1. Get frozen custard at Ted Drewes. The place is a legend, and with 95 degree plus weather and off-the-charts humidity, there may be several visits.
2. Run around Forest Park. Forest Park is something like the third largest urban park in the country, and in my opinion it is far superior to Central Park or even my beloved Lincoln Park. There is a six mile loop around the perimeter, and although I will probably have to get up around 7am to beat the heat, I can't wait to hit that trail.
3. Go to the St. Louis Zoo. The zoo is one of the few remaining free zoos in the country, and I think it is one of the best zoos in the country too . Must see: penguin house, polar bears, monkey house, elephants, butterfly house.
4. Go to the St. Louis Art Museum. This is another free treat in Forest Park. I used to go here all the time just to walk around and relax.
5. Visit the boat house in the park. My mom and I have a great tradition here- rent a row boat and have my dad row us around the pond. No, I'm not joking.
6. Take a trip to the Arch. I have to admit that I had never actually gone up in the Arch until literally the day I moved from St. Louis to Chicago. The tiny elevators that take you up are a trip, but the view at the top is worth it.
7. Have margaritas at Canyon Cafe, my favorite Tex-Mex place. Besides the margaritas, the restaurant has the most amazing chips and salsa- sweet potato chips, cinnamon and sugar wantons, and tortilla chips. The restaurant also happens to be located in Plaza Frontenac, which is an upscale shopping center (Saks, Neiman Marcus, JCrew, you name it), so a walk around the mall might be necessary.
8. Take a tour of the Schlafly Brewery. While the Anheuser-Busch tour is a lot of fun, Schlafly is a local beer that is actually enjoyable to drink.
9. Spend some time in the Loop. The Loop is a street of restaurants, cafes, theaters, and shops. It's sort of like the St. Louis walk-of-fame, as it honors all the famous names from St. Louis with their own Hollywood stars on the street. Rock-and-roll legend Chuck Berry created the genre there and regularly still rocks, well into his 80s, at Blueberry Hill, a must-visit bar.
10. Visit the gorgeous campus of my alma mater, Wash U. With every trip, there is a brand new building up, and the students are spoiled beyond belief (new sushi bar, new restaurant that serves alcohol aka the place to go when you're a freshman without a car and trying to impress your date, new dorms with queen size beds and dishwashers, the list goes on).
11. Eat at one of my favorite restaurants- Eleven Eleven Mississippi, Drunken Fish, Cafe Napoli, Lo Russos, Harvest, Thai Country Cafe, Mi Ranchito, the Creperie in Clayton, Pi (President Obama's favorite pizza- had it flown into DC and now the wait at the small parlor is 2-4 hours).
12. Drink at one of my favorite bars- Mandarin, Sub Zero, Bar Napoli, Jimmy's Cafe on the Park, Molly's, Morgan Street, Pepper Lounge, Kaldi's or Kayaks for coffee, and a night out drinking would not be complete without a trip to Courtesy Diner.
13. Catch a movie at the Chase Park Cinema. The theater is a cool oasis in the middle of the day, and the concession area serves local treats such as wine and Ted Drewes ice cream.
14. Go to the Missouri Botanical Gardens, especially on a Wednesday evening when the gardens host music in the park (or as my roommates and I liked to call it, wine in the park).
15. Drive out in the "country" to one of the local wineries. My favorite is Mount Pleasant, which serves fabulous Missouri wine in a sun drenched scenic hilly setting.
16. Attend mass at the Cathedral Basilica, a church covered with the most mosaic stone tiles in the world and one that rivals its European counterparts in beauty. Then, head over to the tree-lined Central West End for some al fresco brunch and antique shopping.
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