Under the Arch - Sightseeing in Saint Louis

St. Louis is one of those cities where you don’t expect much, but it ends up surprising you. Situated on the banks of the Mighty Mississippi, which the Missouri River unites with just north of town, St. Louis is considered to be the half-way point of America. While significantly east of the actual center of America, this city prides itself on being a gateway city, with its stunning arch rendering the visitor mesmerized by its futuristic skyline. Being both the easternmost city in the Western United States, and the westernmost city in the Eastern United States, mixing cultural elements of the Southern U.S. with a Northern U.S. vibe, the city is very geographically confused.

This unique convergence of culture and geography leads to some very neat treasures for the everyday visitor. Begin your visit with a very Southern-feeling paddleboat ride down the Mighty Mississippi. Boats leave frequently from their Laclede’s Landing docks, are inexpensive, and provide the visitor with an idea of what transportation was like back in the cotton picking days of yesteryear. Dig into some excellent southern food at a local Ryan’s buffet, where you can consume as much okra and turnip greens as you see fit to.

Continue your visit to St. Louis at its claim to fame, the Gateway Arch. Officially termed the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, the arch symbolizes the westward expansion of settlers from the eastern United States to the west. The very good (and free!) Museum of Westward Expansion, housed in the Arch’s basement, is a great place to learn about the history of the pioneers in the USA and the significance of Saint Louis in those events. Aside from the history, there are some excellent views from the tram ride to the top of the arch. Squeeze into these neat little “eggs” and swing back and forth up, zig-zagging to the top of the arch, where it’s a steep climb to the peak of the center. Have a dizzying experience peering through the small windows at the beautiful city below.

After visiting the arch, walk through the beautiful park towards the Old Courthouse, which resembles a State Capitol. It’s signature green dome is very photogenic, and you’ll enjoy framing it with the arch in the background from the viewpoint in nearby Kiener Plaza.

Hungry? Walk two blocks from Kiener Plaza to Maurizio’s, a slice of Chicago right here in St. Louis.

Quick Tips:

Don’t believe all the talk about St. Louis’ high crime and murder rate. While very true, it’s not necessarily dangerous for a tourist. The downtown core is well-policed, and the area directly in front of the arch, for about a half mile west of it, is very safe. I’ve been stranded here overnight and sat at a bench until the Metrolink began its morning service, so I can vouch for it. That being said, don’t venture into dark alleys or roads thinking everything is okay – just stay on well-lit, main roads at night and you will have a worry-free stay.

Hotels in the downtown core are notoriously expensive. Instead, stay near the St. Louis Lambert International Airport, where there are dozens of cheap and high-quality places, easily linked to downtown via the fast and efficient Metrolink trains.

Best Way To Get Around:

Metrolink is a budget traveller’s dream. St. Louis’ light rail company offers up fast service every 15 minutes at most, providing service from the airport, all the way into western Illinois. An all-day visitor’s pass is only and includes unlimited rides. The stations are numerous, so you won’t have to walk very far to find one, and they stop pretty much in front of each main attraction. Metrolink’s hours vary, though, especially to the more remote areas like the airport and some places in western Illinois, so check their website before you plan your evening.

Once you are downtown, St. Louis is very walkable, and sights and attractions are very tight-knit and convenient. Walking at night is not advised, though, due to heavy urban crime (the highest rate in the United States). Daylight walking is both safe and encouraged.

St. Louis is served by Greyhound bus, Amtrak, and many airlines (American Airlines has a hub here). The Greyhound station is located about ½ mile from the arch, north of the downtown core. To get to downtown, take any bus down N. Tucker Blvd. The station is in a pretty rough area, so walking is not encouraged. Amtrak makes its home in a temporary, somewhat unconvenient stop just down the road from Union Station (where it ought to be). There is no Amtrak station here, just a stop, so don’t expect much. The Airport is located northwest of town in the suburbs. Take Metrolink or I-70 West to the airport.

The Ramada Inn St. Louis Airport in the suburb of Hazelwood is a great place to spend the night before an early-morning flight out of town. The airport is around 5-10 minutes away, served by free shuttle van, manned by an interesting character who will instantly brighten your morning (just don't forget to tip like I did - be warned).

The hotel is in a relatively sleepy area, surrounded by mainly residential areas. There are no restaurants convenient to the hotel, so expect to walk a ways to reach one.

