We were blessed to have Steve's entire out-of-town family join us for the 4th of July weekend. From toasted ravs and Ted Drewes to the Cardinals game, we took St. Louis by storm!
A teeny peek at the fun...
Showing posts with label City Museum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label City Museum. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
St. Louis Summer Savings- Printable coupons for local attractions!
Ready or not, parents...
...here comes summer vacation! Most St. Louis kiddos close out the school year this week, including the Nenonen boys who are officially done on Friday at noon.
Simply, this year FLEW.
"Now what?!" seems to be the common theme among our friends this week, as we pull out our date books to schedule sleepovers, BBQs, and activities for the next 3 months. Luckily, here in St. Louis, the possibilities for summer fun are endless. We not only have terrific family amenities at our fingertips (see my right sidebar under "Things To Do in St. Louis" for links), but St. Louis is unique to most cities as the bulk of our local favorites are extremely affordable or free.
Over the past few years, St. Louis has been touted nationally as the ideal family destination. As a result, our local businesses have responded by offering deals and discounts to entice tourists to the attractions that are NOT free.
Many locals aren't aware that Drury Hotels offers NUMEROUS discounts to local attractions for locals/visitors on their website...
Great, right? Now, go tell your friends and share my link before the summer fun begins!
On a personal note, the Nenonens love Drury Hotels! Few know that early in his career, my hubby worked as a manager for Drury Hotels. 15+years later, in his significant work travel, he still uses them as his "go-to" hotel for business comfort and amenities. We also stay at Drury Hotels often with the boys!
Connect with Drury Hotels...
HERE on the web
HERE on Facebook
HERE on Twitter.
Bravo and thank you, Drury Hotels...
...here comes summer vacation! Most St. Louis kiddos close out the school year this week, including the Nenonen boys who are officially done on Friday at noon.Simply, this year FLEW.
"Now what?!" seems to be the common theme among our friends this week, as we pull out our date books to schedule sleepovers, BBQs, and activities for the next 3 months. Luckily, here in St. Louis, the possibilities for summer fun are endless. We not only have terrific family amenities at our fingertips (see my right sidebar under "Things To Do in St. Louis" for links), but St. Louis is unique to most cities as the bulk of our local favorites are extremely affordable or free.
Over the past few years, St. Louis has been touted nationally as the ideal family destination. As a result, our local businesses have responded by offering deals and discounts to entice tourists to the attractions that are NOT free.
Many locals aren't aware that Drury Hotels offers NUMEROUS discounts to local attractions for locals/visitors on their website...
- $1 off admission to the Missouri Botanical Gardens
- $1 off admission to the Butterfly House
- Discounts on Cardinals Tickets
- $2 off an Omnimax ticket at the St. Louis Science Center
- $5 indoor go-carting at Pole Position
- Buy 1, Get 1 Admission 1/2 off at the Magic House
- $2 off admission to the Endangered Wolf Center
- Free Child Tram ticket to the top of the Arch
- $2 off admission to the Rise and Fall of Prohibition exhibit at the Missouri History Museum
- Discounted ticket to 6 Flags
- Buy 1 chocolate chip concrete at Ted Drewes, get one for 1/2 off
- Free shark tooth at the City Museum's World Aquarium
- $3 off admission to Meramec Caverns
- Buy 1 hr tour ticket, get one free at the Daniel Boone Heritage Center
- Discounts on Amtrack Railroad tickets for children and seniors
- 20% off at the Purina Farms gift shop
- Discounts at the Anheuser Busch Brewery gift shop
- Free iPod tour at Cahokia Mounds
- $5 off Caveman Ziplining
Great, right? Now, go tell your friends and share my link before the summer fun begins!
On a personal note, the Nenonens love Drury Hotels! Few know that early in his career, my hubby worked as a manager for Drury Hotels. 15+years later, in his significant work travel, he still uses them as his "go-to" hotel for business comfort and amenities. We also stay at Drury Hotels often with the boys!
Connect with Drury Hotels...
HERE on the web
HERE on Facebook
HERE on Twitter.
Bravo and thank you, Drury Hotels...
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Union Station Phase 1 REVEAL- Grand Hall lobby
Phase one of the multi-million dollar renovation of Union Station is well underway, and with the opening of the new and improved Grand Hall, the internet is buzzing with videos like this of the impressive rotating light shows...
