314 Day

March 14th.  To many, it means Pi Day (3.14 if you didn't catch on), but to St. Louisians, 3-14 holds a different meaning.  314 is the area code of St. Louis and let me tell you, people from St. Louis represent the Lou and they're proud (a little ode to Nelly right there). 

While many may view STL as a flyover city, there's really so much to do, see, celebrate in St. Louis.  With new areas constantly being reinvented, it seems there's a new hot spot popping up by the day.  Here are reasons I love St. Louis.  If you're not from here, maybe it'll convince you to visit, and if you are from here, hopefully, you'll agree with why I love our city.

1.  The Arch.  The Gateway to the West, the monumental landmark of St. Louis nestled along the riverfront.  Who wouldn't be impressed to see a 630-foot arch of stainless steel that started being built in 1963?  Want to view the city from the top?  Well, you can by taking a tram the 630-feet up for the best view of St. Louis.

Fun fact bragging rights:  The Gateway Arch is the tallest man-made monument in the United States!

2.  Cardinals baseball.  One thing you must know about St. Louis is we LOVE baseball season.  Opening day is basically a city-wide holiday.

3.  Beer.  As much as we love baseball, we may love beer more.  From Anheuser-Busch to microbreweries spread all across the city, there are endless amounts of beer for anyone to enjoy.  AB offers free brewery tours where you can see the world-famous Clydesdales!  A few of my favorite breweries to visit are 4 Hands, Square One, Earthbound, Civil Life, and Urban Chestnut.

4.  The diversity.  There's plenty of "pockets" throughout St. Louis.  There's The Hill (amazing Italian), Cherokee Street (Hispanic with great authentic Mexican), The Grove (LGBTQ friendly, hot restaurants, nightlife), Dogtown (the Irish town), Delmar (where you can find food from around the world, nightlife, music scene), South Grand (another area for worldwide cuisine), Soulard (great patios, bars, nightlife), Maplewood (rated one of the most "hippest" areas in the country).  Whatever you're looking for, St. Louis definitelyyy has something to offer.  (Pictured above is me goofing off in The Grove).

5.  Museums and Parks.  The City Museum is an eclectic mix of children's playground, funhouse, and architectural amazement created out of unique, found objects built in a 600,000 square-foot former Shoe Company.  Forest Park has something special to offer to everyone:  The History Museum, St. Louis Art Museum, The Zoo, The Muny, World's Fair Pavilion, Art Hill, The Jewel Box.  Honestly, there could be an entire day devoted to Forest Park.  A few more of my favorites are Laumeier Sculpture Park, Tower Grove Park, and The Missouri Botanical Garden.

6.  The seasons and weather.  What's nice about St. Louis is that you can experience spring, summer, winter, and fall.  What's not so nice about St. Louis is that you can experience all 4 seasons in a matter of days.  Seriously.  It could be 55 degrees and sunny, dramatically drop and be snowing a day or two later.

7.  Festivals and events.  Loufest is the big music festival around here.  One of my favorite festivals is the Whitaker Music Festival that takes place at the Botanical Gardens through summer.  You might not believe it, but Mardi Gras in St. Louis (Soulard) is the second biggest in the country.  We also take celebrating St. Patrick's Day very seriously with events in both Dogtown and Downtown.  We have plenty of beer festivals throughout the year.  If there is a holiday, celebration, something, St. Louis will probably have an event for it.

8.  THE FOOD.  Can't forget about the food.  St. Louis-Style Pizza.  Toasted Ravioli.  Gooey Butter Cake.  Ted Drewes Frozen Custard.  The ultimate St. Louis food bucket list.
St. Louis-Style Pizza is square cut, thin crust, and topped with Provel Cheese (which is essentially a blend of Cheddar, Swiss, and Provolone).  For the authentic St. Louis square beyond compare, I'd suggest going with Imo's Pizza.  At Imo's, also order the Toasted Ravioli (or any restaurant that you visit with it on the menu...and trust me, it'll probably be on the menu of 85% of the restaurants you visit...100% if you're on The Hill).  Gooey Butter Cake - check out Gooey Louie or my out-of-town family is OBSESSED with the Gooey Butter Cookies available at Schnucks Grocery Store.  Ted Drewes Frozen Custard is situated on Historic Route 66 and a landmark that has been selling frozen custard for over 80 years.

I'd love to know, have you visited St. Louis?  Or does this make you want to take a trip here?  If you have been, what were/are your favorite things about St. Louis?

♥ always
Allison

Albert Einstein Pi Photo:  Slate/Pi Day 2015

{whatever wednesday}

This week's {whatever wednesday} 5 picks include stress relief and creativity for adults, a Super Bowl favorite, a hoppy Valentine DIY, a real gem of a clutch (that's currently 75% off), and the Mexican food lovers ideal tank.

{Pre-Order Now:  Vogue Coloring Book}

{Favorite Part of Super Bowl Sunday:  #SB50 #PepsiHalftime Show}

Image courtesy of Coldplay's Facebook

{Valentine's Day DIY for him:  I <3 You Beery Much}

{Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend:  Wishlisted Clutch from by Charlotte Olympia}

{Must Have Tank:  Burritos and Beer}

{whatever wednesday}

{Her Lovely Style:  Spring Style Inspiration}

{Happy Hours:  9 Easy Beer Equations That Solve All Your Problems}

{First Spiked Milkshake:  Peacock Loop Diner's Salted Caramel Corn}

Bourbon, Bailey's, Tuaca, Sea Salt, Vanilla Ice Cream, Whipped Cream, Caramel Sauce

{Adorable Overload:  Best Uncle Ever Wears Princess Dress to Movie so Niece Won't Be Alone}

{Beautiful, Heart Warming, Grab the Tissues:  Gratitude | Why I Adopted a 20 Year Old}

Hops and Shops

Weekend Roundup:

I had been hearing about these boutiques on wheels (mostly vintage), follow a few on Instagram and had been dying to shop at one.  A day or so after I realized all the things I've missed out on, I saw that Rack + Clutch (The first fashion truck to hit St. Louis) was going to be at 4 Hands Brewing Co.  Being a big fan of the 4 Hands Seasonal Chocolate Milk Stout and never being to the brewery before, I decided brews and shopping would be a pleasant way to spend my Saturday afternoon.  One of my friends decided he wanted to get in on the Saturday fun, so we seized the day.

Rack + Clutch had so very fashionable and affordable merchandise (all under $100) and the owner was very sweet.  Winter markdowns had just been done so I scored a pair of peachy nude skinny pants ($10) and a black high-waisted faux leather mini skirt ($18 and to DIE for):

Upon arriving to 4 Hands, I ordered my Chocolate Milk Stout (after all, shopping can make a girl very thirsty), he went with a flight, we settled in and a few intense games of Connect Four occurred.

{left to right}

{Single Speed Session, Pyrus Saison, Morning Glory, PiPa}

After the flight sampling and Chocolate Stout, I went with my next favorite:  The Morning Glory, which is brewed with fresh sweet potatoes, all spice, nutmeg, whole vanilla beans, and aged on Pecan Wood...and oh, so good.  If I remember correctly, the PiPa was the runner up, but it wouldn't hurt to taste test them all again.

Saturday was a great day of "Hops and Shops" and, more importantly, I was able to cover many "new things and experiences" at once.