St Louis
Alton Missouri MO
- Country Code
- USA
- State Code
- MO
- Day Trips
- Bonne Terre & Missouri River Valley
- Scuba divers can take the plunge at Bonne Terre, the largest freshwater dive resort in the world. Landlubbers will enjoy the walking and boat tours of this billion-gallon underground lake, on the site of an abandoned lead mine. Unwavering, moderate temperatures (58.25 for the water and 62.25 for the air) make this a suitable place to visit year-round. www.2dive.com/btm.htm.
- The Missouri River Valley, what some call America's first wine district, about 90 miles west of St Louis, boasts an astonishing number of wineries. Take a drive to the town of Hermann, where many are located, and sample the fruits of a culture imported in the 1830s by German immigrants from the Rhine River Valley. For more info, visit www.missouriwine.org.
- Gay Info
- Pride St. Louis, www.pridestl.org.
- Gay St. Louis, www.gaystlouis.com.
- Aids Group
- St Louis Effort for AIDS 314/645-6451, www.stlefa.org.
- Gay Aa
- AA 314/647-3677, www.aastl.org.
- Gay Pride
- June. PrideFest 314/772-8888, www.pridestl.org.
- Annual Events
- February - Soulard Mardi Gras 314/771-5110, www.mardigrasinc.com.
- July - Fair St Louis & LIVE on the Levee 314/434-3434, www.celebratestlouis.org.
- September - The Great Forest Park Balloon Race, www.greatforestparkballoonrace.com
- Airport
- Lambert-St Louis International. To get downtown, take I-70 approximately 17 miles east.
- Taxi
- County Cab 314/993-8294, www.countycab.com.
- Super Shuttle
- TransExpress 314/428-7799, www.transexpress-stl.com.
- Public Transport
- MetroBus 314/231-2345, www.metrostlouis.org.
- Tourist Attraction
- Anheuser-Busch Brewery 800/342-5283 www.budweisertours.com.
- Cathedral Basilica of St Louis (world's largest collection of mosaic art) 314/738-8200, www.cathedralstl.org.
- Gateway Arch 877/982-1410, www.gatewayarch.com.
- Grant's Farm 314/843-1700, www.grantsfarm.com.
- Soulard, the “French Quarter of St Louis.”
- St Louis Art Museum 314/721-0072, www.slam.org.
- Stone Hill Winery (in Hermann) 800/909-9463, www.stonehillwinery.com.
- The extremely quaint town of St Charles.
- Visitors Bureau
- 314/421-1023 or 800/ 325-79621, www.explorestlouis.com.
- Weather
- 100% midwestern. Cold winters-little snow and the temperatures can drop below 0°. Hot, muggy summers raise temperatures back up into the 100°s. Spring and fall bring out the best in Mother Nature.
- Best Views
- Where else? Top of the Gateway Arch in the Observation Room, www.gatewayarch.com.
- Where The Girls Are
- Spread out, but somewhat concentrated in the Central West End near Forest Park. Younger, funkier crowds hang out in the Delmar Loop, west of the city limits, packed with ethnic restaurants.