A little local history lesson...
St. Louis Union Station, circa 1894, was once the largest and busiest passenger rail terminal in the world. Built for $6.5 million and primarily of Indiana limestone, St. Louis Union Station was designed to not only be functional, but beautiful...
The train station acted as the main central hub between the east and the west for decades, and was designed with three main areas: The Headhouse, Midway, and Trainshed.
The Headhouse originally boasted a hotel, restaurant, passenger waiting rooms, railroad ticketing offices, and a clock tower....
The crown jewel of the Headhouse, however, was the gold-leafed Grand Hall...
One of the main gathering spots during the famous 1902 St. Louis World's Fair era, Grandhall featured an impressive 65ft barrel vaulted ceiling, mosaic, Romanesque archways, and the STUNNING "Allegorical Window" made from hand-cut Tiffany glass and strategically positioned above the Station's main "Whispering Arch" entryway ...
The window features three women, representing the main US train terminals of the time: New York, St. Louis, and San Francisco...
The Midway, a covered transfer area between the Headhouse and the Trainshed, provided a place for train passengers to bid farewell and/or welcome family and friends...
Union Station's 11+ acre Train Shed, the largest in the world at the time, included 42 tracks and combined the St. Louis passenger services of 22 railroads at its peak...
Unlike other train stations, trains backed into the Union Station underneath the shed, allowing passengers quick and covered access to the Midway and Headhouse. In the 1940s, it is said that the train terminal handled a whopping 100,000 passengers per day! In fact, recall this famous photograph from your US History class of Harry S. Truman proudly displaying the misprint made by the Chicago Tribune after his upset victory over Thomas Dewey in the 1948 Presidential Election?
It was taken at our Union Station as Truman headed back to Washington DC from Independence, MO. Rich history, to say the least.
In 1976, Union Station was designated a National Historic Landmark. The advent of planes saw train travel decrease, however, until the last train pulled out of Union Station in 1978. In 1979, a property company purchased the Station for $5.5 million. The dilapidated structure sat empty until it reopened in the mid 1980's after an enormous $140+ million restoration, making it the largest adaptive re-use project in the United States.
As a native St. Louisan and as a teen at the time of the 1980's reopening... it was a big deal. Truly, the place to be with restaurants, hotels, and shops galore. While mostly geared towards visitors of our city, it was a very popular destination for locals, as well. Particularly before and after downtown events, such as Cardinals games and concerts...
In recent years, however, locals have genuinely worried about the future of Union Station as the shops and restaurants have slowly closed down, leaving this historic landmark a virtual Ghost Town...
In 2012, Lodging Hospitality Management bought the station and its 539-room hotel for $20 million with the goal of restoring it to its original glory. I am not going to lie, locals have been nervously sitting on pins and needles while closely following the project to see what direction is was going.
LHM revealed BIG plans for the structure and has made ever bigger promises to the city including a 2 level family entertainment area, a parking lot climate-controlled Ferris wheel, new restaurants, a fabulous new event and convention space, and more.
I was aware that the Union Station hotel, now a Doubletree, had undergone a massive $30+ million renovation. In fact, I followed much of the progress on Instagram as craftsman associated with the City Museum posted real-time renovation photos, including this AMAZING original plasterwork detail found behind a wall in March of this year...
That being said, it wasn't until the recent public reveal and opening of the renovated Grand Hall (now Doubletree hotel lobby) that locals have been able to grasp the TRUE vision of Lodging Hospitality Management and future for our beloved Union Station...
The most interesting feature of the reno? 3D ceiling projections, each 30 to 45 seconds in length, that will be shown at least hourly over the bar and restaurant featuring craft cocktails, and gourmet "small bite" dishes.
A little peek of what you can expect...
Neat, right? Add it to your local "bucket list", St. Louis!
Connect with Grand Hall at...
St. Louis Union Station
1820 Market Street
St. Louis, MO 63103
Web: http://www.grandhall-stl.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandHallSTL
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheGrandHallSTL
A little local history lesson...
St. Louis Union Station, circa 1894, was once the largest and busiest passenger rail terminal in the world. Built for $6.5 million and primarily of Indiana limestone, St. Louis Union Station was designed to not only be functional, but beautiful...
