Two friends, Four Days and a Lifetime of Memories

My best friend, Charlie, and I decided to take a trip together, but had no idea really where we wanted to go. After talking back and forth, we decided on St. Louis, the Gateway to the West. I was sticker shocked when I saw the price of the plane ticket into St. Louis. I started searching for nearby airports and surprisingly Indianapolis, a mere three hours away, had the best fares for about . So instead of just spending all of our time in St. Louis, we were able to spread it out to include Indianapolis as well as Springfield, all three destinations that we had never before visited.

After landing in Indianapolis, the rental car company informed us that they the only type of vehicle that they had for us was a minivan. We knew from the beginning that was going to be an interesting four days. The only thing that went through my mind while we loaded up the vehicle was the National Lampoon’s Vacation movie when Griswold drove home the Family Truckster. It wouldn’t be the last time that we would reference that movie on this trip.

We hopped on I-70 stopping to eat in Terra Haute, Indiana on the way to St. Louis. I drove the majority of the trip while Charlie navigated us from point to point. The one time he wanted to drive was just after leaving Terra Haute. We drove across southern Illinois and while I was reading the map, I saw that the World’s Largest Ketchup Bottle was in Collinsville, IL. We detoured only to find out that it was a water tower, but it nonetheless added to the enjoyment of the trip. I took over driving again as we entered into Missouri. I was in my own little world taking in the sights while crossing the Mississippi River, when Charlie broke out his rendition of “Deep River”, once more a reference to Clark W. Griswold.

To make the trip more enjoyable, we went to East St. Louis, which we realized very quickly we didn’t belong just as the Griswolds unfortunately found out. We visited the Gateway Arch, Busch Stadium, and the Budweiser Plant as well as Lincoln’s home and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
But this trip was more than just seeing the sights; it was about two friends reconnecting from college and a lifetime of memories that will never be forgotten.

Quick Tips:

St. Louis which most everyone knows is in Missouri. However, East St. Louis is actually a separate city apart from St. Louis. East St. Louis is located in Illinois across the Mississippi River. Try to avoid going to East St. Louis especially at night. This city has one of the worst crime rates in the country involving murder and rape, surpassing cities such as Washington DC and Baltimore, Maryland. Just exercise caution and be vigilant.

St. Louis just recently received the designation as worst city in the country for crime. However, this should not deter you from visiting. It is a wonderful city with great sights to visit, food to eat, and nightlife to keep you busy. East St. Louis’s crime rate is actually worse than St. Louis on a per capita basis.

Best Way To Get Around:

If you are staying in downtown St. Louis, you can pretty much walk to anything in downtown. There are numerous restaurants and bars within easy walking distance. You need a vehicle to visit the other sites unless you use a taxi or public transportation. There is a light rail service operated by Amtrak that links the airport with downtown. I did not use the rail line so I cannot say much about it, but check the website for the city to see if it will accommodate your itinerary.

Indianapolis has a great public transportation system but you can use a vehicle to get around just as easily and that goes for Springfield as well.

St. Louis has a history with baseball dating back to 1882 when the team was known as the St. Louis Brown Stockings. In 1900, their name was changed to the Cardinals, which was inspired when the team changed their colors from brown to red. St. Louis proved to be a city big enough for two teams, when in 1901, the Milwaukee Brewers moved to St. Louis to become the Browns once again. St. Louis hosted two teams until 1953 when the Browns were forced out of town and what would later become the Baltimore Orioles.

In most cities with many different professional sports, there is always one that gets more exposure than the rest. In St. Louis, baseball is the dominant sport which makes sense that the city is known as “Baseball City, USA.”

We had hoped to catch a game, but we were disappointed to find out that the Cardinals were on a two week road trip. So instead, we took a tour of the stadium. The year 2005 was going to be a memorable year as the stadium was going to be demolished and in 2006 the Cardinals won the World Series in their new stadium.

After purchasing our tickets, we joined our tour group led by an old St. Louis native who had followed the Cardinals since the 1930’s. I was immediately singled out, mostly by my own doing, because of my choice of wardrobe. I just happened to be wearing a Chicago Cubs shirt, which ironically is who the Cardinals were playing as we began our tour. One of the best rivalries in baseball is between the Cardinals and Cubs dating back to 1885.

Our tour guide took us to the top level of the stadium where we relaxed in the outfield seats facing home plate, while he pointed out things of interest. The most interesting thing he pointed out was the fact that where we were sitting would soon become home plate. Instead of moving into a new stadium, it was going to be rotated to expose the Gateway Arch. The outfield would now be where the infield is located.

We sat in the Cardinals dugout imaging the game being played as the players see it. Next was a stopped off at the Press Room, where the players and manager give their post-game interviews with the Cardinals backdrop. We also got to see how the VIP’s watch the game, from their air conditioned suites and leather recliners to their own private concession serving gourmet meals.

At the end of the tour, we learned an interesting story behind the naming of the stadium. When the Busch family acquired the stadium, they wanted to name it Budweiser Stadium after their famous beer. The commissioner of baseball denied that request because he did not want baseball associated with alcohol. That was well before alcohol was served in stadiums. So he named it Busch Stadium after his family and it was approved. Two weeks later, Busch beer debuted.

The most recognizable symbol in St. Louis, and perhaps in the rest of the country, ranking up there with Mount Rushmore, is the Gateway Arch. The Arch is but one of a number of sites that is located on the grounds of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. It is a 91 acre park that also includes the Old Courthouse, which decided the Dred Scott case in 1857 as well as the Museum of Westward Expansion. The park’s location is near the starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition which led to the nickname “Gateway to the West.”

