Day 1

On your first morning in St. Louis you’ll want to start your day out with a nice breakfast that will energize you and get your ready for your eventful day. You’ve got one of two options for a hardy breakfast. The first one is ordering room service and eating in your hotel room or you can pop downstairs to the Station Grille for breakfast.

 

 

The location of the hotel puts you a very short distance to the famous Gateway Arch. The Arch is located on the banks of the Mississippi River. It is probably the most recognizable feature located in St. Louis. It is on the grounds of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial and offers beautiful outdoor scenery with an observation area that overlooks the mighty Mississippi. You can also venture inside to the underground visitors center. The visitor’s center features educational information about St. Louis as well as the westward expansion of the United States and offers a snack bar. A documentary film by Charles Guggenheim is also shown in the Tucker Theatre. The film is shown several times daily and depicts the building of the Arch. The visitor’s center is also where tickets to the top of the Arch are purchased. There are 2 trams that travel to the top of the Arch allowing passengers to enjoy the beautiful view from the 630 feet high structure. On a windy day you can even feel the arch swaying in the wind. The Gateway Arch is open 7 days a week, hours vary by season. Prices for the Arch attractions are as follows:

·        Tram Tickets: $10 Adults (16 and up), $7 Youth (13-15), $3 Children (3-12).

·        Movie: $7 Adults (16 and up), $4 Youth (13-15), $2.50 Children (3-12).

·        Tram and Movie: $14 Adults (16 and up), $11 Youth (13-15), $5.50 Children (3-12).

 

 

After all the excitement from the Arch you’re sure to have worked up an appetite. Caleco’s Bar and Grill is just the place to feed your hungry appetite. Caleco’s is a great place to eat with out spending a fortune. A St. Louis favorite since 1974, Caleco’s offers a wide variety of foods on its menu including appetizers, salads, sandwiches, pastas, chicken dishes, steaks, and desserts. Caleco’s is located at 101 North Broadway just one block from Market St. in downtown.

 

After refueling your self at Caleco’s its time to head to the St. Louis Zoo. A short drive from the downtown, the zoo is located inside the beautiful Forrest Park off I-40. There is a $2 general admission fee to enter the zoo. Once inside you are greeted with a sprawling 10 acre animal paradise. The zoo has several exciting animal exhibits such as the newly remodeled Penguin & Puffin Coast an outdoor sanctuary for over 20 Humboldt Penguins. It features a 22 foot cascading waterfall as well as penguin nests. The zoo also provides kids a fun place to learn about animals at the Emerson Children’s Zoo. An exciting feature of the children’s zoo is the Hip Hop Swamp which is home to 17 species of frogs, toads, salamanders, and caecilians. The zoo is open everyday with the exception of Christmas and New Years Day, the hours from Memorial Day to Labor day are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., the remainder of the year the zoo closes at 5 p.m. There is an $8 a day parking fee in the two parking lots for the zoo.

 

 

Instead of eating dinner at a restaurant grab a hotdog, burger, or nachos while watching the Cardinals make another go at the World Series over at the new Busch Stadium. 2006 will be the inaugural season for the new state of the art stadium. The hotdogs served at Busch Stadium are some of the best around. Ticket prices for adults ages 15 and up start at $13 and go up to $42, tickets for kids ages 15 and under start at $7 and go up to $9.