Went to the Gateway Arch in St. Louis

In December, St Louis was kinda of a ghost town- probably because of the pandemic. It also gave us a chance to go out and explore a little! My sister and I did a road trip from Chicago, Illinois to St Louis, Missouri to Memphis, Tennessee to Oxford and Tupelo, Mississippi to Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama to Miami, Florida in less than a week before the holidays.

Our breakfast stop was Rooster! It did not disappoint and it was extremely covid friendly. The vibe was everything we hoped for at St Louis and the food was EXTREMELY filling. If you’re anything like me, I get full super fast, so I would split with someone if you can. If not, I took the leftovers on the road and it was still amazing! Also, the peanut butter, granola milkshake that they had was everything I needed in that moment. It was called the king. *chef’s kiss*

Let’s walk calories off at The Gateway Arch

A must do in St Louis was The Gateway Arch. It was also the top one answer in recommendations of things to do. There’s so much history that we were reading on the way there, so I thought I’d share some interesting facts that I liked-

It is considered a National Park, which I thought was interesting because I thought national parks were mostly all hiking type land. Was I proved wrong!
One of the main reasons it’s part of the National Park service is because it commemorates Thomas Jefferson’s vision of a transcontinental United States.
It stretches from the Old Courthouse to the steps overlooking the Mississippi River.
Honestly, my favorite part was that Lewis & Clark and their Shoshone guide Sacagawea, mapped the territory route to the Pacific Ocean. I loved learning about Sacagewea in school, or maybe I just loved saying her name, but that was an exciting fact!

We actually could not explore the park like we wanted to because everything was closed or sold out due to covid and the limitations it provided. It was also freezing, so I’m definitely coming back!

My sister and I walked right under it for some quick photos, but we also went to a location we thought would have the best view of the city and the Arch. Here’s a location you won’t regret: Malcom W Martin Memorial Park. The address is 185 W Trendley Ave, East St Louis, IL 62201. You’re welcome!

We could’ve gone all the way to the top for a spectacular view but it was too cold for us to handle. SO we settled for the first ramp.

My tummy’s rumbling… it’s time for our next meal

Another MUST DO is Salt ‘n Smoke for a foodie adventure! St Louis is known for their bbq, so we had to jump on the train for a local cuisine.

Before entering the restaurant, we got temperature checked for safety reasons. It was actually one of the few places to do that, so we were appreciative of the precautions they were taking. There were multiple social distanced tables, and it was only us and another guy eating in the restaurant. Definitely a safe spot!

We ordered the ribs… and fun fact, it was my first time eating ribs with my hands IN PUBLIC. It was tempting for sure. Thanks for making me feel comfortable, sis!

St Louis was a blast! We drove through the town in hopes that we look forward to coming again- post Covid and during baseball season! Definitely a city I’d like to revisit.