I’m trying to plan our journey westward in the first week of July. We’ll need to spend a few nights somewhere between here and Kansas. It looks like St. Louis would be a good place to hole up for a few days. Anybody ever done anything there besides see The Arch? I’m looking for a hotel that has suites, too – most places don’t like it when you sleep 7 people in a room, and I can’t put the kids in a separate room yet.
Suggestions? Ideas?
Reit This Way 
T’s fairy godmother is at uni in St. Louis. I’ll forward this on to her and see if she has any ideas 🙂 Are you going to be stopping in OH as well?
We went on an Easter pilgrimage one year to the Our Lady of Snows shrine in downstate Illinois. Turned out to be about an hour from St. Louis. In the midst of our prayerful retreat, my beloved suggested a change of pace. So, we drove into St. Louis and toured the Budweiser Factory. Very fun, very informative, and there was free beer at the end. 😉
Haven’t been through St. Louis, but on our last road trip we stayed at a Homewood Suites. They offered a 2 room/2 bath suite with full kitchen for a VERY reasonable price (i think we booked through AAA). I was incredibly impressed with the hotel—they usually have pools (important for the kids), breakfast and an “evening snack”—like meatball subs or substantial appetizers. It was one of the best hotel choices we’ve made in a long while. Hope this helps!
I highly recommend the St. Louis Zoo. It’s the best one we’ve ever visited. Close by is the Science Center and it’s excellent as well. Grant’s Farm was free, has a petting zoo (kids got to feed the baby goats) and of course, the Clydesdale horses. Downtown near the Arch is the courthouse where the Dred Scott Decision was made.In nearby St. Charles there is a shrine to St. Philippine Duchesne. For more info go here: http://www.ash1818.org/shrine.htmSince we were stationed in MO we didn’t need a hotel so no advice there.
I second Denise’s recommendation for Homewood Suites – my husband always stays at that brand of hotel when he is TDY. He has been very pleased. Bonus – free internet.I don’t have any ideas for things to do in St. Louis, but we can high-five as you move out of the DC area and we move in in the first week of July 🙂
Homewood Suites, Staybridge Suites, Residence Inn,and Embassy suites are all good chains that offer multiple bedrooms. Staybridge suites usually has free washer and dryers. Some of the other chains also offer adjoining rooms where you can open the door between two rooms so they are connected. Definitely enjoy the St. Louis Zoo. I sympathize with all the prep work that goes into a PCS.
Grant’s FarmOur Lady of the Snows shrineScience CenterZooCity Museum (more of a climbing place than a zoo)Laumeier Sculpture Park (there’s even a kid’s section)… and Ted Drewes frozen custard
I don’t know about that area, but if you’re ever in MN, come over and we’ll ditch the kids and head over to the mall of america!