Free Beer in St. Louis

Today is actually our second day in St. Louis. We arrived yesterday afternoon. Was so tired from the 22-hour flight that we spent the rest of the day unpacking and recuperating. For dinner, we just grabbed a quick bite at the nearby Thai restaurant (a few miles away).

My brother had to work today, so he got one of his friends to bring us around. We went downtown and our guide was pointing to us this and that building, but I didn't get the chance to take pictures because we're in a moving vehicle. First thing we did is to join the Anheuser-Busch brewery tour. Yup, the world-famous Budweiser has its roots here in St. Louis. After a short wait at the lobby of its world headquarters, we started the tour by visiting the stables to see the Budweiser Clydesdales. I guess these are the actual horses who delivered the beer barrels during the early days. Also on display is a ceremonial delivery carriage. Next we visited the actual brewery where the hops and barley and rice and other secret ingredients are mixed and mashed and filtered. Then, it's off to the airconditioned fermentation area with these giant stainless steel vats holding the brew till it's ready to be drunk. Last stop is the packaging plant where the beer is filled into bottles and aluminum cans. Free samples? Yes, sirree. At the Hospitality Room, every tour participant gets two glasses of any Anheuser-Busch beer and bags of pretzels. They also offer soft drinks for teetotalers.

After that, our host dropped us off at another St. Louis landmark - the Gateway Arch, so called because it's supposed to represent the spirit of St. Louis - the gateway to the West. Designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen in 1947, this monumental arch was completed in 1965. It is 630 feet high and 630 feet at its widest point. At the base of the arch is a visitor's center which houses the Museum of Westward Expansion, two theaters (Tucker Theater and Odyssey Theater), and some gift shops. The interior of the arch is actually hollow. Inside is a tram system using gimbaled enclosures that can transport visitors from one leg of the Arch, up to the observation room, and back down the other leg. Due to time constraint, we didn't try the tram anymore. Tickets at US$14. Just across the street is the historical Old Courthouse with its wrought and cast iron dome. The courthouse was the scene of many significant trials, especially the suit by Dred Scott for freedom from slavery and Suffragist Virginia Louisa Minor for the right to vote in 1872. (She lost that case.)

Within walking distance is the Old Cathedral, known officially as the Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France. It started life in 1770 as a log chapel. In 1961, the late Pope John XXIII decreed Basilican status upon the church. What I found interesting about the church is that apart from the Latin inscription "In Honorem S. Ludovici. Deo Uni et Trino Dicatum. A. MDCCCXXXIV," which translates to "In honor of St. Louis. Dedicated to the One and Triune God. 1834," there's also a short Hebrew inscription that says "Yahweh". Story goes that at the time the cathedral was built, it's only religious building, so people of different faiths were allowed to have service there. Another story is that times were harsh then, and people have to depend on one another regardless of faith. As a symbol of friendship to the Jewish community, the Hebrew inscription was added to the facade of the cathedral.

I would have liked to explore the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Park more and walk along the banks of Mississippi River and check out the bridges, but there was simply not enough time. Out host was back, and he drove us to the Science Center. Unfortunately, it closes in 5 minutes, so we didn't go in anymore.

To end the night, we had dinner in a Chinese restaurant and killed time at the St. Louis Galleria.