Family Trip to St. Louis
Drove down to St. Louis with my Mother, Father, and Brother. Saw the arch, went to the Zoo and Botanical Gardens, and ate lots of good food!
Visited
2024-07-27
Region
St. Louis
Rating
5/5
Family-friendly
Yes
Traveler context
Why this stop fits the bigger route.
I have lived in the USA my whole life. I know I'll never see all of it, but I'd like to try and see all the big stuff if I can.
Route status
Map-to-story handoff.
Photos & videos
Missouri through your lens
10 photos · tap to enlarge
Journal
The full story
Drove down to St. Louis with my Mother, Father, and Brother. Saw the arch, went to the Zoo and Botanical Gardens, and ate lots of good food!
I wish I had documented this trip better when I was there, but I was only 19, and not really thinking about it at the time. I know we saw the arch (and the museum in the same building), and went to the Zoo and Botanical Gardens.
We didn't stay very long, I'm pretty sure the trip was only 3 or 4 days, and I couldn't name a single place we ate, which is a shame because they were all very good local places. I remember that on the last day we went to a place that had been on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.
I got the Duck breast. I also remember we went to a seafood shack that had great oysters.
The arch was probably my least favorite part of the trip. It was interesting to see how they get people up there, even if I found the whole experience a little underwhelming.
I'm glad I can say I did it, though I wouldn't do it again.
Trip readout
Favorite memory
This was the first family trip I had where I got to take an active role in planning what we did, and thus the trip that I enjoyed the most out of all the ones we've had before.
Useful notes
What I'd tell the next traveler
Practical details now come after the story and photo section, so the page reads like a journal first and a guide second.
Best stop
01The botanical gardens were the highlight of our trip. We spent hours there and still didn't see everything- this is the kind of place you could spend the whole day in if you wanted to.
Hidden gem
02I wouldn't call the St. Louis Zoo "hidden" but it was definitely a gem. A fantastic place, and completely free! If you're in the city, don't miss it!
Best food
03The oysters here are great! They're a big deal in this city for a reason.
Worth the detour?
04Absolutely. This is the kind of stop that earns its extra miles.
Family-friendly?
05Yes — easier to enjoy with kids in the mix.
At a glance
Bottom line
Drove down to St. Louis with my Mother, Father, and Brother. Saw the arch, went to the Zoo and Botanical Gardens, and ate lots of good food! If you're already headed this way, this is a strong candidate for turning a pass-through into an actual memory.
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