In the Agora: St. Louis to Casey, Illinois

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November 29, 2004

St. Louis to Casey, Illinois

Mrs. PTB and I along with some friends traveled to St. Louis over the weekend to walk about 25,000 steps in and out of antique shops (one in the group was wearing a digital pedometer and I always asked for updates to give me a sense that indeed walking into a pub was a form of exercise).

If you like architecture and some wonderful old homes with lots of character from the 1800s and early 1900s, then it's worth the trip. However, Indianapolis feels like Chicago compared to the nightlife in downtown St. Louis. We walked from our hotel to Laclede's Landing, a historic area along the Mississippi River that has been converted to restaurants, but not even the ghosts of the early settlers haunt that area any more. The fact that Laclede's is not in the center of the city probably hurts it. I'm not sure downtown workers even have time to walk over there at lunch hour.

We spent a chunk of time along Cherokee Antique Row, near the Budweiser plant (the locals say it's the King of Beers). If you're a radio fan like me, then visit Jasper's Antique Radio Museum; it seems every celebrity from Bill Murray to Jay Leno has checked out the radios that brought a country closer together.

The famous Gateway Arch has a moon glow at night that gives the city a ghostly feel.

Speaking of large monuments that you can see for miles, you can't miss this one as you're riding along I-70 in southern Illinois. Not too far from that towering Cross is the small town of Casey that sits on the Historic National Road. As you come into town, you'll see lampposts and fastened to each one is the name of a Casey resident serving in the military. There must have been 20-25 of these placards. A yellow ribbon is next to each name except for Charles Lamb who has a black wreath next to his.

I know the big cities send plenty of young men and women overseas but you really feel the war's intensity when you travel through a village. You know you're in a small town when you hesitate to ask the Pizza Hut waitress about a fallen soldier for fear that she could be a relative, sister, or even a mom of the U.S. Army Specialist.

Daniel Henninger writes about the grass roots efforts to rally around our troops. Give it a read and then pick at least one charity to send a check to before Christmas.

Posted by PunchTheBag at November 29, 2004 03:04 PM

Comments

You need to see more of St. Louis if you think Indy has a better nightlife than St. Louis. No comparision in the quality, and I am talking both bars, theatre, and the arts. And the antiquing, as you discovered, is great. It's all those old Catholic families, I guess.

I would also recommend the zoo, which is consistently rated one of the top five in the country, and is free to boot! This is not the best time to go, but if you are there in a warmer time, by all means, go.

Posted by: chuck at November 29, 2004 09:34 PM | permalink

Just to note, that is not the same chuck as me, Charles Kuntz. I think Indy is a fine town, and have never visited St. Louis, and so have no opinion on the matter.

Posted by: Chuck at November 29, 2004 11:20 PM | permalink