The train station acted as the main central hub between the east and the west for decades, and was designed with three main areas: The Headhouse, Midway, and Trainshed.
The Headhouse originally boasted a hotel, restaurant, passenger waiting rooms, railroad ticketing offices, and a clock tower....
The crown jewel of the Headhouse, however, was the gold-leafed Grand Hall...
One of the main gathering spots during the famous 1902 St. Louis World's Fair era, Grandhall featured an impressive 65ft barrel vaulted ceiling, mosaic, Romanesque archways, and the STUNNING "Allegorical Window" made from hand-cut Tiffany glass and strategically positioned above the Station's main "Whispering Arch" entryway ...
The window features three women, representing the main US train terminals of the time: New York, St. Louis, and San Francisco...
The Midway, a covered transfer area between the Headhouse and the Trainshed, provided a place for train passengers to bid farewell and/or welcome family and friends...
Union Station's 11+ acre Train Shed, the largest in the world at the time, included 42 tracks and combined the St. Louis passenger services of 22 railroads at its peak...
Unlike other train stations, trains backed into the Union Station underneath the shed, allowing passengers quick and covered access to the Midway and Headhouse. In the 1940s, it is said that the train terminal handled a whopping 100,000 passengers per day! In fact, recall this famous photograph from your US History class of Harry S. Truman proudly displaying the misprint made by the Chicago Tribune after his upset victory over Thomas Dewey in the 1948 Presidential Election?
It was taken at our Union Station as Truman headed back to Washington DC from Independence, MO. Rich history, to say the least.
In 1976, Union Station was designated a National Historic Landmark. The advent of planes saw train travel decrease, however, until the last train pulled out of Union Station in 1978. In 1979, a property company purchased the Station for $5.5 million. The dilapidated structure sat empty until it reopened in the mid 1980's after an enormous $140+ million restoration, making it the largest adaptive re-use project in the United States.
As a native St. Louisan and as a teen at the time of the 1980's reopening... it was a big deal. Truly, the place to be with restaurants, hotels, and shops galore. While mostly geared towards visitors of our city, it was a very popular destination for locals, as well. Particularly before and after downtown events, such as Cardinals games and concerts...
In recent years, however, locals have genuinely worried about the future of Union Station as the shops and restaurants have slowly closed down, leaving this historic landmark a virtual Ghost Town...
In 2012, Lodging Hospitality Management bought the station and its 539-room hotel for $20 million with the goal of restoring it to its original glory. I am not going to lie, locals have been nervously sitting on pins and needles while closely following the project to see what direction is was going.
LHM revealed BIG plans for the structure and has made ever bigger promises to the city including a 2 level family entertainment area, a parking lot climate-controlled Ferris wheel, new restaurants, a fabulous new event and convention space, and more.
I was aware that the Union Station hotel, now a Doubletree, had undergone a massive $30+ million renovation. In fact, I followed much of the progress on Instagram as craftsman associated with the City Museum posted real-time renovation photos, including this AMAZING original plasterwork detail found behind a wall in March of this year...
That being said, it wasn't until the recent public reveal and opening of the renovated Grand Hall (now Doubletree hotel lobby) that locals have been able to grasp the TRUE vision of Lodging Hospitality Management and future for our beloved Union Station...
The most interesting feature of the reno? 3D ceiling projections, each 30 to 45 seconds in length, that will be shown at least hourly over the bar and restaurant featuring craft cocktails, and gourmet "small bite" dishes.
A little peek of what you can expect...
Neat, right? Add it to your local "bucket list", St. Louis!
Connect with Grand Hall at...
St. Louis Union Station
1820 Market Street
St. Louis, MO 63103
Web: http://www.grandhall-stl.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandHallSTL
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheGrandHallSTL
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Local Tip: Crown Candy
Most locals have witnessed and happily stood through the line wrapped around the building....
Locals and city visitors wait for up to an hour to eat at the beloved Crown Candy Kitchen and rightfully so. A true local treasure and step-back-in-time gone Travel Channel star:
The Nenonens love Crown Candy too. =)
That being said, did you know that you can bypass the monster line if just craving a scoop of their delicious ice cream or other delectable treats to go? It is true!
No day of climbing, sliding, and exploring at the City Museum is complete without the Nenonen boys begging to hit another of their local favorites...
