Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour (St. Louis, Missouri)

Visiting breweries across the country was not one of our original goals when we set out on the road nine years ago, but when you find yourself in parts of the country where historic breweries are located, what else are you going to do? And, I can’t lie, I enjoy these tours, especially the free tastings! J The Anheuser-Bush Brewery is more than just a fun place to hang out and taste beer, though. Opened in 1852 by German immigrant Adolphus Bush, the brewery was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1966, recognizing the company’s importance in the history of beer brewing and distribution in the United States.

Spread over 142 acres, this brewery ranks number one in beer production in the United States, and during the tour we were able to see where the beer is produced, packaged, and distributed. Our guide provided us with a running narrative of the company’s history, beers that have come and gone, information about the Clydesdale horses, and little known bits of trivia surrounding beer production in general.

What I noticed was how ornate the Brew House was, with its beautiful chandeliers, stained glass windows, and intricate iron work. And while I’m not a fan in general of using animals to entertain humans, I have to concede that the Clydesdale horses’ living quarters at this facility were more posh than many a hotel. They seem to be treated very well, at least as far as the public is shown.

Cheers!

Busch Stadium (St. Louis, Missouri)

One of the reasons for our visit to St. Louis, Missouri in September was to catch a Cardinal’s baseball game at Busch Stadium. On September 11, 2016 we walked from our RV Park across the Mississippi River to catch an afternoon game between St. Louis and Milwaukee. Busch Stadium is set in the heart of downtown St. Louis and is dwarfed by the surrounding high rises, and most notably the impressive Gateway Arch. Milwaukee won this particular game 2-1 in the 9th inning, keeping things interesting up until the very end. It was definitely a full house that afternoon; the stadium seats 43,975 and attendance that day was 44,703. Not having to worry about parking was a huge relief! 

It’s always fun to find out a little about the team we’re watching Here, possibly, are some lesser known and interesting facts about the Cardinals:

• Formed in 1882, the original name of the St Louis Cardinals was the Brown Stockings; In 1891 they changed their name to the St. Louis Browns; In 1889 the names was changed to the Perfectos; and in 1900 the name was changed to the St. Louis Cardinals.
• The Cardinals have won more than 9,300 games, 11 World Series Championships, 18 National League Pennants, 3 National League Eastern Division Titles, and 8 National League Central Division Titles.
• The Cardinals teams in the 1930's were known as The Gashouse Gang. They got the nickname because of the unkept appearance.  According to one version, the nickname stuck when shortstop Leo Durocher said, "they think we're a bunch of gashousers," referring to workers in the plants which produced gas for heating and lighting in cities.  
• Although St. Louis loves their Cardinals, 90% of their fans come from outside the city.
• Cardinals legend Stan "The Man" Musial got his 3,000th hit off the arch rival Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.  He finished with 3630 hits:  1815 at home and 1815 on the road.

 This marks our 25^th visit to a Major League Baseball Park, and the last for the 2016 season, with only five remaining to complete the list!

The Gateway Arch (St. Louis, Missouri)

The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, on the west bank of the Mississippi River, is the city’s most notable landmark. Constructed of stainless steel, soaring 630-feet into the air, and built in the form of an inverted, weighted, catenary arch, it is the world’s tallest arch, and the tallest man-made monument in the Western Hemisphere. Designed by Eero Saarinen, and built as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States, it is the centerpiece of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial and has become an internationally famous symbol of St. Louis

The Gateway Arch is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the world with over four million visitors annually, of which around one million travel to the top. The arch is hollow to accommodate a unique tram system that transports visitors to an observation deck at the top. Visitors are tucked into little pods that seat about five adults, that take 4 minutes to ride to the top, and 3 minutes to come back down, and is definitely not for the claustrophobic. The arched observation deck itself isn’t much roomier, only 65 feet long and 7 feet wide. Sixteen windows per side, measuring 7 x 27 inches offer views up to 30 miles to the east across the Mississippi River and southern Illinois, and to the west over the city of St. Louis.

The underground Visitor Center is well done with an excellent movie that takes you through the 2.5 year construction process (February 1963 to October 1965) and really gives you an idea of the complexity involved in creating and constructing something on this scale, and belies the elegant simplicity the monument exudes.