Hello, we will be in STL March 16-20.

Having never been there before, we would like some tips on the city. We enjoy history, sports, shopping, etc.

We will be in town for the NCAA Wrestling tournament. We are staying at the Renaissance Grand on Washington. Does anyone know how far it is from the Savvis Center?

Thanks in advance.

Don't have your answers but do know that within two or three days you can get the St.Louis tourism pkg in the mail. Do a google for St Louis tourism or tourist information and you can put your name on a list to send you this pronto. It had a good map and also, I believe, a couple of good suggestions besides the times/locations for the arc, historic venues etc.

It's about a mile.

You can also take the MetroLink from the Convention Center stop to the Savvis (Kiel) Center stop.

www.metrostlouis.org

The Bowling Hall of Fame Museum is in downtown St Louis.

www.bowlingmuseum.com

You can easily walk from the Savvis Center to the Union Station. It has mostly tourist type shopping. It's fun for an afternoon and a meal. That's where the Hard Rock Cafe St Louis is located in case someone wants a T-shirt.

I highly recommend the City Museum. It's unusual and a lot of fun though expensive and confusing with their tier pricing.

www.citymuseum.org

On the border of downtown is the Eugene Field House and Scott Joplin House museums among others.

http://stlouis.missouri.org/501c/house-museum/

The St Loius Catholic Cathedral west of downtown is filled with the most impressive array of mosiacs I've ever seen.

indytravel is about right: it's about a 1 or 1 1/2 miles from the Renaissance to Savvis. Walk about two blocks down Washington to the Convention Center Metrolink stop and ride it to the Civic Center stop. (The station is called all three: Civic Center, Savvis Center, Kiel Center, depending on the train driver.)

Good restaurants within walking distance of your hotel: Kitchen K, Mosaic, Charlie Gittos and Kemolls are all good. The places inside the hotel complex are also supposed very good. (I think there's three or four.)

City Grocery opened a few months ago about 3 blocks away: another downtown option.

Red Moon, Flannerys and Lucas Park Grille are a bit longer walk or a short cab ride. I've enjoyed all of them.

If you like Italian food, The Hill is a great Little Italy-like neighborhood with some fabulous restaurants. I recommend Favazza's - I just ate there Saturday night, and it was incredible!

Also, the Botanical Gardens are wonderful. Right now there is a special Orchid Show there - my fiance, who is not a flower person, even thought it was unbelievable.

The home of Ulysses S. Grant and his wife is in St. Louis - there is some construction being done to the Visitor Center, but they are still open.

The St. Louis Zoo is great, and it's free. The Science Center and Planetarium are also very interesting -and they are not just for children. The Arch is a great stop, and there is a museum of westward expansion there too. There are several Lewis and Clark exhibits in the St. Louis area if you are willing to drive.

Definitely see the Arch! You can go up to the top in a tram, and see the museum underneath it. We also enjoyed the Missouri History Museum, which has an exhibit right now about the slave trade and another about Charles Lindbergh, plus other exhibits too. It is within easy walking distance of the Forest Park metrolink stop.

Gotta do the arch, or you haven't been to St. Louis--at least according to those who haven't been there. Like NYC and the Statue of Liberty.

Get your ticketes for the Arch online, ahead of time. They do timed entrances and security lines can be long. If you have your tickets ahead of time, you will shorten your wait once inside. Obviously, there is a limit to how many people can go up at one time.

Just do a search online, I don't have the link handy.

The Zoo is very nice, too.

You have to get the frozen custard at Ted Dawson's. It's an institution. Last time I was there, an entire wedding party was placing an order.

I recommend seeing the movie about the arch and then riding up to the top of the arch.

Also, the free museums and zoo are worth doing (and the price is right). There is plenty of free parking in the park, so don't pay to park at the lot closest to the zoo.

.

For something in St Louis that is unique and inexpensive, try a St. Paul sandwich: egg foo yung on Wonder Bread, with lettuce, tomato and mayo. It was featured on the PBS special "Sandwiches you will Love."

I had it at Kim Van, the restaurant featured in the special, but it is supposed to be available at any area Chinese restaurant. Only about $1.50

The Missouri Botanical Gardens is my favorite St. Louis attraction.

Keith

enjoylife, I think you mean Ted Drewes. I had a frozen custard there last weekend, and I have to say, I've had better. I would just as soon have an ice cream cone at McDonalds - but that's just me. Lots of others like it.

Has Sheridan's Frozen Custard come to the St Louis market, yet? It is tremendous.

Keith

If you visit the Cathedral at Lindell and Newstead, the Central West End is on Pine Street, parallel to Lindell, just behind the Cathedral, up a few blocks toward Kingshighway. It's a block or two of nice little shops and restaurants. A good restaurant and local hangout there is Duff's.
Also, "the Loop" area, adjacent to Washington University, has some funky shops and hang-outs. In fact, Blueberry Hill has great burgers and beer and Chuck Berry actually plays there quite often. No kidding-- check it out.
For high end shopping, head for the suburban areas near Town and Country.

The Central West End is mostly off of Euclid, perpendicular to Lindell, about 2 blocks west of the Cathedral.

There are many good restaurants in the CWE including Duff's, Balabans, Cafe Zoe, Llywelyn's Pub (which is fun with English/Welsh pub menu). Also, Eau Bistro and Cafe in the Case Park Plaza Hotel, they are 2 separate different lively restaurants/bars (Lindell and Kingshighway). Check out the restaurant listings at www.saucecafe.com. All the restaurant reviews there are written by the former Post-Dispatch food critic and the website is much easier to search than the Post's but you can look there too www.stltoday.com