St. Louis – the perfect city for kids!

Addie woke us up very early today – I think she was excited to ride up the arch. We had breakfast, grabbed our free Starbucks coffees, and headed over to get in the ticket line. By 8:10am, we were on the first tram ride up! I was slightly terrified when we first got into the small tram compartment. I was not expecting a 4.5 foot tall entry way that led into a tiny little five-seater cabin. You can see the size comparison in the picture – Kendra looks like a giant, and she is only 5’2″. (Though she would argue she’s actually 5’3″, but I know better…) As the sweat started to roll down my face, the doors closed and I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that there were at least windows we could look out of, even if they only let us see the emergency stairs.

The ride was well worth the anxiety, as the views from the top of the arch were stunning. It was a clear, sunny morning, which made for excellent visibility. From one side, you could see the St. Louis Cardinals’ stadium and the Old Courthouse; on the other side was the mighty Mississippi River, filled with barges and old-fashioned steam boats.

The view from the top of the Arch.

When we returned to the ground level, Addie had a snack and fell asleep in her carriage. We rolled her around the Museum of Westward Expansion, as we explored the history of the U.S. She remained sleeping for almost the entire Lewis and Clark film we watched on the jumbo screen in one of the two theaters located under the Arch. The film was well-made – a lot of reenactment films are hokey, but this one was captivating.

As we emerged above ground, the blazing heat felt even more oppressive than yesterday. We managed to walk the two blocks to the Old Courthouse, but not before sweating off at least 5 lbs. of water weight. The building itself was beautiful, though very different than our courthouse in Boston. It was an open building with small exhibits off of the main atrium, with no security checkpoints and very few areas that were off-limits to visitors. Two significant cases were heard in this particular courthouse – the Dred Scott case, and the Virginia Minor case. In 1847 and 1850, the court heard the trials of Dred and Harriet Scott, African-American slaves who sued their owner for their freedom. In 1873, Minor sued the state of Missouri for the right to vote. Both cases went to the United States Supreme Court. Though the Scott ultimately were successful in their bid for freedom, Minor’s case did not end favorably, as she was denied the right to vote.

Our next stop of the day was Gus’ Pretzels, where we ate what I think was probably the most amazing thing I have ever eaten – a bratwurst baked into a soft pretzel. I can’t imagine a more wonderful combination of German delicacies! I smothered mine in mustard and savored every bite. I would eat one every single day if I had the opportunity.

By this time, Addie was ready for nap number two of the day. While she slept, we wheeled her around the St. Louis Art Museum. It wasn’t easy to find, but the ride there was spectacular as we wound through Forest Park. Originally built in 1876, Forest Park housed the World’s Fair in 1904. Since then, it has been developed into an incredible urban park. On 843 acres are the art museum, a history museum, zoo, planetarium, aviary, boathouse, outdoor sports fields, and so much more.

When we finally arrived at the art museum, we were elated, and a little blown away, to find out admission is free. That temporarily lowered our expectations until we started coming upon works by Picasso, O’Keeffe, Degas, Cezanne, Monet, Warhol, Lichtenstein, and so many more influential artists. Imagine – a public museum that is FREE to all, that exposes the patrons to works of art by famous and historical artists. The artwork was not limited to just European and American artists. There were exhibits that included works form all over the world, and from a wide range of time periods. I was truly impressed – every city should have such an incredible resource!

By the time we finished our stroll through the museum, it had only gotten hotter outside. Upon the advice of the teller at the gift shop, we headed over to Ted Drewes and got a “cement.” Selling frozen custard since 1929, the frozen custard shop’s specialty, the cement, is a milkshake so thick it doesn’t spill out of the cup when turned over. Yet again, I was not disappointed in a St. Louis specialty. My only question is – why does anyone every eat ice cream when frozen custard is SO MUCH BETTER? I am truly baffled.

Our day of exploring St. Louis ended at Ted Drewes. St. Louis truly is an ideal place to vacation with kids. There are so many kid-friendly things to do, and at a great price!

We spent the rest of our evening heading toward Kansas. Tomorrow, we set out for Topeka!