The St. Louis Arch

My oldest child is 10 years old and in the past decade we've made numerous trips to St. Louis for birthday parties, graduations, weddings, etc. In all these years during all our trips, I've wanted to take my kids to see St. Louis, esp places I visited growing up. However, we're usually in for a short period of time and a specific reason- like a wedding- not often time to run off and do touristy stuff. I've old Daniel for years I wanted to make a separate, non-family-reason trip to St. Louis just to show my kids around but it hasn't happened. 

Sooooo, when we were invited to a graduation party over Memorial Day weekend I told Daniel we had to do something St. Louis-y. Will and Maggie actually did go to the zoo once we he was 4 and she was 1, but that's it. My plan was to stop at the arch on the way into town- we literally drive right by it on our way to see my family. I also recommended we stay in a hotel near the zoo and hit that up in the morning before the party which wasn't until 2pm. We could see a lot of the zoo before then. We did, in fact, stop at the arch on our way into town, the kids loved it!!

After the arch, we grabbed dinner at Imo's (of course) and then let the kids burn some energy at a park literally across the street from Imo's. Daniel did not want to stay at a hotel so we did not make it to the zoo. I knew we wouldn't get up early enough, everyone get ready, head back out to the zoo and then back again for the party. Daniel really didn't want to go to the zoo that bad anyway because it was so hot. And it was his birthday, so I didn't want to push it. We thought maybe we'd stop at the City Museum on our way out Sunday, but we just didn't have the time. Maybe next trip!