Balfour - 48 Hours in St Louis

WHY GO Gateway Arch isnt just a portal to the West; its also the front door to a vibrant city thats long inspired adventurers. Swoop up the Arch, sample a free brew, stretch for a fly ball and slurp frozen custard on this two-day tour that embraces the spirit of St Louis.

The citys joie de vivre sneaks up on you, not obvious at first, but there, waiting. Its got a musical bent, one that tickles your ear when youre strolling down Delmar Blvd. It floats past when the hipster pedals past, belting out a song. It dances through the air on the melodies of a sidewalk band. All this before sunset, before Chuck Berry takes the stage

But wait. Lets not get ahead of ourselves. The citys confident charm first catches your notice when the white-haired lady at Ted Drewes hands you a cup of M&Ms and swirled custard upside down. Why does she do it? Because it proves the thickness of the product an ice-creamy vanilla custard mixed with the topping of your choice. These concretes, along with sundaes, shakes and plain vanillas, have lured fans to the frosty white shack since 1930.

The charm keeps flowing at 1371-acre Forest Park, where the best attractions are free. Theyre also architecturally stunning, appropriate for a park that hosted the 1904 Worlds Fair. After passing through the column-flanked north entrance of the beaux arts St Louis Art Museum, built for the fair, get your bearings inside the cavernous Sculpture Hall. In the Along the River gallery, evocative regional paintings of rivers and prairies capture the spirit of Great Plains adventure and set an exploratory mood for the museums wide-ranging collection.

Just east, bright flowers sparkle inside the aptly named Jewel Box. This glass-walled art-deco structure, built in 1936, is an oasis beloved by romantics and St Louis brides. When it comes to satisfying kids, the St Louis Zoo meets the Goldilocks standard: not too big; not too small. In fact, at 90 acres and 17,900 animals, its just right for a no-fuss afternoon of animal-gazing. Penguins and puffins, as well as chimps, draw noticeable oohs and aahs.

For shut-eye, consider the Parkway Hotel, an eight-story, 220-room indie property just east of the park. Unpack your bags, then explore the surrounding Central West End. Mansions sit across from chocolate lounges in this chichi neighborhood where you can while away an afternoon flipping through the staff picks at friendly Left Bank Books or surfing the web at scruffy Coffee Cartel. As for that chocolate lounge, theres no better place to nibble sweets than Bissingers, a Chocolate Experience, where the bonbons are served with fine wine and fancy choc-tails.

Youll be hard-pressed to find a choc-tail in The Hill, a 50-square-block Italian neighborhood zestily touting its ethnic heritage as red, white and green fireplugs vividly attest. Narrow streets are lined with trim shotgun houses, but the big draw is the dense cluster of family-owned Italian restaurants. Join the buzzy crowds inside busy Cunettos House of Pasta. Convenient digs include the simple rooms at the Water Tower Inn on the St Louis University campus.

The next morning, as you stroll past the apples, baguettes and sausages at the Soulard Farmers Market, consider the history. The market opened here in 1838, the same year St Louis resident William Clark died. Clark, together with Meriwether Lewis, led the Lewis and Clark Expedition, commissioned by President Jefferson after the 1803 Louisiana Purchase. Their mission? To explore the countrys newest acquisition and search for a waterway to the Pacific. Preparations took place in and around St Louis.

Just north, the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial and its delicate calling card, the Gateway Arch, honor Jefferson and the city for their role in the nations push west. Glance up at the 630ft-tall arch as you approach. An elevator rises to the top of that? Not exactly. Picture a five-person pod gliding upward, tram-like, in a four-minute swoop. Its fun, and once on top youll have sweeping views that can extend 30 miles on clear days. Visible below is the Old Courthouse & Museum, where the Dred Scott slavery case was first tried.

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If youre craving a burger, Molly Murphy recommends the super-thin patties at Carls Drive In (9033 Manchester Rd). Its like a little teeny drive-in shack, says Murphy. People go bananas for the burgers. Add a side of fries and custom-made root beer, then settle in at one of the counter-side stools.

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Dioramas and murals provide an impressionistic overview of western history at the Museum of Westward Expansion underneath the Arch. One tip? Dont follow the Jefferson statues gaze as you enter or youll end up in one of the least compelling exhibit areas (an overview of American Indian peace medals). Instead, follow the timeline to the left of Jefferson. It chronicles the taming of the West between 1800 and 1900. Just beyond, entries from Lewis and Clarks journals accompany stunning, mural-sized photographs of the landscapes described.