This costal “big city” girl ventured out to the Midwest in February, of all things. A very dear friend swayed me with the possibility of 4 days (sans work) full of adventure and lots of cocktails. Needless to say, I was leaving on a jet plane.
As always, I did the compulsory research on my new destination. I was a tad skeptical, given that I haven’t spent a lot of time in the Midwest. Sure, I’ve been to Chicago, but haven’t ventured out into the Midwest much more from there.
I did some reading up on my new found vacation spot, like a good little tourist. St Louis is actually known as the Gateway City because it represents the division between the Eastern and Western US. The history of the city is fascinating, and I won’t bore you with all of the historical details. (After all, you can Wikipedia “St Louis” yourself.) I will say, though, that I was pleasantly surprised to find such an interesting history. I’ve found that the history of the city lends to the vibe of it.
The first was the weather check; the HIGH of the day, the first day there, would be a balmy 38 degrees. (Yes, that’s Fahrenheit.) Of course, the first thought I had was that it would be a FAB excuse to wear my mother’s mink. After a few trips to llbean.com to make sure that I had appropriate attire and wouldn’t freeze my tush off, I was ready.
I honestly thought that there would be blizzards and snow piled up on the side of the road. But, that was not the case; the weather was really not that bad. Out of the four days I was there, I was only terribly cold one of them. The other few days I dealt with it and, wore warm clothes.
What To Do
We started out the trip by going to the St Louis Art Museum. The slogan “dedicated to art and free to all” describes the mentality of this museum. Unlike many museums (especially in big cities) the St Louis Art Museum is FREE. That’s right, kids, it’s free to the public. There’s a rotating exhibit where they do charge an entrance fee, however we didn’t venture in that exhibit.
I was pleasantly surprised by the art that was in the museum. There were several Monets, Van Goghs and I believe a Pissarro. With three floors of paintings, an Asian collection and a mummy exhibit, there’s plenty to see. The museum is located in Forest Park. The park itself is massive and houses not only the museum but the science center, the zoo and other fun places to see. You can find more info at: http://saintlouis.art.museum/
Given my love of flowers I just couldn’t miss the Orchid Show at the St Louis Botanical Gardens. I must admit, it does have a funky location. You drive through a residential neighborhood and BOOM, there’s the entrance to the botanical gardens. Though it doesn’t look that big from the outside, it’s actually quite massive.
We did attend the orchid show which was in a room smaller than I thought it would be, but absolutely packed with orchids. It was amazing to see how many plants were tucked away into small spaces. The orchids ranged in size from enormous to teeny tiny and they were just amazing. In addition to the orchid show we visited 2 hot houses. While the first was nice, the second was incredible.
If you go to the botanical gardens you must go visit the Climatron. I know, it sounds like something out of a science fiction novel. It actually simulates a rain forest. With really interesting things like blue and green neon poison frogs, unusual vegetation and waterfalls, you have to check this out for yourself.
The orchid show is running through April so, get your tush down and check out these amazing flowers! For more info see: https://www.mobot.org/default.asp
Where To Eat
Knowing my love of Italian food, my dear friend took me to Charlie Gitto’s “On the Hill”. As we drove through the neighborhood, Italian flags hung from the light posts. We passed several independent (and perhaps family owned) restaurants that looked incredible. Though it looks like a small café from the outside, the inside is actually quite large. With low lights and Sinatra playing softly in the background, I could tell this was my kind of place.
I ordered the fried ravioli as an appetizer; St Louis is actually known for their fried ravioli. I was quite surprised to find that it was mostly meat ravioli, which were very petite, served with a marinara sauce. It was different than those my grandmother used to make, but it was good.
I followed that up with the ciopino. It was fabulous with the tomato broth and baby scallops. Trust me, just give it a try. For more info on this charming restaurant go to their web site.
http://www.charliegittos.com/Default.aspx
After four fun filled days in St Louis, I was reminded that every city has its own culture, and experiences. The Midwest in the winter really isn’t bad (it was quite fun, actually), but I would have never known that if I hadn’t gone. The best part about travel is figuring out what interests you and when to go back.
