From Springfield, IL to Saint Louis, MO 
From Springfield, IL to Saint Louis, MO
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Finally a morning with some sun. I was beginning to think I might never feel the sun's rays again. I get packed up and get ready to skedaddle into Saint Louis. It will be a short ride today only about one hundred miles to go. It will be a long day. I'm due to meet old work friends from Monsanto and Ron doesn't arrive at the airport until after 10PM.
I have breakfast across the street at a small restaurant -- Nicole's Little Mexico. Inside the decor is late 60s coffee house with the added bonus of a string of Mexican flags and southwestern murals. The food is acceptable and the service is good.
I roll out onto the Interstate. About twenty miles south of Springfield, I notice a sign for the 'Mother Jones National Historic Site.' The name is familiar. I used to read a political activist magazine called Mother Jones. I can't quite recall the details of the person, so I decide that I have time and sunshine so off I go in search of this site.
The
site is a cemetery. Mother
Jones, who lived to be 102, is buried with miners who were killed in
a labor action in the 1800s. This trip keeps reminding me that our
country is very young. I keep being reminded that today's relative
comforts for many are the result of brave actions by many people no
so long ago. Our freedoms were not just won on battlefields at home
and abroad by brave men and women but also by people fighting for
freedom from ourselves. It is important that we remember to be
vigilant against backsliding on these hard won freedoms. It it too
easy to forget that not so long ago things were not as easy or
comfortable as they are today for many.
Route 66 passes the cemetery and I decide to follow it for a while. The corn here is about knee high. The route of the Mother Road is well marked and easy to follow. Unfortunately it disappears under the current Interstate alignment within five miles. I'm back on I-55 heading south.
The first view of St. Louis from a hill is spectacular. The day is clear and the skyline of the city is a great backdrop to the great arch. This is the best view I have ever had of the city. When you are in the middle of downtown you are too close to appreciate the relationship of the arch to the buildings. I don't know of a good viewing spot from the east side of the Mississippi River. I'm feeling very good about the weekend now.
I check into a very new Westin Hotel. The hotel is in a converted warehouse and is very smartly furnished. As usual, the parking valet do not know what to do with the bike in terms of parking so they decide to let her rest on the parking apron alongside a Porsche and a Mercedes. Nice space indeed.
I get a little nap in before leaving to go to the airport. I'm renting a car to make it easier for Ron and I to get around while he visits this weekend. I take Metrolink out to the airport. I'm luck, the Busch Station is right outside the hotel door and the airport station is inside the airport terminal. A quick stop at Avis and I'm looking for the group from Monsanto. We have a couple hours worth of beer sitting outside in the sun This may very well be the most beautiful afternoon I have ever spent in St. Louis. It was good seeing Susan, Ron, Mark, Dave, Dennis and Bob. Thanks for taking the time out of a Friday afternoon to visit. You all look healthy and happy! Susan is leaving for her annual houseboat and margarita dive-in on Saturday morning. She and her husband have spent the night before at the gym pumping up so that they can tote all the good tequila onto and off of the airplane. Their trip sounds like fun.
Ron arrives on time courtesy of American Airlines and we head to the hotel.
Unfortunately today's weather is not going to be as beautiful as yesterday. Rain threatens through out the morning hours and finally delivers later in the day. Ron and I have a good friend that had considered moving to Saint Louis. During my employment with Monsanto, I had considered moving to Saint Louis for several positions but couldn't quite make the transition from San Diego. Ron is curious to find out what this town looks like.
We have taken our time getting organized this morning and on the road so it is nearing lunch time. The concierge suggests Bandana's in Clayton for some good Barbecue (trivia question answered elsewhere on this site: Where does the name barbecue come from?) to satisfy Ron's craving.
First we wander around the downtown a little bit. Down into Soulard where things look much better than my last visit. Then out for a quick spin through Forest Park. Finally at Clayton we go into Bandana's which is empty, but its only 11:30. We both have a pork platter. The pork is fantastic, sweet, moist and crunchy. Bandana's offers a selection of four sauces at your table. All are excellent but we both prefer the hot traditional style. I have beans and cole slaw as my sides. Ron has beans and potato salad as his side items. All three items are excellent as is the garlic bread. We have to wait for the 'sweet' tea to be brewed -- what a delightful southern anachronism that is.
Being out east, we drive out Olive to see the Monsanto campus. Then back down into town for some more touring of the Central West End. With lunch partially digested we head over The Hill to Ted Drewes. I have heard of Ted's for years but never gone. Boy what I have missed. Ted's is known for its frozen custard. The custard is flavored to your order and then served in several fashions. We both have concrete: mine line and Ron's chocolate. Oh my God, this is good stuff. Between the barbecue and the concrete, we will not eat again today.
We spend some time at the Gateway Arch. Officially this is monument commemorates the opening of the western United States to European exploration and colonization. The arch itself is one of the most beautiful pieces of modern architecture and construction. It has perfect proportions. It doesn't matter if you are miles away or next to it -- it looks amazing. There are several museums under the arch as well as the boarding areas for the little bubble cars that haul you to the top of it. We watch a documentary movie on the construction of the arch itself. We also browse the museum that discusses various aspects of westward expansion.
I enjoy a timeline that traces United States history from 1800 onwards. I have been thinking a lot about the Civil War and the timeline shows that the confrontation had been brewing for decades. The other theme of interest to me was the treatment of Native Americans. Our history here is not a thing that should make any of us proud.
Getting back to the hotel is a little difficult as the Cardinals are playing a game this afternoon. But I manage. Ron insists that I nurse myself to health and we stay in tonight.
The weather today is grim again. Ron goes home later today. Tomorrow will be our 23rd anniversary and we decide to have a really nice Sunday brunch in celebration. The concierge recommends the rotating restaurant on top of the Millennium restaurant. The restaurant is on the 28th floor of the hotel. The hotel is just west of the Gateway Arch so the view is spectacular.
Brunch is slightly less than spectacular. The champagne was pretty bad so we switch to Bloody Mary's. They turn out to be not much better. I guess we are having a run of bad luck. It is late in the morning and many of the food items are picked over. Things improve when we go back to for our second (and third) plates as the kitchen staff has a chance to refill the items that have been eaten.
The walk back to the hotel is in a driving rain. We cut through a parking garage and Busch Stadium to stay under cover as much as possible. We hang around the room until it is time to get Ron over to his 3:30 flight home. Afterwards, I drop the rental car (Chrysler mini van) at Avis and take Metrolink back to the hotel. I am shocked that Metrolink charged $1.25 to get to the airport but $3.00 to leave the airport.
I spend the balance of the evening checking Ron's flights progress on the Internet and finishing my Chicago postings. It rains on and off all night so it is good to be in.
Keep Reading: How far is it from Saint Louis to Cuba?
Depart Springfield on Interstate 55 heading south.
Cross state line, the Mississippi River, into Missouri.
Follow directions to Busch Stadium.
Arrive Saint Louis.
(c) 2001 Thomas N. Engler Revision Date: 06/06/2001