The rooms are large and quite nice, with a full-size bathroom to boot. The comfy, wide King bed was a nice touch in my room, making it easy to stretch out and relax on. There was a decent-sized television with a good selection of channels, and free Internet use via a LAN line that you can pull up to the bed or stay at the desk. The Internet was fast and efficient, and the hotel staff were eager to help out with tech support when I needed a SMTP server to send emails with Outlook.

The showers worked very well, and had great water pressure. Toiletries like soap and shampoo were included, as they are at all Ramada hotels.

In the morning, I was greeted with an expanded hot breakfast featuring hard-boiled eggs, hot waffles, biscuits and gravy, fresh fruit, a variety of juices, bagels, toast and jam, and English muffins. The food was delicious, and I could hardly believe how much was on offer for such an inexpensive hotel. I was given a free local newspaper to read at check-out, which was a nice touch for the St. Louis to Chicago flight I was soon to board.

There is laundry service at the hotel for a nominal fee of $2 per load. It's self-service, which makes it pretty convenient. A business center with free Internet is also on-site, if you don't have a laptop for your room's Internet service.

The rooms are all exterior-access, which may be annoying (and cold) in the winter months. I visited in April, when the weather was pleasant and crisp.

Rooms here start at around $45 per night, and go as high as around $75 per night. Well worth it for this well-rounded hotel. It would be very difficult to have a bad stay here, as the hotel staff are amazingly kind and generous and will do anything to make your stay more pleasant.

When I checked in and my credit card declined because the funds weren't applied by my bank yet, they didn't just steer me away to some lobby chair while I waited the 3 hours for the funds to clear, but gave me a room no questions asked, and gave me a courtesy call when the funds cleared for the deposit, letting me know all was okay.

Give this hotel a try next time you are in the area. You can visit the hotel online at: www.ramada.com/Ramada/control/Booking/property_info?propertyId=15055&brandInfo=RA

Maurizio's is a great little pizza shop in the heart of downtown, near the World War Memorial Park. Upon entering, you'll smell some of the most delicious pizza ever created. Your waitress will lead you to your table (my personal fave is the second booth on the left side of the restaurant, near the ordering desk).

I ordered a Beef and Pineapple Stromboli, tenderly baked by the talented Italian chefs and only $5.75. Marinara was served on the side in a dipping tray, which was a very nice touch. The restaurant sells soda only by the 6-pack, though, so be prepared to either be thirsty or have extra cans to take home. The cans are reasonably priced at $4, though, unlike their canned beer, which is $7-$9 for a six pack. My food was delicious and well-prepared, and was a well-rounded meal altogether.

Maurizio's is a great place to sit and relax. I broke out my laptop and surfed the net on their free wifi signal, which was strong and didn't cut out at all. I spent over 2 hours here and the waitresses didn't seem to mind at all.

There is a pool table for those who want to hit some pockets, and a working jukebox to add some ambience to the room. 6 big-screen TV’s with satellite add to the excitement, too. It's a great sports bar with drink specials every night, and cheap pitchers to share with your buddies.

Maurizio's features a lunch buffet on weekdays, featuring salad, pizzas, and desserts for a reasonable price ($6.99). Their menu is quite extensive otherwise, and they do deliver in the downtown area only.

They're open late, til 4am every day, with full bar til 3am, so drop by for some great pizza and great times. It would be hard to be disappointed here.

Visit Maurizio's online at: www.maurizios.com

The Museum of Westward Expansion is usually passed-by by camera-toting tourists who enter the St. Louis Arch complex to ride the tram, buy some gifts, and leave before any sense of learning about history can set in. For smart travelers, though, this free museum is a hidden gem, highlighting the history of expansion by settlers into the American west.

The Mississippi has long-been realized as the line demarking East from West in the United States, and the Arch represents the gateway to the West. This theme is carried on in this museum, as it showcases the history of the settlers and explorers who didn't see fit to stop at the Mighty Mississippi, but ventured forth through new territories and lands as they crossed mountains, deserts, and plains to reach the vast Pacific Ocean.

The museum has some excellent highlights. Don't miss the Lewis and Clark exhibit, which features some excellent audio describing their journeys. The exhibit highlights their progress exploring the American west.

The lifelike robots make this museum worth visiting, unlike some others. These talking sculptures of characters describe the way of life in the 19th century, from a metalworker crafting metals into his dyes, to a black Indian cowboy describing the fight with Native Americans.

Other highlights include some of the stuffed wildlife (the grizzly bear) and some of the preserved technology from this era (a wagon). For a free museum, they pile on the good stuff here.

