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After spending 10 days in St, Louis Missouri I’m itching to go back again.
To be fair, I could go anywhere that isn’t my hometown and have a good time.
The experience of being in a new place is the most euphoric part of travel for me. However, St. Louis had so much to do that I was able to fit nearly as much as I wanted to into 10 days. With that being said, the majority of the places I explored were very touristy, but a time was had nonetheless.
In Part 1 of my St. Louis Travel Diary, I spoke about my flight and my first day landing in St. Louis. Now, journey with me as I try to recount all of the wonderful moments I had while I was gone.
STL Science Center
I’m a nerd. So, no matter where I go I’m probably going to visit somewhere that is nerdy. So one of my first destinations was the St. Louis Science center. This was a very family centered space but despite that I enjoyed a lot of the areas and attractions. My two favorite places were the planetarium and the agriculture section of the building.
Little Moment: Meet Buddy
The science center is pretty large, so me and my friend decided to rest outside for a bit on the park bench. To my delight there was a giant foil-wrapped looking sculpture that I loved. He reminded me of myself whenever I have to go to work. As with everything I like, I had to give him a name. From henceforth, I will know him as: Buddy.
Elephant Rock State Park
Next was elephant rock park. We had to drive a little over an hour to get there but, as someone who loves hiking, it was well worth it. On the way up, we stopped, grabbed some snacks and enjoyed the scenery.
I don’t think I will ever get over rural roads and country highways. They will forever and always be one of my happy places.
Of course, we made the wrong turn about 500 feet before the actual entrance and we were left in the middle of a random plot of red dirt! I had found this park online, so I was nervous I had led us to a fake destination. Knowing me, it’s a mistake I would definitely make.
Fortunately, after looking back at the map, I noticed we were just a little ways off from our landmark. So, with some giggles and much lighter hearts we made our way to Elephant Rock Park.
It was wonderful! Admittedly, I have walked prettier parks but it was an enjoyable experience nonetheless. What made this park so interesting were, as the name suggests, the elephant sized rocks. They were huge, and we were able to hike, jump, and climb across them as our athleticism deemed appropriate.
Once we got to the top of the trail, we were able to sit and overlook the area. Although it was March, the trees were not in any rush to give us some foliage to admire. Regardless, it was relaxing to sit among the rocks and let the breeze carry the conversation.
When we made our way down, we came across and abandoned railroad building. It was old, run down, and the tracks were undoubtedly riddled with tetanus.
I loved it.
I demanded a picture.
Side Note: The Most Amazing Poke Bowl Ever!
During one of my rest days I decided to go on a walk. Since I was transportation-less for the day I took my chance to walk to the grocery store. As I did not see anything I wanted in the grocery store, I strolled a little further to a Poke shop I spotted.
I have had Poke before but not enough to know what combinations work best. Fortunately, one of the employees (possibly the owner) made some suggestions that I might like from their menu.
I have dreams about that poke bowl.
It was so good! If I go back, I may have to do a more in-depth review of the place and the bowl I got because it is well worth the writing time.
St. Louis Zoo
If there was a way I could hug every animal on the planet without possibly being mauled to death, I would do it without hesitation. Alas, as I must live in reality, I make do by enjoying the limited access we are afforded to view these cute creatures.
Elephants, giraffes, monkeys, and more! I was practically bouncing on my feet with excitement every time an animal so much as breathed in my direction. To be fair, my fascination with animals is a little more exuberant than the average person (so I’ve been told).
Ruth Chris Dinner Date
One of my Sundays there I had the pleasure of being taken to Ruth Chris for the first time. Of course I had to wear my favorite color for the occasion.
Everything was delicious but I doubt I need to relay that information. As a five-star restaurant, they cannot afford to be sub par… literally! And I am happy to inform that the food met my expectations.
Especially the steak.
Bookstore Finds
Finally, I have to show you all my favorite finds from the trip. Allow me start off by saying…
… I love Moomin Valley!
It is one of my favorite shows of all time. Unfortunately, it is not very popular in America. The majority of its fanbase is in Europe, specifically Finland and partially in Japan. If I want Moomin merchandise, I have to order from abroad.
So, you can imagine the jaw dropping joy I had when I saw an entire display dedicated to Moomin at the local Barnes and Nobel. I am not joking when I say the moment I laid eyes on the section I stopped in my tracks as I gawked at the magnificence of it. I had to restrain myself since I needed to only get what could fit in my bags due to airport restrictions.
Bonus present to myself! There was a section dedicated to my favorite genre.
Fables, Fairytales, and Folk stories.
I will be returning to get more, but I for now I was able to obtain Hans Christian Anderson’s book of fairytales.
St. Louis Art Museum
To wrap things up, I want to talk about one of my favorite places in St. Louis: The Art Museum.
Quick side note: The acronym for the St. Louis Art Museum is SLAM and I don’t know why, but it made me giggle a bit. I will also be referring to the art museum with this acronym moving forward.
Since we didn’t want to pay for parking because we both have fully functioning legs, we decided to park a little further away and walk instead. Fortunately, The SLAM overlooks Forest Park. If I wasn’t anticipating the art so much, I would have contemplated walking around the park instead.
However, since I had been excited about going to the art museum, I opted not to make that decision.
Unfortunately, I took less pictures here as I preferred to spend my time browsing and admiring the art but I was able to see many beautiful pieces. My favorite sections were the marble area and the oil paintings which are my favorite mediums.
Although I had a lot more fun and I have plenty more stories to recount, I believe that is for another time as it is a bit more…personal. Until next time!
With Love,
The Road Writer
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