It seems now more than ever that people have the travel bug, including me!!! The need to explore, to experience and to stay in a new exciting location is always just the best! I am noticing people are also wanting to travel to celebrate a special occasion too - whether that’s a birthday or a wedding. That’s exactly what I did for my birthday last year-I desperately just wanted to get away so Lin and I hit the road in our vintage Porsche and took off and did just that. You know I am the biggest sucker for a US road trip with my sweetie. Somewhere in one of my past lives I must have fallen in love en route because I know that is where my heart is happiest. Lin and I have been on countless US road trips ourselves over the years and we typically head west. So this trip I wanted to head east and see some places I had never been before St. Louis is relatively close to Oklahoma allowing for a nice weekend getaway. But we were there for only 24 hours before continuing onto Indianapolis. We also visited Ohio, and Kentucky and ended our little getaway in Nashville. (I promise to have my Cinci travel guide up for you soon too and will update this post) I should have started with St. Louis and have no idea why it has taken a whole year to publish but I really promise to do better with my guides this year! Serious-pinky promise.

WHERE WE STAYED

We stayed at Ignacio Hotel which has the perfect ideal location in Midtown St. Louis– allowing you to see and experience a number of exciting St. Louis attractions. Just a short drive away from landmarks like the Gateway Arch and The Fabulous Fox Theatre, Hotel Ignacio is the perfect place to begin your adventure in St. Louis. You can rent one of their house bicycles to explore St. Louis or visit the International Photography Hall of Fame & Museum or the Moto Museum, both connected to Hotel Ignacio. (Lin was super excited about the motorcycle part obviously) We stayed in a king room which was an artfully designed room that featured a king-sized Tempur-Pedic bed adorned with luxurious bedding, in addition to a flat-screen TV featuring tons of cable channels and an in-room refrigerator.

https://www.hotelignaciostl.com/

Where we ate + drank

The Fortune Teller Bar- The Fortune Teller Bar has a unique ambiance that lies somewhere between a rock’n’roll hunting lodge and a drunken apothecary. They pair great beer and craft cocktails with a rotating menu of tasty snacks, and their tarot card and palm readers are at the ready to freak you out in exchange for tips every night of the week. After you have a few drinks, explore the revival of the walkable in-town neighborhoods, along Cherokee Street. This area is really starting to take off!

El Chico Bakery- Along Cherokee Street, you will find so many great little gems like El Chico Bakery. Me being from El Paso, well I have such a soft spot in my heart for Mexican bakeries and I love conchas. Their baked goods are so delicious.

Polite Society- Polite Society is a restaurant, bar and gathering place located at 1923 Park Avenue, in the historic Lafayette Square neighborhood of St. Louis. The menu is divine! The wine is divine! And the space is cozy and is perfect for a romantic night out.

Cafe Osage- Garden fresh fare 7 days a week. Tucked neatly into plant-filled Bowood, Cafe Osage is a bright, light filled bistro with a menu balancing breakfast and lunch classics with modern adaptations. Cafe Osage gets its name from the Osage Orange trees that line their farm, Bowood Farms, in Clarksville, Missouri. The highly prized wood of the Osage Orange tree was made into bows by the Native Americans. Chef Scott Davis’ focus is always on seasonal, garden fresh fare, much of which is grown in their own Central West End garden.

Highly recommend the breakfast!!! Still dreaming of those turmeric lattes and that homemade jam.

Blues City Deli- Quite possibly my fave deli in the world!!! Find St. Louis’ Finest Po-Boy’s and Muffuletta’s here. Their menu is a tip of the hat to many of the blues music cities on the “Blues Highway”. You have to get a Po-Boy, an order of Red Bean’s and Rice, and an old fashioned soda or an ice cold beer, and listen to some of the best blues music you’ll ever hear. It’s like a big old house party everyday at this neighborhood deli.

THING TO SEE / DO

Stifel Theatre- See a show here!! We saw MGMT and there is not a bad seat in the house. The 3,100-seat main theater was completed in 1934 as part of the Municipal Auditorium complex that included the 9,300-seat Convention Hall that later became known as Kiel Auditorium. Construction on the Convention Hall was not completed until 1936. Designed by architects Louis LaBeaume and Eugene S. Klein, construction on the Municipal Auditorium began in 1932. The Opera House is all that remains of the original complex and extends south approximately 250 feet, where it meets Enterprise Center, the arena completed in 1994 that replaced Kiel Auditorium. Its facade extends 322 feet along Market Street frontage on the Memorial Plaza as part of St. Louis' most significant grouping of civic buildings.

Bowood- Each extension of their business has allowed them to connect with customers and community in new and exciting ways. Whether they are serving garden fresh fare in Cafe Osage, coordinating classes in The Studio with local artists, showing off our favorite selection of goods for the home, or helping customers select the perfect plant, they are delighted to bring their love of the garden to you. Perfect place to do some shopping and get inspired!

Lafayette Square- Elegant Lafayette Square centers on leafy Lafayette Park, a popular setting for concerts and outdoor films, and baseball games played on a vintage-style field. The green space is surrounded by stately Victorian townhouses, with wine bars, relaxed coffee shops and Italian restaurants nearby. Park Avenue’s 19th-century buildings house gift and decor shops, as well as a craft brewery. I could spend hours there.