Don't miss the great statue of Lewis and Clark pointing to the west. It makes for a great photo opportunity.


Visit the museum online at: www.nps.gov/archive/jeff/expansion_museum.html

Laclede's Landing is the place to party in St. Louis. Built alongside the abandoned warehouses along the Mississippi, this district is home to many trendy bars and restaurants that have revitalized this once-dumpy sector of downtown St. Louis. The area has seen tremendous growth in recent years, as the city seeks to renew the area for tourism and economic growth. There is a wide variety of restaurants and bars to keep even the most skeptic tourist busy.

Start your visit at one of the many trendy bars, like Fat Tuesday or Sundeckers. If you don't drink alcohol, you'll find some good coffee shops here. Hungry? Visit one of Laclede's great restaurants, like the Old Spaghetti Factory or Show-Me's. Lucky's is another popular choice, right across from the arch.

During the day, there are Mississippi riverboat cruises that are available from the dock just east of Laclede's Landing on N Leonor K Sullivan Blvd. Some great southern music plays on loudspeakers from these boats, which cost around $10 per person to ride.

While Laclede's Landing is generally safe, don't wander aimlessly behind dark warehouses or venture north of the Embassy Hotel. Drug trade and homelessness is common here, and you might find yourself robbed and penniless. St. Louis is now considered to be the Murder capital of the USA (announced recently on CNN), so be aware of your surroundings at all times. When in doubt, stay close to busy areas, and if you don't like the vibes your getting, cross under I-70 back into downtown and you'll be safe from all harm.

There are two notable hotels in Laclede's Landing, these being the Embassy Suites and the Drury Inn. Both hotels are probably too rich for your blood, so there are some decently priced options nearby. The relatively scary Econo Lodge is a few blocks north of Laclede's, but drug trade is common at this hotel. The Ramada Inn is close to Laclede's too, but can be pricey.

Since Laclede's Landing is just a small neighbourhood, no admission is charged. Parking can be at a premium, though.

You can get there via St. Louis' metrolink. Get off at the Laclede's Landing station (this is especially important as you will spend a while getting back if you accidentally stay on and cross the river into East St. Louis, Illinois).

Visit Laclede's Landing online at: www.lacledeslanding.org

The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial is the centerpiece of Saint Louis, and its most recognizable attraction. Situated on the banks of the Mississippi River, with the downtown core at its feet, the highlight of this large greenspace is the massive Gateway Arch, often called the St. Louis Arch, standing 630 feet high.

Dedicated on May 25, 1968, the Gateway Arch is the symbol of Saint Louis. Symbolizing the gateway from the eastern United States into the western United States, the gateway honors the many pioneers and settlers of the westward expansion in the 19th century.

The on-site museum, the National Museum of Westward Expansion, highlights the struggles and triumphs of this era. Of particular interest are the Lewis and Clark exhibits, which highlight the explorer duo’s travels down the Missouri River. The museum is free to everyone, and is quite extensive – plan at least an hour to look around and enjoy it to its fullest extent. It is located beneath the arch (underground), across from the tram entrance.

After visiting the museum and being inspired by its stories and tales, head over to the tram and begin your ascent up the arch. Tickets are $11 and the wait time is negligible on weekdays, but can be significant on weekends and during the busy summer months. You’ll be led inside the elevator room, where a series of small doors line up with the stairs. Once these doors open, you’ll see the "eggs" within – small, 4-seat egg-shaped cars that zig-zag diagonally up the arch. Some will find the ride frightening, as you do shake about a bit as the car waves back and forth along the arch’s backbone.

Once you exit, you’ll be told to line up at the windows along the tiny room atop the arch to view the sights below. Because only a certain number of people can ascend and descend at a time, they generally allow you only 10 minutes atop the arch before you are forced to leave – so plan your time atop wisely. Head for the center window for some excellent views of the city of St. Louis, with the park, the old courthouse, and Kiener Plaza lined up in a row – it’s a great photo opportunity.

Next, head to the windows across for some sights of the state of Illinois and the Mississippi River. This view is less impressive, but can be neat if the sternwheelers are up and about on the river. Consider spending more time viewing the city, which is quite scenic from this height.

There is a marker showing the height of the arch at its peak, which is another good photo up here. It can be dizzying for some to look out these windows, though, as they are somewhat vertical. Elderly people may find the climb to the peak a bit strenuous – and you must cross the peak of the arch to descend down on the other elevators.

Visit the arch online at: www.nps.gov/jeff