martial arts demos, Zen enlightenment workshops and everybody's favorite, sumo wrestling. Ten bucks gets you admission to everything.

Related Stories:
· Missouri Botanical Garden Japanese Festival [Official Site]
· Labor Day Travel Coverage [Jaunted]
· Culture Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Ryan Rumberger, Missouri Botanical Garden] ]]> BS 2008-08-22T12:00:14-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/1/154239/7324

Still need something to do this weekend? Get to St. Louis pronto--and don't worry about packing anything, since the World Naked Bicycle Ride starts at 9 pm Saturday. The 10-mile ride starts in Tower Grove Park and proceeds to Atomic Cowboy on Manchester, where there will no doubt be lots of slippery nipples.

Race organizer Mariah Pittman says the event doesn't have a thing to do with sex:

There are more ways to transport yourself than a car. This is about getting people to think oil dependency.

That said, the cops will still roll through to make sure riders aren't completely naked. After all, it's the Midwest--not Miami.

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· Ride Organizers Advise Cyclists to Cover up [STL P-D]
· Cyclists to Leave Clothes Behind [STL P-D]
· Nude Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of a ride in London: biig_jee]]]> pbb 2008-08-01T15:45:02-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/21/72255/3787

After you've seen the exhibit at the National Building Museum, check out these Eero Saarinen masterpieces.

Everyone has seen the Gateway Arch, at least in pictures, but few realize that it's part of the larger Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. Designed by Saarinen, the structure raises 630 feet above the ground and is also 630 feet wide at its base. Besides being instantly recognizable, it's also the largest memorial in the United States.

Although Saarinen passed away four years before the arch was completed, it stands today as probably his most famous achievement. After his death, designer Richard Bowser incorporated a tram to take guests to the top of the arch, something that Saarinen felt was important to add. We're glad he did: Without the unique elevators, the only option to get to the top would be 1,000-plus stairs.

Related Stories:
· Jefferson National Expansion Memorial [Official Site]
· Architecture Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Wikimedia]]]> kjb 2008-07-21T11:45:20-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/