St. Louis is the largest city on Route 66 between Chicago and Los Angeles and home to many interesting cultural and tourist sites. Plan on visiting the Anheuser Busch Headquarters and Brewery, the United States Bowling Hall of Fame, and the unique St. Louis Gateway Arch on the bank of the Mississippi River.
Of the many restaurants in St. Louis, many Route 66 travelers say that the Blueberry Hill Cafe, an award-winning burger joint on Delmar Avenue, is not to be missed.
Eats:
Ted Drewes Frozen Custard ΓÇó The Drewes family has been serving up scrumptious frozen custard almost as long as Route 66 has been around. When they opened in 1929, the Drewes family began a policy of strict quality control of their frozen delights and friendly service. At the window counter, the crowd waits patiently while musing on their purchase - should it be a custard cone, malt, sundae or one of the world famous extra thick shakes known as "concretes." 6726 Chippewa, tel# 314-481-2652
Blueberry Hill Cafe ΓÇó 6504 Delmar Ave., tel# 314-727-0880
Donut Drive In ΓÇó 6525 Chippewa, tel# 314-645-7714
Route 66 Bar & Grill ΓÇó 3315 Watson Rd.
Sleeps:
Best Western Inn at the Park ΓÇó 4630 Lindell Blvd., tel# 314-367-7500
Sites:
Coral Court Motel ΓÇó Just south of St. Louis on Watson Rd., this 1941 Art Deco Motor Court is known for its beautiful design and sordid past. The motel became famous in 1953 after a kidnapper named Carl Austin Hall hid in one of its rooms with two prostitutes the night before his capture. Hall was eventually executed for the murder of a six-year old Kansas City boy. The boy's father had paid Hall a $600,000 ransom, but only half of the money ever turned up, leading some to believe that he had hidden the rest in the walls of the Coral Court.
Just down the road from the Coral Court are two slightly run-down, but nevertheless classic, examples of Route 66 motel architecture, the Wayside Motel and La Casa Grande Motel.