My first impression of the Arch was that it was another architectural wonder. As we crossed over the Mississippi River, the Arch stands next to it with the St. Louis skyline in the background. At a height of 630 feet towering over the “Mighty Mississippi” it is the tallest structure in St. Louis. The most amazing aspect about the Arch is that there is a tram system that takes you to the top of the Arch with some of the most amazing views of St. Louis, the Mississippi River, and Illinois.

Visiting the Arch and the rest of the park is an all day affair. The park has an extensive security system such as found in many airports. Plan to arrive at least thirty minutes prior to your time to board the tram. All three sites in the park open at 8:00am and they close at 10:00pm with the exception of the Old Courthouse, which closes at 4:30. The only fees in the park is for the Arch which costs $10 for a ride to the top. Tickets are also sold for the theater and riverboat crusies on the Mississippi. Discounts are given when combined with the tram.

The Visitor’s Center is located underground beneath the Arch. After going through security, we boarded the tram. Each pod on the tram holds five people and if you are someone who is claustrophobic then you might want to avoid going to the top. The pods reminded me of something out of 2001: A Space Odyssey. The pod is egg shaped with five seats and I felt as if I was going into space. The tram ride to the top takes four minutes and the tram rotates periodically to conform to the curved track of the Arch.

Upon exiting the pods, we found ourselves at the top of the Arch. There are windows at the top, which are barely visible from the ground. The views from the top are breathtaking. All of St. Louis is visible, as well as the Mississippi River, and Illinois across the river. It has been said that on a clear day, you can see as far as 30 miles. There is no time limit for staying at the top of the Arch and when you are ready to go down, get in line for the descending tram.

“Gentlemen Start Your Engines” – From the beaches of Daytona to the desert of Arizona, these words are as famous as the drivers themselves and the tracks they race on. While some tracks are more famous than others, no other track has more history than the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It is the only the landmark related to automotive history to be included on the National Register of Historic Places.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway was built in 1909 and has a seating capacity of 275,000 with an infield capacity that brings the total to 400,000 making it the largest sporting facility in the world. It is a two and a half mile track and like Daytona, which has a lake in the infield, Indianapolis has a road course track as well as an 18 hole golf course which has been used by the PGA.

The most famous race which began in 1911 is the Indianapolis 500, which has been hailed as the “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” It is the Super Bowl of the Indy Circuit just as the Daytona 500 is to the NASCAR circuit. Besides the Indy 500, the track also hosts NASCAR’s Brickyard 400 and it used to host the United States Grand Prix on the Formula One circuit.

Tickets to any of the major races here cost anywhere between $70-150. We were not able to attend a race here, but that did not stop us from experiencing all that the track had to offer. There is a museum on the grounds that is dedicated to the history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and has over 75 different vehicles on display. Such vehicles on display include the Marmon “Wasp”, which won the inaugural Indy 500 in 1911 as well as all four vehicles driven by A.J. Foyt, who has won the Indy 500, a record four times. Besides race cars, there is a 1925 McFarlan TV6 Passenger Roadster and a 1935 Duesenberg Model JN, in which only three were built.

After looking at the different vehicles in this massive museum and taking the opportunity to crawl into an Indy Car, it was time to see the track. Along with your admission, you can take a ride in an air-conditioned vehicle around the track. The two and a half mile lap lets you experience the track from the driver’s perspective, albeit not at the speed that you would like. The golf course is clearly visible as well as the new road course in the infield. Some of the unique characteristics of the track are at the start/finish line. Before the track was paved, it was covered in bricks. A three foot section of section of bricks was left and is where the Brickyard 400 gets its name. A racing tradition is for the winner and his crew to knell down and kiss the bricks. The other obvious feature is the Control Tower designed as a Chinese Pagoda and it can all be experienced for $6.

Anheuser-Busch has been around almost as long as St. Louis has been a city. Fifty years after St. Louis was founded, a struggling brewery opened in 1860 by Eberhard Anheuser and Adolphus Busch. In 1876, while trying to find a name for their beer, Adolphus choose “Budweiser” because it had a Germanic name that would appeal to Americans and German immigrants. Since then, Budweiser has given birth to many other brands and is recognized all around the world.

The World Headquarters of Budweiser is located at 12th and Lynch Streets and occupies over 100 acres, making it the largest brewery in the world. Visitors enter through the main entrance where you are treated to over 150 years of Budweiser history. From the Visitor’s Center, you proceed to one of the oldest buildings on the property dating back to 1885, which is the Clysdales Stables. Although the horses have nothing to do with beer, they have been the face of Budweiser since 1933 when August Busch Jr. presented his father with the first Clysdale hitch to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition. The horses, as well as the carriages and saddles, are housed in this brick building covered with stained glass windows. There are over 250 Clysdales that make up the Budweiser herd with the majority of those found at nearby Grant’s Farm.

The next stop is the Beechwood Aging Cellars. Here the beer is stored in giant stainless steel containers which age and carbonates the beer. Each tank holds 3600 barrels of beer or in consumption terms, 200,000 six packs. From the aging cellars, we were treated to a multimedia presentation at the Brew House. It should be emphasized that the brewing process has been unchanged for over 100 years.

The gates of the Brew House greet you as the clock tower towers above. The scene is reminiscent of Willa Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. While you get to see most of everything at the plant, there are still those areas labeled “Top Secret.” Just like the everlasting gobstobber, the brewing secrets that have made Budweiser a household name must be heavily guarded. Maybe not as important as Area 51, but nonetheless, the people at Coors would love to get behind those doors.

The last stop was the Bevo Packaging Plant standing eight stories tall with more than 25 miles of conveyor belts. It is a sight to behold as 950 bottles are filled every minute for distribution around the world.

A tour to a brewery would not be complete without some free samples. The Hospitality Room allows you to sample the many different brands as long as you are over 21. Remember Drink Responsibly.