Imagine life with no alarm clocks, no cell phone, no pager, no answering machine, no computer and no noise. Just peace and quiet. That life may be impossible to obtain, but it can happen if only for a few hours or perhaps a few days in Ste. Genevieve MO, just 1 hour south of St. Louis. An easy drive in the family Ford.
This is a charming, laid-back town, where bicycles stand on the sidewalks without locks and people stroll in and out of inviting little shops filled with antiques, crafts, gifts, sweets and wine.
One can enjoy the charm of an Old World village plus the comforts and convenience of modern living. Stroll through the streets of this unique community, dine in a variety of restaurants, browse the specialty shops and stay in distinguished bed and breakfast inns and other fine lodgings.
Beauvais-Amoureux House
The Beauvais-Amoureux House was built over-looking Le Grand Champ agricultural fields in 1792. This is a French creole vernacular post in ground (poteaux-enterre) construction; one of three in Ste. Genevieve and only five in the US. Its cedar log walls are set directly into the earth, without a foundation. The roof system consists of king-post trusses and longitudinal wind braces. The house is located at 327 St. Mary Road and is open occasionally to the public.
Hawn State Park
After leaving the historic site, point the Ford towards Hawn State Park which is just 16 miles from the city in Ste. Genevieve County, off Hwy 32. This is the best wilderness experience that nature has to offer to forget traffic jams, family crises and work related problems. Within the 4,953-acre park is the 2,570-acre "Whispering Pine Wild Area".
Nowhere else in Missouri can one find these rare plants, some left behind by glaciers. When snow is on the ground winter provides a special treat of frozen water falls and wonderful ice sculptures. Spring brings the wild pink azaleas which grow from the bluffs, hills and sandstone. You will also see the dogwoods, redbuds and many, many wildflowers.
When arriving at the park drive up to the information office and get a map. This will help to select one of the many trails and direct you to the campground, picnic area and facilities. For more information, call 573-883-3603.
After visiting the historical homes and hiking in park, head back into town for shopping at the unique gift stores and antique shops. You'll wish you had brought the Expedition instead of the Taurus so there'd be more room to load up all your purchases. Then relax over a lovely dinner and rest up with an overnight stay at a bed 'n' breakfast before heading back into the city.
In University City, along a vibrant six-block entertainment and shopping district with ten live music stages and an eclectic mix of retail and restaurants, The Loop is a place of rich history and energetic evolution. A brilliant success, The Loop now serves as a model for communities across the country. The American Planning Association recently named this thriving urban retail, arts and entertainment district "One of the 10 Great Streets in America."
You will find 140 shops and restaurants, like the world famous Blueberry Hill, a landmark restaurant and music club filled with pop culture memorabilia. There is a fabulous mix of ethnic foods including Thai, Chinese, Lebanese, and Italian. Complementing the mix of retail is an outdoor market featuring fresh produce and seafood.
On the expanded eastern edge of The Loop, music continues at The Pageant, a popular concert and party venue, and home to The Halo Lounge. There are more exciting restaurants, such as the popular pizza place, Pi, and Miss Saigon, which features Vietnamese cuisine.
For recreation, visit the charming, deco dream, The Pin-Up Bowl, or spend a cozy weekend at the Moonrise, a new boutique hotel.
Embedded in the sidewalk along Delmar Boulevard in the Loop area of University City, Missouri, is a succession of large brass stars. Joe Edwards, proprietor of the Rock 'n Roll restaurant and pub Blueberry Hill, conceived the St. Louis Walk of Fame as a way not only of commemorating St. Louis' many contributions to art and literature, music and science, athletics and entertainment, journalism and politics, but also as a way of adding some further enrichment to one of the country's most unusual stretches of urban thoroughfare.
Here along Delmar are all the things human beings have to have: old books, new books, hardware, good beer, arts and crafts, fresh oysters and fresh ground coffee and fresh bread, fruits and vegetables that you can pick up and shake and tap, newspapers, fresh flowers, movies, music recorded and music played live, hummus and sushi and barbecue, the delicate and colorful works of ethnic cultures and baseball cards.
The Loop offers plenty of parking for the family Ford, which a three story garage on the western end and a large parking lot near The Pageant. But if the family is too big to even fit into a Ford Expedition, there is a Metro stop just a few short blocks away.
The University City Loop runs along Delmar, between Big Bend and just east of Skinker, about one mile north of I-64.
