St. Louis Blues

April 24-26 St. Louis, MO

We were surprised at how deserted the Mississippi River waterfront was, including the tourist area around the St. Louis Arch. Where was everyone?

We found a lovely grassy park and flower garden, and plenty of parking places nearby, along the river. A paddle wheel tourist boat, and a ship consisting almost entirely of a helicopter landing pad, were anchored nearby, but without any takers or helicopters in sight. At the sports bar in our hotel, they were showing a professional soccer feed from Europe. Why was it Real Madrid v. Bayern on TV instead of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball game? “I have no idea,” confessed the waitress. “Do you think there’s a Fake Madrid?” she wisecracked.

We could see the shining Arch from our hotel window, but more prominent in our view was the building directly across the street, advertising “Axe Throwing — Corporate Team Building.” That certainly made sense to me.

The manager said that his empty hall, with axe-throwing lanes like a bowling alley, had been open only a week. “The escape room people like the axes,” he said, hopefully.

We walked a couple of blocks up the street looking for dinner, dodging several drunks and homeless people, who were begging for money. We did what we could for them, but like San Francisco, the problem was too great for us to solve by ourselves. Our chosen restaurant, recommended by the hotel, turned out to be a little weak on both service and menu options. “We’re closing on Saturday,” the waiter confessed. We packed up our leftovers, and gave them to one of the street people who accosted us on the way home.

The next night we took a taxi to “B.B.’s Ribs, Blues and Soup” in a different part of town, where we found world-class live music, but not all the tables were filled. When we left, the streets were overwhelmed by baseball fans, pouring out of the nearby ballpark.  So that’s where everyone was!

We later learned that St. Louis is the second most crime-ridden city in America. What a pity. The blossoming trees around the Arch look so inviting, and the barbecue and blues venues offer something uniquely American, in an authentic setting.

We said a final goodbye to the Lewis and Clark statue by the river, and drove off to Chicago, hoping that St. Louis might find an appreciative audience…in the summertime?