Locals and city visitors wait for up to an hour to eat at the beloved Crown Candy Kitchen and rightfully so. A true local treasure and step-back-in-time gone Travel Channel star:
The Nenonens love Crown Candy too. =)
That being said, did you know that you can bypass the monster line if just craving a scoop of their delicious ice cream or other delectable treats to go? It is true!
No day of climbing, sliding, and exploring at the City Museum is complete without the Nenonen boys begging to hit another of their local favorites...
The Dark Black Cherry is our family favorite...
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Summer Fun: City Museum
Reed navigating one of the many "death defying" sky climbing tunnels in the St. Louis City Museum, AKA a 10 year old boy's dream-come-true.
This particular tunnel of steel spirals 3 stories above the main staircase. Not for the faint of heart!
Learn more about our city treasure HERE. Their motto is where the "imagination runs wild" and they aren't kidding!
Learn more about our city treasure HERE. Their motto is where the "imagination runs wild" and they aren't kidding!
Monday, July 2, 2012
Deal Alert: St. Louis Summer Savings via Drury Hotels
Summer is half way over, parents...
Are you quickly running out of fun activities or plans for the kids, particularly in this heat? Drury Hotels can help (while relieving your wallet a tad)! I blogged about this last year as well, though Drury has once again released their St. Louis Summer Savings coupons.
It contains savings for area favorites like the Magic House, Botanical Gardens, Ted Drewes, the Imax, 6 Flags, Meramec Caverns, Incredible Pizza Company, The Butterfly House, Union Station, and more ala...
Click HERE to view the 2012 Summer Savings.
Note: some you must click on the photo (ex. Ted Drewes) to actually view/print the coupon.
THANKS DRURY!!
It contains savings for area favorites like the Magic House, Botanical Gardens, Ted Drewes, the Imax, 6 Flags, Meramec Caverns, Incredible Pizza Company, The Butterfly House, Union Station, and more ala...
Click HERE to view the 2012 Summer Savings.
Note: some you must click on the photo (ex. Ted Drewes) to actually view/print the coupon.
THANKS DRURY!!
Monday, May 7, 2012
EYE love Peat Wollaeger...
While his work is starting to pop up all over the country, it is super widespread in St. Louis...
Peat even has real estate on the walls of MY house =)...
If you have never seen Peat work, it is pretty amazing! A perfect ode to St. Louis, I present to you Peat's St. Louis Breakdown...
NITTY:
Blog: http://stensoul.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Peat-Wollaeger-stenSOULcom/157354443109
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/stensoul
Online Store: http://buyart.stensoul.com/
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Hidden Gem Alert: Bogart's Smokehouse
It was time that I see for myself what all of the hype is about?! Everywhere I turn, locals are screaming the praises of...
...BOGART'S. Friends, family, Facebook, Twitter, StLToday, the blogs, the RFT, and ShowMe St. Louis have all been touting this St. Louis newbie over the past few weeks. The virtual stepsister of the infamous Pappy's Smoke House , Bogart's shares many of the same barbecue methods, secrets, and even employees.
...BOGART'S. Friends, family, Facebook, Twitter, StLToday, the blogs, the RFT, and ShowMe St. Louis have all been touting this St. Louis newbie over the past few weeks. The virtual stepsister of the infamous Pappy's Smoke House , Bogart's shares many of the same barbecue methods, secrets, and even employees. Yesterday, the boys and I were loose downtown enjoying their Spring Break, and dropped by this new joint for a quick late lunch. I'm sure glad that we did... Yum.
Bogart's is located in the heart of Soulard, just kiddy-corner to the SW entrance of the Historic Soulard Market...
... and is EXACTLY what everyone has been reporting and then some. The staff is super friendly, were incredibly gracious to my kids, and know their stuff. The establishment is warm, welcoming, and in a fabulous Soulard location. 
The food?
Um yeah... Fabulous! Juicy, flavorful, affordable, and obviously made with pure love for the art of barbecue! Bogart's is still a baby, having only been open for a few weeks, and already has an enormous following. They can add my family to the list.
Check them out before Soulard Market is back into action and the crowds take this place over, as it is sure to be a huge hit. This is the real deal, St. Louis.
NITTY GRITTY:
Bogart's Smokehouse
1627 S 9th Street
St Louis, MO 63104
Web: http://bogartssmokehouse.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/bogartssmokehouse
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
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