Take me to St Louis
Ribs, loops, and a legendary case of the blues – there are plenty of reasons to visit America’s Gateway to the West, writes Marvin France.
For a place with so much historical and cultural significance, St Louis keeps a remarkably low profile for travellers to the United States.
The fourth-largest city in the country at the turn of the 20th century, St Louis is experiencing a revival. Here’s why the ‘‘Gateway to the West’’ deserves a stop on any American road trip.
‘Squeeze’ into the Gateway Arch
You can’t visit St Louis without seeing the Gateway Arch – the 192-metre shimmering stainless-steel icon of the city is kind of hard to miss. Completed in 1965 as a monument to westward expansion and situated on the banks of the Mississippi River, it is most impressive close-up.
Staring up at this narrow, curving engineering marvel it is hard to imagine taking a tram ride to the top. But to say it’s a bit of a squeeze would be putting it lightly.
In what is best described as a spaceship capsule, five of us crammed inside the small pod for the fourminute ascent. It’s all part of the experience, and the views of the city and Mississippi are spectacular.
For those already feeling claustrophobic, it is worth strolling around Gateway Arch National Park and stopping into the Old Courthouse, a landmark in American civil rights history, which saw the origins of the Dred Scott case.
Feel, learn and play the blues
Nowadays St Louis is probably best known for beer and baseball but the city was, and still is, a mecca for blues artists.
Over the years, St Louis has served as home to a number of music legends, including homegrown hero Chuck Berry, Tina Turner, and Miles Davis, many of whom are showcased at the National Blues Museum.
The museum chronologically tracks the genre from its roots in the deep south in the late 1800s, through its influence on virtually all areas of popular music along the way, from jazz and hip-hop to country and rock. The interactive exhibits are a highlight – even the most musically challenged would get a kick out of creating their own blues track.
Or just listen to the real thing over Cajun cuisine at Broadway Oyster Bar – one of a plethora of live music venues throughout the city, while the museum hosts concerts most weekends.
Explore the Delmar Loop
The huge stately homes surrounding the area give little indication of the eclectic main drag at the heart of this unique neighbourhood. Indeed, you could spend a good day getting lost in the array of vintage stores and boutiques, and some of St Louis’ most famous clubs and restaurants.
The Loop, as it is known by locals, got its name more than a century ago from the streetcar turnaround formerly located in the area – which is set to return in 2018.
Catch live music at Blueberry Hill, a St Louis institution where Berry had residency between 1996-2014, playing more than 200 shows. Or stop in for a drink and browse the extensive collection of pop culture memorabilia that has built up over its 46-year existence.
Eat world famous ribs
St Louis may not have the same reputation for barbecue as its Missouri neighbour, Kansas City, but that is quickly changing.
Leading the charge is Pappy’s Smokehouse, a 10-minute drive from Downtown St Louis, which is renowned for its ribs. So good are the apple and cherry wood-smoked slabs of meaty goodness, Food Network rated them the best in America.
Pappy’s ribs are prepared using a dry rub of spices before rotating for 14 hours in the row of smokers that line the back of the restaurant. Once ready, they are anything but ‘‘dry’’, though – these succulent ribs require no sauce.
Experience America’s favourite pastime
St Louis is steeped in baseball tradition and there are few better cities to take in America’s favourite pastime.
For one thing, the Cardinals, St Louis’ Major League team, are usually pretty good – their 11 World Series championships are second only to the New York Yankees. With attendances among the highest in Major League Baseball, a lively atmosphere is guaranteed for most games at the downtown Busch Stadium, which was perfectly designed to take in impressive views of the Arch and St Louis skyline.
The 2018 season runs from the end of March until October. But if you can’t catch a game, a tour of the ballpark offers an intimate Cardinals experience, including seeing the World Series trophies before heading down to the field to get the players’ view from the dugout.
❚ The writer travelled courtesy of the Missouri Division of Tourism.
In what is best described as a spaceship capsule... the views of the city and Mississippi are spectacular.