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Rediscover Your Missouri, St. Louis Style

By Lt. Governor Joe Maxwell

Our family's on the road again, seeking fun and adventure right in our own back yard.  This time, we packed the RV and pointed toward the Gateway City, where our daughters listed some favorite stops under the long shadow of the arch. 

They also made a few new discoveries..

We'd always heard about the Magic House in Kirkwood.  After all, it's been voted the third best museum in the Midwest by readers of Family Fun magazine (and by the way, the St. Louis Science Center was voted fourth!).  So presto!  We transported to a Victorian mansion chock full of science experiments designed just for kids (I must admit, the grownup kids had great fun, too!)  The house itself is a treasure, built in 1901, and home to one of the St. Louis World's Fair directors.  But it's what's inside that captures the imagination!

Next stop:  A familiar haunt with a new twist...the St. Louis Zoo.  It's long been considered one of the world's greatest zoos, ever since Marlin Perkins was a pup.  We always discover something brand new.  This time we were in for a real treat. The River's Edge presents the zoo's resident animals in their native surroundings, and literally immerses you in the animal's habitat.  That's better for both the animal and the observer. While there, the kids took the "River's Pledge" to help protect our rivers.  And they learned about the "Flood of '93" from Aunt Lizzie's cabin.  River's Edge is still a work in progress, but already it's a hit with the kids.  They really liked the underwater view of the hippos swimming in Hippo Harbor. 

And speaking of swimming, they also got to see a true acrobatic performance when one of the giant polar bears did a handstand in the middle of its pool.

A day of scientific discovery can make a family famished.  So we headed for a real treat:  The original Ted Drewe's Frozen Custard on Chippewa.  For more than 70 years, Drewe's has dished out custard to millions of travelers as they begin their trek down historic Route 66.  And today was no exception.  My children informed me there were more people waiting for their frozen custard treats than there were residents in my home town.

Alas, our visit was too short.  You could spend a week in St. Louis and not see it all.  In fact, next time in town, my daughters already have a long list of places to go.  To build your own itinerary for a trip to rediscover St. Louis, go to the Missouri Tourism web site at www.missouritourism.org.  

See you on the road, as we Rediscover Your Missouri!

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This page last modified on 09/15/02 .