7 Things to do while in St. Louis for Championships

As you may know, St. Louis is my hometown and the place where I lived until about 6 months ago. I'm super bummed that unfortunate circumstances have hindered me from attending National Championships, I wanted to give you my insight on some fun things to do while in town.

I'll start by saying that the Chaifetz Arena is gorgeous and HUGE. This is where I graduated high school, went to basketball games and saw numerous concerts. It's at least twice the size of UIC (where Classics is held), so just prepare yourself for that.

If you're not bringing a car, make sure you take the Metrolink. Chaifetz is closest to the Grand stop.

Here are the top must-sees while in St. Louis for a week or so...

The U-City Loop

This is the best place to shop in St. Louis. Don't listen to anyone who tries to tell you that you should go somewhere like Plaza Frontenac (where people will judge you for carrying Coach instead of Louis Vuitton), when you can head to the loop and find charming local boutiques and unique restaurants like Blueberry Hill, Fitz's or even Cheesology, a restaurant devoted to different variations of Mac & Cheese. The stores range from the free trade based Plowsharing Crafts to Vintage Vinyl where you can buy just about any piece of music you could imagine. 

The City Museum

One of St. Louis's more unique attractions, the City Museum is literally the most ideal place to visit if you're a gymnast. It's essentially a giant indoor grown up sized playground. It sits in the city with a giant school bus on top, the 3 story slide is the one of the most enchanting attractions. 

The St. Louis Zoo

St. Louis has one of the best Zoos, and it's FREE! No catch, it really is free! It's pretty much what you'd expect from a zoo, in addition to a really cool penguin exhibit you should go see, especially if it's hot. 

The St. Louis Cardinals
I know, I know, you're in town for gymnastics, but did you opt out of getting men's tickets on Saturday night? Go to a Cardinals' game. It's really unlike any other ballpark in the country. The stadium's reminiscent of Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, but the fans are so excited that they're referred to as "Cardinal Nation". It's an amazing experience that you should really try to check out if you can

Lindenwood University
Are you a gymnast hoping to pursue college gymnastics? This would be a good time to make an unofficial visit to Lindenwood University! Next year will be their first year as an NCAA Gymnastics Team, so you should go see how beautiful the campus is... (REALLY beautiful is the answer.)



Local Delicacies
St. Louis has a few local foods that your can't really find anywhere else. They're not foods that are part of a typical gymnast's diet, but they're still worth trying. They include Ted Drewes (frozen custard), Imo's (St. Louis Style Pizza), Pappy's (St. Louis Style Barbecue) and Toasted Ravioli (Which you can find at Imo's.)
Check them out!

The Gateway Arch... 

is lame as hell. If it's on your bucket list, then I guess go ahead and go, but in my opinion, it's honestly not worth the time or the money. 

This seems like a pretty comprehensive list... St. Louis Natives, am I missing something? :)