St. Louis

OK---not a vacation for me. This is my "home". But it really is a pretty neat vacation city. Lots of history and lots of free activities!

Just a little info to start with:

The city of St. Louis was founded in 1764 by Pierre Laclède and Auguste Chouteau, and after the Louisiana Purchase, it became a major port on the Mississippi River.  Much of the area is a fertile and gently rolling prairie that features low hills and broad, shallow valleys. Both the Mississippi River and the Missouri River have cut large valleys with wide flood plains.  With a Metropolitan Statistical Area  population of 2,812,896 it is the 18th-largest MSA in the country and has a total area of 66.2 square miles. 

Summers are hot and humid with the humidity often making the heat index feel well above 100°F. Fall is mild with lower humidity and intermittent bouts of heavy rainfall. The first snow flurries usually coming in late November. Winters are cold with periodic snow and sleet and temperatures often below freezing, however thaws are usually frequent. Spring brings frequent thunderstorms and mild temperatures.

On to some of the sites of St. Louis:



Anheiser Busch Brewery

Missouri Botanical Gardens

Forest Park

Citygarden

Kenner Plaza

Busch Stadium

Gateway Arch National Park

St. Louis Union Station  

old City Hall 

Edward Jones dome

Soldier's Memorial Military Museum

Delmar Loop 

Faust Park 

Museum of Transportation  

Laumeier Sculpture Park

6-Flags over Mid-America  

Grant's Farm  

Casinos 

Wineries

Crystal City Underground

gastronomic landmarks! 

And those are just a few things I like about St. Louis. 

Grant's Farm

South county is home to Grant's Farm, the 281 acre ancestral home of the Busch family. The Farm is home to more than 900 animals representing more than 100 different species. Ulysses S. Grant actually founded and farmed a portion of the 281 acres in the 1850's. This attraction is also free.  There is a free trolley ride that takes you on sort of a safari ride through the grounds where elk, buffalo, zebra, deer and antelope, (and other animals) play.


Along with the animals roaming freely that you can see from the trolley, they have animals you can get close to.  They even have a small amphitheater where they have cute animal shows.

There are stables on property where many of the Clydesdales are kept.  This time there was even a baby one for us to see.  Across from the "farm" is a museum and large pastures where the Clydesdales are allowed to roam when they aren't in stables.

Part of the farm in Grants house.  It is a 9.65-acre  United States National Historic Site.  It is located 10 miles southwest of Downtown St. Louis

 The site, also known as White Haven, commemorates the life, military career, and Presidency of Ulysses S Grant.

Five historic structures are preserved at the site.

 White Haven was a plantation worked by slaves at the time Grant was married to his wife in 1848 and remained so until the end of the American Civil War.

Laumeier Sculpture Park


A rather unusual park on the out skirts of St. Louis is Laumeier Sculpture Park.  Most of the sculptures are contemporary.  The building shown here is also a museum, although it's closed right now (Oct. 2013) for renovations.

???!!!!

It's even a cool place to take portraits

Museum of Transportation

Another lesser known museum in St. Louis's west county is the Museum of Transportation. Admission is $6. Here there are a lot of trains, cars, and other vehicles. Hasn't been too crowded the couple times I've been there.

More of the many trains at the Museum of Transportation.